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Early Columbia - V: Back when we were boys. Out C-ville ST. In this installment Ralph Waggener takes readers out Campbellsville Street, Reed, and intersecting streets, Adams Alley, Monroe and Merchants, about some of Columbia's most fascinating personalities of the distant and not-so-distant past. Next earlier: Ralph Waggener and Delmar Lee Jessie, Jr. : Back when we were boys - Early Columbia - Back when we were boys - IV - Jamestown ST.. Posted August 21, 2014. By Ralph Waggener and Delmar Lee Jessie Going out Campbellsville Street from the Square, and side trips onto Monroe and Merchant Streets. Campbellsville Street starting at the square The Jiffy Castle was a late addition built by Owen Wooten and was a small shotgun style business. The next building housed Morris Epperson and Lewis Merkley's Adair Sales Co., "The Ford Garage," before it was moved to Burkesville Street. Across Adams Alley was the home of Kentucky Utilities for years before the local store headquarters was moved to Campbellsville. A pool room was the next on that side of the street that was run by several different people including Columbus Pickett and Charles Marshall, who later became Mayor of Columbia. A furniture store run by a Mr. Janes was in the building below Marshall's Pool Hall, I think, but not sure. The old Chevrolet Garage on the corner of Merchant St. was almost a whole block long. T P "Cotton" Phelps and Paul Grant were partners until Grant was killed in a freak accident on a farm he had bought; while cutting a tree down the tree splintered and when he hit it with his ax it caught his neck. I still remember this any time I go to do something that I have not done for a long time. We need to be very cautious when doing thing we use to do, but have not done for some time. David Wells Insurance started out in the basement under Collins Drug Store that had an entrance on Campbellsville Street. He later moved to the corner where Casey Jones Jewelry was, and Mouser Realty is today. The Lay's City Cafe was next and it was in the same building as Bob's Pool Room. J.D. Montgomery and C J Holt told me of the City Cafe. I don't remember it in my time. Bob's Pool Room I do remember very well, Bob was quite a character. He once told a young man to just keep the apron with the money he should have collected and leaves his pockets! His son Rich ran the pool room until he retired and the place was famous for hamburgers. I was privileged to be one of the few who Rich would trust to watch the counter if he needed to leave, no, I did not get paid, but I did get the honor. Now, both Bob and Rich where well known for being frugal (nice for being tight) and one day when I had bought a drink and a hamburger and lacked 3 cents having enough change to pay him, I pulled out a ten dollar bill that Rich walked all the way to the other end of the counter before stopping, I thought he's going to give me the 3 cents, when he came back he said "Waggener, you can just pay me the 3 cents later." I also helped him at times make his famous hamburgers, I know the way they were made; I understand he sold the secret formula for $10,000.00/ A small Shell station was on the corner of Reed St where the City Hall building is now. It faces Campbellsville Street. Throck Rogers and his dad, Thurman, ran it. Grissom, Maupin and Heskamp Funeral Home, now Grissom-Martin was operated by Jimmy Maupin and David Heskamp as long as I can remember. I never knew Mr. Grissom. On Merchant Street, I believe a Cream Station, which was beyond the Chevrolet Garage. There was a Metal Roofing type, big red two story building that as I remember was a Wholesale House ran by Claude Phelps and later Charles Wethington as I remember it; I don't know what it was or who ran it before. Willis Dry Cleaning was on Monroe Street and it was run by my cousin Ralph Willis, who was at one time Mayor of Columbia. Next up was the old Greyhound Bus Terminal. Before that it was the county garage or the state highway garage, not sure witch. I remember going there every evening for years to pick up my Louisville Times; that was the evening newspaper and was, in my mind the better of the two Louisville papers. Across the street was Columbia Dry Cleaners, run by Jack Williams, both dry cleaning businesses were facing each other there. The building where Printing Creations is now, housed Sally Ray Troutman's Furniture and Cream Station and later Jack Williams put in a commercial clothing wash business. Rice Hardware that was owned by Coy and Robert Rice for years was the next building in the direction of Merchant Street. Ronnie Burton and his dad Elbert bought this business and now it's on Campbellsville Street as Burton's Ace Hardware. Billy Wilson had a Fertilizer/Feed Store in the great big barn that Southern States has painted blue that sits behind the Fire Department. Later on the business was moved behind Ralph Willis's Dry Cleaning business. even l, ater Ed Janes bought and ran this business and Thyra Janes, who was Ed's wife, ran a Florist business next door between the twp businesses. Their son Bobby was a very good friend of mine back then. The Ice House was run by Mr. Wilkerson. It was on N High Street. You could get big blocks of ice or crushed on the spot ice. The ice man was still delivering ice to some homes for their ice boxes that were used to keep food in like we use our refrigerators today. The first Southern States building was next door to the Ice House and Richards Electric was located behind the Ice House. Richards stocked almost anything you would need to wire a house or business. Back then a 60 amp server box was put in most homes; later on when AC came out it was upped to a 100 amp now it is least a 200 amp box. Southern States bought an old house on Merchant Street and added on to it to make their store larger; it had a long loading dock built all the way down one side, and that where I went to pick up the Courier Journal newspapers every morning for delivery. I remember riding my Schwinn bicycle over Jamestown Hill seven mornings a week. I started carrying the Campbellsville Street route and later added the Greensburg St route that ended at Coomers Gas Station on Sugar Bill Road then I rode across Tutt Street to KY 55 and then home at 705 Jamestown. I did this 2 times a day for several years; sure would not try to do this to day! Burton's Auto Supply was across Merchant Street from Southern States. Elbert Burton built and ran this business for many years; with partner Hartsell Hodges and my brother-in-law L G "Peanut" McKinley worked many years after M&W Auto Parts shut down. In it hay day, this was one of the biggest auto parts suppliers in this part of Kentucky. It even took in the garage next door after having expanded the back all the way to the street. The building burned after it had been sold to someone else and closed forever from this suspicious fire. A new Adair County/Columbia Fire Department building was built that is still stand and has completely been re-modeled a few years ago. Adair/Columbia has been blessed by the fine group that has operated our Fire Department. I understand that the City of Columbia gives the Department some financial help from the city and Adair Co. property owners pay yearly dues that is not a tax. but dues. The fire department has operated with little help from government and has the reputation of being one of the best in the state. They draw no salaries but get paid for each run they go on from the city and I think from county dues paid; it's not much and there is no retirement fund to pay into nor hazardous pay scale because all do this because it needs to be done. The Columbia Standard Service Station on Campbellsville St at the corner of Merchant St. was run by James Reece for many years. It has been run by Willard Myers, Halloe Stults at one time but not for long according to Rollin Pyles who ran it for many years with the help of his 3 sons when asking his Daughter Shelia Bryant while getting some precptions filled she call her dad Rollin for more details. C J Holt who worked for Rollin for years and ran it for many years before he bought the Standard Station on S 55. The Columbia Christian Church has been in two buildings in the same place all my life and has added on to plus building a large fun center that runs along Lindsey Wilson Street they have built a park like setting across Town Branch as well. The big white building on the corner of N55 and LWC St. has had a lot of business in it one being J D Harpers Grocery Store and many other tries at business there. I even tried a business and partnered with "Skeezix" Ollery in a pool hall venture that did not last long. The Columbia Locker & Market was built by Ivan Shively and was a forerunner to the home freezer that is in most all homes now a days. You could rent a locker from Ivan to store frozen meats and vegetables, or you could have Ivan kill and butcher your meat for frozen storage. There was a metal awning over the entrance and I remember seeing a very large catfish hanging from the awning and either touched the ground or was very close to it as we rode by in by dad E.P.'s car. I was told it came from the 30 foot hole on down Russell Creek, but have no idea if this was true or not. We all know about fish stories; they are just hard to believe! Later - " Hotdog" Harris bought the grocery as the cold storage business had been discontinued. Betty's Flower Shop was a late addition to Campbellsville St. Betty Smith has to be one of our favorite citizens and she likes jokes, too! Raymond Lacy built a building across Town Branch; a feat not done at this scale before, but many buildings including Houchen's have been built over the Town Creek, in fact I guess much of it is covered. Raymond sold Rambler cars there for years. Later Ronnie Burton and his father Elbert Burton bought it and moved what had been Rice Hardware, that Ronnie ran for a while on Monroe Street. It continues today as Burton's ACE Hardware. Goff's Furniture was near the corner of 206 & N 55 and was run by Jim Goff who, whenever you asked the price of anything in his store he would say it's 99.99 you can have for 89.99; or if it were 109.99 you could have it for 99.99. Everything was 9.99 priced and you could have it for $10.00 less. I enjoyed asking him prices; you could usually get a good deal from him. A lot of this side of C-ville Street was the yard of Mr Hamlet's home on Maple Street. Most all this land has been filled in and new businesses built on it. A convenient store was built and was and later was bought by IGA and continued to run as a convenient store and was the price setter for gasoline - all ways 1 cent below all other limited sellers of gasoline. Columbia City Cemetery has always had its entrance on C-Ville St. and still does; but it has a big DON"T ENTER log chain to keep doers of bad deeds out as well as the rest of us. Now you have to go all the way to the end of Wall St and turn right to get to it. It is still one of the prettiest places in town. Dr M C Loy took it on himself to spruce up the grounds and its entrance several years ago, and he made quite a big difference. People who own grave sites are supposed to pay yearly fees for upkeep, and there was a collection center set up every Memorial Day. Most of my father's family is buried there from both Waggener and McCaffree's (his mother's side) including My Great Uncle Allen McCaffree who was the county surveyor. A skating rink was in the building now used by Curry's Floor Covering Center. J D Harper and William Sandusky had a hardwood flooring business about the time carpeted floors became popular, next it was used as a sewing factory, Lion Manufacturing. I believe it went out of business suddenly! The Parson Brothers Blacksmith Shop was where Carl Burton and Elbert Burton built there very busy service station; I think it was called Burton Brothers, not sure. One of the Parsons woh ran it was my good friend William Bill "Doakie" Parsons' dad; he was well known as Doakie and for most of his young years, now I think he is called William. The Parson Brothers either moved from this place or moved here from Reed Street, I really don't know. Brothers Carl and Elbert Burton built a service station on this corner lot that continued for years. ---- Butler told me that Carl would walk around his car and if he had slick tires he would tell him to pull it and gave him tires that some other customer had taken f and bought new tires. Toon, Carl's son, ran it for a great while and his younger brother Mickey ran it for a while. Across the street was the Electric Power Plant building and was then used for years by Kentucky Utilities for storage until they decided to move everything to Campbellsville, Ky. There where Auto Dealers in the next 3 or 4 buildings. David Heskamp was The Oldsmobile Dealer, "Fatty" Collins was the Buick Dealer and Bobby Collins took over the dealer ship of his dads. Willie Matt Feese was a Dodge, Plymouth and Chrysler plus Massey dealer as well; Feese was here later on. I need help on these buildings because I know I'm off on them. Bobby bought the house that was next to the Russell Creek and built around the sides and made a 2 story addition on the Back. "Bulldog" Curry was doing body work in the lower half of this addition and a large covered overhead was built in the front to house new Buicks. A story I have heard about Fatty Collins was that when Billy Burdette of Jamestown, Ky Chevrolet dealer there first started selling cars under "Fatty" watchful eye. The story goes he told Billy "Pull in to that house that has the Lightning Rods on it and I'll sell them this new Buick." He did and and "Fatty" sold the car. As they were returning home Billy ask how he knew he would sell the car, did you know them. The answer was "No, I did not know them but when I saw the lighting rods on the house I knew they would buy anything!" Columbia Tire & Recap was in the old Shelie Bybee Grocery Store Building; something I know little about was the grocery. This was put in by cousin Dan Waggener and James Reece and later Mr. Reece sold out and Oral Hancock bought into the business. This was the first car tire recap business in this area and most people ran recapped tires. Later Dan bought a truck tire recapping machine and they still use it. Dan bought Oral out and ran it by himself. Willis Pruitt and his wife Dodie had an Automotive Parts House and I believe a Machine Shop. Pruitt was a master engine builder of Drag Racing Cars. Dodie was everyones friend' one of the most likable people you have ever met. Willis was almost the opposite and much harder to get to know. Wall's Heating & Cooling, by Buddy Walls, who got his start working for Gaspard Brockman on the square. Buddy has built a new building on Sandusky Street on part of the old Henry Sandusky property. Sammy Sandusky built this building for Buddy that is located almost in the backyard where Sammy grew up along with his brothers and sister. Henry Sandusky's Mill was at one time by far the biggest employer in Adair County, having over 100 employees at one time. A big fire that burned several buildings slowed him down along with age. Henry was one of the people you liked as soon as you met him. Sammy Sandusky and his wife ran the business on a much smaller scale for several years; later Sammy became one of the best builders around. The Sanduskys where people I never really knew too I was well into my teens, but became like family to me and all of my family. We spent a lot of time traveling and fishing and just goofing off together. I have to say the Sandusky clan taught me a lot over the years and I have a high respect for all of them. Sammy once told me I was one of those peculiar Waggeners, and I answered that there was no Sandusky going to call me peculiar. His brother Henry Edward burst out laughing. William Sandusky had a mill on the other side of Sandusky Street. I know little about this company. Later he moved the Mill to the top of the hill behind Joe Russell Barbee's place just off of N 55 and he and his son Billy had a second operation in Russell County not far over the county line; later Billy's son David joined the company and runs it today. They have shut down the Columbia Mill and its now Travis Coomer's Oil Transport Business headquarters. Travis became famous with the series "Back Yard Oil" that Oilman buddy of his, Jimmy Reliford, got started. It has not started back after Jimmy's untimely death. Emma Harper's store was on the right and Moore's Store was on the left; Moore's was run by Thomas and wife Mildred "Tootsie" Moore for many years. Mildred was by wife's Aunt and Glinda would spend most Saturday nights there playing Rook. Paul Barry Hayes was there with his parents most every Saturday night as well. This was another small business done wrong by our Government as this store stayed empty because it had sold gasoline. This was done to most all the small sellers of gasoline in the name of our environment but was really a way to take care of the big oil companies, close out the small business, and decrease competition so they can charge whatever they want to! Curry's Hardware ran by W.L. Curry was a small hardware business located where William's Furniture is now. Next door was Vance oil company office and the bulk plant was behind Emma Harpers store ran by ____ Vance and his son "Sonny" Vance Russell Holmes ran an International Tractor Dealership in the building next to Vance's; he sold tractors and other farm related equipment and ran this for a long time. His son Phillip ran it for a while I believe. _____ Hancock bought the business and ran it along with his sons, Charlie, ____- and _____. Joe Russell Barbee has been a part of Columbia business as long as I can remember; he hauled creak gravel for a lot of driveways here back before we started black toping drives or using cement for drives. Ed and I always thought as we were growing up that it would be great to have the small stones made of limes from Rock Quarry Ed Williams Quarry but Joe insisted we needed to build a base with creek rock His business was where he lived, just down the hill from the mill, and a large pile of creek gravel was stock piled in front of their house so you could see it from Campbellsville Road. Across the street was a big tin building that at one time was a furniture store run by Cleston Pickett. I think it burned, not sure. The Days had a Feed Mill along there somewhere Bobby Day ran it with his brother Allen and their father. The old State Highway Barn was the next building and is part of the Day & Day Feed store today. A new State Hwy. Building has been built and sets back off the road. Todd Grider is using part of the old State Hwy property and is building some of the finest Horse Haulers you can find anywhere. A new garage building is being used for Adair County Road Department, in the next building. The next business was on the old Lacy farm where Raymond Lacy grew up. Earl Holt built a new all steel building and used it for a Ford Tractor Dealership; it is now a Auto Body shop run by Jeff Potts. Across the street was Feese Brothers Garage and Wrecking Yard. Willie Matt and his brother Estill Feese started it. I was familiar with the wrecking yard because my dad E. P. started making tobacco spears and they would buy the hood and top of old cars when they first started, from them. Dad had a table in a shop in our back yard that had a long knife like handle that came down against a piece of angle iron and would cut the metal into diamond shapes, then it was scrolled with a sharp punch for a rounding pattern that was run through a hand cranked roller cutter to make the round bottom. The spear 'blank' was then put into a steel tapered shaft like a spear would look.You would mash a pedal down and pull a lever on the left to bend that side of the spear and finish hammering it to the spear shape solid steel bar and then do same from the right side. A hammer was used to finish the folding, the point was finished using a big anvil to form the spear end, a Granger Bench grinder would put the finishing touch on the tobacco spear by holding the spear with one hand and turning it with the other until you had a fine point on the tobacco spear. Back to the wrecking ward, I think the Brother of Willie Matt was killed on a motorcycle that had a knee action suspension on it that was proven to be very dangerous. Henry 'Hennie" Sandusky bought the Feese Business and starting rebuilding wrecked cars. I remember he was the first I ever knew of to take to halves of a Plymouth car and put them together and make it work, now it's a common practice by many shops. Henry was known for the quality of his rebuilt cars. At one time he was selling as many cars as all the new car dealers here sold together. The Stock Yards was just beyond the Wrecking Yard and was a very busy place come stock day, not being raised on a farm and not knowing much about farming, I know little about this business. I have heard many of a tale about the many pen hookers as they were called of the men who would buy the stock before it came to the sell ring. Next installment: Maybe This story was posted on 2014-08-31 13:37:35
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