text:
Since its the shopping season, I was thinking of Knoxville retailers that have gone to that great discount bin in the sky.
Some I can remember
- Sterchi's Furniture -- google says there's Sterchi's in Kentucky, but are they gone from Knoxville?
- Speaking of furniture, Mad Jack Fielding's Furniture Warehouse Outlet -- how could anyone who had a TV in Knoxville in the late Seventies or early Eighties forget Mad Jack? (You might want to forget him, but that's different.)
- Hills -- low end department store, noted for their no credit cards policy
- Watson's -- mid range clothing
- Giant Food -- there's still Giants in the mid-Atlantic and PA, but I think both are different chains. (And don't get me started about the decline of Giant here in Maryland since the founder died and his heirs sold off the chain to a Dutch conglomerate....)
- White Stores/Whiteway -- noted for being a grocery store that wouldn't sell beer, which got them business from religious conservatives. Become Red Food, then Food City.
- Miller's -- somewhat high end department store, now Dillards (?)
- The Knox -- another high-end department store, long-gone
- Yankee Peddler -- okay, a geek favorite, but a little store in Farragut that sold Dungeons and Dragons paraphernalia and the like.
Don't forget Proffitt's.
Don't forget Proffitt's.
At least they weren't
At least they weren't acquired by Macy's.
I've got two good friends, including my partner, from Chicago-land. They, and the rest of Chicago, will never forgive Macy's for converting Marshall Fields to their own name. (And that's looking to go down as one of the worst marketing moves in history.)
"I'm not a member of any organized political party. I'm a Democrat." -- Will Rogers
White's still exists in the
White's still exists in the Tri-Cities with several locations around Johnson City. Hill's was sort of like if Big Lots and Kmart were to merge.
Jilly's on Market Square.
Jilly's on Market Square. Probably not there long. Just happens to be where I purchased my non-traditional wedding dress.
Tuckers Records (?) on Market Square.
The Toggery on Cumberland, fine men's clothing.
The Athletic House on Gay Street and various other locations.
Gateway Books at the corner of Gay and Main, and a few other locations. Best bookstore in town for quite a while.
Cole's Drug Stores, I believe.
Tic Toc Drive-In on Magnolia.
Let's go way back, the drug store on a corner of Cumberland where the student center sits. Ernest & Ernest, maybe?
I forgot Gateway?????
Wow, I can't believe I forgot Gateway Books -- they helped nurture my love of reading. I remember it always being a special occasion to go to their main store downtown, which I believe was torn down to make way for Whittle Communications. Certainly a casualty of the national bookstore chains.
E&E was before my time at UT, but I know my Mom has mentioned it from her student days.
And I can remember the original hand-made Cabbage Patch Kids (the ones that cost $100/each, in the late Seventies) having a store downtown. My sister had one, and we'd go there occasionally. The staff obviously were having great fun. They'd explain the personalities of the various dolls, including the troublemaker that beat up the other ones. You didn't buy a doll, you adopted one, with a ceremony. I think I was the witness to my sister's adoption of Deborah Anita. And they had the "baby grands", which wore formal wear and jewelry, and went for $1000/each. The spirit of fun there makes me think of the staff at a good Build-a-Bear now.
"I'm not a member of any organized political party. I'm a Democrat." -- Will Rogers
E&E was before my time at
E&E was before my time at UT, but I know my Mom has mentioned it from her student days.
Yeah, my Dad was a professor and had an office on Cumberland in an old house, near E&E and no longer there. It was a real treat to visit him and his office and then go to E&E for ice cream.
Where did you go wrong?
Where did you go wrong? :-)
I recall walking east on Cumberland with one of the university auditors when he pointed to the clinic and said something to the effect of: "The folks in that building just don't understand anything about accounting."
E&E coexisted with the University Center for several years. The University bought the building and E&E moved to Gay Street next to the Hamilton National Bank Building, now The Holston.
On another note, I was talking with your Mount Olive Science Teacher a few weeks ago and passed along your comment. She asked who and I drew a blank since she would not know you as bizgrrl. I finally came up with you Dad's name and she immediately recalled you and your first name.
Hah! "The Clinic". Not
"The Clinic". Not understanding anything about accounting was possibly very true. Or, they didn't care.
To reiterate, she was a great science teacher, IMO. Thanks for passing on my comments. It is good to let those who did good know there efforts paid off. I had no real interest in science until I encountered her as a teacher. I hope I did not give her too much trouble.
Gateway bookstores
(in reply to MDB)
You wouldn't happen to know who owned Gateway bookstore back then do you? Doing some research for a book I am writing.
Name of Owner of Gateway Books
(in reply to Sean Carter)
His name was Robert Werner. I worked for Gateway Books in Oxford, Alabama & became their first regional manager when I moved to Austin, Texas in 1984.
Robert Werner was in his early 70's in 1984.
He was NOT easy to work for or with.
I left in 1984 & they were bought out by Bookland in 1988.
Here is a link to info about Bookland buying Gateway.
Hope this helps.
Name of Owner of Gateway Books - Link (forgot to include)
(in reply to Sean Carter)
Sorry, but I forgot to include the link about Bookland (now Books-A-Million) buying Gateway Books in 1988.
Wow, didn't know Gateway had
(in reply to Katherine)
Wow, didn't know Gateway had 50 stores.
bizgrrl: wasn't that short for Ellis & Ernest ? later...homesickjimmy
You are correct.A little
You are correct.
A little photographic history of E&E from the library's McClung Historical collection.
And a little Cumberland Ave. history from a 1997 Torchbearer, which also mentions E&E.
Then, has anyone mentioned Sam & Andy's? In researching Ellis & Ernest, I came across this 1997 Sam Venable article.
How could I forget
The Roman Room..
Drug Store on Cumberland
(in reply to bizgrrl)
It was Ellis and Ernest.
(in reply to bizgrrl)
My mother, who is 81 years young, just told me the name of that drugstore was Ernest & Ellis. That is where the E&E comes from. My uncle, Shadrick 'Bud' McCroskey, worked there as a boy on his bicycle delivering medicine.
Zayres. Also Millers in Oak
Zayres. Also Millers in Oak Ridge used to be in Loveman's. I think it was always (?) Millers in Knox, though. Someone will correct, I'm sure.
What was the cool hobby store downtown? The Hobby House, maybe?
Zayres! Another one I left
Zayres! Another one I left out.
And a similar one called Grants. That brings back a family memory -- when Grants went under, my grandmother bought a lot of stuff there, dirt cheap, and referred to them having "went bankrupt". This led to my sister informing our babysitter that "our grandmother went bankrupt."
"I'm not a member of any organized political party. I'm a Democrat." -- Will Rogers
I grew up on
I grew up on Watson's.
Back in the 50s when my grandmother used to take me to town, we'd always go to Watson's. I frequented Watson's for 40-plus years and would be doing so today, if it had survived. I bought clothing for myself there. It was the first place I saw real silk (which was very scarce in the USA before the China market opened up). I bought a full-length cashmere coat there in the 70s that hangs in my closet today. I shopped for my children there, and over the years bought jewelry, furniture, dishes, even appliances. I loved introducing transplanted shopaholics to it over the years, because they'd always fall in love with Watson's. iirc, Bill Young sold shoes there for awhile.
We'd also go to Kress's and Woolworth's (all these stores were suffixed with apostrophe s', as far as we were concerned, and they both had lunch counters with those round stools -- not that we ever ate there -- the S&W is where we lunched, thank you very much.
Just a couple of doors north of Kress's was Miller's, which was really elegant, and had a big, fancy lady's room with floor-to-ceiling mirrors in the sitting room, and even a make-up room where you could primp as long as you wanted. There were attendants (always black ladies in uniforms with big frilly handkerchief corsages) who would give you hand towels when you actually went to the loo. You could get your hair done there, read books and spray yourself with fancy perfume from big atomizers sitting around on the counters.
We went to the Knox some, but mostly what I remember about it was the large, Kate Smith-looking woman who used to come on the Mary Starr Show demonstrating the foundation garments available for sale in Knox's Intimate Apparel Department. Those were some heavy-duty corsets and girdles -- not made to allure, but to buttress, shore up, slim down and tame into submission. God, they were scary.
Mary Starr
the Mary Starr Show
Mary Starr!
My Mom still uses her cookbook!
"I'm not a member of any organized political party. I'm a Democrat." -- Will Rogers
As I recall Grant's was more
As I recall Grant's was more of a 5 and 10 similar to Woolworth's than it was to Zayres. But, since you mentioned Zayres, lets not forget Atlantic Mills on Sutherland. Saturday wasn't Saturday without a visit to one or both of them.
A few years before my arrival in Knoxville the Grant's building housed a local department store called George's that for many was one of the more popular stores on Gay Street.
At the other end of the same block, now the Knoxville Tourism and Sports Building, was General Products, a discount catalog store that later moved to Kingston Pike, now Office Depot.
Across Gay Street was Hall Brown's, one of Knoxville's better men's and women's clothing stores.
Bizgrrl recalled Woodruff's where in the basement you could buy a single screw for pennies or go upstairs to purchase furniture and appliances.
Atlantic Mills on
Atlantic Mills on Sutherland
Yeah, I forgot about that. My parents took us there a lot. We parked down the block and had to walk by Tom's Potato Chip factory. Which made you hungry for the popcorn at Atlantic Mills.
I got lost and separated from my parents at Zayres one time. I found an employee and they announced the lost boy discovery over the intercom. It was as terrifying as it was humiliating.
Lost in Atlantic Mills
Most every child was lost at one time in Atlantic Mills. You must remember they allowed kids to play with the toys and that's how most of us got lost. I can't remember a single visit to Atlantic Mills that several announcements were made for lost kids.
General Products Yes, I
General Products
Yes, I remember that one too. Didn't they get acquired by Service Merchandise somewhere along the way before they went bankrupt?
And for some reason that reminds me of "Unclaimed Freight" out on Central.
Before it was Hall Browns,
Before it was Hall Browns, there was Halls Department store in Western Plaza and across the street it was Fred Brown's clothing. (It was in the same shopping center where Longs Drug Store still lives today) The big thing was that twice a year they both had big sales, opened early and provided coffee and doughnuts.
Millers in Knox was Rich's,
Millers in Knox was Rich's, the old Atlanta-based department store.
Millers on Gay was Millers.
Millers on Gay was Millers. Millers on Henley was once Rich's.
And before that...
Rich's was once George's, if I'm to believe my memory of what my mother told me.
Miller's on Henley was a
(in reply to Factchecker)
Miller's on Henley was a Rich's and the Thanksgiving Day parade was held on Henley. I know there was a Hobby Shop, maybe more than one, in the area.
hobby shop
(in reply to Factchecker)
it was the hobby shop. my mom, fran schenkel,currently living in encino, california, was friends with the owners. husband died and wife continued to run it for years before sellling. she drove a sky blue corvair (as in unsafe at any speed).
What was the cool hobby
What was the cool hobby store downtown?
In the early to mid 1960s The Hobby Shop on Clinch got all my spare money for a growing HO scale model railroad in Dad's basement. How well I remember the thrill of finally getting an A-B-B-A set of Santa Fe War Bonnets out of lay away.
And speaking of 'fallen flags' of commerce, we can't forget the supermarkets of the 'Old Coon Hunter' Cas Walker. I remember his new stores being nice and bright and clean but, as they aged, cleanliness and maintenance took a back seat.
Visit us at
I am ashamed
And speaking of 'fallen flags' of commerce, we can't forget the supermarkets of the 'Old Coon Hunter' Cas Walker.
I left out Cas Walker's. I hang my head in shame, and will forego thumpin' good melons for a month in penance.
"I'm not a member of any organized political party. I'm a Democrat." -- Will Rogers
I was also thinking about
I was also thinking about Gateway Books and the A-House that the Mrs. mentioned, and also the Toggery.
Some others are Gateway Sporting Goods and Surplus City on Chapman Highway. And of course, Cas Walker's.
And the original Fowler's Furniture downtown, which was nothing like the new incarnation.
On Sevier Ave. there was Kent's Drug Store and Sevier Hardware and Variety, and Bondurant Bros. Applicance and Electronics, plus one of the White Stores and a King's Grocery store a block apart.
Also Blue Circle drive-ins.
And Malcolm's
Also Blue Circle drive-ins.
There was also Malcolm's on Clinton Highway in Norwood, another drive-in, and a personal favorite of my family. For some reason, I remember they had crinkle-cut fries.
"I'm not a member of any organized political party. I'm a Democrat." -- Will Rogers
Malcolm's was also a favored
(in reply to MDB)
Malcolm's was also a favored spot for me, my family and friends. Everything was always cooked fresh to order, always tasty (no matter what you ordered) and to my knowledge there wasn't a bad item on the menu. Being in a small, compacted area, parking could be difficult at times,but other than that, I wish they were still in business this very day.
(in reply to Steve Creech)
What about the Freez-O on Central, that is still there. Asked them the other day how long, they said 75 years.
Then there was Woodruff's on
Then there was Woodruff's on Gay Street. And the Fogartys men's store, also on Gay Street.
Hall Brown and Fogarty's
Hall Brown and Fogarty's reminded me of another that I bet no one remembers.
Squiz Green had a haberdashery and fine mens clothing store on Gay. It may have been on the corner with the Bijou, don't remember because I think I was about two years old (or maybe that's where Fogarty's was, or maybe they were both there).
My dad worked in the store for Squiz Green and later as an accountant and general manager for Squiz's Hand Craft Cleaners operation. He was the best dressed accountant downtown and had some great hats.
(As I recall, Squiz Green was the Jewish Cas Walker of downtown. He would sell you the clothes and then make more money cleaning them for you.)
To refresh your memory,
To refresh your memory, Green's was located on Clinch across from the Custom House. More than likely, your dad took you next store to treat you and to show you off at White's Restaurant.
Chubby's was located on the corner of Clinch and Market. New to Knoxville, one morning I ordered coffee and a Danish. Chubby, who was larger than chubby, jumped off his stool and shouted to his staff: "See, see, they're Danish; they're not sweet rolls."
Having worked for Hand Craft Cleaners around the corner on Market, I'll hazard the guess that he treated the family to baked goods from Federal Bakery.
You worked for Hand Craft?
You worked for Hand Craft?
No, I had my dry cleaning
No, I had my dry cleaning done there however -- fine folks. I was suggesting the possibility of your dad bringing goods home from Max Wolfe's Federal Bakery, which was a few storefronts north of Hand Craft.
Ah, got you. He spent a lot
Ah, got you. He spent a lot of time there and their other stores (dropping off payrolls, picking up receipts, filling in at the counter when someone didn't show up, fixing boilers, etc. etc.) and I hung out in the alley behind sometimes waiting for him. I don't remember Federal Bakery, but I'm sure we had some of their goods. His "real" office was on Gay (in the Burwell Bldg. or somewhere thereabouts, don't remember exactly).
Schriver's Menswear on Gay Street.
RIP Marvin...
Thank you
(in reply to KatoKnox)
Not sure who posted this message but I am just now stumbling on it. Thank you for mentioning Schriver's and Marvin Miller. :)
That was my Daddy and he is certainly still missed by his daughters and wife!
Thank you,
Melissa Miller Feinbaum
Still residing in Knoxville, TN
(in reply to KatoKnox)
i tell doctors today who notice i have a little curvature of the spine that it was my tailor when i was in high school (marvin miller) who diagnosed my scoliosis. he just figured out that my right arm hung down lower and my 38 regulars (then, not now!) had to be shortened on the right but not the left. sam miller, marvin's dad and owner of schriver's, was a good friend and client of my dad, emanuel schenkel, cpa.
Wade's Bakery
Wade's Bakery had several locations and don't forget Kern's Bakery on Magnolia. Does anyone remember Homer's restaurant or Wright's Bakery on Broadway? Wright's Bakery is where the first Shoney's was located in Knoxville.
I almost forgot the S&H Green Stamp stores.
S&H green Stamps -- Don't
S&H green Stamps --
Don't forget Cas's green stamps -- C&R, I believe. He had the redemption store right next door to his Magnolia Avenue supermarket.
Magnolia Ave
Magnolia Ave and Broadway was the place to be years ago. If you remember the C&R store then I assume you remember the Cherry Street Restaurant, one of the better restaurants in Knoxville.
I grew up in west Knoxville and we had Bill's Drive-in, Paro's (not sure about spelling), Albertes (not sure on this one either), and several high risk night clubs as you continued west. There was no interstate and There were plenty of truck stops on Kingston Pike past Bearden Hill.
If I misspelled some of the names someone please correct me.
And, a few blocks north on
And, a few blocks north on Walker Boulevard, Weaver's Restaurant with its Broasted Chicken.
Brown's Brosted Chicken
Don't forget Brown's Drive-in on Central and The Hollywood Restaurant on Papermill Rd. Both places served brosted chicken. Does anyone still have brosted chicken and potatoes?
Broasted Chicken
(in reply to Joe328)
You can still by Broasted Chicken at Lisa's in Jefferson City, I drive up there about once a month! Yummmmm
My late husband, Joe
My late husband, Joe Sbuttoni, was a journalism student at UT when I met and married him (we were both 19). He worked as a copy boy at the Journal, where one of his jobs was driving Guy Smith home at night. Another of his jobs was writing stories about local boys who were killed in SE Asia. He'd get the info by phone, but he'd usually have to go the their homes and try to talk the family out of a photo. I remember how disgusted he was on one occasion when he came back empty-handed because the widow had reacted to the terrible news by going shopping. Her family informed Joe that she'd "...gone to Zayres's." He figured she was spending his life insurance money in advance.
Sadly, he graduated and met the same fate as the boys he'd written about. I didn't go to Zayres's, though.
This is a real stream of
This is a real stream of nostalgia consciousness thread. I was googling "Squiz Green" and found this excerpt from a murder mystery that mentions his store (which according to the novel was on Market Square) and some other East Tennessee lore from the 1950s. It also mentions the Tennessee School of Beauty, where my mom went, and characters who fought at Cassino in WWII, where my Dad was.
And then, I was telling the Mrs. about it, and mentioned that it was written by some guy named Richard Marius, and she said oh yeah, she remembers him. He was a UT professor and a friend of her Dad's (and apparently one of the Nixon protest co-conspirators).
It's a small world...
Tennessee School of Beauty
Doris's Beauty Shop. Doris retired and closed down her beauty shop of 35 years but, she still does hair.
Coffin Shoe Company
Been around for a long time..I think Coffin's opened in 1928..first on Clinch..then in the mid fifites moved to where the store is now..Bearden Center.
It was opened by Hector Coffin then his son Jim Coffin took over & now Jim's son Park is in charge.
For a while Jim's brother Charley owned the store on Broadway that closed some years back.
Coffin Shoe Company owned by 3 generations of Knoxvillians.
Zesto ice cream, on Kingston
Zesto ice cream, on Kingston Pike, somewhere around or just past Homberg area, I think. With six kids that was one of the few places we went for treats.
Lazy Susan restaurant, again on Kingston Pike, somewhere around Naples, I think. Might have even been the same building.
(in reply to bizgrrl)
not sure if this is the same one but our zesto on kingston pike was just next door and in front of the single screen pike theater, where we went for saturday morning movies. just past shoney's a ways on the left heading west.
George's was an old
George's was an old Knoxville department store that may have been bought out by Atlanta-based Rich's which came in and built the big, red-glazed brick building on Henley at Clinch that is now the UT Conference Center. My family church, First Methodist was right behind it, where the Hilton parking garage is now, and us kids used to play in the garden area, which had trees, a pool and a fountain back than. that was a cool store, with a very fancy restaurant on the top floor, a decent cafeteria and a bakery on the ground floor and a tunnel under Henley connecting it to the parking garage across the way. That place had everything, including Kermit Ewing's wife, Mary, running the snooty home decor department on the third floor.
That place had everything,
That place had everything, including Kermit Ewing's wife, Mary, running the snooty home decor department on the third floor.
Interesting. As I recall, in her later years, Ms. Ewing had a condo not far from there.
that was a cool store, with
that was a cool store, with a very fancy restaurant on the top floor, a decent cafeteria and a bakery on the ground floor and a tunnel under Henley connecting it to the parking garage across the way. That place had everything, including Kermit Ewing's wife, Mary, running the snooty home decor department on the third floor.
4th floor. Or at least it was the 4th floor when I worked there in college (it was Millers then). I had a summer and Christmas job, sitting in a windowless office under the parking garage that you reached by going through the non-public part of the tunnel (dark, grimy, and used for storage). The job was putting charge tickets in alphabetical order by hand, for which I was paid minimum wage.
And FWIW, I bought my first birth control pills at Cole's Drug Store on the corner of Cumberland and 17th. I think they cost me $2.50 for a month's supply.
Oh, and when I was a kid my cousins got all their clothes from Nancy Lynn's in Burlington. I was jealous, because my mom made most of mine.
rich's dept store (spelling?)
(in reply to Rachel)
mom, my brother and i waited for several hours in that tunnel crossing from the parking structure waiting in line for about 15 seconds shaking hands with fess parker after his movie davy crockett came out and changed our lives forever. i mean i had at least two davy crockett hats, a neckerchief tie, a davy crockett belt, a davy crockett rifle, etc.
From a slightly later era, my favorite haberdasher was Oops, which then became Goofs. First on the strip then they moved to Magnolia near the old Catholic High.
I still have a pair of their wide bottom cordury jeans, just for nostalgia's sake.
"Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse."
We used to go downtown every
We used to go downtown every year to get new clothes just before school started. Mom herded my brother and me onto the bus that ran between Oak Ridge and Knoxville (she called it the 'local breakdown') and we made the entire day of it.
I know at my age my taste buds aren't what they used to be but the hamburgers from the Krystal on Gay street were such a treat. And then there was the Orange Julius or, if you were really adventurous, a Pineapple Julius. In later years the fascination with both went away.
I still have my mother's Mary Starr cookbook, too. One of the most memorable recipes she used to make was a chocolate truffle called Martha Washington Jets. One variety had a bit of instant coffee in the fondant and it was so good. The taste of the lemon variety hit me squarely in the face about a month ago when I bought a container of Kays Lemon Custard ice cream and poured some chocolate syrup on a dish of it.
And remember the Capri 70? I saw the Knoxville premier of 2001: A Space Odyssey there in 1968. We arrived in a pea-green '59 VW Beetle covered with multicolored stick-on flowers and I wore a matching pea-green velveteen Nehru jacket and a gold plated copper peace symbol that I had made.
Good Times!
Visit us at
Ah, the Krystal
Krystal's are another family favorite.
My Mom says she still hasn't forgiven my Aunt and Grandmother for going out to the Krystal while she was in labor with me.
And its a family tradition. My niece, who's five, loves them. She's a finicky eater, but her mother describes Krystal as the only kind of "beef" (quotes intentional) that she'll eat.
"I'm not a member of any organized political party. I'm a Democrat." -- Will Rogers
Mmmm good
I know at my age my taste buds aren't what they used to be but the hamburgers from the Krystal on Gay street were such a treat.
That was my favorite. My parents would give me some money to eat at the counter there while they ate at The Brass Rail a few doors (?) down. That Krystal didn't put mustard or ketchup on the burgers, both of which I hated. Just fresh off the grill with the diced onions they were cooked with.
Krystals and Ketchup
I still eat my Krystals smothered in ketchup (preferably refrigerated.)
You have to do something to disguise the taste, of course... ;-)
Oh, and for what its worth -- it is true -- the Northern states' White Castle is very much like Krystal. Though their burgers have holes in them.
"I'm not a member of any organized political party. I'm a Democrat." -- Will Rogers
Blue Circle and later the
Blue Circle and later the Brass Rail on Gay Street.
Saw "The Sting" at the Capri Cinema.
And what was it "Crazy
And what was it "Crazy Al's?" with the TV commercials?
"One-Eyed" Car Dealer
Which car dealership was it that had the spokesman with an eyepatch?
As I remember, someone noticed that the patch had switched eyes over time, and they admitted he had perfectly good sight in both eyes; the patch was just an attention getter.
After that was revealed, the aforementioned Mad Jack did a commercial with patches on both eyes, figuring if one was good, two were better.
"I'm not a member of any organized political party. I'm a Democrat." -- Will Rogers
As long as we're talking
As long as we're talking theaters, I still miss the Park. The first time I ever went there I was 16 and my grandmother took me to see Gone with the Wind (no, it wasn't 1939). I remember she cried loudly when Melanie died and embarrassed my 16 year old self exceedingly.
Used to go there when I was in college too.
Park Theater
I rode the bus with several school friends to see Romeo and Juliet at the Park Theater.
I loved Mad Jack's TV
I loved Mad Jack's TV commercial with Percy, an african American midget. Jack would sing "Me and my dog and my best black friend..."
Jack tried to make a comeback as a daredevil in abut 1990. He was preparing to jump off some building into a vat of Jell-O, and he was juping off the roof of his garage onto a pile of mattresses. This was some years after he got in trouble with that stripper down in Florida -- as I recall, the cops found him passed out in her bathtub drunk after he broke into her house.
Shakey's Pizza
Shakey's Pizza on Kingston Pike had good pizza but didn't last long that far from town. The Jolly Ox was located on Kingston Pike in front of Bearden High School. The real name was Steak and Ale but local laws prohibited the use of "Ale" or any alcoholic beverage name on an outdoor sign.
There was a drive-in located on Kingston Pike in the Bearden area that served hamburgers with a slice of pineapple.
The original Cider Barn on Clinton Hwy at Emory Rd. had great cider in several flavors.
I'm thinking most hamburgers
I'm thinking most hamburgers were better then. I recall the gourmet burgers at the original Ruby Tuesday on the Strip were particularly good. The reason, I believe, was that the beef was local and hadn't been frozen. Randy may recall walking across the Gay Street Bridge and watching the cattle climb the ramp at East Tennessee Packing Company.
Speaking of Steak and Ale, and thinking of Randy, I'd drop by most Sunday nights. They served a hefty shot, possibly a double, and had a late Sunday night happy hour when they served two for one. I'd order a single malt scotch straight up. It would just about fill the Old Fashion Glass they served it in and they'd charge me something like two dollars, maybe three.
Jolly Ox
The Jolly Ox was located on Kingston Pike in front of Bearden High School. The real name was Steak and Ale but local laws prohibited the use of "Ale" or any alcoholic beverage name on an outdoor sign.
I always thought Jolly Ox was a better name. Steak and Ale was kinda blah; Jolly Ox had the ring of an English pub to it.
"I'm not a member of any organized political party. I'm a Democrat." -- Will Rogers
Interesting stuff...
Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread. This Knoxville expat has certainly enjoyed being reminded of pieces of his childhood. Two eateries that I haven't seen mentioned yet - Padgett's in Lonsdale, and the Round Up in South Knoxville... and I still miss Kay's Ice Cream. I'm glad the one on Lindy Road is still open. Ah, nostalgia.
the Round Up in South
the Round Up in South Knoxville
No mention of the Round Up because it is still there, not "gone and forgotten".
going down memory lane...
thank you one and all for these great memories of retailers and stores and restaurants of our area.....a really nice "trip"...may I add a few...ready ? ...The Jiffy !! various locations around town, West Haven location was "mine", located on Western Ave. across street from the old Cas Walker store..pretty decent hamburger and fries combo in a basket and cokes that really were cokes !! How about the Copper Kettle restaurant & drive-in on Oak Ridge Hwy in West Haven, across street from what is now Shoneys..theres a gas station where C.K. used to be...I go back as far as late 50's and do remember Rich's on Henley St...how about Rexall drug stores ? or Emery 5 & 10 ? Bradley's drug store next to White Stores ? I remember everything you all have mentioned on here except "George's". How about the "Tic-Toc" drive-in on Magnolia ? How about "Earl's"..1221 North Central..thats 1221 North Central..remember how he would repeat the address so much on his commercials ? "See that couch and cheer ? $199.95 just like you see it there...." hahaha... when I was super young, I remember seeing a roller skating rink with a neon sign on top with a winged skate that moved back and forth...this was in Fountain City at that "triangle" area on old Broadway just south of Austins steakhouse...sorry to be long here...thanks again for memories !! Jimmmy
blue circle
(in reply to homesickJimmy)
You mentioned jiffy best hamburgers on western Ave do you have pics of it and do u remember it being the Ranch House?
Ranch House
(in reply to joey)
Loved that place, use to play blue grass on Saturday nights. Hardee's is there now. My dad took me every week as a kid, late 70's early '80's.. No pics but can see it in my mind, everything from the counter and the sign. Drug store on Western ave had a restaurant also, can't remember if I'm right about location.
I am pleased to see that Regas is still in business, though I wasn't happy to see its no longer locally owned, but is part of a chain.
(To be fair, I only ate at Regas once -- my family took me there when I graduated UT.)
"I'm not a member of any organized political party. I'm a Democrat." -- Will Rogers
It's still locally owned by
It's still locally owned by the Conner restaurant group. And there is only one Regas. And actually I believe it's still owned by the Regas family but operated by Conner.
(There was a Regas Riverside Tavern and Regas Westside Tavern but they sold those, don't remember to who, and the Riversade was recently purchased by Ruth's Chis and converted.)
Oh, Regas is still locally
Oh, Regas is still locally owned? I'm glad to be corrected in that regard.
Is it still considered the best restaurant in Knoxville?
"I'm not a member of any organized political party. I'm a Democrat." -- Will Rogers
White Stores/Whiteway --
White Stores/Whiteway -- noted for being a grocery store that wouldn't sell beer, which got them business from religious conservatives. Become Red Food, then Food City.
White Stores didn't really become Red Food. White Stores were bought out by Food City. Red Food was a Chattanooga company and opened its own stores. Red Food was bought by BI-LO. BI-LO then sold its Knoxville area stores to Food City. Some became Food City, others closed.
I remember Food City was the first grocery in Lenoir City to sell beer. Before that it was just the "beer joints" with the drive up windows to get your beer.
I can still taste those "green stamps". That is, until I got wise and started using a sponge to wet them.
How about the Copper Kettle
How about the Copper Kettle restaurant & drive-in on Oak Ridge Hwy in West Haven
We used to cruise the Copper Kettle when I was in high school but we just called it 'The Pot'. I have been there many times but don't recall ever actually going inside for a meal.
I remember Jimmy Don's black and white '56 Chevy that featured a doorbell he rang as he slowly circled.
Obviously I really enjoyed American Graffiti and Hollywood Knights.
Visit us at
gone but not forgotten
remembered a few more....best hotdogs in the world, coldest GLASS bottle soda pops, and the loudest police scanner in town could all be found at Petty's Roadside Market on Western Ave (between Texas ave. & Pleasant Ridge rd.), Wheat's Florist, Velda Rose Cleaners.
I agree. Petty's had the best hotdogs. My grandfather and I went there every week (and sometimes more frequently) and ate a hotdog and a "dope" while visiting with Mr. Petty. Those days are truely missed. I so wish Mr. Petty would have shared his hotdog chili secret.
Petty's Roadside Market
(in reply to Bryan Reed)
I agree, best hot dogs EVER!! Remember how Mr Petty always had a Police Scanner turned up load behind the counter?
I meant turned up LOUD..LOL
(in reply to Pambino)
I meant turned up LOUD..LOL
Speaking of hot dogs, RIP
Speaking of hot dogs, RIP Smoky Mt. Market.
(And speaking of Velda Rose Cleaners, my Dad bought the one on Chapman Highway and ran it for several years.)
hot dogs
yep, right there at the intersection at the end of the bridge...do you remember the RC cola man billboard where his head would go from side to side looking at the RC and some other drink in his hands ? hahaha that smile on his face was killer !!!
RC cola man
I started reading this thread with the sole intention of finding out about the RC Cola sign. When I was kid i thought the man looked for all the world like my dad. I think that is the most nostalgic part of Knoxville. I hate so that it is gone. BTW the other drink advertised on that sign was Diet Rite Cola.
thanks so much for taking me on this memory lane trip.
Yes he was creepy, and then
(in reply to homesickjimmy)
Yes he was creepy, and then at Christmas they changed to a Santa.
Oh, yeah, I had completely
Oh, yeah, I had completely forgotten about the creepy RC Cola man!
(Thankfully, the JFG sign at the end of the other bridge has survived. I think it may be a designated historical landmark or something.)
JFG sign isn't an official
JFG sign isn't an official landmark, but it is specifically identified in the South Waterfront Plan as something to be saved. Residents were pretty adamant about that.
And Emery's is still very much here. Which reminds me, I need to get over there. No better place in the world to buy stocking stuffers.
Cola Man Model
I mentioned the RC Cola man to my husband and he tells me Rose Wright's father posed for that picture. He used to live on Oklahoma Ave.
Handy Dandy
The Handy Dandy market on Emory Road in Powell (just a block or so from Powell High School) had a great deli that made yummy hoagies.
"I'm not a member of any organized political party. I'm a Democrat." -- Will Rogers
There was a Handy Dandy...
at the top of the T formed by Cherry Street and Cecil. Lots of mowed lawns were turned into colas and hot dogs in there. I lamented when the Handy Dandy became Doan's Market, but then my grandmother told me that - well before my time - it was Doan's Market before it was a Handy Dandy back in the 1950's and early '60's. Descendants of the original owners, it turns out, had bought the place back.
Anyone mention Peroulas' on Market Square? Loved that place.
I'm sure Harold's has been mentioned dozens of times by now.
The "Pioneer House" still sort of stands out on Alcoa Highway.
There's still a Blue Circle alive and well up in Bristol - I still drop in when I'm up that way.
I can't believe that no one would have mentioned Brother Jack's by now.
yep I hope it survives..its the best part of the meal...J. Floyd Goodson would be proud.
The Fort & the Strip
From the early '70s till the World's Fair the Strip lived up to it's name with bars from one end to the other.
The Pickle U Pub,Foxey Lady & The Cats Meow to name a few..& of course The Last Lap.
Was it..Bradley's Station that was on the present World's Fair Site near the train trussel? That place was WILD!
And the L&N in the old hotel off Western & Broadway.Oh yes..The Torch.
Plus Vic & Bill's is no longer in the Fort..Hey Good Buddy..was the way Bill always greeted you.
Sam & Renee of Sam's Party Store fame & the orginal Falafel Hut have left the Fort also.
Last but not least..Hawkeyes..the home of ANIMAL HOUR!..is gone but not forgotten.
Was it..Bradley's Station
Was it..Bradley's Station that was on the present World's Fair Site near the train trussel? That place was WILD!
Yes it was.
Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we'd choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way
Good Old Strip
Don't forget the Roman Room and the G&H diner. And what about the original Ruby Tuesday's? How about The Place? England's Records? And what were the names of all of those head shops?
England's Records Ah, had
England's Records
Ah, had forgotten all about them. There was another one, maybe next to the tiny little parking lot next to Kinkos, and I keep wanting to say it was Cat's but it was long before them, and maybe their predecessor. Anyone remember it?
Raven Records was in the
Raven Records was in the basement of the building at the back of that parking lot in the 80s.
I had forgotten about Raven,
I had forgotten about Raven, too. But they were later, I believe, and I'm pretty sure it's "School Kids" as noted by FactChecker that I was thinking of.
yeah Bradley Station was located just east of the train bridge on the north side of cumberland. Awful place, crowded to the max and smelled like piss and vomit as soon as you walked in. Had bands from Atlanta alot of the times, I remember Cowcatcher (w/Tiny) fairly decent band. Also there was a Friday's Child around there somewhere (same kind of bar w/live band). I remember on the south side of the strip there was a bar that had just a drummer playing live with the PA system music. Can't remember the name.
We used to cruise the Copper
We used to cruise the Copper Kettle when I was in high school but we just called it 'The Pot'. yeah, thats what we called it, too. Did Jimmy Don used to walk alot on Hazelwood Rd. before he got that car ? Did he shoot pool at the rec hall ? over.....
Jimmy Don rode a Cushman
Jimmy Don rode a Cushman scooter before he got the Chevy. I have no idea about Hazelwood Road.
How I used to want a Cushman when I was a kid. Forget the BB gun, you could put somebody's eye out with one of those things.
Visit us at
eye patch car salesman
I think it was for Delman Haynes Pontiac.
make that "Delmar"
I thought it was Twin City
I thought it was Twin City Buick.
Visit us at
you are correct
it was Twin city. thanks.
IIRC the eye patch guy was Gailen (sp?) Porter. If you go back to this summer you'll see where we were discussing his political career.
"Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse."
Porter is doing ads currently for cogdill dodge on tv, the "eye patch" guy is not Gailen Porter.
What a great thread!! I
What a great thread!!
I remember the old Oak Terrace restaurant in Oak Ridge that my mom used to take me to.
I usually got one of the small steaks ( it was a round cut) but they also had a atomic burger with mashed potatoes and Gravy. One of the big memories was when the cook could come out with a big plate of biscuits to hand out to everyone with honey to cover em with....
There was also the Back Door Pizza parlor. I remember eating there. I dont remember the pizza being as good as Big Eds, but when I was little my family ate there a lot.
There was a Federal Bakery in the Oak Ridge Shopping area, along with Millers, McCrory's, JC Penny and the JCPenny Anex,
I remember the Federal bakery had really good wedding cookies that were a cookie with some icing in the middle, usually blue or a lite red. They were cheap too, like a dozen for maybe a couple of bucks.
and the Gateway bookstore.
I remember driving there from Wartburg on Sunday morning sometimes as it was the only thing open at all. I just had my driver's license and I could go there on about 2 bucks worth of gas, buy a book and be home before my Mom got up...
Gateway was open early as a lot of folks came in from all over to get the Sunday NY times and Atlanta papers.
I remember the Laughing Monkey hobby shop as the first place I saw Avalon Hill games and such. It was in the main shopping center, but moved to the other side of town going toward k25. I dont remember when it closed, but I just started going to the Yankee Peddler.
Of course, you can tell an old time Oak Ridger, (besides the glowing in the dark part) by how he or she would give directions. If they tell you its past where Frenches used to be, ya know they have been there a long time.
I think Frenches closed in the early 70s.....
No Matter Where you go, There you Are!!!!
Farragut Hotel/S & W/Birleys/Ramseys/The Rose Hole
My Great Grandparents in the late 50's & early '60's rode the train down from Deleware & stayed @ the Farragut Hotel during Thanksgiving weekend.
They stayed at the Farragut other than the Andrew Johnson because it was closer to Millers where they stocked size 5 shoes that my Greatgrandmother wore.
We always watched the Christmas parade from their hotel room which back then was on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
I will never forget the first time I went to the S & W.My Grandfather took us there..man I thought those steps & the waiters taking your food up the steps was the coolest thing EVER.Wasn't music played on an organ? After we ate we went to see 101 Dalmations @ the Tennessee Theater.
One of the waiters went on to work @ Ramseys until he passed away about 15 years ago...I think his name was Slim?
Before the cafeteria on White under the Shrine Lodge became Ramseys it was Birleys.
My aunt & uncle ate there after church thru out the 60's.Plus my cousins Rehearsal dinner was held there in '65 & my grandmothers 90th birthday party was also celebrated @ Birleys in '75.
I ate at Ramseys till it moved to Central Ave Pike about every day.
And before the Lodge was built the area was a park.Stair Tech played their home games there as well as industrial league softball & UT intramural games.Also my Dad played neighborhood ball games there.
The kids in the 30's dubbed the park..The Rose Hole.
Before the cafeteria on
Before the cafeteria on White under the Shrine Lodge became Ramseys it was Birleys.
Byerleys. I used to eat there some as a college freshman before I discovered more interesting places on the strip.
I remember the old Oak
I remember the old Oak Terrace restaurant in Oak Ridge that my mom used to take me to.
I seem to remember that Thursday was 'pork tenderloin night' with gravy and biscuits, or was it Tuesday?
And the entertainment at the Back Door in the seventies. Remember the guy who played banjo as he sat in the rocking chair - rocking out of time?
Visit us at
Anybody else remember
Anybody else remember Vatican Pizza?
vatican pizza
I do remember it. Bless us.
Vatican Pizza was awesome...
Mountain View Hotel
The Mountain View Hotel in Gatlinburg was a grand place. My parents took me there for my 16 birthday. The hotel has been torn down and replaced by a cheap amusement park that has been closed for years.
La Catania's just off the strip at 17th and Lake Avenue was popular for the students and the downtown business people at lunch.
The Mountain View
That was the first place I ever came in contact with finger bowls
...on the south side of the strip there was a bar that had just a drummer playing live with the PA system music. Can't remember the name.
Big Daddy's. (IIRC.)
Happy Holler
My Dad owned a store on Central from '59 till winter of '62.It was called the Economy Shop.Near the Western Auto.A block or two from Sears.
I recall a service station owned by the Linsey brothers up the street..anybody remember that service station?
Also did Big Jim Hess own a store near there?
I remember Lindsay's service
I remember Lindsay's service station and Pinky's Barber Shop next door on Baxter Ave.
ah yes..big Jim Hess..."Nobody, but NOOOOOOOOOO-BODY !! Anyway the correction for the record (who cares ?) is the following: Mike Hatmaker is the guy selling at Jim Cogdill Dodge, not Gailen Porter. Sorry about that. Moving on....I do remember Lindsays service station @ Baxter, and the Merita Bakery down Central a little ways...Merita had a giant clock on top of their sign...a real clock with a face and hands !! Imagine that !! remember shoppers: if it's in stock, we have it " ! (sign seen behind parts counter at the old auto parts store on a hill off of Cherry st. (can't remember their name).
Merita Bakery is sort of the "family business." My father, grandfather, two uncles, a first cousin, and my brother-in-law all work or worked there. The factory moved from the Central St. location to a new, much larger facility in north Knox County. IBC (Interstate Brands Corp) consolidated a few bread factories a decade or so ago and enlarged their Knoxville one.
Btw, this board will be delighted to know Merita is a Union Shop, unlike the old Kern's (now Swann's) bread factory.
They bake while WE sleep (or something to that effect)
Btw, this board will be delighted to know Merita is a Union Shop, unlike the old Kern's (now Swann's) bread factory.
And they seem to be staying in business better, as Kern seems to be barely hanging on. How could that be, union thuggery and all?
Don't think the union plays one way or the other...
Dr. Atkins probably came closer to killing Merita than any union issues. IBC really suffered during the peak of his little diet craze. But like anyplace else, the effect the union has on the company depends on the particular local(s) and the management. My grandfather went to work for Merita somewhere around 1947, so there's been someone in my family working there for sixty years or so. There's never, to my knowledge, been a strike, work stoppage, or any serious conflicts at that location. That's not to say there haven't been some "intense" negotiations when contract time comes around or some pretty nasty infighting between the various factions within the union. Union members are especially fond of bitching about the seniority system where long timers get to bump short timers from any job they decide they'd rather be doing or long timers getting first dibs on all the prime vacation weeks. But they do that stuff to themselves.
One great thing about the bread business is that shelf life pretty well rules out any fears of overseas competition.
One great thing about growing up in a family that worked for a bread company was slipping down to the factory on cold winter nights, grabbing an unsliced loaf straight off the conveyors, wrapping it in aluminum foil and taking it home.
I've been in the Home Depot
I've been in the Home Depot garden center a few times in the summer and wondered how anybody could work day in and day out with that wonderful scent of Merita's baking bread filling the air.
Visit us at
the human nose is a funny thing. Sometimes that's good. In this case, it's bad. No one in my family who works for Merita can SMELL the bread anymore unless they've been away for week or so on vacations. It just sort of disappears into the background. Sad but true. Fortunately, I've never worked there and don't have that problem.
Bread Smell
(in reply to RayCapps)
Anyone remember ths smell of Kerns baking Salt Rising bresd?
What an odor........but the bread was great toasted with blackberry jam.
ThE national Shirt Shop on
ThE national Shirt Shop on Gay Street
As a life long Knoxvillian
As a life long Knoxvillian who is now 39 years old, for some reason I cannot get the thought out of my head that back when I was a kid in the early 70's, the Coster Shop Bridge was a suspended green steel bridge that spanned a good 1500-2000 feet around by the paper company on your right as if you were traveling south on I-275. I vaguely remember when the highway department rebuilt that short stretch of 275 around the Coster Shop by demolishing the old road and taking fill dirt from the South-western side of Sharp's Ridge at the gap to fill in where I think the bridge used to be. Can some one please confirm by thoughts about this. I still hear people referring to the Coster Shop Bridge today when they are talking about that part of I-275. Was the Coster Shop bridge a suspended steel bridge originally?
former stores
I have vague memories of being a child and going to Hills to get free autographed photos of the Dukes of Hazzard boys. Don't think they were there, just think Hills was giving them out. It was a fun junk store to visit. I think Little Sisters is gone now and Adam's Apple, they were fun stores to visit.
If you're talking about Little Sisters Jewelry...
...last time I looked as I drove down Broadway on my way to a doctor's appointment, she is still there on Walker Boulevard behind Fisher Tire.
There's also a good pizza place there and it's right across from the old Southern Grill location on Broadway which is now a deli...the name escapes me at the moment. There's also a little gift shop in the same little shopping area that has lovely wind chimes and things.
"You can't fix stupid..." ~ Ron White"
"I never said I wasn't a brat..." ~ Talidapali
Hills Department Store
(in reply to StaceyDiamond)
My favorite time to go to Hills was Memorial Day when they had 10 Cent Hotdogs and Nickel Cokes. They also had Freshly Made Popcorn with a fan helping to waft the smell around the store, same as the old Zayre store. If you were human you just couldnt resist the smell of freshly popped buttered popcorn. Of course what made Zayre unforgettable to me was the old creaky wooden steps that led to the top floor. Such an adventure for a young kid to behold! Hills also had the Atari 2600 VCS setup and playable. I think every kid in town was there taking their turns playing on it. I bought many an Atari cartridge from them for my old game system back then.
Stone Mountain
Stone Mountain was a fun store to go to on The Strip, I remember going alot in 89-90. There was also one in Nashville. Oh, and Kotzi's (?)restaurant in Franklin Square and The Silver Spur on Lovell road, both late 80's early 90's and we used to have arcades, I forget the names, there was one in Halls and one on Papermill I liked.
Little Sisters
Little Sisters is on Walker Blvd, just off Broadway.
Yes I remember the Coster Shop Bridge being actually a bridge. Still think of it as such. Don't pay much attention to the embankment.
"Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse."
Coster Shop Bridge
So was it an actual bridge that spanned almost the length of the road from Heiskel to Woodland before they tore it down and filled it in and repaved the road?
Hey Ron...about the Coster Shop bridge...
You are correct on your recollections..it was an old green bridge..over time, a buddy of mine and I watched the tear-down, the excavation on Sharps Ridge, the thousands of dump truck loads of dirt to fill in that small section, and the eventual new road poured throughout the "S" curve...we watched it from his front porch; we had just been laid off from Allied Chemical. Wish I had took some pictures of the progression. To me, that section will always be known as "Coster Shop Bridge", just like Easttown Mall sure as hell ain't "Knoxville Center". -HJ
Coster Shop Bridge
hank you so much! I thought I was going crazy! I thought it used to be a green steal bridge of some kind. As for Allied Chemical, when did you work there? My grandmother, Iva Loveday and my mom Sondra Reagan used to work there also back around the mid 70's to early 80's.
CS Bridge
Anyone that may have pictures of the old Coster Shop Bridge or of Malcom's Drive-in on Clinton Highway, I would be so greatful if you could share them with me.
Homesick Jimmy
Hey HJ,
Shoot me an email at email@example.com
Does anyone remember Los
Does anyone remember Los Charos (sp?), maybe one of the first 'real' Mexican restaurants in Knoxville? It was located off of Western Ave. near where the Art Museum is and the old House Hanson Hardware Co. Also, what about Rancho Burgers from Taco Rancho that was on Kingston Pk.
Mexican Restaurant in Fort Sanders
I do remember this restaurant. I ate there a time or two when at UT in the 1970-1975 period. I believe it may have been on Forest Ave near where it intersects with 11th St.
It was probably the first authentic Mexican restaurant I had visited. I do not remember when Taco Bell arrived in Knoxville (Wikipedia says Pepsi purchased Taco Bell in 1978) so I am not sure I had eaten any Mexican (of any kind) before this restaurant -- sorry, I don't recall its name. One thing I remembered eating there was sopaipillas with honey.
My sweetie and I used to eat
My sweetie and I used to eat there (circa 1978-80). And we always got the closest table to the door we could because he was always afraid a fire was going to break out. But the food was yummy, esp. those sopaipillas.
Pam Strickland
"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be." ~Kurt Vonnegut
Any one remember the Bahou
Any one remember the Bahou in the Fort? Really nice Mediterranean restaurant. With typical K'town irony, The Yardarm tavern was across the street -- one funky/scuzzy delightful bar.
How about the Ice House for another scuz bar?
Mexican Restaurant in Fort Sanders
Duplicate comment; delete.
Taco Rauncho
(in reply to Just Somebody)
It really wasn't bad food, but that's what we called it. I remember they had really inexpensive big gulp soft drinks.
I think it was replaced by a Black Eyed Pea restaurant, with their 'Meatloaf & Martini' special.
I remember Los Charros well.
(in reply to Just Somebody)
I remember Los Charros well. My wife worked there. Very good Mexican.
Blue Circle and Weaver's
When I was growing up in the 70s, my mother would often take me to the Blue Circle chain restaurant on Central near Broadway, I believe. It was a kind of a diner-themed place with little burgers similar to Krystal's. She also took me to Weaver's Cafeteria on North Broadway (we lived in Fountain City, as you might have guessed ;)). Two other places already mentioned that I loved going to were the sandwich shop in Miller's (also a treat to go to because I had an aunt who worked in the home/kitchen department) and Sears on Central.
Odd to believe with all this nostalgia for places serving burgers and the like, I'm a vegetarian, now. ;)
Do you remember what the
Do you remember what the name of the store was that used tosit to the left of the White Stores on North Broadway directly across from the First Tennessee bank? I remember going there as a kid in the late 70's and buying LP's and 45s and other toys. Seems like there was a shoe store in the same parking lot also. Was it a Greenway store? I can't remember the name of it.
There was also a mexican restraunt up from Shoneys on Clinton Highway that was there befre the Taco Bells came to Knoxville.
I am still looking for pictures of Malcom's Drive in on Clinton Highway. My grandmother used to take me there alot when I was a kid.
There was a Woolworth's...
next to the White Store with a lunch counter. And Belew's Drugs, and a uniform shop for the nurses up at the hospital (St. Mary's), and a shoe shop...I want to say Coffin's but I know that's not right but it was a locally-owned place...not a chain. There was a ladies' dress shop too, over on the other side was a barber shop, and a Vacuum cleaner sales and repair store, and I think a Dentist office in the two-story section next to the creek. There may have also been a 5 & 10 store...but I can't be for certain on that it may be the Woolworth's that I am thinking of and confusing with a different shopping center. I do know there was definitely a Woolworth's though, it was a real coup of we could talk my grandmom into letting us get an ice cream soda at the lunch counter when she took us shopping at the White Store.
Whoops...just realized you were talking about the White Store in Fountain City...the store next to that one was a Whiteway department store. You could go to the White Store and get your groceries after you went in the Whiteway and got things like dresses or school supplies or fabric (for the sewing crowd) and other items you couldn't usually find in a grocery store in those days.
"You can't fix stupid..." ~ Ron White"
"I never said I wasn't a brat..." ~ Talidapali
I was thinking of the World Festival the other day, a fest put on at the World's Fair site in the early 90's, didn't remember who put that on. It was fun, really the only fest in town at the time other than Dogwood.
Does anyone remember the old WhiteWay Variety Store that used to be next to the White Store on Broadway in Fountian City? I remember my mom taking me there in the early 70's and buying me records. I think Coffin Shoe Store was next door to it.
We frequented the WhiteWay
We frequented the WhiteWay on Alcoa Highway near Martha Washington Heights. The same shopping center had a White Store, Rush's Music, a Knox County Library branch, and more. Next door was a drive-in movie theater, a gas/service station, then the pool (as we called it), C'est Bon, Senators Club, and now Court South. Across the highway was Comer's Drug Store, which had a great lunch counter.
Luckily, that area of Alcoa Hwy. still has Food City and CVS.
The Senators Club
The building where the Senators Club was (now Court South) became Uncle Sam's.
Casa Gallardo
I remember my dad taking me to Casa Gallardo on Bearden Hill where Calhoun's sits today. I also loved to eat at McGuffy's down on Kingston Pike in the shopping center where the dollar movie theatre is.( Except now it is not a dollar anymore. It is something like $4.00 now days.
Funny you should mention
Funny you should mention Casa Gallardo. I recently found this among my old slides. It was shot the first time I ate there.
Visit us at:
Casa Gallardo
Thank you so much for the picture! That brings back fond memories. I glanced at your website. You've got some very cool pictures. I am going to take a look at it more in depth when time permits. Thank you again. Ron Reagan
I spent WAY too many drunken
I spent WAY too many drunken happy hours there in the late 80s.
Off topic but your picture
Off topic but your picture has great quality..did you scan it?
Casa Gallardo
(in reply to redmondkr)
Am I crazy, or did Casa Gallardo build the building in Downtown West that is now Pelanchos? Or was it Garcias?
Not sure about a building in
(in reply to Nick Kavanagh)
Not sure about a building in Downtown West. My photo was made in the Casa Gallardo atop Bearden Hill, the present site of Calhoun's.
That was originally a Don
(in reply to Nick Kavanagh)
That was originally a Don Pablo's, I think.
Thanks for the nice
Thanks for the nice compliment. We never tire of boring our visitors with pictures here at The Home.
Visit us at:
I remember getting my first
I remember getting my first prom dress at Nancy Lynn's. Does anyone remember the old Diana Shop in the Broadway Shopping Center in North Knoxville? And yes, the back to school shopping trips to Miller's on Henley Street with lunch at the counter followed by those rich brownies from the bakery on the main floor. As a young child, I also remember getting clothes at the Brother and Sister Store ( or something like that) in North Knoxvillle. Does anyone remember watching the ladies at the cosmetic counter create custom blended face powder?
Yummm, Tic Toc onion rings, Smoky Mountain Market hot dogs, Brother Jacks BBQ Ribs and moonshine (if you knew the password), Sam and Andy's deli sandwiches, the Southern Grill on Broadway, biscuits and gravy at Ruby's Coffee Shop in East Knoxville, lunch at the S&W Cafeteria on Gay Street, the Woolworth's lunch counter, Sonner's Drugs on Asheville Hwy. had the best cherry smashes and the Varsity Inn on the strip for burgers. Loved going to JC Penney downtown and watching the elevator operators. Loved to play pinball at Yosemite Sam's on the strip when I was in college. My favorite store in Gatlinburg was the Rebel Corner and you always had to eat at the Dog n Suds and Howard's and play miniature golf at the Jolly Golf and throw some pennies into the old wishing well.
Those were the days, my friends. May they live in our hearts forever.
What a great list. I
What a great list. I recognized about half of the stores.
I'll add Lerners (I believe) on Gay Street, where I obtained my first credit card in my name only.
I remember Lerners near Gay & Wall and Baker shoes was next door.
My favorite downtown store was Mayos on Wall, I'd buy plants for my dorm room and schlep them "home" over the Clinch ave bridge.
There MUST be a pony in here somewhere!
I believer the record store
I believer the record store you are referring to in Fountain City was called RECORDS N THINGS & sat in the strip mall directly across from what used to be Target department store on N. Broadway. They actually took out an ad in my 1991 Halls High School year book. Cute cashiers. I also remember buying records there back when i used to collect them. I too remember the Blue Circle on Broadway. Anyone recall DAN'S BIG BURGERS in Fountain City?
I do remember the Bahou, it was my favorite place for Dates. Later on when we got cars we'd go to the Bahou Container in Bearden.
Ah yes I remember the Head Stores. I was at UT from 72 to 74 so that was their heyday. The Oddysey was the mainstay, then a couple others. Mary Jane's had a short lived existence on a side street going towards Lake Ave.
There MUST be a pony in here somewhere!
Also Skoolkids Records.
Also Skoolkids Records. There was a hi-fi shop nearby for a time, Hi Fi Heaven, I think. They had the weird early Phase Linear speaker designed by Bob Carver. The manager or owner was a nice guy. Treated me to an awesome demo of the Infinity QLS when they merged with England Sound, after the first building suffered a fire. This was around '75.
Skoolkids Records That's the
Skoolkids Records
That's the one I was trying to think of.
More music
Can't forget Miles Music and the great hardware store next door (Green's?) down where Gay St. and Magnolia come together. Miles had been around since the early 20th century and maybe before. There was a picture in the window from the early 20's of the "Miles Music Mandolin Orchestra" which was also shown in an early Gibson Guitar and Mandolin catalog--"Every one a Gibsonite." They carried everything. I needed a banjo bridge one day, and the only ones they had were circa 1890s S.S. Stewart bridges, still marked .10 each in pencil from the era, and still sold at the same price. I needed a neck for a C Melody saxophone once. They had one in the attic. It was also a great place to buy electric sitars and the like...There was also Hewgley's on Henley St, but it could never compare to Miles.
Green's (if I got that name right) still had the floor to ceiling cabinets full of drawers which contained most of their stock. Like Miles, much of their stock was left over from an earlier era. I found new old stock Yankee push drill bits there one day, still at the original price. I think about them whenever I'm in a Home Depot or Lowe's today.
These businesses fell victim to the Worlds Fair, and I often wonder where their remaining stock ended up. It was a sad end to a long long era...
Green's (if I got that name right) still had the floor to ceiling cabinets full of drawers which contained most of their stock. Like Miles, much of their stock was left over from an earlier era. I found new old stock Yankee push drill bits there one day, still at the original price. I think about them whenever I'm in a Home Depot or Lowe's today.
My best friend in elementary school lived next door to Mr and Mrs Green. they had this wonderful old house that had a huge front porch. I had almost forgotten about that. thanks again!
Magnolia Ave. & the Magnolia Trees that grew down the center
I need help desperately. I'm from Knoxville and I miss home desparately. My mom and dad have always told us about how and where they met and this is a cut down version: In 1964 they said the thing to do was to get in the car and meet your friends at either the Tic Toc or the Blue Circle and at some point you go to the other and see who was out and doing what, etc... kinda like "Happy Days".
Mom and Dad both were born in Knoxville and grew up there (they were lucky); anyway, they said Magnolia Avenue had magnolia trees growing down the center of the street and it was beautiful.
I'm looking for pictures of the Blue Circle and Tic Toc at the height of the time, around 1964 and Magnolia Avneue with the trees, so if anyone has any pictures showing these places I would gladly pay for reprints of them.
Please contact me ASAP this is for their 50th anniversary party.
Can't say I remember
Can't say I remember Magnolia trees down the center of Magnolia Avenue.
Can't say I remember
Can't say I remember Magnolia trees down the center of Magnolia Avenue.
Isn't there still a grassy median strip with trees on Magnolia in front of Chilhowee Park? It shows in Google street-view, but I'm not tech-savvy enough to post a workable link.
I don't remember them either
When I was a kid, way before the interstate highways, we used to visit my grandparents in Newport every seventh weekend and Magnolia Avenue / Asheville Highway was our normal route. We always stopped on 5th Avenue behind the Swan's Bakery to pick up Mom's sister who didn't drive and always went with us. When I started driving in 1962, high school friends and I used to eat at the Pizza Palace pretty often.
I don't remember ever seeing Magnolias in the center of Magnolia Avenue. The time I'm thinking of is early 1950s until late 1964.
Maybe back in the early days when Chilhowee Park was described as 'an outing resort three miles from Knoxville' and was called Lake Ottosee (spelled 'Ottossaee' in this 1896 article).
Visit us at:
I agree with you about the
I agree with you about the Magnolia's. I do remember a few lined the side of Magnolia Ave during the same time period, but most had been cut years ago. I remember when the city cut the remaining Magnolias. The city went along several main streets and cut all the trees to give the businesses better exposure.
A&P Supermarkets. Babe Maloy's Drive-In Restaurant
Here's remembering three supermarkets from the A&P chain. Also, Babe Maloy's Drive-In Restaurant.
A&P Supermarkets
The abbreviation "A&P" stands for the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company. Wikipedia has an informative article on the rise and fall of the A&P chain. A&P's network shrank drastically over the years, but it still exists, mostly in and around New Jersey.
3617 Chapman Highway
Our family shopped at this A&P in the 1950's, and it may have been the first A&P in South Knoxville.
Located on the west side of Chapman Highway in the stretch between Martin Mill Pike and Moody Avenue, directly across from Berry Funeral Home. Now vacant, the location is white with a green awning and sits at the south end of a group of storefronts. At that end, it is just north of the big, white Parkway Restaurant, across a driveway between the two buildings. The street number 3617 is on the door.
4217-4219 Chapman Highway
That store likely was built in the 1970's. The building's roof still sports A&P's trademark decoration – a white colonial-style cupola with weather vane.
Located on the west side of Chapman Highway in the stretch between Moody Avenue and Young High Pike, directly across from Advance Auto Parts. Now occupied by a Dollar General Store and a Goodwill Store.
4416 Asheville Highway
Current U.S. Representative John "Jimmy" Duncan bagged groceries at this A&P as a stock clerk in the mid-1960's. Many Holston High graduates were eye witnesses.
Likely built in the 1960's and now demolished, it occupied the south portion of the lot and faced north toward Asheville Highway. The parcel of land is now occupied by a Kroger store assigned the street number 4414. The Kroger sits on the west portion of the lot and faces east towards Burns Road.
Babe Maloy's Drive-In Restaurant
3810 Chapman Highway
Operating around 1955-1970, Babe Maloy's Drive-In was famous for its chipped ham sandwiches. Even after our family moved across town, we still drove there occasionally to chow down on those great sandwiches.
Located on the east Side of Chapman Highway in the stretch between Martin Mill Pike and Moody Avenue, across from M&M House of Brakes and Mufflers. Now demolished, the restaurant was first replaced by a Burger King, then a new white building at 3810. That new building first housed a CVS Pharmacy, then Kick Shots Sports Bar. It is currently vacant, and the street number is on the door.
Babe Maloy's and the sandwiches have been celebrated by News Sentinel columnist Barbara Asbury in columns dated 7/9/08, 7/16/08, 7/23/08, 7/30/08, 9/10/08, 2/25/09, 3/25/09. Barbara's columns for 7/23/08 and 7/30/08 recall the personalities and "teen cruising scene" at the drive-in. The other columns describe nostalgia buffs' recent efforts at duplicating the sandwich recipe and serving them at parties.
As of this date, the columns are still retrievable on the News Sentinel's search engine, using the key word "Maloy." To catch all the articles, be sure to click on "Next page" at the bottom of the search results list.
For nostalgia buffs with a taste for detective work, old phone books in the McClung Collection are a gold mine for listings of businesses "gone but not forgotten." As Barbara Asbury's 7/23/08 column on the Babe Maloy site demonstrates, the old City Directories are, too.
It was converted from a
It was converted from a Kodachrome slide using a Nikon slide holder attachment mounted onto the lens of my first digital camera, a Nikon E950. I recently loaned it along with my old E990 to a friend (who works for Nikon) so he could convert roughly a thousand slides. He was going to see if they offered a similar unit for their newer cameras.
It has the capability of holding either slides or strips of 35 mm negatives and sold for less than $100 back in 2000. I can't find anything like it in their catalog now. They would probably prefer to sell you a $700 slide scanner.
I think the original was shot with an Olympus OM-1 or possibly my OM-2.
Visit us at:
A couple of other retailers
A couple of other retailers that I haven't seen mentioned - Nancy Lynn Fashions and Paul Parrott Shoes. They were in the White Stores Shopping Center on Asheville Highway. Also, there was a Tucker's Record Shop on Market Square Mall.
Two restaurants that came along later, that are now gone, are Darryls and Fiesta Cantina. I think I went to Darryls for every first date that I went on.
"Two restaurants that came along later, that are now gone, are Darryls and Fiesta Cantina. I think I went to Darryls for every first date that I went on."
Where was Darryls?
Bearden hill.
Bearden hill.
Bearden hill. Knoxville's
Bearden hill.
Knoxville's restaurant Death Row?
"Bearden hill."
Where the health food store is now?
Also used to be a Darryl's on Merchants where Quaker Steak and Lube is now.
No. A few doors down.
No. A few doors down.
Darryl's 1879
Darryl's was on the site where the shopping center with Bonefish Grill now sits. It was named "1879" because that was the year that the University of Tennessee was founded. All the Darryl's that were located near college campuses took the "number" part of their name from the year the college was founded. Featured a London bus and a fire engine in the bar area. For a period in the early 80s, Darryl's was a very popular hangout, especially late nights and with the fraternity crowd because they offered such low beer prices. I can remember many times on ball game weekends when the bar area was literally shoulder to shoulder.
Cas Walker BBQ Chicken and Kress's Corn Sticks /Cole Slaw Recipe
I grew up in Knoxville. One of my pleasant childhood memories is trips to downtown with my mother. We almost always ate lunch at either the Blue Circle or at Kress's lunch counter. I especially liked their cornbread sticks and cole slaw. I also recall the BBQ chicken from Cas Walker's as being different and very good.
Does anyone have the original recipes for any of these? If so, would you share?
Thank you in advance.
Kress's cornbread sticks and cole slaw recipe
P.S. Unfortunately, my prior post was unclear. I was referring to the cornbread sticks and cole slaw at Kress's lunch counter.
I loved Kress Turkey Dressing
(in reply to Tnpickr)
I loved Kress Turkey Dressing and gravy.
Sharps Drug Store
I'm looking for any pictures or older discription of Sharps Drugs at the corner of Edgewood and N.Broadway in Knoxville. I do know that it is a music store now. My brother wants to make a drawing of it to put in a book.
dance clubs/bars: Desperados,
dance clubs/bars: Desperados, Tony's VIP, The Beach, Ivy's, The Last Lap.
Before it became Desperado's, the building at the intersection of Papermill and Weisgarber housed a bar called Smuggler's Inn. It was a combination disco/tiki bar. I remember having many Singapore Slings there as an 18 year old (which was the legal drinking age at the time).
(in reply to Phil Private)
My home away from home. Went there for many many years. Sad day when it was torn down.
Little Tunnel Inn and Swan's Resturant and White Stores
Does anyone remember the Little Tunnel Inn...?
I think it was NE of Knoxville near Tazewell. I wish I knew more about it, as it seemed special to them.
My Mom and Pop used to take me there and to Swan's, and I remember those huge old millstones in the grass around the resturant.
My Pop was a Manager for White Stores in Morristown for over 40 years, and the McDonald family in Knoxville owned the company with some stock held by employees. Old man McDonald would not even sell cigarettes, but his son Dwight took over and started, but he always declined to sell alcohol... they were ahead of their time 'eh.
Thank Y'all for reading... I LOVE this thread...
Some others that haven't been mentioned...
Pero's in the Bearden area.
A variety of businesses in Bearden Center beside White Store and Whiteway...Henderson's Drug Store, Crenshaw's Children's Shop, Wade's Bakery, the S&H Green stamp store.
Western Plaza's businesses...Hall Brown at the corner, Gateway Books, Cole's Rexall Drugs, Woolworth's, A&P, Kroger, the Western Plaza Bowling Alley.
Forest Avenue and Kingston Pike...L. B. Richardson's Esso, Parker Brothers, Knoxville Drive-In, Vester Florist.
Weigel's drive-up Jug-O-Milk stores.
Park Bank at the corner of Northshore and Kingston Pike, across from the Howard Johnson's restaurant.
Ivanhoe's House of Beef on Kingston Pike were the Copper Cellar is now.
Steven's Drugstore and other places
Anyone remember Steven's Drugstore on Broadway in Fountain City and Seaver's Doughnuts just down the street? We had to sell those doughnuts for fundraisers when I was in elementary school.
No one's mentioned the Toddle House on Broadway in North Knoxville(Where a Krystal is now.) You could sit at the counter and watch them cook your breakfast and tell them when they had the bacon cooked just right. Had great waffles too. And across the street was Edith's Variety store.
Enjoying reading these postings. Brings back a lot of memories!
Kay's Ice Cream
Most are gone but one still remains in the Knoxville area and that is Kay's Ice Cream on Chapman Hwy. The Big Kay is the best drug store hamburger around. I stop there every so often and get me one with some fries.
And for all you West Lonsdale people, Swann's grocery store on Carnation Drive next to West Lonsdale Baptist Church. Mrs. Swann was always so sweet but Mr. Swann was a crusty old codger. He had no patience with us kids when we went in there and took ten minutes trying pick out as many different kinds of candy that we could with a quarter from that old antique display case! At two and three cents each you could get quite a bit of candy.
Also Bradley's Drug Store in the West Haven Shopping Center was one place I remember eating at their old fashioned drug store restaurant in the back.
I miss Petty's Roadside Market and Blue Circle on Western Ave. Going there are some of my oldest memories.
Anybody remember what the name of that donut place was at the corner of Pleasant Ridge Rd and Wester Ave?
Kay's also had...
...the best lemon ice cream I have ever eaten in my entire life.
Was it Richy Cream?
(in reply to ctvolfan)
Was it Richy Cream?
A few more... The old
A few more...
The old Lawson-McGhee Library on Market Street
The Bookmobile
Brookside Mills became Zayre's
Zayre's used to have Sqaure Dances in the Parking Lot on Saturday night
Shakey's Pizza Parlor - remember the sing-a-longs?
The Family Drive-In on Broadway
The Western Auto on N. Central
Hull-Dobbs Ford on N. Central
Beaty Chevrolet on Broadway
The Fifth Ave. Motel
Graning Paint Store Broadway and Depot
The Athletic House on State Street
The Pink Pony
Pat & Libs on Asheville Hwy.
The Village Barn on Asheville Hwy.
Cormac McCarth would not like it if we omit...
The Indian Rock on Rutledge Pike
The Huddle on Cumberland Ave.
Comers Pool Hall on Gay Street
And who could ever forget...
The Market House
Surprised nobody mentioned
Surprised nobody mentioned this one:
(Not technically a retailer, I guess, but still...)
praise allah
You know you can still buy this. It is under the name Tiger Seasoning and most Kroger's in Knoxville carry it. I know the one in Knox Plaza does and the new one in Fountain City.
One More Missing From The List
Remember Graystone Presbyterian Church at the corner of Chapman Highway and Blount Avenue, across the street from Baptist Hospital? I think there was a Park Bank next to it. And during the holidays, they would put a Santa face on the RC Cola sign on Blount that was mentioned previously.
Remember Graystone
Remember Graystone Presbyterian Church at the corner of Chapman Highway and Blount Avenue, across the street from Baptist Hospital? I think there was a Park Bank next to it.
I'm pretty sure you have your locations wrong. At least as far back as I remember, 1967 or so, Graystone Presbyterian Church was on Woodlawn, near the corner or Woodlawn and Chapman Hwy. I believe the Park Bank was on the same side of the road, just down a block or less. I'm pretty sure that is where we obtained our first auto loan.
I attended Girl Scout meetings there once upon a time. The minister/pastor/preacher/whatever there performed our wedding ceremony, not at the church.
You don't go back far enough.
You don't go back far enough. Graystone Presbyterian Church was indeed on the corner of Blount Ave. and Chapman Hwy. It was moved to the Woodlawn Pike location and replaced by a Holiday Inn. Baptist Hospital bought the building many years later.
Classy Fort Sanders nightspot
I'm surprised that there has been no mention of Gryphon's Bar & Laundromat. A wonderful music venue (Torture Kitty) and restaurant (Bowl of Food - $1.50).
I still have my Gryphon's Ghetto Guild shirt which I bought to support the softball team.
It was a first class club in my opinion, although I once heard about someone smoking a joint out back.
Wow. I don't think I ever
Wow. I don't think I ever knew that Praise Allah was made here in town! It was the universal secret ingredient at Ruby Tuesday in the mid-70s, at least on steaks and burgers. And the not-so-secret ingredient in PA was MSG.
Wow! Just discovered this
Wow! Just discovered this great thread. I came to Knoxville in 1980 as a UT student and lived in the area through 1988 (both bachelor's and master's degrees, with a year off between them).
I used to take a lot of first dates to The Roman Room, including my future wife in 1988. Sam and Andy's, Vic and Bill's...Hawkeye's Corner...
Yankee Peddler opened a store on Cumberland in the early to mid-80's with lots of board games and role playing stuff. It closed but they kept the Farragut shop open well into the 90's, as I recall.
Also of interest would be live music clubs that used to exist on Cumberland back in the 80's, like The Place, The Buttonwood Cafe, Hobo's, Ivy's, and Vic and Bill's (after the move to Cumberland, in the back room behind the deli). Alternative Rock bands like R.E.M. could be seen at Hobo's back in 1982, well before their first album and later stardom...
Kind of sad to drive down Cumberland these days...mostly taken over by large chains...
I was at the R.E.M. and Stray
I was at the R.E.M. and Stray Cats concerts as well! Quote of the eighties was from Slim Jim Phantom, the Stray Cats drummer, at their post concert party-
Unnamed girl, "I'm a junior."
Slim Jim," Whoa, So you're like twenty six or twenty seven, right?"
Levi Strauss Plant - Cherry Street
Many jobs were lost when the plant was shut down. As well as the plant in Johnson City.
My mother retired from the
My mother retired from the Cherry Street Levi Strauss plant just a few years before they closed. She had been a Rosie the Riveter type, operating an overhead crane in the North Plant at Alcoa when she met my dad during the war. She quit her job when they married in '44 and stayed out of the workforce until Dad died in 1975.
To make ends meet she went back to work after all those years becoming a belt loop maker for Levi's. The interior of her automobile was blue with denim lint and I always wondered what it did for her lungs.
Is green's the hardware store that was across from Regas?
Ollie's Trolley
Ollies Trolley on the Strip had the best burgers and cold beer.
Ollie's Trolley
(in reply to Dennis)
Loved Ollies burgers!
I remember those floor to ceiling hardware bins. Considering how tall the ceilings were, they were a sight to behold.
Mama Kern's Fill 'er Up and a keep on a truckin' Cafe...
Speaking of Kern's Bakery - Does any one remember the series of commercials featuring a truck driver and truck stop waitress fem fatale Mavis? ...yeah, Kern's is good buns.
Night club "Confetti'
Ali Baba's Time Out Deli (Can't remember how many times snuck off the Bearden HS grounds for a killer kabab).
Rooster's with smoked cheddar at Smokey Mountain Market
Arnold's Deli on the Strip
and the golden age of concerts... Journey, Van Halen (soooo cool to hear DLR is coming back), Boston, Doobie Bros, Dire Straits, Heart , John Cougar (back before Melencamp), so many others...
And forgive me - I haven't been back to K-town since I joined the Army back in 1985... is Brother Jack's still there?
...and what was the head shop on the Strip called?
Wow, all such a long time ago?
Ali Baba's is still there and
Ali Baba's is still there and nothings changed except hair color.
Ain't it the truth...
Ain't it the truth...
Talking About Changes
I hope they no longer sit diapered babies on the counter where they prepare sandwiches. Fortunately, there appeared to be no need for an immediate change although there could have been a recent change.
For the record, I witnessed that many years ago.
The head shop on the Strip
It popped in my head clear as a bell. Must have been a flashback.
Pre-Western Plaza
I can remember before the days of Western Plaza - Sonner's Drug Store and Ray's Fruit Market.
In the 50's, farther down Kingston Pike, there was the Pike Theater. Also Henslee's where we LOVED the hamburgers and milk shakes. In high school days we cruised Dixieland Drive-In.
was the Pike the little
was the Pike the little theater next to the Capri? read this interesting description of it.
Park Bank
I distinctly remember a Park Bank located across Blount Avenue from Baptist Hospital. I banked there and got my first auto loan -- for a 1969 VW Beetle. Its color was Peru Green. That car sure was a reliable little puddle-jumper.
I know this is not really a
I know this is not really a retailer but does anyone remember the Wintergarden Food Co at the corner of Broadway and Washington Pike, the Post Office sits there now. I can just vaguely remember the building. I used to live about five houses up the street on Washington Pike, we moved away from there when I was 3 yrs old. I can find nothing online about this place.
A friend and I were looking
A friend and I were looking through my 1962 Karns High yearbook and found this photo of 'The Pot' on Western Avenue right across the street from where Shoney's is today.
This was the place to be seen on Friday and Saturday nights, baby.
Click the photo for larger sizes.
Just found this photo of the
Just found this photo of the 'Good Gulf' station on Magnolia Avenue next to the White Store. My friend Gina's late mom and dad (pictured) met when he worked there.
Oh, to own that '55 Chevy now.
Flanigan's Swensen's Ice
Swensen's Ice Cream in Down Town West
Brunswick Billiards for that matter, as well. Is that still there? I know it dropped the "Brunswick" half of the name in the '90s.
Mark's Deli in West Town Mall, as well as Orange Julius.
The West Town Mall movie theatre.
Lindsay Ward THE Electronics Store
Children's Palace
Phar Mor (granted, the whole company went bankrupt, but still, I loved it).
The original diner that was down in Old City in the early '90s that was later acquired by Chops and went downhill.
World Bazaar in West Town Mall
Showbiz Pizza Place
Turtle's Music
I was born in '72, so my memories are a mix of older stuff and newer fare. I still get the "Shop West Town Mall!" jingle in my head with those three birds flying into a circle in my head at time.
The theater at West Town Mall
The theater at West Town Mall you say?
Here you are ca. 1978.
Click the image to go to its Flickr page. Right-click that image and select 'original' for the biggie.
The second building up
On the right hand side of the picture was the A&P.
A longtime friend who I will see this weekend at the funeral of another longtime friend's mother once made the joke, "I used to go to the A&P, but now I go WEEEEEEOOOOOO! " (You have to remember the ad campaign to get it.) Ed's mom wasn't notorious for her sense of humor, and I remember being shocked, floored and wiped out laughing at the off-the-wall, unexpected joke. I love this town and I love the people that have made it home for me.
I saw "Alien" at that theater.
I watched the entire second half through my fingers.
I still remember...
...the first time I had enough money (I had earned it at the World's Fair) to go Miller's and buy a hat.
Malcolms Drive In
Anyone remember the bug catcher / vacuum that hung from the ceiling of the walkway at the drive in portion at Malcolms at Clinton Hwy? We use to guess how many pounds of dead bugs were in the large collector sack hanging off the back of the machine while enjoying our gut bombs. I always guessed around 45lbs. Those were da dazes....
My few memories of Malcolm's
My few memories of Malcolm's Dairyland on Clinton Highway include a car hop named Loretta but the bug catcher escapes me.
You can find some at
You can find some at Knoxville is Dying.
Sister site: Knoxville is alive
I haven't really gotten the ball rolling on these yet.
Weaver's Cafeteria
My first job at 16 was at Phil Weaver's Cafeteria on Magnolia. Memories.... I wish I could remember ingredients in one of the pies they served on the dessert line. It was a cream pie with nuts and raisins I believe? Does anyone remember it? I would love to find Anthony Weaver, Phil's son. Does anyone know him?
Krispy Kreme Donuts
I know we can still get those hot donuts, but do you remember when they were on Magnolia? My family would go about once per week, a real thrill.
Horne Theater on Chapman Hwy before you get to Young High Pike.
Young High School turned into the Kroger Shopping Center. The school stood empty for awhile. I hated to see it go, but was happy that the place was turned into an opportunity for jobs. Still a busy place.
There was a drive in theater on Chapman. I think it was on the lot where the old Wal-mart sits.
Hamburgers and fries still great at Kay's Ice Cream Store on Chapman.
west haven drug store, western avenue, knoxvilld
does anyone remember when the west haven drug store closed
Food City (I keep wanting to say White Stores) still sells Kay's Lemon Custard ice cream.
Always messing with stuff to boost profits
That's part of Food City's marketing move to sell several local brands popular from way back. Can't remember the others, since I don't shop there. Lays or Selecto meats, maybe, and a white bread product?
Anyway, I wouldn't bet they're anything like the originals other than the brand names they licensed for the packaging. I'd be interested to hear whether that's true, though. Just my guess based on the way modern business works. Even the ingredient labels on Mayfield's ice cream are looking scary these days. Breyer's ice cream is no longer just the 3 or 4 essential ingredients either.
I buy the 5 quart Kay's Fudge
I buy the 5 quart Kay's Fudge Swirl and the number one ingredient on the label is cream, something you don't see on a lot of ice cream labels now days.
And the Lemon Custard tastes as good to me as it did when I was a kid. On the other hand, a Krystal gut bomb has either changed radically or my taste buds have. The little sliders at Scotties are what a Krystal is supposed to be.
OK, then. Glad to be wrong
OK, then. Glad to be wrong there. I'm not surprised Greestals have changed. Haven't had one in over 15 yrs, but I have really fond memories of the ones I used to get at the bar diner they had on Gay.
Jimmie's Esso
My grandfather, James Gates, was on the corner of Young High Pike and Chapman for over 40 years. Does anyone remember Jimmie's Esso Station and later Jimmie's Servicenter?
Kress' Corn Sticks
One of my oldest and fondest memories is of my Grandmother taking the grandiose "to Town" on Saturday's for a matinee at the Tennessee or Riviera Theatres and to Kress' lunch counter for lunch. She would always order a vegetable plate with corn sticks.
Also, there was Broadway Shopping Center's Smith's Card Shop, and Woolworth's. I have an aunt who still teases me about my saying, when I was at most 3 years old,, that in heaven you got to eat at Woolworth's every day. Oh, also, Wade's bakery! Just the wonderful aroma added about 5 lbs from just walking past. Every birthday cake came from Wade's, none better then or now.
Wade's Bakery sounds
Wade's Bakery sounds familiar. I love the image of gaining 5 lbs just walking by.
I hate auto spell my grandmother took the GRAND KIDS..... (see above)
Wade's Bakery did a fine
Wade's Bakery did a fine chocolate eclair too.
Syoung, I have a faint recollection of getting work done at a Jimmie's servicecenter but the location I associate with it would be across from the current Subway. Did he ever move? What year did he close the business?
I vaguely remember an auto
I vaguely remember an auto service center at the corner of Chapman and Stone Road years ago. My Mother went there for whatever when we lived on Sarvis.
He was on the corner of Chapman and Young High Pike and then sold to the gas station currently there and built back behind it. In fact, the building is for sale.
He was on that corner for years and would tell stories of Young High school kids coming over to get snacks out of his machines after school.
Furniture Store
What was the name of the furniture store that was near Louis on Old Broadway? Green/white building, I think it started with an E...
I vaguely remember Jimmies. Do you remember the Savon on the corner of Chapman Highway and Moody Ave?
I used to live behind Young High School (Nicholson Ave.) as a child in the 60's
And there was nothing like a Smoky Mountain Hotdog! Oh how I loved those things!
I'm surprised, but I can't
(in reply to Becky Flannery)
I'm surprised, but I can't hardly remember anything at the corner of Chapman Hwy and Moody from the old days. The only thing I can really remember is Kroger used to be in that shopping center up the hill. I'm pretty sure I know why I can't remember such things.
And there was nothing like a Smoky Mountain Hotdog!
Smoky Mountain hotdogs were great. I'm also pretty sure I know why I can remember the hotdogs.
Do you remember the Emery 5 &
Do you remember the Emery 5 & 10 store? I believe it was next to the Kroger. My grandparents lived on Moody, right across the street from South High School.
Yes, the Emery 5 & 10 is
(in reply to Becky Flannery)
Yes, the Emery 5 & 10 is still there. It may be in a different building but it is still near the same corner.
Kroger was where Big lots is now. There was a drugstore beside it.
There was the Hilltop motel where Walgreens is now. They really flattened the hill for Walgreens.
Earth Traverse Outfitters had great bikes. ETO had camping gear. Now, they are gone.
That's too bad. I bought a jacket there and an air mattress there. I never heard of the owner denigrating overweight people (unlike a nearby outfitter). At least there's still Mast General store and Blue Ridge mountain sports.
For FaceBook Users
Knoxstalgia has a fun page of Knoxville memories.
The "T" Room
I can recall entering University of Tennessee in the fall of 1965. I lived in Hess Hall (which at that time was for men only). Many evenings we walked from Hess down by the Kappa Sigma house up to Cumberland to The "T" Room. One of the favorite entrees was a t-bone steak and fries for $1.35. Yes, the price was $1.35. The steak wasn't very thick, but the taste was good and the fries were great. I missed The "T" Room when it closed. I can recall The "T" Room being busy every evening. What a place to take a girl for dinner when you had no car. I would love to go eat there just one more time.
Old businesses
Always loved going to Copper Kettle drive in when I was little. Loved their corndogs. Also Nan Denton's drive in on Magnolia. Loved their orange julius's & DIP dogs. NOT corn dogs but made with pancake batter instead of cornmeal. Denton's on Kingston pike has the julius down but no one ever has dip dogs. My husband makes them for me at home! Wade's bakey was the BEST bakery ever. Loved their chocolate hamburgers & cream horns. My mom & I talked about those cream horns for years then we found a place in Seymour called The Bakery Lady who had cream horns just like Wades. It's on Boyd's creek just past the Seymour schools. Edith's Variety store on Broadway. IR Cheap that replaced Whiteway. And no one has mentioned Almart on Merchants rd. thats where my mom worked. Then it became Jefferson- Ward & Montgomery-Ward. First job I had was at Weaver's Cafeteria on Papermill, then I went to Kress's on Gay street. Their restaurant downstairs was the best.
Deitch's Department Store
Small department store first on Market Square from 1929-1955 then moved into the bus terminal building on Gay Street for about 2 years. Two brothers owned the store...Gus & Ben Deitch. Ben lived at the St. James Hotel on Commerce St.
Georgia was the elevator driver. Margaret Harper and Katherine Nelson ran the office. Other employees were Jessie White Lide, Thelma Harper Parker, Theodore Frazier (the porter), Hazel Smith (Smithy) hosiery section, Marcella Pudom,
lingerie, Eva Bailes, Reba Routh, children's,Sadie Snograss, Doris & Dot Crawford (twins that worked there), and a host of other professional sales people that were great. Gus Deitch had a heart attack in the barber chair the summer of 56 and store was closed as brother Ben did not want to run it alone.
Another brother,Nathan, had died several years early,
A little later than most of these places, But how about Waldenbooks?
Big Dons Elegant
Big Dons Elegant Junk!!!
Dolph Browns Fish and Chips in Norwood.
Oh and Emery 5 & 10!
Oh and Emery 5 & 10!
Tic Toc Barbecue The Dwarf
Tic Toc Barbecue
The Dwarf restaurant on Clinton Highway
Shoney's drive-in on
Shoney's drive-in on Broadway
Chubby's cafeteria on Broadway
The cafe in the back of K-mart
A&W root beer on Broadway
Putt putt on Broadway (where Pizza Hut was later)
The restaurant side of Stephens Drug Store in Fountain City, with the cool "catwalk" design counter, and the old cloth pull and roll hand dryer in the bathroom, plus the old brown murals on the walls...
The original Big Dons in a weird part of North Knoxville (near Lonsdale?), with a mummified child (family member? in fancy dress?) in a case
Trixie's and Helma's - meat and threes, on Chapman Hwy and Asheville Hwy
Time Out deli in Fountain City
The Factory - gay club on 17th st that was some kind of textile outlet before that. Closed when the Carousel opened.
Xanadu - gay club on Gay St in the 70's
The drive through farmers market near the interstate and 17th st
Hazel Davidson's various places
The drive through farmers
The drive through farmers market near the interstate and 17th st
Dale Avenue was a two-way street on November 22, 1963. Mom and I were just crossing the Grace Moore Cloverleaf on Western on our way to that market to buy apples and oranges. We heard on the radio of the shooting in Dallas, turned and went back home for that horrible weekend.
Emery's is still around on Chapman at moody. Though it is more of a nostalgic gift store now. There is still a small hardware department hidden in the back.
I loved the drive through farmer's market. I wonder how common those are/were. Just drive through and they bring a watermelon to your car. Couldn't be more convenient.
For some reason I thought the
(in reply to Up Goose Creek)
For some reason I thought the farmer's market was on Grand or Forest. It was huge, as I remember.
At one time there were
(in reply to bizgrrl)
At one time there were markets at both locations and Mom used to hit them both. As a relatively new teen driver, it was often my 'job' to drive her. Only the Dale Avenue market was an indoor drive through though. It appears that Neel's Wholesale Produce is the only business left at the end of Forest Avenue.
Antonio's Pizza-The Strip- Cumberland Ave
To the right of where Stefano's currently sits, slightly back off the street. Dark lighting, Black vinyl booths and the best thin crust pizza and Antipasto salad, yum
I remember Antonio's. It was
(in reply to Mo)
I remember Antonio's. It was more upscale than Stefano's. I never made it there, always broke.
UT Computer Science
(in reply to bizgrrl)
UT Computer Science students/faculty had standing weekly happy hour at Antonio's in the late 70s. Dave Straight's order was so regular that he ended up with a t-shirt emblazoned "Large Beef with Bacon."
Antonio's had really good
(in reply to bizgrrl)
Antonio's had really good pizza. My ex and I used to go there.
(in reply to Rachel)
Until I moved to New York, Antonio's was the best pizza I'd had. I went there for lunch every Monday during grad school, and was disappointed when I stopped by a couple years after I graduated and it was closed.
Someone mentioned Big Jim Hess earlier. There's a great clip on YouTube of Big Jim and erase in legend Ron Wright.
We used to go there for
We used to go there for watermelons and other stuff. I remember my dad would only buy a watermelon if they let him "plug" it with his pocket knife to make sure it was ripe.
Knoxville's Own "Miss Streamliner"
In May of 1941, the Southern Railway inaugurated The Tennessean, an all new streamlined trainset to operate between Washington DC, and Memphis, passing through Knoxville.
TIES, the magazine for SR employees, ran several articles about the new service including one about all the hoopla generated in towns served by the new train. Described as "unquestionably the giddiest and gaudiest promotion" was the Knoxville News-Sentinel's "Miss Streamliner" contest for young women aged 18 to 21. The winner would christen the tavern car "Knoxville" in a ceremony held on May 10.
"The balloting was fierce. By May 8, the last day of the contest, two employess of the Standard Knitting Mill were neck and neck with about 4300 votes each."
Then Miss Margaret Carmon staged a coup by delivering another 15,000 ballots just before the deadline (each ballot required the purchase of a newspaper).
Here's the article. Scroll about halfway down the page to the photo of the official ballot.
Other places that I bet not too many people even knew about.....
Maude Stairs Grocery Store off McCalla Avenue. Best sliced cheese in town and the best place to dance at one time to a live band called "The Prisims" was The Travel Lodge on Papermill. How about the "Down Under" on Gay Street?
Drug Store on Gay
What was the name of the drug store on Gay Street? I believe they also had locations in other parts of town. I lived in Knoxville from 1979-1989 and often bought flowers for my dear wife there. They used to run specials, like one dozen roses for $5.
Drug store
Was it Cole Drug Store? They had stores all over. Mr. Cole sold out to Revco sometime in the 1970's.
That's what I was thinking,
(in reply to Sylvia Woods)
That's what I was thinking, but I was pretty sure it wasn't during the time mentioned.
Pretty sure Revco was the
(in reply to bizgrrl)
Pretty sure Revco was the only drugstore downtown when I was working at TVA between 1982 and 1996.
I remember Cole Drugstore on Cumberland before it was sold to Revco. Bought my first birth control pills there. Cost me $2.50.
Coles Drug Store
(in reply to Rachel)
I bought a set of pots and pans there while I was attending UT in the 60s. Put them in my hope chest. Still using them. I later worked in the office at their warehouse on Kingston Pike.
A reader writes to ask if
A reader writes to ask if anyone has any photos of the Tic Toc drive-in on Magnolia next to the Pizza Palace and across from Chilhowee Park.
I certainly remember it. I should probably say no more, because I would have been underage, and running with the wrong crowd for my age.
Trivia: Pizza Palace is the only place I know of around here that still has drive-in curbside beer. Any others? It's a nice amenity, as long as you're not driving.
The Original Louis Drive-In
(in reply to R. Neal)
You can still get a beer at the curb at Louis on Old Broadway.
My Aunt Jane was Mr. Cole's
My Aunt Jane was Mr. Cole's private secretary for many years. I think she retired when the stores were sold to Rexall. She was a late bloomer who didn't get married until a few weeks past her 60th birthday. They bought the family farmhouse where she was raised and she was as giddy as any teen bride as she showed off the remodeling they were doing.
Geronimo's and Hobo's
Night club, if you can call it that...located where Vatican Pizza would later be.
How about Hobo's on Cumberland Ave.!?
Speaking of Dives
I have a friend who used to entertain at the Players Club on Broadway near Broadway Sound.
Saturdays we would go trout fishing on the Clinch, stop by the Pizza Hut at Emory Road and Clinton Highway for dinner, and then he would clean up and go to work in that place til the wee hours. He used to play a rendition of ZZ Top's La Grange for me when he saw me come in the door.
Arthur Treachers Fish & Chips
Have not seen it listed here yet. The building is still standing on Clinton Highway and is a used car lot. I believe there was one on Chapman Highway also, across from Arby's.
This may deserve it's own thread - but the metropulse blog is reporting that Randy Boyd has applied for permission to demolish the Annie's restaurant building.
MP says they doubt there will be opposition but I dare say there are a lot more memories in the Annie's building than the Walnut buildings and Pryor brown garage combined.
Memories aren't everything
(in reply to Up Goose Creek)
Memories aren't everything when it comes to historic buildings, but yeah. I know I have some.
(in reply to Up Goose Creek)
I ran into Annie not too long ago while she was up on a visit. She is a delightful woman.
The Mrs. and I were
The Mrs. and I were discussing something or other earlier this evening, and somehow the topic of past clothing retailers came up.
I was trying to remember a place down on (I think) Baxter Ave. I believe it would have been on the left on your way to Zayers (discussed earlier in this thread) off of Central.
My Dad used to take us there when I was a kid, and I went later on when I was (slightly) grown up and needed a suit or two for work in the early 70s.
I was racking my brain trying to remember the name of the place.
I think maybe it was Palm Beach Outlet? They may have even made clothes there at the location?
Anyone remember?
P.S. This is the greatest Knoxville nostalgia thread of all time Thanks to everyone.
Palm Beach Mill Outlet. Fond
(in reply to R. Neal)
Palm Beach Mill Outlet. Fond memories of the place.
They made clothes in Rockwood
(in reply to Pickens)
They made clothes in Rockwood near where the main Roane State campus is. My grandmother worked there for several years. I once walked a strike line with her to get better working conditions. They didn't have air conditioning in the plant and the women ( and a few men) wanted more ventilation. They got it. Look for the union label. We sang that song in our house.
Palm Beach and John H. Daniels
(in reply to R. Neal)
At one time we were a hub for some of the finest tailoring in the world.
Add into the mix Levi's and Standard Knitting Mills and it's easy to see why Knoxville quality was known world-wide, and the product had wide appeal. Try finding jeans, suits and underwear today that compare to those products.
I think Palm Beach is correct
Yes, I bought clothes there a few times. You may be correct that some were made there.
Check out this article on Palm Beach clothing history
I had an aunt who worked at
I had an aunt who worked at what she called simply The Standard. Every Christmas my brother and I got a load of Healthknit briefs and undershirts from Aunt Alice with her employee discount.
I interviewed and toured a
(in reply to redmondkr)
I interviewed and toured a sewing factory right out of high school. I decided right after the tour I did not want to work there. Believe it was a Levi's plant, but can't be sure.
My mother was a Rosie the
(in reply to bizgrrl)
My mother was a Rosie the Riveter type at Alcoa during WWII where she met my dad. She became a stay at home mom after they were married in 1944 and didn't go back into the workforce until after his death in 1975. She worked at the Cherry Street Levi's plant making belt loops until she retired in the early 1990s.
Hard Work
(in reply to bizgrrl)
I'm going to take a minor leap of faith and presume you are talking about hard work. You make an excellent observation on the worth of working people. There is a reason Levi's made in Knoxville are considered collectors items and have actually risen in value. The craftsmanship was respected worldwide. But it was, and is, hard work.
There is a common sentiment among conservatives that unions are somehow outdated. There no longer is the need for OSHA and workplace regulations and fair wages that reflect the value of the goods produced by the hard work and sweat of American labor. They couldn't be more wrong.
Unfortunately, the days of viewing workers that chose the factory route and respecting their hard work and work ethic appear to be behind most Americans. They are looked upon with disdain by the upper class and scorned for not seeking an easier way of life. They have been stripped of their livelihoods and dignity and left with the option of stocking Chinese items on convenience store shelves.
In the same manner workers used to respect the intellectuals that could articulate the value of their work, the intellectuals respected the worker for the production of America's wealth. That just doesn't appear to be the case anymore.
Sorry about the soapbox, but it quickly becomes clear when talking to people my age that what we respected about the adults we were around was their work ethic, not their income level.
It's about people, not money.
Wrong. I worked at two
(in reply to fischbobber)
Wrong. I worked at two different factories. I made seatbelts at Jim Robbins off Western Avenue. I made fishing lures at Doll Thompson, Forks of the River. At the clothing manufacturer, it was the cloth debris/particulate (?) and sitting at a sewing machine all day that did not appeal to me. Yes, I do sew and have sat at a sewing machine for hours at a time, but not days.
(in reply to bizgrrl)
The insinuation was not that you were afraid of work, but that you recognized the difficulties and hazards involved in blue collar work. Many realize that blue collar is not for them and there is nothing wrong with that. My point was that blue collar is every bit as worthy of respect as management or professional.
Thanks for the fish, by the way. I probably caught something with something you made since I fished just about every lure Doll produced at one time or another.
Many Memories in this Thread
Bought several London Fog raincoats and golf jackets at Palm Beach Outlet. They sold at a premium in retail stores across the country.
I worked the summer after
I worked the summer after high school at the local Carrier Air Conditioning Plant. I worked in the tube shop (you wouldn't believe all the different things you can do to tubes! :) ) running a degreaser. The degreaser was a big pit in the floor with a couple of feet of hot TCE in it. I'd load tubes - some quite large - into a basket, lower the basket into the TCE, wash the tubes off with a hose, bring them out, blow them out with an air hose, and stack the clean tubes on a pallet.
It paid $2.06/hr when minimum wage was $1.60 and I felt very lucky to have the job.
It was also extremely hard work and mind numbingly boring (I didn't learn how dangerous TCE exposure was till much later, but I've always wondered if it caused the thyroid tumor I developed 6 years later).
I also got a chance to run spinners, reamers, extruders, and spot welders. Not the benders tho. The benders were dangerous. The first day I was there we had a safety meeting where the supervisor passed around a finger in a jar someone had lost on the previous shift.
I learned two very important lessons that summer: 1) finish college because I never wanted to do that again and 2) trememdous respect for the folks who get up and go to those jobs every day.
I've never forgotten either lesson. It would probably be a good idea in a lot of ways for most 18 year-olds to spend a few months on a factory floor.
For years I worked in the
(in reply to Rachel)
For years I worked in the K-33 building at the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant with a maintenance mechanic we called Channellock Bradley because he had once pulled his own tooth with a pair of Channelock pliers and then rinsed out his mouth with TCE.
I never worked in a factory
I never worked in a factory but worked construction as a welder out of high school. Worked for a couple of years until I decided this was hard and dangerous work. (There also was a girlfriend breakup that helped me decide). I decided I needed to go back to school and get a degree. I also worked in the summers to help pay for school. I really would not trade it for anything. It taught me a lot. I still love construction, but have not welded in over 25 years. I would like to think it was like riding a bicycle if I decide to do it again for a hobby. I see things all the time that I could make with welding.
My grandmother told me from
(in reply to xmd)
My grandmother told me from as early as I can remember that I was going to college so that I wouldn't have to work in a factory or pick cotton or any of the other things that she had done in her lifetime. So did my grandfather who was a coal miner. They wanted better for those of us who can after them.
Cas Walker Grocery Stores Bradley Station and others
Can't bypass cas walker. Bradley Station. Uncle Sams and The Long Branch Saloon
Long Branch is still around.
(in reply to Yarply Twelve)
It's across the street in Nell Bean's old dress shop. Her and Martin were quite the characters.
Several topics. Many years. Too long.
My morning started with the usual cup of coffee as I began a search for pictures of the Tic-Toc drive-in on Magnolia Avenue for a Pinterest page. The search led to this thread. A second cup of coffee, followed later by lunch, took me from 2008 all the way to 2013.
Wow, I'd forgotten how much I know and love about Knoxville. Many of the contributors are younger than my own children, so I guess it's all relative as to what one considers nostalgic, because I can recall about half of these places opening, as well as their demise soon after.
The first ten years of my life were lived at 2316 Magnolia Avenue. There were no Magnolia trees in the center of the street, otherwise it would have been Magnolia Boulevard, wouldn't it? Actually, there were tracks for the Streetcars in the street, which were demolished in the 1940s, leaving Magnolia muddy and full of ruts until it was finally paved into four lanes. I do recall the new road cutting into our front yard and the addition of sidewalks. We lived in the same block as the Park Theater, where I spent every Saturday (practically ALL day) for the admission of 9 cents. That included serials, cartoons, a stage show, and a double-feature. Popcorn was a dime, maybe a nickle. My quarter allowance went a very long way. Like the Pike and Tower theaters, the Park had a sister, the Booth, although I don't remember the location. I only went to the Booth once when my mother took me to see "Million Dollar Mermaid" with Esther Williams.
At the same intersection of the Park Theater was Lane's Drug Store and Blevins Grocery Store, on the corners of Magnolia and Olive (I believe the 4th corner was occupied by Shipe's Service Station). The grocery store was owned by Grover and Henrietta Blevins. Five blocks east of there, Magnolia Avenue Drugstore was at Harrison Street. They all preceded the Cherry Park-In and Pizza Palace and Kay's Ice Cream. Several of the streets in what was known as Park City were named for trees: Olive, Spruce, Chestnut, Cherry, etc., but none had those trees planted down the center.
Never on Magnolia was Kern's Bakery. Swan's Sunbeam Bakery was the one on Magnolia in the 1700 block. The Swan's employees would occasionally let us in the back door to buy fresh, unsliced loaves, still warm from the ovens. Kern's building was/is on Chapman Highway. I'll always remember their Salt Rising bread. My uncle in Idaho used to have me send him six loaves overnight because he couldn't get it anywhere else. It had an extremely short shelf life, hence the overnight shipping. Hint: 6 loaves of bread fit perfectly in a case of vodka box, complete with dividers.
Since this thread began, both Regas Restaurant and Ali-Baba have closed. My first experience with finger bowls was at the Volador Room atop the then Hyatt Regency. Mentioned earlier, Pero's was a favorite restaurant, along with Lyle's for lunch on Church Street. Bill's Drive-In later became Bill's Barn, and I loved being able to go there at 2 a.m. to have a steak and salad. There were a few other open-all-night places, but their names escape me. Vic & Bill's is now on Broadway, and let's not forget The Quarterback on The Strip. There was also Rathskeller's behind Western Plaza and the original Half-Shell at Homberg. Probably some of the best food I ever at was at The Frontier House on Kingston Pike, aka "The West Knoxville Country Club". Pretty much of a dive, they had the best burgers and coldest beer in town and a wiry little waitress named Gert, iirc.
Before Kay's Ice Cream was Galo's (pronounced gay-low), and I remember my Grandaddy stopping by there after church on Sundays to get a quart or two for dessert . That's when lime sherbet was actually good. It was packed in plain white, cylindrical cardboard containers.
I not only remember glass milk bottles being delivered with the cream on top, I even had a grandmother where the horse/mule drawn ice wagon hauled those huge squares for her ice box. She lived within walking distance of the Market House, where we'd go on Saturdays. All I remember is the smell of fish, and the now antique pick-up trucks parked outside, loaded with fresh produce. Blue-ribbon beans & shelly beans and Hick'ry Cane corn (Hickory King).
Appropros of nothing, Galo made me think of Halo (the shampoo that glorifies your hair) and then Ipana (brusha, brusha, brusha, new Ipana toothpaste). How many of you remember those? I remember no TV. I also remember black-outs during WW II.
One of my favorite childhood pastimes was sitting on the front porch on Magnolia and waving to the convoys as the long khaki-green lines of vehicles drove by. It was thrilling when a soldier would wave back. Those were the days in which I could also recognize the models of cars, i.e. Buicks had those 3 holes on the side, Cadillacs had fins, Studebakers were like space ships, etc., and I could name almost every model that passed our house. In 1952, Gatlinburg hosted a convention for U.S. Governors. Every governor that attended was given a new Ford car. All of the cars were a pale shade of lavender, and supposedly they were the only ones manufactured in that color, so I guess there were 48 of them.
My beautiful mother modeled for George's Department store (S. H. George & Sons) in the 30s & 40s. It was either Miller's or George's that had an annex behind the store, which, in order to reach, we had to exit the back of the store through the shoe repair shop (smell of leather still reminds me of that), then across the alley into the annex, where the front faced Market Street, now Market Square. Rich's of Atlanta replaced George's in the mid-fifties, and I was hired to represent my high school (East) to be on their Teen Board. That was my first job, although it was more fun than work. We mainly did fashion shows and retail. A few times I was a hat-check girl in their top floor restaurant where I got TIPS!
Several years after Rich's became Miller's, I worked there for a short time as a Bridal Consultant. This would have probably coincided with the time of the aforementioned home decorating department managed by Mary Ewing. And yes, she did buy a condominium nearby on Union Avenue, where she and my mother became neighbors at The Pembroke. I remember Mary walking her beautiful Borzoi around town. She was a lovely lady.
Other places I remember from downtown Knoxville are Blaufeld's (feilds?), a men's smoke shop that served fabulous deli-sandwiches and metz & beans (there was a cafeteria next door, maybe the original Weaver's?), Baum's Florist, the Hamilton Bank with the fashionable jewelry store in the entrance, the Commercial Bank with Heinz Jeweler's and darling Mr. Heinz in the front, eating at Woodruff's basement counter, and the balconies at both Woodruff's and Miller's (mezzanines) where you could play the latest 45s. Miller's on Gay Street had little private booths where we could listen to any record they had, including LPs. Besides Schriver's and Hall's (just plain Hall's), there was Balloff's, another upscale men's store. Gay Street also had J. Williams Hairdressers. A Krystal was across the street from the Commercial bank and the Tennessee Theater. I would go there for coffee for everybody in my office each morning, and always get a cup for Mr. Heinz. They would mark his on the top with "57", for Heinz 57. There was another good restaurant similar to Lyle's on Clinch Avenue, but I cannot recall the name. Seems like it had 'green' in it. Oh well.
Before it became the Senator's Club on Alcoa Highway, it was a nightclub called C'est Bon. Might the furniture store that began with "E" have been Edelen's? That reminds me of a store I loved, Edith's Variety Store, at the corner of Broadway and Edgemoor.
Does anyone recall those x-ray machines that you put your feet in when shopping for shoes? I could see my green bones in the viewer.
Hardly old enough for this thread, but I miss Doodle's on Kingston Pike. Their happy hour began at 11 a.m. and they had the best Bloody Marys, which always made the food wonderful, whether it was or not.
I rode horses with girlfriends at Sherrill Stables at the same time I-40 was being built. It was all leveled and graded dirt, and we were allowed (I think we were allowed) to ride on it. We ended up in a parking lot way east of there - seems like there was a bowling alley - then rode back to the stables. We didn't want to go overtime, because it cost $2.50 an hour! Mr. Sherrill was wonderful though. He was never strict about where we rode and never charged extra.
Who remembers a little stand-alone cottage at the top of the hill on Busbee Road in South Knoxville? It was just a big room with a fireplace, a bathroom or two, and maybe a little kitchenette. The nice and very generous gentleman who owned it would let high-school kids use it for parties. All we had to do was call and ask for the use of it on specific dates. If it was available, he would reserve it for us and never he never charged a cent. I tried to find it a month or so ago, but didn't recognize a thing. Imagine that, after 50+ years.
Well this was fun for me. For anyone who took time to plow through it, I'm sorry to be so long-winded.
Oh, it wasn't long winded, it
(in reply to Olwin)
Oh, it wasn't long winded, it was a wonderful trip back into Knoxville's past.
I vaguely remember going to a movie at the corner of Magnolia and Olive as a kid when visiting friends who had a home at the corner of Olive and 5th. My dad had rented a room from them during the war, Mr. and Mrs. Austin Goins.
And my Aunt Alice lived at 1703 1/2 East 5th for over forty years. She walked back and forth to work at Standard Knitting Mills.
And Balloff's? I met Mr. Balloff at the Campbell County Children's Center's Child Abuse Awareness Luncheon in April, 2012. He is apparently living in Campbell County now, or at least he was then and he looked pretty fit.
Thanks so much. I loved the
Thanks so much. I loved the memories and remember quite a bit after being reminded by your story.
It's too bad the Magnolia corridor is nothing like it used to be.
Before it became the Senator's Club on Alcoa Highway, it was a nightclub called C'est Bon.
My family were members of C'est Bon. It still had the swimming pool, etc. in addition to the nightclub (bar and backroom gambling). I never thought of it as a nightclub. Maybe my parents were having more fun than I thought.
It was either Miller's or George's that had an annex behind the store, which, in order to reach, we had to exit the back of the store through the shoe repair shop (smell of leather still reminds me of that), then across the alley into the annex, where the front faced Market Street, now Market Square.
We used to love to go out the back door through the shoe shop. I barely had any memory of that until you mentioned it.
Miller's Annex
(in reply to bizgrrl)
It was Miller's that had an annex. At one time it was cafe, later it was discount appliances, last I remember it was the shoe store. I remember eating in the cafeteria downstairs in Miller's Gay St. during Christmas. I was the only time I recall it being there. Restaurants seem to best my memories of downtown. It was about the only time we ate out which was rare in our family.
Sorry about that! I forgot.
Sorry about that!
I forgot. I replaced the aerial photo of West Town Mall, up the page here, after adding my logo to it. When you replace a photo in Flickr, the link is broken.
I'm happy to learn that Sam is doing so well. We were friends at the same tennis club in the 70s and 80s, and he was always one of the nicest, most pleasant members there. Always smiling and friendly, everybody liked him.
Thanks for your update.
The Mondays live on Busbee and have a party house that groups used. I went to school with Jimmy and our class had a party there once. The view is terrific. I don't know if it is used now.
It was Miller's that you went through to the annex on Market Square. There was a children's shoe store on the second floor that went through to the annex. They had the xray machine where we all looked at our feet to see if the shoes fit properly and would last until the end of the school year.
The Krystal and Orange Julius were across the street from the Tennessee. The Blue Circle was on the corner south of the Tennessee where the Flower Store is now.
Really enjoyed reading your post.
The radiation from those shoe
The radiation from those shoe fitting fluoroscopes varied widely and probably caused a great number of malignancies.
(No subject)
Hoorays Sports Bar
Remember this sports bar in the Old City, back when it had just undergone its transformation into a cool area?
I dont remember when it clised but sure had sone fun times there!
Hugh Ray Wilson
(in reply to Tom Upchurch)
That poor guy. His employees robbed him blind and didn't even try to hide it! He deserved a better fate. Karma can be a bitch. I wonder what ever happened to those thieving bartenders.
Early to mid-1990s
I have a lot of good memories of the Cumberland Ave strip from when I was a UT college student in the early to mid-1990s. I spent way too much time at the Last Lap bar until it closed in 1996. I enjoyed eating at the Torch. When did they demolish that old house next to First Tennessee bank and turn it into a Chili's?
A reader writes to ask: "I am
A reader writes to ask:
"I am 63, graduated UT in '75, and remember Demos' Greek restaurant on Kingston Pk. when there. Can anyone help me with a pic or a lead? Thanks so much."
Wendell's Beauty School, The
Wendell's Beauty School, The Tom's Show every Wednesday in the summer at the Tennessee Theater, h'mm I worked at Tom's when I got older, good memories I miss the old alive downtown!
Perfection Laundry & Dry Cleaning on N. Broadway
Anyone old enough to remember the Perfection Laundry & Dry Cleaning establishment on North Broadway just down the hill from Fulton High School. It's now occupied by the Aarons rental store. My grand dad who passed away in the mid 50's before I came along moved it from the Burlington end of town where he started business in the 30's over to Broadway where it operated during the 40's and 50's. We moved to Virginia in 1968, but my early memories are of Fountain City and Knoxville. My Dad pretty much took over "the laundry" when he came back from the war where he served as a B17 radio operator, opening the Laundry in the early AM, going to UT on the GI Bill during the day, closing down the laundry in the evening, and studying late at night. (As I write he's still with us.) As an older neighbor in Fountain City told me a few years ago, "everybody used to go there". I believe these were the days before everyone had washing machines and dryers at home. Curb service was a big feature. Dad was a walking advertisement. As the older neighbor said, "your dad was always dressed in a suit".
Hollywood Cream Bar, located
Hollywood Cream Bar, located on Papermill Rd in the Pond Gap Community. Rex Andes came from Sevierville where he owned a restaurant on East Main St. All his meals were made fresh and country hams came from local farmers in Sevier County.
The Terrace Tap House
The Terrace Tap House in Homburg Place. I got away with a fair amount of underage drinking there.
Also, Arnold's/Flamingo's on the Strip.
Drug stores on Clinton highway
My friends and I would walk to MacConkey's drug store to buy candy and talk to the minor bird. There was also an aquarium a few doors down. The SuperX had the best milkshakes!
Zorba's Cuz
Does anyone remember Zorba's Cuz? I was at UT from 1971-1974 and we used to go there and eat meatball and Italian sausage sandwiches. They often had bands. It was somewhere in the Fort Sanders area, but I can't remember exactly where. There was also a Chinese restaurant near the area of the law college and the old library. Great egg rolls!
Ollie's Trolley
I miss eating at Ollie's Trolley on Cumberland. Their burgers were so good!
The Garden Basket and
Rose's 5 & Dime. The men at The Garden Basket were so funny and nice; best place for candy.
When I was about 10 my best friend dared me to steal a t-shirt from Roses. I took the dare and stole it and was so wracked with guilt that I snuck it back in to Rose's the next day and put it back on the shelf.
Sorry, my story wasn't
A Knoxville store, but it was in Tennessee...haha
Sturm's Youth World
My Mom used to take me there as a young child for dress clothes and my corrective Oxford shoes for flat feet. One clothing store I didn't mind as a child because they had a talking bird, maybe a mynah bird?
Any way it was on Kingston Pike, I think somewhere around the Homberg Square area....apparently there was one in Oak Ridge as well, I found a link to a picture of that one here: (link...)
I loved the globe sign also!
Vegetarian snack bar from 1972, Knoxville, Tennessee
I'm trying to find out the name of a vegetarian snack/juice bar that existed in Knoxville, Tennesse in 1972. It may or may not have been part of a health food store. It is mentioned in a new boxed set by the rock group Yes during their 1972 concert in Knoxville as a "vegetarian snack bar" that they ate at. If anyone was around at that time, especially vegetarian, please let me know if you can come up with the name.
I don't believe it was Nature's Pantry health foods because that opened in 1977.
Remember These?
Does anybody remember The Pioneer House Restuarant on Alcoa Hwy.. Howard Johndon's on Chapman Hwy? The Blue Circle on Gay Street? The Athletic House or the Drive Inn theater on Chspman as well as the DD Western Store?
Yes, all of the above. Plus
(in reply to SouthKnoxBoy)
Yes, all of the above. Plus the Blue Circle on Chapman Hwy where McDonald's is now.
Finding new posts.........
Trying to find new posts on this thread is becoming my therapeutic, "Where's Waldo?"
Old City Don is gone
Big Don's in the Old City
Cole Drug Stores
I am so glad you all remembered Cole Drug Stores. That was my Grandfather and Grandmother Cole. Not a day goes by that I do not think about all of the wonderful people who traded with Cole Drug. Thank you for remembering.
More on the Strip
Does anyone remember the T Room on Cumberland. Also Varsity Inn (best charbroiled burgers), Coles, E & E, The Gift Horse, The Vol Market (sold nudie magazines), Krystals (10 for a $1 in my day), cafeteria in Sophies, can't remember the fried chicken place down the street but it was a pre KFC type. Remember the snowball fight that a student got killed by the truck driver. I was there right after it happened.
Remember them all.
(in reply to Elaine)
Remember all of Elaine's spots.
Still try to get a Krystal fix each time I visit TN, lovingly referred to as "arm pits"........
Department store located near Merchants Dr and Clinton Hwy. My first job.
... and the White Store on
(in reply to Dave Garner)
... and the White Store on the corner of Merchants and Clinton Hwy directly across Clinton Hwy from there. My sisters first job.
Seems like there was a
(in reply to Dave Garner)
Seems like there was a Jefferson Ward or something like it in that area. Was that after Almart?
Montgomery Ward
(in reply to bizgrrl)
It was a Montgomery Ward, I'm pretty sure. I think it closed in the 80's sometime. Not sure when the Almart was there.
Cole's Rexall
They had the best "real" malted milk shakes I ever tasted! Only cost a quarter in the 50s.
As for Cas Walker's, when I first arrived in Nam in 1970 and was lying in a cot in the officer's replacement depot waiting for my assignment, through the haze of a couple days no sleep and the heat, I heard a conversation several beds down with the words "Cas Walker" wafting in and out. I gradually realized I'm half way around the world from K'vl and hearing those familiar words from strangers. I gathered wits, sat up, and uttered the words "stop, shop, and save at the sign of the sheers and the name CAs Walker". This absolutely stunned the captain down the way! Turned out he was a Young High grad. Small world.
Rolling Ridge
Does anyone remember the roller skating place where rooms to go is now on Kingston pike?
3 Little Pigs BBQ, Champs,Sneakers and Cumberland Estates
growing up in Cumberland Estates from the late 60's to mid 80s' I remember the 3 Little Pigs BBQ in the parking lot of West Haven Shopping Center before Buddy's came along. The Wades Bakery, Drugstore, Hardware store,Park bank, White Way, White Stores at Cumberland Estates Center was a great place too. Sad to see so many changes there since then. Copper Kettle was across the street from the church too in those days. In the 80's I worked at Champs in West Town Mall, which had a sister store Sneakers. We strung tennis rackets, sold the first air soled Nikes and Dolphin running shorts. ahh the 80's. So mnay great memories from this thread
WOW...my aunt was the manager
(in reply to Fritz)
WOW...my aunt was the manager of 3 Lil
Pigs there....
Where the current Knoxville Expo Center is located on Clinton Hwy. there use to be a general merchandise store, like K-Mart, called AlMart. I bought my first 45 record there in '73. I got a record player for Christmas that year and I couldn't read the labels and my dad was reading them to me. He came across a record titled "Joy To The World". I said "YES, I'd like this one". He looked at me funny and said..ok. You can imagine my surprise when, at five years old, I went home to play it thinking it was the Christmas song "Joy To The World" when it was actually Three Dog Night's "Joy To The World". We laugh about that today!
Pease Furniture & Appliance Store
Address 4201 Martin Mill Pike at Ogle Avenue in Vestal community, South Knoxville. Scheduled to close Saturday, August 20, 2016 for conversion to a fitness center, says the News Sentinel. Opened as a grocery store in 1929 diagonally across the street. Family owners retiring.
So Many Memories!
Great thread! I was a young 'un in the 70's. Some things that I remember around the area where I lived...the Superette near the corner of Pleasant Ridge Rd. and Merchants Road. Friends of my mom, Bobbie & Wayne Chambers, opened it. A-mazing chili and tamales. Bobbie would always let me pick out candy that I wanted too.
There was a 7-11 up Merchants Rd. on the left where me and my friends would walk to get Slurpees. A little farther up the road was Youngset Kindergarten and Daycare. My mom worked there as a teacher, and that's where I attended kindergarten. Miss Jeannie owned it. I remember drinking some of the most gawdawful kool-aid ever there. LOL! If you kept going up toward Clinton Hwy there was a store called Almart...not Walmart. I bought my first 45 there...as in record, not gun. ;) Past that was Kroger's where Mama shopped, and an Edie Adams Cut 'n' Curl where I got my hair cut.
I saw many movies that I had no business whatsoever seeing in the backseat of our Pinto! at the Twin Aire drive-in.
It's been mentioned here already...Big Don's Elegant Junk. He had an old slave woman (goodness gracious!) in a glass coffin. I was both fascinated and terrified by it.
I swear there was a Taco Rancho on Clinton Hwy too??
Although it's not in Knoxville, I remember when Dollywood was Goldrush Junction. I also remember when there was hardly anything in Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg basically closed up in the winter with the exception of Ober Gatlinburg.
Re: AlMart
"Submitted by Martin Kyle (not verified) on Sat, 2016/07/23 - 12:16am.
Where the current Knoxville Expo Center is located on Clinton Hwy. there use to be a general merchandise store, like K-Mart, called AlMart. I bought my first 45 record there in '73. I got a record player for Christmas that year and I couldn't read the labels and my dad was reading them to me. He came across a record titled "Joy To The World". I said "YES, I'd like this one". He looked at me funny and said..ok. You can imagine my surprise when, at five years old, I went home to play it thinking it was the Christmas song "Joy To The World" when it was actually Three Dog Night's "Joy To The World". We laugh about that today!"
Ha! I just read this after I posted my message! We bought our records there right around the same year I'm guessing. 1973. We were there shopping and I asked my mom if I could go pick out a record because I had just gotten a Close and Play. She said later that she was expecting me to come back with Mares Eat Oats or something similar. I showed up w/ Alice Cooper's "No More Mr. Nice Guy." Hahaha! She knew she was in for trouble.
You're sure it was on Clinton Hwy? For some reason I pictured it on Merchants Rd.
Fish Store on Btoadway. ?
I have only skimmed this list, & I remember so many of these places !
S&S cafeteria downtown where the revolving door was, & the lady played the organ while you ate.
* Who remembers &/or has any pig's of the fish store on Broadway across from the Shoney's & down the street from the Kmart that sat below the road ? It was a white block bldg & a small portion of it still remains today. An older man owned it & he employed many UT students.
Anyone remember the name of it ?
Please email me if you have info &/or pic's !!!
fish place on broadway
(in reply to Rick)
Are you thinking of the Meat Market on Clinton Hwy? Sounds very similar.
Bait shop
(in reply to AnonymousRick c)
There was also a bait shop that sold Koi as well as bluegill, bass and catfish to stock ponds with just off broadway near the present day Kroger in Fountain City.
It was a tropical fish store;
(in reply to Rick)
It was a tropical fish store; not a fish market, right?
I bought lots of neon tetras there.
Chapman Highway Cruising Icons
I didn't go through the entire thread to search for the Southern Circle on Chapman Highway, but I would imagine that most SoKno folk are familiar with that iconic cruising landmark. What might not be so widely known is that, prior to the Southern Circle, the building was known as Jack's Shack, which opened in 1947. Jack's Shack was open until about 1950. The Southern Circle had its grand opening in 1951 and it closed around 1965. Shortly afterwards, it became Cibo's Pizza.
I'm not sure how to attach an image, but I have a scanned image that came from the News-Sentinel Digital Archives, with the announcement of the grand opening of Jack's Shack.
Continued remembering
Was talking to some friends last night (we are all now 60) about how West Town Mall seemed so far out "in the country" when it was built. Remember the putt-putt where PF Changs and Arbeys is now. Sad to know that Arbeys is closing and to be torn down. Anyone remember the putt- putt (behind old Copper kettle) and the in ground trampoline place at West haven? Fun to think back on good times the way the world is now.
West Hills felt like that to
(in reply to AnonymousRick c)
West Hills felt like that to us when coming from South Knoxville. Wasn't there a bowling alley somewhere around West Hills and Kingston Pike, maybe Kingston Pike and Buckingham/Morrell Road intersection?
I heard rumor that Arby's was just moving down the parking lot a bit to where the old Stefano's Pizza was.
Old Broadway memory and Kingston pk question
Trying to remember name of restaurant that was located in what is now Louis Restaurant. Also trying to recall name of restaurant across the street from Edward's Seafood on Kingston Pike. It is now an Indian restaurant.yNsecp#
Brown's cafeteria/restaurant
I found this site while searching for information on Brown's cafeteria/restaurant in Knoxville. I went there in the fifties and am searching for information about it. Thanks in advance.
Before it became Loui's
Back in the 80s, it was called Arthur's, and it was a steak house. Dim, comfy, good salad bar. My friend's mom used to take us there sometimes.
Later on I think it was called Mustard Seed Cafe for a while, in the 90s.
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