I remember years ago there being a small grocery store on Madison St. somewhere around where the old Bi Lo is now. Seems like it was really close to the road. Didn't Dairy Queen used to be there close to it as well. I think there is some sort of check cashing place there now.

Shelbyville Supermarket No. 2 was the store where Bi-Lo is.

David since you mentioned Rexall, I can remember back in the late 40's or early 50's Rexall was located on the South Side of the square between the Bedford Theatre and Knox Pitts. They always had a nail keg of horehound cough drops turned over in the show window with the cough drops spilled out.

(60's) Austin-Lyons jewelry was between Hames-Daughtry and the Princess Theatre.

(50's) Between Woosley & Thomas furniture and Boyd's Chevrolet & Oldsmobile was the Goodyear Store and Jack Palmer produce. Between Woosley & Thomas and the Princess was Fritzsche's Purina store. The first time I ever saw a colored chicken and colored duck was at Fritzsches. Fritzsche later moved to the corner of Depot and Deery

(40's and 50"s) On the other corner of Depot and Deery was Landers Service Station known in the 60's as Guy Landers Gulf Station.

(40's and 50's) Between Boyd's Chevrolet & Oldsmobile and Yearwood Motors was 2 or 3 houses. Dr. W. H. Avery had his office in one of those houses, and later after Dr. Avery died a Dr. Burch had that same space, and then Dr. Frierson before he moved to Madison street.

(40's and 50's) United Super Market was mentioned. I very well remember when Mr. Dennis started that store. Later James Dennis and his brother ran the store. Across the street on the corner of Madison and Evans was Johnny Walker Grocery. Donnie Thompson's father ran the store before Johnny Walker.

That has gotten some pretty good memories flowing. I will remember more that should be added later I am sure.

Yes, Kroger was on the side closest to the jail. Also Enzfelter's A & W Root Beer Stand was on Madison Street beside the old Bowling Alley. That reminds me that we used to set pins for each other to bowl when business was slow.

Quantumcat, I think the bowling alley building is still standing. It was on the corner of Alton Ave. and Madison Street. Both the Bowling Alley and United Cities Gas was in the same building in the 50's.

I think that the gas station you mentioned would be Gilbert Landers Shell station. It was on the corner of Deery and Madison. Shelbyville Motors kind of wrapped around the station having frontage on both Madison and Deery.

As best as I can remember it the order of businesses from left (Deery) to right (Alton) would be Landers Shell, Shelbyville Motors, A & W Root Beer, United Cities Gas, and Madison Street Bowling Lanes.

As for the country store. If you are standing on Belmont looking up toward East Side School, if my memory serves me correctly, I think that there was a country store on the back side of the school. That might have been on Elliot Street. Also, I think that there was a store building on Dunnaway Street across from the school. That building was later used for a non-denominational Church.

Time has a way of erasing some of my memory. I can not place Kitty's as being on that side of the square. I do know that she operated out of her house at one time. I believe that was on Atkinson close to where Regent Drive cuts through the housing project.

Quantumcat, I have read some of your posts before. You and I must be about the same age because it seems as if we remember some of the same things.

Cookie, yes Burkhalter's sounds right to me. In my mind I keep getting Burkhalter's and Cohn-Glazer confused. I do remember that one of them had shades made of a yellow film substance that hung in the show windows. I can only guess that the purpose was to keep the sun from fading the clothing.

Cookie, yes Burkhalter's sounds right to me. In my mind I keep getting Burkhalter's and Cohn-Glazer confused. I do remember that one of them had shades made of a yellow film substance that hung in the show windows. I can only guess that the purpose was to keep the sun from fading the clothing.

Cookie, yes if you are who I think you are you are about 3 years younger than me. I think that you would have been a majorette with Phyllis Ann, Pudgy, Marie, and others.

Yes, and I think that I am confusing Kitty's and Hattie's. It seems to me that I can remember a beauty shop at the hotel. I am thinking that it was on the left side of the horseshoe like entrance.

I think that Hattie's is the one I am thinking about that was in a house on Atkinson, but I can not be sure. I have slept since then.

I first remember Whitman's Bakery being just off the square about 2 or 3 doors down on North Main. Then after urban renewal Mr. Whitman moved to Lane Parkway. I am out of touch when you name new businesses. I would need to know where O'Reilly's is such as between which two streets. There were several stores and restaurants on North Main through the years.

I remember going into a store called Nina's with my mom back in the 60's. I think Rexall Drugs might have been next door or close. Also remember the popcorn stand. It was still there the last time I visited the square. Is Freeman's Shoe Shop the location of the old bowling alley?

The place with the orange soda *might* have been the Bridle.

I remember several locally owned restaurants had "horsey" names back then.

The Saddle was in the current El Mexico location and still looked like a dark brown,brick house.

The Golden Spur was a later addition housed in the Tony Rice Center building close to the 41 Drive-In.

It seems like the Stirrup was closer to Bedford Drugs (formerly,Renegar's second,North Main location).

(40's and 50's) United Super Market was mentioned. I very well remember when Mr. Dennis started that store. Later James Dennis and his brother ran the store. Across the street on the corner of Madison and Evans was Johnny Walker Grocery. Donnie Thompson's father ran the store before Johnny Walker.

That has gotten some pretty good memories flowing. I will remember more that should be added later I am sure.

-- Posted by leeiii on Thu, Apr 9, 2009, at 12:12 PM

There was also a grocery store, operated by Vasco Edwards on Madison St. I think it was about half way between Deery St. and Evans St., on the left going out, and there were some steps going up to the store.

All I can remember is that the facade had P. J. Scudder engraved in stone up on the second level.

Wow ilikeoldsongs, you have really gotten the visual juices flowing now.

The rock fence I remember well. I have got a suspicion that many young couples sat on that wall and courted before school and after school, and maybe even during school unless Professor Harris caught them. If you have access to the T-G Sesquicentinnal Edition dated Oct. 7, 1969 you can find a picture of the BCTS football team on page 242 sitting on the steps in the front of the school. I do not know the date of the picture but judging by the helmets (which were always hand me downs from CHS) I would guess it to be late '40's or early '50's. Wow, 82 games without a defeat. Now that is some more record.

Yes, I remember Gant's Cleaners setting right in the bend of the road. It was a target for any car that was coming from Unionville at too great a speed. I can remember that one time the cleaners was almost knocked from it foundation as a car crashed into it. It is possible that the T-G might have a picture of that crash in its archives of negatives. I can not remember whether there was a fatality or not.

Ah yes, Tittsworth Motorcycles. I remember it well. I can not remember the name of "old man" Tittsworth, but it seems to me it was Ralph Tittsworth, Sr. I can remember that Ralph Jr. put on a motorcycle racing exhibition at the horse show grounds maybe in the late '40's or early '50's. It seems to me that he was riding a Harley.

I remember Ned Delk's florist shop as well as the Produce Stand, but I did not remember who owned and ran it. I just remember the great shade tree.

There was a string of storefronts between the Red Ace station and Milners-Shelbyville Super Market-Bakers but I do not remember who occupied those buildings. I seems to me that a Tucker may have been in one of them.

I am not sure who ran Sanders Body Shop. It could have been B. H., or it could have been his father. Either way I am sure that the Sanders boys learned their trade at that place.

Further out toward Unionville Clyde Landers had an upholstery shop, and a little further out Leslie Little had an upholstery shop, and later his Bee business. Speaking of upholstery there was a mattress manufacturing concern on Bridge Street at some point in time. I should be able to remember who the proprietor was, but it escapes me at the moment.

ilikeoldsongs I will get back to you in a few minutes. I have to run to the bank and give them some money so they can have some operating capital LOL.

I am having a hard time placing the location of the coal yard on North Main. Could you tell me where it was located? Somehow Overcast and Coal yards go together. I know that Joe Overcast used to have a coal yard over by the football practice field.

Before Joe was over by the practice field, he and Bill Haley(no,not the singer)had a spot beside the pure oil station, not the station owned by the Tune brothers across from the Black house,but the one across from the Mill End Center, owned by Houston Prosser in the early fifties,then by Bobby G. Sanders in the late fifties.This site is presently occupied by O'rileys Auto Parts,which was mentioned by an earlier poster in regard to soft drinks.I haven't been able to resolve that poster's question, which I think was directed to you,by the way.(justwannaknow?)

The stove foundry was located about 3 miles from the square, I would guess, between Naron Rd. on the right, and Womack Rd. on the left.If you're familiar with the location of the new National Guard Armory, it was just a little ways past it, on the left side of the Fayetteville highway.A couple of stone pillars mark the former entrance, or did the last time I was out that way,three or four years ago.

Look on page 232 of the 1969 book, and look closely at the picture of the two men in the boat.I would love to have a copy of this picture that was suitable for framing just because of the amount of information that it contains.First, on a personal note, I believe that the man in the back is Aubrey McConnel himself,who I became acquainted with, along with his family, in 1958.

Secondly, the boat is positioned very nearly on top of the present day flume which collapsed recently.

Thirdly, the boat is pointed directly where Joe Overcast's coal yard was located.

Fourthly, This is an excellent historical shot of the colored church which was torn down in,I believe, the 1960's.(this church, along with another on Lane St.can be found on the 1878 Beers map).

Fifthly, in the distance, on the left side of the road can be seen the Pure Oil sign across from the Black House.

In the distance, and on the right side there is a vertical sign whose first three letters were HUD, but the bottom letters are obscured by other signs.Did we ever have a Hudson automobile dealership here? If not, I wonder what business this sign represented.So many questions,so few answers.

Around the late 80's into the early 90's, I think, Joyce Tune operated a service station at E. Cedar and N. Main, and the bus station was there i'm pretty sure. This may have been her last retail business venture, I think she pretty much settled into local politics after that.

I've thought some about this orange drink situation,and have reached the following conclusion.During the time frame given, the only grocery store that I can recall between the square and Edgemont would be Newell's Market, which was located toward the Northern end of the same block as Bud's cafe.

And speaking of Charlie Chockley, I wonder if he is the Chockley that ran a moving service, and was the one that moved us from Columbia back to Shelbyville in 1950. I remember it was a Chockley, don't remember the first name.

This is kind of weird: The names Puckett and Lentz almost jumped off the screen when I saw them, but I can't get a mental image of thier location in my mind.

leeiii, don't know what you are looking for exactly in a country music archive,but you might check out the link below when you have a minute.I just ran across it this morning, so haven't had a chance to evaluate it at all, however, at first glance it seems they might have some rather obscure titles, which could prove valuable as a reference source.

bacm.users.btopenworld.com

ilikeoldsongs, since you helped me to locate Joe and Bill's coal yard, I have been trying to visualize the area. Am I correct when I think that there might have been a small ice house in that area as well.

A visualization problem. Seems like during the 1950's - 60's, one of the most frequently advertised businesses on the radio was Fred Phillips Furniture Co., but I am unable to zero in on his location at that time. I clearly remember several years later that they had a "piano" business at Holland & North Jefferson,( now the 82 by-pass). Were they always at this location? Did I drive by there 3726 times without realizing it was Fred Phillips Furniture?

I don't question the fact that I have always, to a certain degree, been afflicted with "tunnel vision", but this is really bugging me.

Would appreciate any help.

"ilikeoldsongs, I remember the Holland street location as both for Furniture and for Pianos. It seems to me that Pianos became a bigger item when Fred Jr. (who was a tremendous piano player) became a part of the business. I will have to scratch my brain cells to see if I can come up with another location."

-- Posted by leeiii on Mon, Jun 29, 2009, at 9:47 AM

leeiii, I think you are right, as I now seem to remember the phrase "changing over to the piano business" in association with Phillips, and you're right about Jr. becoming "the man" when that happened.

Another question about the businesses on the square. In the early 1950's, on the West side of the square, to the right of the fire dept., and about where the present street enters the square, I have a strong image of a business named Hoover Furniture and Appliances being there. I believe this is where my dad bought my mother a washing machine, about 1952 or '53. Now that I've managed to ignore Fred Phillips for 20 years, I'm wondering if this could be a figment of my imagination?

Again, any help appreciated.

"ilikeoldsongs, you have caused me to dig out some of my reference books to find some answers."

An outstanding post! Thanks a lot for the information and the effort required to find and organize it.

As I recall, Bedford Coal Company was also on East Lane St., operated by Bud Shapard, who later on got into the real estate sales business. Next door was R.L.Patterson, and on the corner was Culligan Water Service. Across East Lane was Polly's Apartments, owned by the Aderholt's, I believe. Turn the corner toward Depot St., and there was Kincaid's T.V. Service, then Seymour&Peck, in Eddie Huffman's big old black building.

Across from Seymour&Peck was the ice plant, and that gets us back to Albert Bailey. I've been trying off and on for several days to recall his first name, since everyone just called him by his last name. He worked there for a long time with Bill Barber, before getting the head honcho job.

Oh, and I gotta ask - how many remember Hootie Mae's ah, "house", near the then-triangular intersection of Depot Street and Coney Island Road???

Back in the 1950's, on the Murfreesboro hwy.,there was a small feed mill located at the corner of Decatur St.(the last street into the Robinson Addition, if going North)and the M'boro hwy. This was just a little way back toward town from Mrs. Kate Parker's store. It has long been closed, and has been remodeled into a dwelling.

I have tried forever it seems, to remember the name of that mill with no luck. Any help out there, please?

Well, Ive pestered you good folks enough for one day, so I am going to get out of here and let you all rest. Before I go though, I would like to throw out a three part trivia question that will probably stump most of you, unless you have specific work experience, and in that case you will probably be able to jump on this like a duck on a Junebug.

(1)In 1962, who was the golf pro at the city golf course on West Lane St.?

(2)What was his wife's name?

(3)What was his wife's job description?

Good luck.

leeiii, that is some pretty deep thinking on your part, breaking down the old Junebug saying, but I'm afraid, although flattered, that you may be ascribing to me a level of creativity that I don't possess!

Actually leeii, golf was not a thing that I was concerned with, in those days or since. I tried golfing one time with a brother-in law,probably around the mid 60's, and we played 9 holes, should have been a par 36. If you don't count the first three times I swung and just rolled the ball about ten feet each time, I shot a 53 and decided that any future joy I might extract from the game would pale in the face of the effort required on my part to achieve it.

But about this question, don't feel bad about not being able to come up with the answer right off. If I was going to guess at how many people are alive and able to answer this question, I would guess fewer than 100. You almost had to be working at a specific place at a certain time, or as in my case, have a wife or other relative working there, to know the answer.

I believe there is one person, if I have figuered them out correctly, that posts here, who might be able to answer correctly.

I believe that hard work should be rewarded, and so I will offer a clue before long, if no answer is forthcoming.

By the way, that's a fine group of people you listed.

"I will be looking forward to the possibility of an upcoming clue."

-- Posted by leeiii on Thu, Jul 2, 2009, at 11:45 AM

Clue #1 - Play around with Rudy Kindig's name a little, and you will probably come up with the last name of the golf pro.

Clue #2 - Go to the front page of today's T-G and click on the featured story by Mary Reeves. Read my comment at the end of the article.

Clue #3 - I probably just gave away the whole store.

"No, Sorry. I think that either my "old timers disease" has just kicked in or I have seriously strained my brain. Oh well, back to the recliner to see if I can recuperate."

-- Posted by leeiii on Thu, Jul 2, 2009, at 1:22 PM

The longer this goes on, the sillier this question seems, so I'm going to provide the answer now so that I can get you back to work on something of more substance, if that's alright with you.

1)In 1962, who was the golf pro at the city golf course on West Lane St.? John King.

(2)What was his wife's name? Bertha King.

(3)What was his wife's job description? Director Of Nursing, Bedford County General Hospital.

I don't remember how long Bertha held that position, but it was several years. I had to awaken her at 2 A.M. by phone when I came home from Germany, to clear "extracting" my wife, who was working 11 to 7 shift that night.My wife and I both thought highly of Bertha.

ilikeoldsongs, I remember that mill very well. I have tried to visualize a jeep pick-up truck there but I can not see a name on the door of the truck. Sorry, but I will keep thinking. It is possible that Al Simmons could tell us since that would be his area of town.

-- Posted by leeiii on Tue, Jun 30, 2009, at 3:29 PM

leeiii, we got a nice rain here last night, and some of the dirt on that door got washed off, and the name looks a lot like Ferrell's. Think that will do it, or should I wait on another rain?

ilikeoldsongs, Ferrell seems to be a good fit. However, the rain did not wash off the driver's window well enough that I could get a good look at the driver.

-- Posted by leeiii on Thu, Jul 16, 2009, at 8:09 AM

Must be a reflection of some sort, Thursday is the driver's day off.

ilikeoldsongs, I lived on that side of the river briefly in the early '60s. I should be able to remember that car lot but it escapes me at the moment. I can remember C.A. Woods Plumbing being in that area as well as a small barber shop. I am thinking that Roy Moon ran it. I can remember being in there one day when a young Cassius Clay was fighting someone and it was on television. That was in the days before a lot of people changed their names. Speaking of name changes, I used to work for a man named Charles T. "Doc" Jones. One time he told me that everybody in the world used to be named Jones. As they got into cattle rustling among other criminal activities they started changing their names and that is how we all wound up with different names. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, Woods, Barber Shop, and there was a farmers supply (maybe Co-Op), Clayton and Otis Arnold's Texaco. What was in the building where Sav-A-Lot is today?

What was in the building where Sav-A-Lot is today?

-- Posted by leeiii on Thu, Jul 16, 2009, at 2:00 PM

Gaseous Cassius, The Louisville Lip. One of the best quotes I ever heard was after the Clay-Liston fight, the one when Liston quit, and would'nt come out of his corner. A reporter asked Rocky Marciano, who had retired already, if he could have beat Clay when he, Marciano, was in his prime. Without batting an eye Rocky said "If I said I could you'd say I was lying, if I said I couldn't I would be".

I'm wanting to think that some kind of clothing store was in the sav-a-lot location to begin with, but I'm not sure at all.

If I remember correctly, "Doc" Jones was a plumber, unless I'm thinking about some other "Doc".

During that time frame you probably rubbed elbow's with the likes of A.C."Pat" Melson, Cecil Melton,Grady Cromwell and other assorted craftsmen and contractors.

There is a house near Pleasant Grove which contains one brick laid by yours truly, under the watchful eye of Grady Cromwell. I was working at Shelbyville Lumber Co., at the time, and made a delivery there. I asked Grady when he was going to show me how to lay bricks, and was told to get my young posterior up on the scaffold. That was Grady.

That car lot was there for such a short time that I doubt many folks will remember it. I don't remember what the name of it was, although I think I know who owned it.

ilikeoldsongs, Yes you are right about Doc being in the plumbing business but it was a combination of plumbing, electrical, septic tank cleaning, air compressor work, and dynamite work. I shot the hole for the flagpole at the new post office. I do not know if you are aware of it or not but that area of North Main is solid limestone. When we put the sewer line for the new (at that time) Goodyear store it was solid limestone. And yes you are right that I rubbed elbows with all three of those fellows.

ilikeoldsongs, Yes I saw it in the T-G.

Sevier St. was right beside Red Ace on Elm. C. J. Clanton started his first coal business on this street.

Coy Adams had the Stove Foundry on Fayettville Hy. The stove brand was Econmaster, It was a small electric space heater.

Red Ace, Elam appliance store, Raymond Tucker Candy Co. ,and Lois and Buck Claxton had a furniture store in Mr. Earnhart's long building, on Elm.

Wilderness 68, do you ever remember a mattress factory being on Bridge Street? And if you do, do you remember who ran it? It may have been the same building that was later to become Landers Quality Recappers, or at least in the same vicinity.

marnold1118, I got a passel of questions for you and those phone books (told you they'd get you in trouble).

(1)Could you confirm (or shoot down)my thinking that Dr. (R.L.?)Suggs, the colored dentist, lived at 1207 North Main St.?

(2) Leonard Parsons had a business on N.Main St., I think beside J.B. Cook. I know he had a wrecker service there, but for the life of me , I can't remember what his main business was, garage, service station, auto sales. I'm just drawing a blank on that. This would have been in the mid to late 1950's. In 1961 the bus station was located there, as I caught a bus to Nashville at that location.

(3)On page 232 of the T-G 1969 book, there is a picture of two guys in a boat, in the middle of N. Main St., with the square in the distant background. In the distance, on the right side, is a sign that begins with the letters HUD. What business was that sign advertising? This was in 1948. In an earlier post, leeiii and I discussed this sign briefly, without being able to reach a definitive conclusion.

Would greatly appreciate your effort to clarify the above, marnold1118.

"Could the "HUD" sign in (3) above have been a Hudson sign?"

-- Posted by David Melson on Fri, Jul 24, 2009, at 2:15 PM

This is what leeiii and I were trying to figure out, and given the fact that we now know there was a Hudson dealer here about four years after the '48 flood, I think the odds just became prohibitive in favor of that sign being a Hudson Dealership sign.

I don't imagine that any of the old Hudson's with the "step down design" survived long enough for you to ever see one did they?

A gentleman at our church bought one of the first ones, either '47 or '48, don't remember now, but I remember riding in it a time or two, felt kind of odd stepping down inside the frame, as opposed to other vehicles which were built on top of the frame.

Thanks for the info, David.

Hey leeiii, don't ever hesitate to jump into anything I put on these blogs, I always look forward to your input, and more often than not, defer to your memory of places and situations.

Boy, I can imagine it was a challenge trying to sweep out those vehicles, and that had never crossed my mind before.

Speaking of car washing, I know you remember "Elroy", probably the most famous car wash man in the world, or tennessee, or Shelbyville. I can't remember his last name for sure, seems like maybe Adams, but I don't know.

If I was a betting man, I'd bet you know his last name. Do I win?.

ilikeoldsongs, I misspoke earlier. The man I am thinking of was named Alex instead of Elroy, however Elroy still sounds familiar to me.

So how did they drive compared to other cars of their time?

Posted by David Melson on Fri, Jul 24, 2009, at 6:52 PM

I was too young to drive at the time, but now as far as the "ride" is concerned, Viva La Difference, (or something like that). Like a rubber tired buggy vs. a farm wagon (and yes, I speak from personal experience in that regard).

Who owned what business is not an area in which I would anticipate scoring very well if taking a test on the subject. But having said that, I am in agreement with leeiii that the names Enochs and Hardison seem to fit together perfectly in my mind, in fact thinking of either name calls up the other.

Elroy was Adams and his wife was May. They lived on Bird St., close to the horse show.

They were fine people and my Grand mother lived across the field from them.

They drawed water from a well in that field and so did my Grandmother.

May cleaned houses for people and was a great cook. This was late 40s early 50s.

They moved to the end house on the dead end street in front of now Smith's store on Deery St.

One night the house caught fire , May got out, but Elroy lost his life about late 60s. He was a fine musician. Thank you for reminding me of them.

Elroy was Adams and his wife was May.

Posted by Wilderness 68 on Sun, Aug 2, 2009, at 5:53 PM

Thanks for the info, wilderness 68. I never knew Elroy was a musician, but he was a fine carwash man, slow as molasses in wintertime, but no way was a speck of dirt going to escape his attention.

I guess the last time I saw Elroy was around 1960, nearly 50 years ago, but I still remember that perpetual smile he had on his face.

Some things, and some people, have a way of getting into our minds and just hanging around, for no particular reason except maybe to bring a smile when recalled, and for me Elroy kind of symbolizes a different,more caring world than what has evolved in the last half century. Perhaps that is why he has remained so clear in my mind.

It seems like we have mentioned several Service Stations, Car Dealers, J. B. Cook, some mechanics, car wash men, and various subjects pertaining to cars.

I was reminded that there was later a parts house on North Main owned and operated by the Bellefant brothers, and then there was another place to find car parts. That was George Hunter's junk yard on Madison or Tullahoma Highway just past where there used to be a Steak House. It was between the Tullahoma Highway and Railroad Avenue.

David, For me trying to place a location with today's structures presents a problem to me. It might be of a help for me to say that George Hunter's junk yard was directly across the highway from where the Ford Tractor dealership used to be and maybe a few feet on toward Tullahoma.

David, Concerning the property we were talking about that I refer to as George Hunter's junk yard. I looked it up on Google Earth and the property is shown as a barren (sage grass) piece of land. The East border would be the creek bed and the West border would be the edge of what once upon a time was the property of B Cook. You can still see his house if you look at the photo of 826 Railroad Avenue. You can still see the drive that entered the back of the junk yard from Railroad Avenue. The Tullahoma Highway entrance would have been close to the right edge of the parking area that is shown for the car lot.

ilikeoldsongs, Sorry, I can't help you with that one. I never knew anything but "B". I could help you with the product he was famous for selling though.

Wow, ilikeoldsongs, you have really rung the bell this time. Yes, now that you mention it Crawford Henson is a perfect fit. That one was way back in the recesses of my mind hidden behind something else that will be equally hard to retrieve.

I had already left Shelbyville in the '80s so I am not sure about the appliance business, however, in years past it seems like I can remember used appliances sitting in his yard on Railroad Avenue, as if he may have been scavenging parts from them.

If I am not mistaken in my remembering, I think that Bedford Cheese used that building to store whey from their cheese making process. If I remember correctly whey was used in some kind of animal feed.

I'm not sure exactly which building we're talking about. If it's the old Thompson's TV building (the one which today has a large painting of a woman in a wedding dress and a Spanish-language sign), then it seems like a feed store may have been there at one point.

Dead on,leeiii. David, I wasn't too clear in referencing the RR tracks, should have specified that the tracks in the area of the ice plant were those I was talking about.

There are two buildings in that area now,one is yellow with a sign that says Fomax, Formax or some kind "max", and the other is the building in question, which is a light grey(gray) and has at least one rollup door, maybe two. That's the one I think B.Cook was in.

And I could almost hear Jumpin' Bill Carlisle trying to turn over in his grave when I saw that I had misquoted a line from one of his songs. Should have been "Big at the LITTLE and bottom at the top". Sorry, Bill.

leeiii, I can't conjure up a visual image, but the term Farrar's Hoisery kind of leaped into my head for some reason.

I never met the man myself, that I can recall, but heard a lot about a "Duck" Farrar, who did a lot of fishing I think, with Eddie Huffman and Dick Dickerson. I wonder if this was the hoisery store owner.

Yes, leeiii....his name was "Duck" Farrar and his wife was Beth and they ran that little bitty sock and hose store right by the Gunter Building. I sold Duck a million cups of coffee when I was a young soda jerk at Caperton's....And you're right, ilikeoldsongs, his main cronies were Eddie and Dick. I think they fished at Lake Bedford.

leeiii....you have the memory of an elephant! Now my cover is blown. I probably went to CHS with your father.....Yes, I remember a tall lady named Mrs. Loudermilk working that stand...bag for a nickel or big box for a dime!

steadyeddie, Thanks for making me younger than what I actually am. No, it was me that you went to school with. I was a freshman the year you were a senior.

Thanks for validating my thoughts about the Loudermilks being at that location.

I just had a comical thought. Several of us have expressed just how much we are enjoying this forum. So, I guess that we are the modern day version of the spit and whittlers that used to gather on the court house lawn on Saturdays, Livestock day, and Mule day to remember the good old days, shoot the bull, and just generally enjoy one anothers company. Let's just keep it up. As it has been said before, "Iron sharpens iron".

"Spitters and Whittlers"...that's us! leeiii, I might have to get out my old Aquila to see if I can put 2 and 2 together.

Thanks...I'll be looking when I get home..Hope the page is not too yellowed with age.

steadyeddie, No there is no clue in my username unless you know my whole family. I probably have been in Capertons when you worked there but I can not be sure. I also should know the two girls who worked there about the same time but I can not recall their names. I remember that Capertons made some really good Maple Nut ice cream down in the basement, along with their other flavors. I was also a soda jerk at another drug store during my high school days. Remember those funny paper soldier type hats we wore.

The way I identified you first of all was by your username and the fact that you said you lived a few houses up North Main. I knew the Crenshaws, and the Brantleys, and the Parkers, and I was thinking that there was a family with your last name that lived somewhere up there. Also by some of the things you said it made me think that you were 3 to 5 years older than me.

Another menu topper at Caperton's for me was their "hot dog sandwich". It was 3 halves of hotdog fried on the grill and served between toast. It was always a dependable lunch. steadyeddie, I'm not as good as leeiii. I haven't figured you out, but I was a relative of the Brantley's and spent considerable time playing in their backyard and the Huffman's back yard. N. Main certainly "ain't what it used to be" is it?

Wow! You guys REALLY remember our old soda fountain! To this day, I still prefer my hot dogs that way...the three grilled slices on toast or half of a hamburger bun (not a hot dog bun). And with lettuce amd mayo. All of that for 20 cents, but 25 cents if we added a slice of cheese.

75 cents would then get you a hot dog, a thick chocolate shake and a banana split. If you started with a dollar, you'd still have enough change left to see a matinee at the Bedford. Ah, the good old days.

Do y'all remember Caperton's when the soda fountain was still at the front of the store, un-airconditioned and with a hanging airplane fan sucking the hot air out the front door??

steadyeddie....I'm thinking I'm a little bit younger than you, since you mentioned playing with Janice Brantley, Carolyn Crenshaw, Bill and Mary Lee Parker. I played with "Dede" Brantley, Camille Crenshaw, Bucker and Sally Dee Huffman. I don't recall David or Dickie Hulan.

Yep, marnold, I remember them all...Dede, Camille, Bucker and Sally D....they were all still riding their tricycles when we had graduated to our two-wheel bikes. I remember how Rat Brantley rigged up lots of bright lights in his front yard trees to keep the birds from roosting there at night.....and during the mid-day he played 15 minutes of piano music on WHAL. He could really tickle those ivories....During my lunch hour from Caperton's I would go over to Rat's drug store across the square and flirt with his soda jerk....One day word got out that some grown man (city slicker) from Nashville was walking in front of Brantley Drugs wearing short pants. I made an excuse to run over there from Caperton's to check this out. Sure enough...I saw a grown man actually wearing shorts in public for the first time in my life!

leeiii.....now I'm really losing it. I lived in Shelbyville until 1954 and nobody ever told me that our town had a library (except in the schools). I must have been under a rock! What year did all these libraries get started?

steadyeddie, I found an article in a newsprint type magazine published by the T-G in 1988 called "Information-Impressions of Shelbyville and Bedford County". On page 74 in an article entitled "Bedford's Public Library Had Its Beginning in 1948" it is stated that on May 1, 1948 the grand opening for the Bedford County Memorial Library was held in the unused passenger waiting room of the N.C & St.L. Railroad depot.

Goodspeed recorded in "A History of Tennessee", published in 1886, that "The Eakin Library containing over 1,000 volumes of choice literature, was founded by the widow of William S. Eakin, and from whom it takes its name."

There is little information and dates concerning a library until 1948 (just the places of residence), and then the only dates mentioned are May 1, 1948 at the depot, and then the date of opening in the old post office building on June 6, 1966. Mrs. W.P. (Argie) Cooper was very active with the American Legion in the '30s in trying to get a permanent place for a library. This is during the time she was serving as first lady while her unmarried son (Prentice) was serving as governor of Tennessee, thus the name Argie Cooper Public Library.

leeiii,you may have just put your finger on the source of my Scudder-East side memory. In the article you reference above concerning the library,the term "Scudder Building, East side of the square" occurs, and that is exactly the way it is placed in my mind. I don't think of the Scudder Building without the thought of "East side of the square".

The magazine, "Information-Impressions of Shelbyville and Bedford County", is the source of the info I posted a few days ago concerning the Opera House. I discovered it under a cardboard box in my garage while looking for something else. Based on the "brand new" look, it has probably been there since 1988.

I would almost bet a dollar to a doughnut that the library article in this magazine is where I picked up on the Scudder Building.

Stay tuned, more to come.

This is not exactly a "where was it" question, more specifically, it is a "when was it" question.

I am trying to determine the approximate time frame that the city might have operated a "dump" area between Bethany Lane and Couch Lane, along the Holland Branch. This is the same Holland Branch that passed beside the previously mentioned junk yard on Madison St.

I was told that the city operated this dump at least back into the 1940's. We all know that being told something doesn't always mean it's true,so as far as the city actually having anything to do with this dump area, officially, ( and I'm almost positive that this area would have been out of the city limits, at that time) is open to debate, in my mind. What's not open to debate is the fact that the area in question was indeed used as a dump by someone, and very substantial quantities of trash were deposited there.

The reason I can be sure that trash was dumped there is because I have dug into numerous overgrown mounds of it in a quest for those brown coca cola bottles that were a prized collectible back in, I think, the 1960's or 1970's.

And I did find about three or four of those brown beauties....every dad blamed one of them broken! And believe it or not I dug out a couple of light bulbs that were unbroken, go figure.

If anyone has any information on this area I would appreciate you sharing it.

ilikeoldsongs....you mentioned the opera house again. Did you see the recent posting on the blog about the Princess? Sheds a bit of light on exact location, etc.

Right in front of Banty (Bantam) Burns house.

Yes, his name was Gene. He was a schoolmate of mine, and tragically he died in a hunting accident. Gene and I along with some other young boys used to dove hunt in the field across from Banty's house before they started building houses there. Gene's sister Vaughn married William Whitman of Whitman's Bakery fame.

When I finally did get home Mom met me at the end of the driveway with the razor strop and helped me get into the house pretty fast.

-- Posted by leeiii on Sun, Aug 30, 2009, at 4:12 PM

Parents are usually very dialed in to our immediate needs in such situations, and probably deserved more credit than we were inclined to give them at the time.

I thought his name was Gene, but I've been wrong so much lately that I'm about to get gun shy. Our town, and county, for that matter, certainly has had it's share of tragedy through the years. Probably no more so than others, but when hit so often among family and friends it does seem that way.

There was a Hardin family that lived about 3/4 of a mile past Banty, on the right, after you top the hill above the Duck Ponds, and start down the other side. I believe there was a Brown family that lived in that area, also, though I'm not sure of the time frame that either family was there. At the foot of the hill is Brown Lane on the right, then on the left was the Drake house( A young man left the road there and struck a tree in the Drake yard, and was killed) then on the right is where Raymond Tucker built, although I think in the timeframe under discussion, the older house that was torn down would have still been standing at that site.

By the way, are you old enough to remember when the city limits on Fairfield Pike ended at Butler St., and the Pike was a gravel road from there on to Fairfield?

-- Posted by ilikeoldsongs

Either I'm coming up a few years short in age or a few brain cells short in memory. I was born in 1943 and we lived on Minkslide Road--which connected Fairfield Pike and Webb Hwy. As best as I can recall, Fairfield Pike was paved as far back as I can recall, probably 1950 or so. The city limits was at the top of the hill...and after you topped the hill the old Eakin house was on the left.

ilikeoldsongs: I have very fond memories of your mom and dad and the time they attended Hurricane Grove Baptist Church, further out the Pike. They were good, gentle people....what you would call the salt of the earth.

ilikeoldsongs:

You've got me trying to match dates and events again. Regarding the paving of Fairfield Pike, I'll do so more research, but I'm really (well pretty) sure that it was paved in or by 1950. Here is my rationale. After starting to school early (as a 4-year-old) at Harts Chapel I then transferred to Bell Buckle for the second grade. That was the 1949-50 school year. As a little kid, that was unsure of whether he liked school or not, the bus driver let me stand up front by him and open the door when he stopped to pick up or let kids off. Well one morning, we were going along Fairfield in front of the Elmer Eaton farm, when the bus driver slammed on the brakes, opened the door and with one motion, threw me out the door into the ditch. The reason? There was fire and smoke coming out of the engine right in front of me. I know for sure at that time that the road was paved, at least that section of it.

marnold1118,

Let me recite a couple of events related to the earlier years, in addition to the "tar" on the undercarriage.

We moved to Austin Coop's little red house on Minkslide Rd., the 24th of June, 1950. Both Minkslide and Fairfield Pike were gravel at that time.

I'm sure you know where Austin lives now, the next house on the left past the church. Let's fast forward to the next summer, 1951. The road is still gravel, and in front of Austin's present location there is a rough spot in the road, causing traffic to move close to a shallow ditch to avoid it. We go to Columbia and bring my cousin, Robert, back to spend a couple of weeks with me during summer vacation. As we approach this "rough spot", just kidding, I tell Robert to hold on, daddy always runs off the road up ahead. He never had before, but he did then! We talked about that for years.

This next "event" I'm absolutely certain about it happening, but am not so certain of the time frame in which it happened. Whatever day in August, 1952, that school started, was the day we moved up on the Pike to "Uncle Moody's" house. I caught the bus on Minkslide that morning and got off at Arnold Rd. that afternoon.

Now, here's where the uncertainty creeps in. Sometime after moving up on the Pike Dad traded a 1937 Chevrolet for A 1941 plymouth. When is very critical, because I drove down to Hurricane Grove Church in that car on a gravel road, turned around, and like a young idiot, decided I wanted to drive 50 miles an hour for the first time in my life. And I did it. It was a noisy ride. But when was it? Late '52, sometime in '53, even?

And then there is the fact that, even though I strongly believe that Dad acquired that car after we moved to the Pike, I can't say absolutely for a fact that he didn't trade for it before we left Minkslide, but I would have only been 14 at that time, and I believe I was 15 before I was allowed to drive around the neighborhood by myself.

International Harvester was owned by George Crenshaw and the building is still there, I think. It was across Madison St. from Edwards Market on Madison.

ilikeoldsongs, Yes the IH place was owned by George Crenshaw. I think that steadyeddie had mentioned his daughter Carolyn as one of his playmates, and maybe marnold1118 had mentioned his other daughter Camille as a friend.

I remember John Merritt and his machine shop. I know that his son worked for him. I do not remember the others but I am pretty sure my friend Sherman Hardin was not one of them, however, it could have been some of his kin.

I have been meaning to stop by Smith's sometime on one of my trips to Shelbyville. I do not know if Rayburn is still alive or not. Our present day Register of Deeds got his start working at C.F. Smith's market if I am not mistaken. While we are in that area one of the bloggers had mentioned that Don Edwards was running a pawn shop in Tren Paynes old store on Derry. I need to stop by and visit him as well. Don was a buddy from school days.

I remember Bedford Machine as well. I do not know if I am not familiar with Alvin's death or if I have just forgotten.

The International Harvester building is still there, but looking quite different from when it was an implement dealership. Seems like I remember it had something unique on the roof, either a sign or the roof itself.

Rayburn Smith is very much alive and actively running his store.

Speaking of Madison Street, the One Hour Martinizing building still stands (and still houses cleaners); as you go east from there you'll see Hardee's, built in the 1970s, and the Edwards Interiors building, now the home of a Mexican store and restaurant.

But what was previously in the Hardee's location?

But what was previously in the Hardee's location?

-- Posted by David Melson on Sun, Sep 13, 2009, at 10:20 PM

Wally Cartwright's family?

leeiii, you're right about the IH sign on top of the building.

And the former "dead man's curve" is hardly worthy of being called a curve, anymore.

I knew that Wally wasn't quite right when I wrote him down. The person I was trying to get out of my mind and onto the screen was Perry Trollinger. I knew Perry, and remember being in his house one time, but can't remember why we were there. I want to think that Perry had a brother, and that at least one of them attended U.T., but I could be wrong, as I have demonstrated on more than one occassion.

While we're at Hardee's, a question about the laundromat next door, toward N.Main St. I know that J.T. Jones owned it at one time, and had his office in the other end of the building. Did J.T. build that building and install the laundromat, or purchase it as a going business?

Given the length of time that I have been a music fan,(Can you say "Walking The Floor Over You", 1941) it's embarrassing to have to admit that somehow a music store on Madison St. escaped my attention, completely, but that seems to be the case. Makes one wonder what else one might have forgotten.

leeiii, I think you're right about J.T. buying that property later on, rather than building it himself, as I believe my memory of him owning it was maybe in the late 60's, early 70's time frame, now that I think about it.

You mentioned John Shipp and that takes me back to the "boy's poolroom" days. He was a pretty good pool player, used to run with Earl Calahan and a couple of others whose names escape me at the moment.

I appreciate that link to Doodle's site, have spent the last hour there, and would recommend it to others. He mentions Dale Cleek, and just happens that I was listening to WLIJ one day last week and heard on the Birthday Club that Dale had a birthday a couple of days earlier. Now the whole world can send Dale a birthday card.

The recent wartime photo and article(#23) made me remember some things about that general area of the Fayetteville Highway and Chestnut Ridge. Since they are not military related I thought this might be a more appropriate place to place them.

There was a time when just about every road in Bedford county had a toll gate to collect money for the upkeep of the road. The only two, whose locations I remember, were on Tollgate Rd. just off the Flat Creek Highway, near the Duck River Bridge, and on U.S. 231 S. across the highway from what used to be a state roadside park, then later Rich Valley Community Club,If memory serves correctly.

By the mid 50's, the toll house on 231 was pretty much caved in and covered with vines and ivy., but the house on Tollgate Rd. remained livable well into the 60's.

A little way past the Rich Valley site is Hawthorne Hill Rd. I have been told, by a lifelong resident of the Chestnut Ridge area, that at some time in the distant past, Hawthorn Hill Rd. was a part of U.S. 231. In looking at a map of the area it makes perfect sense to me that old time road builders would follow the straightest path between two points.

It has also been pointed out to me the general location of a legal liquor distillery, located about midway up the steepest incline portion of Hawthorne Hill Rd., on the left side of the road.

Does anyone have an old photo of a Bedford County toll house/road, or know where one is? I'd sure like to get a copy.

marnold1118, I will also keep that in mind as I visit various sites. Right now I can not recollect ever seeing a picture of a toll house.

ilikeoldsongs

Thanks for your persistence. That's a great photo and I enjoyed the others on that site as well. You are a bloodhound with this research.

Do you know right off hand where Wetumpka Pike was?

-- Posted by leeiii on Tue, Sep 22, 2009, at 11:39 AM

No, along with a couple of others on that list, Wetumpka Pike is a mystery to me.

The name is Indian, and means "rumbling waters" if that is any help, perhaps indicating that a waterfall was in the vicinity, or at least the direction, that the pike was headed from Shelbyville. When you don't have a clue,take a guess.

ilikeoldsongs, The Eakin problem is a new one to me. I will have to see what I can find out about it.

Now back to your other post about toll roads. I am guessing that the two you mentioned which are a mystery to you are Versailles Pike and Flatwoods Pike. First of all I have heard of Versailles Pike all my life. Versailles is in the Northern part of Bedford County or Southern part of Rutherford County depending on when the boundaries were made. It seems to me that Versailles Pike was always mentioned to me in connection with Longview, so my best guess is that Versailles Pike runs from 41-A North at the former Vic Thompson property through 3-cornered garden, on through Longview to Versailles. That is just a guess so do not bet the farm on it.

Flatwoods is in the Southern part of District 9, so I am guessing Bell Buckle-Flatwoods Pike ran between those two point. Could it be Bell Buckle Lane and then on across 231 North to the West? Again, just a guess.

A Tollgate on the Shelbyville to Unionville Pike was located on US 41A at an place called Hickory Hill just south of Old Columbia Rd...I can remember an old building on the west side of the road they said was the Toll House....

Yes, leeiii and FlaDon....I remember that old building y'all are talking about sitting near the roadway just about halfway to DoLittle. I believe that was called the Hickory Hill area. Seems like the old toll building was operated as a general store in the 40's and 50's.

leeiii....I do remember my grandmother calling that building Osburne's Store. Now, the only Sudberry store I remember was Calvin Sudberry's store right on the highway in DoLittle.(It may be still there). Do you know if he and Lee were the same family?...Yes..had those Peppers at 10, 2, and 4....and maybe a Grapette a little later.

Yes, and at one time I believe the Grapette was in an even smaller bottle (maybe a 4 or 4 1/2 oz. bottle).

Sorry that I could not be of a help on this one.

-- Posted by leeiii on Wed, Sep 23, 2009, at 1:31 PM

Hey, no biggie, don't sweat the small stuff.

Being as young as you were when you went "visiting" your friend, young mr. Hardin, you might not have paid a lot of attention to your surroundings, but if you had looked across Fairfield Pike from his house you would have seen a two story house, about a hundred yards off the road. This was the Eakin house in question. There was also a driveway to this house that was located almost in front of the Hardin home.

There is a possibility that this lane is shown on the 1878 Beers map. There is a broken line, located very near to this lane's present location, that connects the Pike with Murfreesboro Highway. The angle, (slightly NW) appears to coincide perfectly with the present situation.

I can't make out the various explanations of symbols that should be on the map, so I can't be sure what a broken line would indicate, but am wondering if it might refer to the type of road surface or even indicate a privately maintained road.

If you want to locate this house and road just zero in on either 311 or 313 Chestnut Drive 37160, then look directly behind these houses, across a field to a row of trees. The lane in question is between the double rows of trees, which begin at an opening at about half way from the Pike to the house.

Look across this tree line and there will be a neat looking rectangle which contains the ruins of the old house, which now appears to be completely down. When I was there about 5 years ago, a good portion of 3 walls was still standing, though too dangerous to get close to with my metal detector for fear that they might collapse.

David, Thanks for the link. I love it.