La Tre

Some Franklin Street windows have seen more costume changes than the people walking past them.

Overview

Today, 363 N. Franklin Street is home to La Tre, a women's clothing and accessories boutique in the heart of downtown Fort Bragg.

Current visitor information describes the shop as carrying contemporary clothing in inclusive sizes, undergarments, accessories, perfumes, lotions, candles, and gift items.

The storefront's large windows, sidewalk visibility, and downtown location have made it well suited to generations of businesses that depended on people noticing what was inside and stepping through the door.

Location

La Tre is located at 363 N. Franklin Street in downtown Fort Bragg.

The storefront sits within one of Franklin Street's older commercial blocks, where bars, clothing stores, bookstores, collectible shops, and other small businesses have changed places over the decades.

Community memories also describe the building during the Shattuck's Shanty years as having access between Franklin and Laurel streets, a feature that became part of some of the stories associated with the old bar.

History

Community memories take the building back to a much livelier earlier chapter.

Before clothing shops, books, and collectibles, the storefront is remembered as Shattuck's Shanty, also called Shattuck's Bar.

Some memories also place another bar known as Francheschi's, or a similarly remembered name, in this earlier period, although that part of the history remains unconfirmed.

Shattuck's Shanty is remembered as a busy local bar during the 1960s and especially during Paul Bunyan Days.

Later, the storefront entered a very different period as Mode O'Day, an affordable women's clothing store remembered for dresses, tops, jeans, and practical fashion.

The property later became associated with books and collectibles.

Several residents connect Cheshire Books with the storefront, although published information places Cheshire Books at 345 N. Franklin Street. The repeated memories may reflect a move between nearby storefronts or the way neighboring businesses blur together over time.

Milvo's later added another specialty-retail chapter, remembered for collectibles, decorative objects, and unusual items that encouraged browsing.

Eventually, La Tre brought clothing, accessories, and boutique shopping back to the address.

Paul Bunyan Days and Shattuck's Shanty

Shattuck's Shanty became especially memorable during Paul Bunyan Days.

One story recalls a motorcycle being ridden in one doorway and out the other.

Another remembers a man standing outside without a beard being grabbed by the Kangaroo Court and tossed into the bathtub during the celebration.

The building itself also became part of the townwide decorations.

During one Paul Bunyan Days celebration, the exterior was covered with slabs of redwood bark and redwood branches, turning the storefront into a logging-themed display.

Longtime residents remember a period when businesses throughout downtown decorated their storefronts, making Paul Bunyan Days feel like an event involving the whole town.

Mode O'Day

Mode O'Day brought a much quieter identity to the building.

It is remembered as an affordable women's clothing store where people could shop for dresses, tops, jeans, and everyday fashion.

One person remembered walking down from the courthouse during lunch breaks to see what was new.

Another recalled the store carrying an especially good selection of girls' jeans.

One shopper, about thirteen at the time, remembered buying a pink gathered top there around 1979 or 1980 and wearing it to a concert at Cotton Auditorium.

When the band played "Le Freak," everyone stood to dance and the auditorium floor seemed to bounce.

It is the kind of memory that connects an ordinary purchase with a particular age, song, and moment in Fort Bragg life.

Cheshire Books and Milvo's

Several residents remember Cheshire Books in connection with this storefront, particularly its familiar cat logo.

Published information lists Cheshire Books at 345 N. Franklin Street, however, so its exact connection to 363 N. Franklin remains uncertain.

Downtown shops sometimes moved between nearby spaces, and after enough years those locations can become blended in community memory.

Milvo's is more clearly remembered as another chapter in the property's specialty-retail history.

The shop carried collectibles, decorative objects, and unusual pieces.

One resident remembered a friend buying a glass plate with an etched butterfly in the center as a birthday present. The plate was still treasured years later.

Others remembered conversations with the shopkeeper, making Milvo's one of those small downtown businesses where the personality behind the counter was part of the experience.

The Building Today

Today, La Tre continues the building's long association with clothing, personal style, gifts, and downtown browsing.

The storefront remains well suited to retail, with large display windows, strong sidewalk visibility, and a location that puts it directly in the path of downtown foot traffic.

Some customers have kept clothing purchased at La Tre for years, continuing a pattern that appears throughout the building's history.

A pink top from Mode O'Day, a decorative plate from Milvo's, or clothing from La Tre can become tied to a particular time in someone's life and eventually become part of the memory of the building itself.

Community Memories

The memories attached to 363 N. Franklin Street are unusually vivid.

People remember Shattuck's Shanty during Paul Bunyan Days, the redwood-bark decorations, the Kangaroo Court bathtub, and even a motorcycle passing through the building.

Mode O'Day brings back memories of lunch-hour shopping trips, girls' jeans, and clothing worn to memorable events.

Cheshire Books is remembered for its cat logo even though its exact storefront location remains uncertain.

Milvo's is remembered through the objects people bought there and conversations with the person behind the counter.

Today, La Tre continues creating the same kind of small personal connections.

Those details — a bar story, a favorite shirt, a bookstore logo, a collectible plate, or a piece of clothing still hanging in someone's closet — are what give the address its character beyond a simple list of businesses.