How did it get its name? Interesting story:

"DeRidder was named for Ella de Ridder, the sister-in-law of a Dutch railroad financier. Her family originally came from the small town of Geldermalsen in the Netherlands where she was one of thirteen children. She ran away from home at an early age and was presumed dead by her family who only recently discovered that she had traveled to the United States. The town was named for her by her brother-in-law who brought the first railroad to Southwest Louisiana."

How recent? Last year?

You can tell it's the place to go for law & stuff:

Something about that brick always makes a place look like it was done on the cheap. To me, anyway. Perhaps it was built by frugal people who wanted people to feel good about it, but not proud.

Pride was a sin.

Guess what this used to be:

It was a movie theater. Hard to believe now; there's nothing left of its old appearance. It was the Realart, and little more seems to be known about it.

The secret mastermind of the plot to rule the world with a Brainotron Gun would drive in here, and the floor would drop out and he would descend to his lair. What a great serial!

Of course, no, something else. Looks like a murder store now.

Well, lumbermen like donuts.

I always wonder if the banks in the middle of the block fail before the ones on the corner, or the other way around.

Why yes, I think it's quite possible this was a movie theater:

The Uptown! Opened in 1938, remodeled in '48.

Once a bank, always a bank - if you're lucky. A few years away from its 100th birthday

It's one of the rare buildings we've had in this feature where the name on the stone is still the name of the occupant. Might be the first.

Castle-style design, the thrifty way! Brick can do so much.

The Hinke Dinke was a grocery store, I believe. I've no idea qwhat it meant, except that they were trying to remind people of Piggly Wiggly.

Now and then you hit the button to see what it was like in, oh, 2007. Sad, hollow:

Burned? Fell down?

Let's end with a salute to the road crew of DeRidder. Town slogan: "We Dwell in Possibilities."

Possibly that sign had words and the bricks were glass. Possibly they will be glass again.