Remembering McMinnville from years gone by
Every weekday morning I turn on a radio to get the news. On local radio, WBMC, Warren County Furniture is the sponsor of the 5:30 and 6 a.m. news, with Edwin Partin doing his own spots. I might add, he always does a great job with those spots.
There is something in a lot of those spots that got me to thinking. On many, many occasions he’ll make a pretty good talk about some area of the city, some club or organization. Lots of times he’ll end whatever he’s talking about with the phase ‘historical McMinnville.’
The things I wonder about can be said in the form of a question. What is there in McMinnville that would make it historical? Recently talk was to destroy the old City Grammar School building, (City Hall) and erect and new City Hall. How many times have we seen buildings torn down in the name of progress? Yet we still insist on being referred to as historic. How can any town be historic when its people gives the go ahead to destroy all of the historical places? I don’t understand it.
When I was little, maybe seven or eight, we would go to Chattanooga often. My sister lived there at that time, and Dad also had two brothers in the area. At that time, you went down South High Street, past the old City Grammar School, cross the railroad on a high cement bridge. We crossed the river on a bridge like those in Westwood and Mt. Leo. Every time we would pass the school my Mother would tell me how she would slide down the fire escape of the school. The last time I was by there I thought of what mother had told me years before.
After Dr. J.P. Dietrich retired, I’d see him sitting outside. I’d stop and talked to him every once in awhile. During one of the sessions he told me of his plans for the old Faulkner house and hospital. Dr. Dietrich’s reasoning was the building wouldn’t be any good to anyone. I think a lot of us have seen how wrong he was.
I understand as the building was being prepared to be torn down, it was found that the building was built so well that it would cost more to destroy than to leave it standing. Today it is a successful bed and breakfast.
I remember when going to town meant going up town to Main Street. That is where all the action was. At one time there were five drug stores on Main Street. There were three theaters, several gas stations, and several taxi stands. Then there was Penney’s, Lay’s, King’s, Kane’s, and a store called My Store.
I remember when Plaza Shopping Center was being built. Many were asking, ‘Why was it being built so far out of town’? Back then the city limits was near Central High School, or what is now Bobby Ray Memorial School. But today the city limits of McMinnville has expanded even farther.
I remember when the Morton Fruit Stand seemed so far out on Smithville highway, city limits has caught up with this former location.