The St. Avit family on the corner of Spanish and Independence
The St. Avit family loved the holidays. Each year, the Christmas season was busy and profitable. Their popular mercantile/grocery store at the southeast corner of Spanish and Independence streets was fully stocked with beautiful porcelain, textiles and other goods, not only from their native France, but other European countries. Their grocery line was superb, receiving many delectables from steamships coming north from New Orleans. As Lee Albert commented in "Memories of Cape Girardeau," "The St. Avit store was one of the most completely equipped groceries around."