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NASHVILLE MEMORIES
FROM THE 1950's, 60's & 70's
DO YOU
REMEMBER?
 1.
Harvey's
Nativity scene at the Parthenon in Centennial Park.
The Nativity Scene featured life size figures with lights that faded
from white to blue to red and Christmas Carols on the sound system. It
was a truly spiritual experience and one that brought families
together and reminded them of the meaning of the season.
2. The old Krystal Restaurants on West End and on Gallatin Road with curb service. They served the burgers in a red
plastic basket with that wax paper covering them up for a dime each. Thick shakes and
chocolate ice box pie for dessert.
3. The
Monkey Bar and Carousel (operated by
Max
Loewenstein a survivor of Buchenwald) at downtown Harvey's. If business was
slow Mr. Harvey would let the monkeys run loose in the store.
4. The old
movie theaters downtown: The Tennessee, Crescent, Lowes, Knickerbocker
and the Paramount? The
"Popeye Club" was at the Paramount Theater....also Bob Luck who
played the big organ as it rose from a lower level at the front of the
theater.
Most of the theatres
carried big banners "AIR
CONDITIONED" in icy blue letters.
5. The
original Green
Hills Strip - Chester's, Three Sisters, Family
Booterie, Durys, Woolworths, Walgreens, Cross Keys restaurant &
Castner Knotts.
The BEST cherry cokes were at Woolworths in Green Hills and you could pop a
balloon to get the price of your banana split. Chester's had a mynah
bird on the b asement
floor which would wolf whistle at the ladies walking by. Talking Mynah
birds were a novelty in the late 50's and downtown Harveys, the
Children's Museum and Jim Reed Chevrolet all had resident birds.
6.
Green Hills & Inglewood Theaters - Party Rooms that were
soundproofed and could host noisy birthday parties and crying babies.
Melrose Theatre and it's make-out balcony, Martin Theatres at 100 Oaks
with the rocking chairs seats and Belle Meade Theatre with double seats
for dates to get close and personal. Many theatres had drawings for
cash and the prize could grow each week if unclaimed.
7. All the "real"
hotels were downtown: Andrew Jackson, Maxwell House, Noel, Hermitage,
Sam Davis and ultra cool Hyatt Regency with the revolving Polaris
Restaurant on top and the Blue Max Lounge in the basement. As a side
note, the wildest and most out of control party in the Nashville 60's
was at the Hermitage in 1968 and was an after- prom breakfast for
Hillsboro High School. It made the newspapers and has become an urban
legend for it's gross excess. The Downtown Hermitage Hotel was the
year-round home for eight years to pool legend Minnesota Fats. The
pool shark, arguably the most famous player to pick up a cue stick,
had his own table on the Mezzanine above the lobby.
8.
Cascade
Plunge Swimming Pool at Fair Park.
The pool was massive and almost toxic from the chemicals employed to
keep it sanitary. One exited the dressing room to the poolside by
walking through a green ankle high pool of chemical to sterilize the
feet after which one walked through an adjoining pool of a similar
orange solution, then one dived into water so soaked with chlorine
pool solution it was bright blue in color, stung the eyes, and had a
slight bitter taste. Ther e were several other pools of note including Swim & Sun,
Centennial Park Pool, Glendale in Melrose, Sun Valley in Madison, Collins' Lake off River
Road, Pleasant Green in Goodlettsville, Willow Plunge in Franklin,
Pine Springs off Couchville Pike, Union Hill Pool next to the drag strip and Rawlings off of
Clarksville Highway. Swimming lessons at Shelby Park with Vic Varallo. Remember when the
Downtown YMCA pool was sans swimsuits? Boys would start
out as minnows and complete the course as whales. The 2nd.
biggest urban legend of Nashville (behind the Hookman) concerned razor
blades embedded in the water slide at Cascade Plunge. Apparently the
3rd. biggest urban legend that the Downtown YMCA required nude
swimming was true.
9.
Hippodrome
Skating Rink (where the Vanderbilt
Holiday Inn is) or the Rollerdrome (where H H Gregg is on Thompson Lane
at the railroad tunnel) or Skateland in Madison (behind Sears). The
Hippodrome also featured wrestling and music concerts by groups like the
Kingsmen of "Louie Louie" fame.
Do
you remember Mary Kirby who played the organ? Mrs. Bargatze in the coat
check room? Moe the door man? Ham the floor man? Mrs. Gregory who sold
tickets? How about the Grand March and "Good Night
Sweetheart"
10. Varallo's at the split of Highway 100 and 70 with the curb service.
11. The A & P grocery store where the
J. Alexanders is now.
 12. Cooper and Martin grocery stores on Hillsboro Rd,
Belmont Blvd. and Charlotte
Pike. "Let's go to the Races".
13.
Saturday mornings with
live combos in the
Downtown Harvey's Department Store Loft. Remember the little chimes all
the way around outside Harvey's? The monorail at Harvey's at
Christmastime--it went all the
way around the ceiling on the top floor. Harvey's featured fun
house mirrors, carousel horses and Nashville's first escalators. The
"REAL"
Santa
Claus was at Harvey's. Harvey's
also sponsored an
Annual Easter Parade Downtown and introduced the first costumed
"Easter Bunny" character to Nashville. They took
out newspaper ads proclaiming Harvey's Easter Bunny as the real one
after other stores followed suit. "Harvey's, the fun place to shop."
At Harvey's Department Store, the toys and carousel were on the top
floor, so that parents were pulled by their kids up to the top of the
store and then "shopped" their way down. Near the carousel was a bench
to sit and relax if you didn't mind sitting next to a (mannequin)
cowboy. You could get Knox Berry Farm jellies and jams all the way
from California from the shelves next to the cowboy. Harvey's also
displayed the Hope Diamond and the brass bed of a Chicago madam. Mr.
Harvey once flew a WWII weather balloon above the downtown store. When
it eventually died (natural causes), He took out a newspaper ad
offering a reward for information about who might have shot it down.
The inference was the shot might have come from a competitor across
the street. He never missed an opportunity for a good promotion.
14. Hank
Snow music store on Church Street. Before his shop, most instruments
came from
Sears and Roebuck or
Western Auto . Elvis, the Beach Boys and the
Beatles created waves of boys throwing down their band instruments and
picking up an electric guitar. Downtown blossomed with music stores
like Hewgleys, Roy Warden and Claude Street Piano.
15. The Ozburn-Hessey
storage building where Riverfront Park is now.
16. Deadrick Street back when it had pawn
shops and novelty shops. "Shorty
Kilburn" operated a novelty stand on Church St. next to the old Warner
Building, which later became the Sudekum Building and still later the
Tennessee Theater. He sold many little trinkets and unusual toys
for many years there from perhaps the forty's until his death in
1956. Harmon Tone, Ukuleles, Mexican Jumping beans among other
things. His nick-name of "Shorty" was due to the fact that he had no
legs, they were lost at an early age on the L and N Railroad. He
was good friends of Mr.
Marty Robbins, and it is believed he was the inspiration for his song about "Mr. Shorty".
17.
Cain Sloan on Church Street with it's animated "Bunnyland" displays and
Breakfast with Santa. Bunny Land was in the toy department back
near the Iris Room, sort of a primitive walk through version of a Small
World with an rabbit theme. Right after the moon shot, they had a thing
with rabbits of the moon called Astro Bunnies and a cave to crawl
through made out of foam called marshmallow mountain. You could
register for prizes and they showed old cartoons at the end of the
"trail." Young ladies could take classes in "White Gloves And Party
Manners." The guys that brought you your car at Cain-Sloan parking
garage would drive unbelievably fast up & down those tiny ramps.
18. The Elk's
Lodge on Sixth with the rocking
chairs on the front porch and the elk statue in the small front yard
just in front of the State Capitol. In the 50's & 60's the Elk's
Lodge featured an elderly black man who performed with a washboard,
thimbles on all fingers, a tambourine and other rhythm devices. He
nightly played the harmonica and sang great rag-time songs that made you
tap your foot and want to dance. He naturally had a cup on the ground in
front of him for tips. There was also a
black band that played three nights a week in front "Stack and
the Boys". A scrub board and a No. 3 wash tub bass were two of the main
instruments. They played for tips during the summer months. Their main
song was "Duck Butter and Salty Dog".
19. Before there was a
Legislative Plaza, there was the old central bus stop and there were
always pigeons about and the smell of diesel bus exhaust fumes.
20. Fifties and Sixties brought new freedom
to teens and cruisin' was a weekend tradition. Shoney's, Griff's
Hamburgers, Yannie's, Rawhide, Ford's Drive In on Gallatin Rd. just past
East High,
The
Black Stallion, Bar B Cutie on Murfreesboro Rd. and many others
became the meeting places of choice.
 The famous Hi-Ho Drive-In Restaurant (with the best
hamburgers and french fries) was another hot spot on Gallatin Road in
East Nashville. Do you remember the sorority girls
circling Shoney's with the particular car honks they would blow? I
know that SAP was Dah, Dah, Dah...Dah, Dah. Anther long standing
Nashville tradition was to blow your horn as you passed through the dark
and narrow railroad tunnel on Thompson Lane.
Japanese Motorcycles
became affordable and acceptable in the
sixties. Motocross race tracks popped up around town and stock
motorcycles would be ridden to the races on Sunday, stripped of their
lights and mufflers, raced and then ridden home. Honda Scramblers would
race against
Harley Sprints .
21. Remember when they built the big roller coaster
(Skyliner) at Fair Park?
Paris After  Dark, the Mad Mouse, Tilt-a-Whirl, bumper cars, hand cars, the Cyclone,
pink &
blue
cotton candy, and an actual organ grinder with a little monkey that took
money. Vietti Chili labels or RC Cola caps could get you a whole
afternoon of rides. Fair Park also had a miniature golf course which
held a tournament every labor day with the winner going to a national
event. Remember the "dedicated" railroad crossing guards at the
State Fair with their loud whistles and
waving signs? The monkeys driving Speedway Cars was a popular feature
at the Fair. As was the Wall of Death where motorcycles circled inside
a wooden bowl. Soda bottle caps were especially coveted since scraping out the
cork liner could reveal a prize. Prior to Fair Park there was the Wee
One Amusement Park in Green Hills (where the donut shop is now) that
opened in 1950 and Tot Haven Amusement Park (out by the old drive-in) on
Gallatin Road.
22. When
WKDA-FM went on the air in 1970 with "Album Oriented Rock". WLAC 1510
would rule the new AM talk radio format with a powerhouse team of Ruth
Ann Leach, Les Jameson & Teddy Bart.
A early pioneer of
Nashville talk radio was Roland Wolfe and when he got his "bible
thumping little old ladies" stirred up it was great entertainment. Dave Overton and The
Waking Crew were on every weekday morning on 650 WSM radio with Papa John Gordy, Owen
Bradley, the Anita Kerr Singers, etc and also The Going Home Show, also
on WSM radio, with Larry Munson and Teddy Bart.
WLAC-AM had late night DJs "John R" (John
Richbourg),
Hoss Allen, Herman Grizzard
and Gene Nobles who played rhythm & blues for an audience all over the Southeast,
sponsored by Ernie's Record Mart or Randy's Records in Gallatin.
23. The B&W Cafeteria on Sixth, Phillips & Butorff, the neat old
*single-file* Krystal Restaurants on 5th (next to the Orange Bar and
Cigar Store) and also on Church St. and the Candyland at 7th and Church with the best milk shakes in town and
delicious sandwiches.
The Sweet Shoppe at 21st and Capers with drive-in service where for
fifty
cents you could get a hamburger and shake. Twentieth Century Pool
Parlor upstairs over the Sweet Shoppe where you could always get a good game of 9-ball.
24. Loveman's on the corner of Union and Fifth?
They had that great balcony all the way around and the beauty parlor
where they dyed old ladies' hair blue, purple, and pink was on the
balcony. They did a lot of that bizarre hair dying at Harvey's,
too.
25. Anyone
remember the old blind black fellow ( Cortelia
Clark) who sold shopping
bags and played guitar and
sang the blues on Fifth near Woolworth's or the Buttercup saleslady on
Church St. in front of McKendree Methodist Church? Downtown had it's
share of other memorable characters. The "Whistler" was a well dressed
gentleman who would whistle at the sky and speak in tongues. He was
often seen near Third National Bank. The "Foot Stomper" was very
active and had a fetish for stomping ladies feet. David "Skull"
Schulman could be seen daily walking his white poodle "Sweetie"
dressed in his Hee Haw overalls. He was the "Mayor" of Printer's Alley
where he ran the Rainbow Room for forty years. Do you remember
Webb Pierce's silver dollar-studded,
pistol-and-horseshoe-appointed 1962 Pontiac Bonneville convertible,
dubbed the "Cowboy Car." Do you remember Nudie's Cadillac with the
steer horns on front? Nudie designed all those sequin outfits for the
country stars. Just some of the sights downtown.
26. Acme Farm Supply when it really was a farm supply and Farmer's Market
when there were actual Nashville farmers selling their produce. Lower
broad featured fleets of tour buses to carry tourists to the
homes of the stars. There were actual souvenir shops on Music Row
instead of empty storefronts.
 27. All Woody Allen's
movies always debuted at the Crescent. "Mary Poppins" stayed sold
out there for weeks and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" did, too.
The Crescent's 45-foot screen and six-track stereo sound showcased
"Ben-Hur, South Pacific and Oklahoma". However
in 1966,
"Virginia Woolf" got raided by an over-zealous boy in blue when
it opened downtown. The record for a movie run had to be the "Sound
of Music" at the
Belle Meade Theatre. The manager, Mr. Jordan got tired of dealing with
kids "acting badly" and held the movie over for six months.
There was the Happiness Club at Belle Meade Theatre
where on Saturday afternoon you could go for 16 cents and watch a
live stage show and a movie and sing--"Happy Days Are Here Again" as
long as you behaved and Mr. Jordan didn't kick
you out. The kids nicknamed Mr. Jordan "Icky
Junk".
Mrs. Drake was a "matron"
at the Belle Meade Theater. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons and
evenings she kept order among the many children attending the movies
and the Happiness Club. The Belle Meade policeman who was best known
for providing security was a rotund gentleman fondly known as "Big
Joe". Both the Belle Meade and
Green Hills Theatre
featured many
movie premiers during the 60's. A huge pie fight was held in front of
the Green Hills Theatre for the opening of "The Great Race".
28.
Remember how far you could see from the L&C
Observation Deck for a dime or the L&C letters on top of the
Tower that would turn blue for fair weather and pink for change.
If
the temperature was rising, the letters lit from top to bottom to top
and from top to bottom if falling. The Observation Deck was closed forever after someone jumped off.
29.
Remember that they had a little popcorn stand at Centennial Park and
you could buy a little box of popcorn to feed the ducks. The paddle
boats at Centennial Park were awfully fun for a little kid.
The old
Children's
Museum that had live alligators and a stuffed
bobcat in it. I always thought what a waste of a perfectly good little
cat.
Trouper the Clown
visited all the schools for the Children's Theatre.
If you signed up at school for the
Children's Museum, you got a pin with the image of a
raccoon on it.
Tom Tichenor 's puppets were featured at the Downtown Library. Do you remember going
outside to visit the
Bookmobile when it visited your school?
 31. A
free ride on Cleeces Ferry (off Charlotte Pike). There was also a ferry from Riverwood Drive
in Inglewood to near where Opryland Hotel stands now. Unless you drove
miles and miles the 6 or 8 car ferry was the
only way from Inglewood to Donelson. A gray painted paddlewheel
ferry vessel called the "Judge Hickman" served both the McGavock Pike
crossing between Donelson and Inglewood (until the North Briley
Parkway bridge opened) and then at Cleece's crossing off Charlotte
Pike (until the West Briley Parkway bridge opened). There was a list
of rules for the "voyage" posted below the wheelhouse and crewmen to
guide the ever bigger autos to consequently ever tighter parking slots
on the two parking decks. At times they could not fit the promised 8
cars aboard, but a line of autos were almost always waiting on both
river banks for the next daylight "voyage".
32.
Harvey's
luncheonette --all that chrome!!!--Cakes (German
chocolate, carrot cake, coconut cake with half a cherry in the middle)
from Harvey's in the white square boxes with cord tied around
them--and always the smell of chemicals in the air from where ladies
were having their hair permed.
33. The
old National Life
Building on the corner of Seventh
and Union. Absolutely gorgeous, all that wood paneling and
marble. It took them much longer to get the building torn down
than they had anticipated because it was so
 solid--then they put in a parking lot.
Remember Mary Lyles Wilson's
cafeteria on the fifth floor?
34. Taking
grade school field trips to Colonial Bakeries, Jersey Farms and a
train ride to
Franklin , KY and back leaving from the Union Station Shed .
35.
Melrose Pool Hall way down in the dark basement near the
Bowling Alley . Pool Halls were strictly male
only in those days.
36. The
Nashville Symphony gave performances in the
War
Memorial
Building. The
State Museum was in the basement and Sam Davis' boot was always the most
memorable item in the
 entire place for me. The mummy and the
polar
bear probably gave several generations of
school kids nightmares.
37. Kuhn's 5 and 10 cent store
(at 6th and Church) and Grant's 5 & 10 cent store (where West Bowl is now) .
Going to the department store Grants and
talking to "Santa" there. I remember they would hire winos for that
role and once "Santa" was slurring and going on and on the manager
would make him leave and then put up a sign saying that "SANTA IS SICK AND
WILL NOT BE BACK TILL TOMORROW NIGHT"
38.
Crescent, Bel-Air, Montague, Skyway,
Colonial and Warner Park Drive-ins. Many had playgrounds down front for the small kids.
Managers would walk around shining flashlights into dark cars to check
for hanky panky.
39.
The fashion shows at Cain Sloan in Green Hills. You could have lunch in the Steeplechase Room on the third
floor Monday-Friday and models would stroll by showing outfits and
giving you the prices if you were interested.
40. S&H green stamps and the True Value stamp stores on West End
and Nolensville Road. Free dishes at
Sinclair Gas Stations with a fill-up. SPUR gas stations had the stamps
where one could pick from the prize cabinet on the lot.
 41. Bob Lobertini ,
Boyce Hawkins & Ron Kaiser... the original TV weathermen. Dr. Carl Seyfert
(Vandy Professor) reported the weather in the very early days of Channel
4. Remember the Carl Seifert theme song? "Everybody cares about, no one
knows a thing about it --- About what? the weather. If it's cold, if
it's hot, if it's cloudy, rain or snow, Here's the weatherman, the guy
who knows!" Nashville named a street after him. Ever wait for the TV
weather to see if George Goldtrap would miss flipping that chalk into
his pocket? Jud Collins will forever be Nashville's "Mr.
Television."
 42. Miss
Eleanor (Eleanor Rochelle), Miss Norma (Norma Tate Coverdale) and Miss
Nancy (Beverly Early) on Romper Room. Captain Crook and Captain
Boatwright (Jim Kent) was featured on a Saturday morning Kids show on
WSIX-TV called Cap'n Crooks Crew. Other characters included a
parrot named Honest Gabe ( Gwen Kent) and Jim
Kent's son, Robert as Saturday Morn.
Ruff 'n Reddy (Jim Sanders), Captain Bob (Bob Lobertini) & Captain Bill
(Bill Jay) of WLAC-TV's Popeye and
Friends. Captain Bob's
cartoon show ended with an auction of items, paid for with Golden
Flake potato chip bags. Bozo was
originally on WSM and performed by Tom Tichenor and
Dick Brackett. Joe Holcum and Jim Kent later played Bozo on
WSIX. Grandpa Moses (Boyce Hawkins) and Happy A. Clown (Bayron
Binkley) were the hosts of a live afternoon
children's show on WSM- TV called Grandpa, Happy and the Three
Stooges. WSM-TV
also produced Happy Town with Dave Overton as Mayor and
characters, Grandpa Moses, Happy A. Clown, Professor
Popoffnik and Editor Cornelius Scoopnewsel.
Jackie Bell had a morning exercise program on Channel 5 and she kept
Nashville's ladies in shape.
Do you remember Dr. Lucifur of Shock Theatre (Ken Bramming) &
Sir Cecil Creape
(Russ McCown) of Creature Feature? "Good Night, Sleep
Tight, and Don't Let the Beddie Bugs Bite!" Each
Saturday night at 10:30 PM on WSM TV from 1971-1982, the 235-year-old
Sir Cecil Creape beckoned his viewers (Did
someone call?) into his creepy cobweb covered
world for a sampling of puns, sight gags, insults (he loved to berate
his commercials) contests, awards ("The Frankie," a tiny statue of the
Frankenstein
 monster) and strange movies guaranteed to chill his fans
to the bone. Did you know Pat Sajak
wrote many of the scripts for Creature Feature? Do you remember whose picture was on the mantel?
Answer: Floyd Kephart (highlight with your mouse). Dr. Lucifur, was
the dashing late night horror show host of Shock Theater on WSIX-TV in
Nashville from 1958 through the late sixties. Dr. Lucifur wore a patch
over his right eye, smoked cigarettes dangling from an elongated holder,
and dressed eloquently in black tuxedo fashions. He claimed to be the
President of Transylvania for over 200 years. Regulars on the show
included Cyril Songbird the Poet, Frantic Freddie the Hipster and Granny
Gruesome. Remember him standing under the lamp
post introducing Shock Theatre? Ken Bramming also hosted a locally
produced version of the Mickey Mouse Club on
WSIX-TV. Remember when Captain Bob asked the kiddies why they were all
giggling and someone volunteered "Herbie farted!" (Another Nashville Urban Legend sometimes recanted
as Herbie giving the middle finger salute). The kid is thought to have been
named Willie.
43.
Gulas and Welch Wrestling on TV with Jackie Fargo, Tojo
Yamamoto, Len Rossi, and Gentleman Saul Weingeroff with the "Germans"
Kurt and Karl
von Brauner. They all had their signature moves:
the Fargo strut and Atomic Drop, Tojo's Japanese Claw and the Mario
Milano head-butt all got the crowd cheering or booing.  Jerry Lawler threw fire, Tojo threw salt
and his wooden shoes were deadly weapons. It was good versus evil with
The Fargos (Jackie, Don (roughhouse/nuthouse) versus the Masked Medics
or Don and Al Greene versus Tommy and Eddie Marlin. Heaven help the good
guy who found himself in the opponents corner and at the mercy of
Gentleman Saul's cane. Ginger the wrestling bear was another crowd
favorite. Sponsored by Shyer Jewelers. "If you don't know diamonds, know your
jeweler and if Harold says it's so, it's so". Live wrestling at the
Hippodrome where the kids would yell at Announcer Gil Greene for Rudy's
Farm pens and other knickknacks. Nick Gulas would say..."Ladies and gentlemen we're expecting an all time
record breaking crowd, better get your tickets early. They're available
at the box office and in the lobby of the Sam Davis Hotel".
44. Times
before Marcia Trimble's death when kids were able to walk the streets and play without
fear of kidnapping and death. A kid could leave home in the morning on
his bike and return at dark, having explored miles from home.
45. When
you shopped in Burkes Dept. store. transactions were completed by a
series of baskets, pulleys and wires that went from the apparel sections
to the balcony; similarly, the vacuum tubes in other dept stores to get
the money to the office. You could buy anything at the downtown
department stores with a charge-a-plate. It was a piece of metal about
the size of a WWII dog tag that had your name and address in raised
letters on it and had little notches along the side. Each store that
took the plate for credit had a certain place for the notch on the side.
If the card fit into their credit machine it meant you had an account there. I
remember one time when we went to one store and didn't have the proper
notch and the folks were falling all over themselves trying to cut a new
notch in the little plate. Talk about easy credit!
46.
Shakey's Pizza Parlors and the sing-a-longs on weekends. One side was
for families and the other side served beer. Singing to the bouncing
ball and player piano and the red/white striped jackets and straw hats,
and banjo's.
47. When
the only action on lower broad was Saturday night at the
Opry? When the
Hard Rock Cafe was a Hardware store?
48. When
riding the bus downtown was cool and safe and cheap (well, maybe not cool).
49. Sadie
Hawkins Day and the Hillbilly Day Festival and Parade in
Madison. Also, the boat ramp at the end of Neely's Bend Road in
Madison. Folks could go and put their boats in the Cumberland River
(across the river was the mouth of  Stones River). Madison was also the home of
WENO Radio. WENO built Nashville's first theme park called Frontier Town complete with train and
train robbers on horseback. Celebrities like Dan Blocker (Hoss from
Bonanza) would appear at the park. In addition, WENO hosted a massive
Easter Egg Hunt each year.
50. The
first Nashville McDonald's and the original Shoney's Big Boy, both in
Madison. Who could forget the good ole
Sunset Park at the end of Neely's Bend Road in Madison. Swimming pool,
roller rink and concerts on week-ends. There was Skateland, an outdoor
skating rink behind the McDonalds in Madison where the Allman Joys
frequently played. Friday night football - Litton Lions, Stratford
Spartans, and Madison  Rams. The Frozen Castle was an East High
School hang out in the 50's and the Lions Dairy Dip was next door to
Isaac Litton High School. Remember the Isaac Litton
Marching 100 with Band Director Sammy Swor, Sr. and their many parade
appearances?
51.
Charlie Nicken's Barbeque on Jefferson Street with curb service and just
a block from Sulphur Dell. (Bribe the curb waiters and get beer sooner
than the calendar allowed.) Also, Jim Coursey's Barbecue, 4th Ave. S.,
just south of the Fairgrounds.
52. Going
to parties in the Sycamore Lodge in Shelby Park or at Riverwood Riding
Academy. Driving out to Warner Parks for a little necking but, leaving
quickly because your date is sure the "Hookman" was probably lurking in the bushes. Road trips to
Chapel Hill
to watch for the ghost on the RR tracks or using a Ouija Board to
summon the Bell Witch? All guaranteed to frighten a date into your
arms. The Ghost of Granny White, stand on her grave and hear her heart
beat, or the "devil worshipers" off Granny White at the end of McGrace
Hill.Lovers Lanes included the Warner
& Shelby Parks, Reservoir Hill off 8th. Avenue, Love Circle behind
32nd. Ave. S., Baskin Hill off of Jocelyn Hollow Rd. and Laurel Ridge. A
great way to get a date out to the park was the scientific experiment of
coasting up gravity hill in Edwin Warner Park. Submarine races were a
regular weekend teen event on Old Hickory Lake. An expensive date
featured dinner at an exotic restaurant like the Omni Hut in Smyrna,
Jolly Ox, Sperry's or St. Clair's in 100 Oaks. A very special dinner was
Chateau Briand for two at Jack Favier's Silver
Wings Restaurant at the Airport. Rich Schwartz was the place for that
special prom dress. It had ladybugs on the steps.
53.
Nashville's first major indoor mall...One Hundred Oaks. Woolco, Harvey's,
Penney's, Magnavox, John Simmons, Games Imported & other exotic
stores we were fascinated with when it opened in 1968. Their was no food
court but, there was a great hot dog place up by Woolco called
La
Petite Café. Do you remember standing really still in JC Penney to feel the floor shaking?
Psychic Jean Dixon would later predict on talk radio that 100 Oaks
would eventually collapse. The Crazy Cave in 100 Oaks (the one
downstairs inside) every Saturday playing pool (on the little tables)
and Space Invaders then having lunch at Shoneys. Madison Square
Shopping Center was the largest in the country when it was first built
in 1956. Harding Mall featured the Santa from the Bozo Show.
54. Seeing
James Brown at Sulphur Dell, Little Richard at the National Guard
Armory, or the Beach Boys, Ice Capades or Three Stooges at the new
modern Municipal  Auditorium.
55. The
Shrine Circus in the Coliseum Building at the Fairgrounds, the Dixie
Flyers in the Municipal Auditorium, the Nashville
Vols at Sulphur Dell
with the steep banks in the outfields and Coach Larry Gilbert pointing
his finger to the high screen in right field for Charlie Workman or
Tookie Gilbert to hit one out. Larry Munson was the radio play by play
announcer for several years. The Harlem Globe Trotters in  McQuiddy Gym
at Lipscomb and Coo Coo Marlin
and Marty Robbins
racing stockcars at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. The Speedway had a really cool tunnel that ran
under the track to the infield and pits and during a race you could hear
the cars racing just above you. It was always a sellout for the Joie
Chitwood Thrill Show at the Speedway. Their big finish would be a
Astro Spiral
jump. That’s where a car goes off one ramp, does a complete 360-degree
rollover in mid-air, and lands on another ramp. It’s called the “Astro”
Spiral jump because it was first done in Houston’s Astrodome back in the
’60s. They would also blast a car out of a giant cannon loaded on the
back of a truck. The roof of the grandstands would make it sound like an
atomic bomb going off. Do you remember Fast pitch softball featuring The
King (Eddie Feigner) and his Court at Shelby Park?
56.
Getting out of school for the State Fair? The State Fair was a huge deal back then.
Kids would be unable to sleep the night before a trip to the fair and
everybody dressed up just like church. Knothole baseball was played at
Fort Negley by teams sponsored by companies like McDowell Road Builders,
Jersey Farms Dairy and First American National Bank. Whatever happened
to all those local banks like Third National, First American and
Commerce Union? Swimming at the Harpeth
Narrows
was very popular on weekends. High school fraternities and
sororities sponsored Formals and summer combo
parties in people's driveways. How about a
spaghetti supper or school carnival? A spaghetti supper at Walter Stokes
School promised the older kids an opportunity to "make out" in the
adjacent creek bed and playground while the parents feasted on spaghetti
inside. Carnivals were great, besides the carnival rides there would be
game booths and hay or bus rides where again the older kids were
swapping spit at every opportunity. In the 8th grade we had make-out
parties and in the 9th grade we had wild combo parties. Adult
supervision, yeah right. Seniors in high school got an official cut day.
You could go to Percy Warner Park or you could go to school. Of course
the teachers were all at the park to chaperone.
57. John
Kennedy's Saturday, May 18, 1963 open presidential limo motorcade
through Nashville and where you were when he was shot in Dallas on
November 22, 1963. (I was in
school at Walter
Stokes)
58.
All restaurants, movie theatres and even hospitals allowed smoking. The
schools had zero air-conditioning. Cigarettes were available in vending
machines to anyone with the cash. Beer was purchased by tipping helpful
men who hung around the front of certain convenience markets.
Fake Id's were easy because the green paper drivers
licenses you could get an old one from an 18 year old friend and
carefully erase numbers and change them with a very fine pencil. Having
your "parents" write a note allowing you to buy cigarettes at the
grocery store.
 59. When the only great peanuts came from
the Arcade. "Mr. Peanut" use to walk up and down the arcade and pass out
peanuts! For fresh roasted peanuts you could also go to Acme Seed on
lower broad.
60.
Remember when you could just ride out to the airport (Berry Field) and go stand
outside on the observation deck and watch the planes land and take-off?
They also held air shows that featured a Nashville
Tour in a DC-7 for a penny a pound.
61. Cerebral Palsy Telethon on Channel 4 with the
parade of kids in wheelchairs and on crutches while the telethon hosts
sang "Call 244 7 Oh Oh Oh" to the tune of The Saints Go Marching In. "Call now and light up those lights!!! " Look
at us were walking.
62.
Getting all your home
appliances at the Sears and Roebuck on Lafayette, your car parts at the
Western Auto, your toys at the Phillip's Toy Mart on 8th Avenue, your
scouting supplies at McClures or the Army-Navy Store on West
End near downtown owned by Arnold Lefkovitz and everything else at your neighborhood hardware
or drug store. Woolworth's would sell knockoffs of
the latest hits for half price. There was no way to copy songs off our
transistor radios. Getting the latest Beatles' 45 at Zibart's Books,
which had listening booths to preview the vinyl records
and deal with Mary Charmella who ran the record department. The
stamp collectors' guru, Murray Brosius, ran the stamp department at
Zibart's Book store and was responsible for turning many Nashville kids
into lifelong stamp collectors. What about the hippest new hairstyle at
Clyde's Music City Barbershop or
experiencing Nashville's first lady barbers at England's (they were
babes, too)? For a different style you could visit George the Barber at "The Flat Top Barber Shop" on Thompson Lane.
 63. The
fountains at Aladdin Industries lit with colored lights at night you
could see from Murfreesboro Road.
64.
Receiving the polio vaccine on little sugar cubes in the school gym.
Taking the hearing test
in grade school?
65.
Getting ready for school and the only TV program on would be
Ralph Emery with Spider, Norm and the Band or Eddie Hill's Country Junction
with Smiley and Kitty. Do you remember the Farm Reports in the early
morning?
66. National Guard Tanks
stationed in Centennial Park and downtown when Dr. Martin Luther King
was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn.
67.
Slot-car tracks, trampoline centers, go-cart tracks and miniature golf
courses that sprung up and disappeared. The best miniature golf in town
was at the Wee Tee Golf Course behind the Dairy King on Thompson Lane at
Mill Creek. The best slot-car track was next door to the Hippodrome on
West End. Large slides also appeared around town were kids would ride
down on mats or potato sacks. There was always plenty for a kid to do in
those days. Carnivals setup in shopping center parking lots on a regular
basis. It seemed like there was always a carnival at Madison Square.
68. Real deep snows in the winter where
school would be out for days/weeks and Centennial Pond (Watuga) would
freeze for ice skaters. Everyone would rush to Inglewood Hardware for
sleds and get the tire chains ready if Boyce Hawkins said snow was on
the way. Waiting for Carlisle Beasley of Metro to decide if the roads
were bad enough to close schools
and for Keith Bilbrey to announce it on Channel 4's Ralph Emery Show.
Fortunately Mr. Beasley always checked the hills of Joelton first and we
could go back to bed by 7AM! January 1951's
major snow and ice storm paralyzed the city.
69. The
Cold War brought an Air Force Early Warning Radar Station to the Joelton
Area. Residents were certain that this was just like painting a big
bulls-eye on Joelton for Russian missiles. 1962 and the Cuban Missile
Crisis had school students practicing hiding under their desks in case
of attack. Students took home permission slips to their parents to
request whether children should be kept in school or sent home in event
of a missile attack. TVs were not allowed in class except for space
launches which were incredible and dangerous (because our missiles blew
up at first). It was a bit like getting a day off, because space
launches were "educational."
70. Friday
night with Night Train and host Noble
Blackwell, featuring artists like: Ironing Board Sam, James Brown, The Van Trease Trio, Good Rockin' Hoppy and a very young
Jimmy
Hendrix. Friday night also featured Shock Theatre where the creepy organ intro
music was usually more scary than the movie. Shock, Jr. came on Sunday
afternoons.
71.
Stiefs Jewelers windows displayed German made
clocks with animated figures that would march out at the change of time
intervals and dance and turn in time to music that you could stand and
watch forever. Stiefs Jewelers was on 6th Ave. North between Church and
Union. Something you always had to do when you went downtown was to have
ham and rolls in Harvey's basement at the counter which was the best
lunch in Nashville. As they always said, "Harveys has
it."
72. When
Nashville had two daily newspapers, the Tennessean in the morning and
the Banner in the afternoon. Papers were delivered by boys walking or on
bikes and papers were placed on the front porch of homes.
73. Where you got the best sports equipment,
The Sportsman's Stores and Bill Clay's in Melrose for hunting and
fishing gear. The Woods and Waters TV Show was very popular.
74. When you could park all day for free on
Lower
Broadway?
75. The
"Popcorn Vendor" that was right outside the front entrance of the
downtown Walgreens (popping fresh popcorn....a dime a bag).
76. Shoes were a big deal since the average
kid only had a sch ool pair and a Sunday pair. There was Stride Rite
on Sixth and Flagg Brothers on Church Street. However the ultimate was a
pair of Red Goose Shoes from a Family Booterie Store. Every kid dreamed
of pulling the goose's neck and getting that prized golden egg. The
Family Booterie store in Hillsboro village had a fluoroscope that would
show your feet inside the shoes you were trying on. I wonder how many cooked feet resulted from that
particular commercial gimmick. I can still hear their ad..."Two for the price of one plus a dollar, two for the
price of one plus a dollar..." followed in a few weeks by "table and
rack (clap clap) it's back."
77.
Vanderbilt's SEC title in basketball in 1965 with
Clyde Lee setting many school records. Also memorable was Vandy's
1954 football victory over UT, 26-0 or the 1975 "Punt, Barry Punt!"
Vandy victory over UT in Knoxville. Vandy's Memorial Gym was also host
to the Annual March of Dimes Basketball Tournament which featured
schools of the N.I.L. It was a major deal the year (1963) that
Nashville's Bill Wade quarterbacked the Chicago Bears to the NFL
Championship. Ther e were major high school rivalries like
Cameron vs Pearl that were settled on the basketball court. The spirit
squads were awesome! Nashville had three all black high
schools...Cameron, Meigs and Pearl. Remember "All the way for Doc" and
the 1954 West End High School march through the state basketball
tournament led by the "dynamic duo", Ralph Greenbaum and Jimmy French at
Vandy's Memorial Gym? The Annual Clinic Bowl game was played at
Vandy's stadium with the best high school team from the west vs the best
high school team from the East side of town. .Nashville High Schools also competed
on TV in Classroom Quizbusters. Long
live the Cumberland Indians, Joelton Blue Jays, Dupont Bulldogs,
Bellevue Owls, Issac Litton Lions, Central Golden Tornadoes, Donelson
Dons, Howard Rebels, West Blue Jays, East Eagles, Madison Rams,
Goodlettsville Trojans, Cohn Black Knights, Pearl Tigers, Cameron
Mighty Panthers, and North Yankees, if only in our memories. High
School rivalries were a big deal. Overton and Antioch had
a teasippers/farmers thing going. Schools actually had school
spirit then. The Overton Band would have teabags hanging from the end
of their trombone slides at the Antioch game. Good times. I won't even
repeat what kids thought of Hillsboro's Burros LOL
78. Long
before liquor by the drink (1967) passed, Nashville had numerous public
and private clubs which offered gambling, alcohol and music. The
Colemere Club (currently the New Orleans Manor near the Airport on
Murfreesboro Rd.) which was owned by Nashville City Government and
served as the hangout for most of the city's politicians , openly had
slot-machines in several rooms as did most American Legion and Knights
of Columbus Halls. At the annual Colemere Club Easter Egg Hunt kids
could finish gathering up the eggs and still have time to play the
gaming machines. "My favorite machine featured little horses that raced
around a track." The Club Plantation on Murfreesboro Road and the Palms
Club on Nine Mile Hill were major adult hangouts. Many clubs offered Las
Vegas style gambling. Printer's Alley Clubs featured Boots Randolph and
Exotic Dancer Heaven Lee. Most teens knew the beer joints or liquor
stores that accepted fake id's without question. In the 1950's in West
Nashville it was practically a rite of passage for a young man to have
his first beer at King's Inn (where no one ever asked for an id) near
the corner of West End and Woodmont Blvd. You could tip Ace on White
Bridge Road and keep the mug. Joe's Village Inn in Hillsboro Village was
also infamous for allowing underage drinking. There was also
"Frank's Friendly" a non-descript bar off of
Charlotte fairly close in to town. Boys would go to Frank's where there
was usually some adult guy waiting to take your order, your money and
bring you back quarts of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer
for your party!! Sin
was abundant in Nashville in the "old" days. The Belle Meade Motel was
nicknamed the "No Tell Motel". Other motor courts in town featured high
fences or rooms with attached garages where a person could hide their
car from prying eyes. In the 70's Video Poker Machines were widespread
and Massage Parlors ;-) were operating in every area of town.
Nashville's vice squad must have had other priorities. The Police
Department also maintained an official position that there were no
gangs in Nashville and police promotions were rumored to be made in a
Goodlettsville Liquor Store. Strange times indeed. The Belle Meade
police were so helpful they would carry you home, instead of the drunk
tank or a DUI. The Southerner Liquor store, where you could cash a
check postdated (at 1% interest per DAY).
79. Ever
attend a WMAK Schools Out Party at Fair Park? WMAK's Scott Shannon and
his trademark signoff "Cherish" by the Association? The "Wild Child"
Bill Berlin or "Captain Midnight"
Roger
Schutt at WKDA? Urban legend is that Captain Midnight would play tapes
at night while he slipped down to Printer's Alley to mingle with the
masses. The radio request lines were very popular with teens. While you
were on hold the lines would bleed over and you could talk to others on
hold and guys could get dates. WMAK, WSIX and WVOL went directional
at night and often the signal was lost to certain areas of the
area. WLAC covered the whole Southeast selling baby chicks. Ever
visit the Stahlman Bldg. to pickup concert tickets or an album you won
in a radio contest? On WSM-TV there was the "Five O'Clock Hop" hosted by
Dave Overton and hostess Martha Sanderson. Kids would do the solo dance
for gift certificates for shoes at Flagg Brothers (guys') and Holiday
(gals'). There was also the "Sock Hop" hosted by Noel Ball. On Noel's
show young girls would lipsync to the hits. The Sock Hop also featured a
quartet of three boys/one girl called the "Manhattans" who would also
lip-sync. Members of the Manhattans included Doug Seymour, Buzz Cason,
Bill Pruitt, and Judy Eades. The Manhattans appeared in 1956 & 1957
while they were students at Issac Litton High
School. Noel Ball was
Nashville's first and most flamboyant rock n roll disk jockey. He drove
a pink & white 1955 Crown Victoria and pushed the envelope in his
professional and personal life. Noel Ball was "THE DJ" of the late 50's & early 60's.
Hugh Baby Hops were held all over Middle Tennessee hosted by DJ Hugh
Jarrett whose radio show was sponsored by Royal Crown Hair Dressing. In
the mid-sixties it was a big deal when the Dick Clark "Caravan of Stars"
rolled into town at Sulphur Dell or the Armory. On a clear night, if you
lived in West Nashville you might be able to pickup real rock on
Vanderbilt University's 10-watt mono WRVU, transmitting on 91.1 from
high atop the Oxford House apartments at the corner of 21st and Capers,
the tallest structure in the Vandy realty portfolio.
80.
Deserted military barracks and hospitals were scattered around town.
White Bridge Road (near current Target), Howard School Campus? The
separation center on Thompson Lane which consisted of Army Barracks.
They housed soldiers coming home from World War II until they were
discharged.
81.
Defunct Nashville restaurants included the Captain Ray's Sailmaker
(theme restaurant on West End) that featured wait staff in exotic
costumes and dining rooms like the "harem". Cajun Wharf on Cowan, Mahi
Mahi on White Bridge Road, Captain Paulos on Riverside Drive (best
hushpuppies in the world), Malones Restaurant on First Avenue, Cross
Keys (downtown with the red doors
and favorite items such as Hot Brown and getting to write your own
order on that little pad of paper they had at the table with the golf
pencils!), Zager's Deli the best Matzo Ball
Soup in townwas founded by Morris Zager (Mr. Morris). Mr.
Morris' sons, Arnold and Jack, took over the business. At the Downtown
location, there was a "Men's Balcony." One day, according to Arnold, some
"bra burners" (liberated women) came in and demanded to be seated in the Men's
Balcony. He took them upstairs without a word, where they were greeted
with stares and silence by the men seated there, the Iris Room at
Cain-Sloan, Melfi's
Italian, (Vito & Frances Melfi) the original pizza house in
Nashville on Division Street and the original Irelands (steak &
biscuits) near Vandy. There was also Nero's Cactus
Canyon in Green Hills (which housed a private club before liquor by the
drink; called Silver Slipper), The Melrose grill by the theater, and
Marchetti's on 19th off of West End. Madison Square had the Lazy Susan
Restaurant beneath Harvey's where patrons shared bowls of food served
from the center of large tables. The really great hot fudge sauce at
Candyland that made the ice cream sundaes the best in town. If you
wanted a great banana split, you could go to Elliston Place Soda
Shop.
82.
Remember the old TV studio locations? WLAC (Life & Casualty) on 4th
Ave. just south of the L&C Tower. The WSIX (Where Service is
Excellent) studio on the hill in Brentwood at the base of the
broadcasting tower. The original WSM (We Shield Millions) studio in west
Nashville off Granny White Pike. WSM-TV (now WSMV) signed on the air in
September 1950, on channel four, to become the area's first television
station. WSM also conducted a special promotional campaign prior to
going on the air. A live "TV studio" was set up on the main floor of
Harvey's department store on Church Street. Shoppers could watch as
performers went through the paces of doing mock TV shows. You may
remember, too, that Harvey's was also selling its own brand of early
television sets--and those "Harfield" TVs weren't cheap.
83. The Shetland ponies at the Litsey farm
where Briley parkway now intersects Lebanon Rd. The Rudy farm in
Pennington Bend with its herd of real live buffalo. The Nashville Game
Farm in Joelton. 100 Oaks Mall had lions on exhibit in the summer and
reindeer at Christmas.
84.
Girls
Club "ETC" dances at the old Maxwell House Ballroom with Francis
Craig's Orchestra and later Tea Dances at the Hyatt Regency on
Sunday afternoons with The Louis Brown
Orchestra featuring vocalist Marti
Brown?
85. When the only
lottery was the one that young men who turned 18 played?
86. Taking
ballet or flamenco lessons from Albertine Maxwell and also Joy Zibart
who taught Modern Dance to generations of Nashville girls. Mrs. Zibart's
pianist was Mr. Werner Zepernick. There were dance lessons from the Nick
Lambos Dance studio and regular dances at Fort Nightely (followed by
do-nuts across the street at Krispy Kreme). There was
also
the Tweensters dances in West Nashville. Music lessons were
given downtown at the Eva Thompson Jones School, whose alumni reportedly
included Pat Boone. Mr. Boone was also a frequent celebrity guest at the
Happiness Club of the Belle Meade Theatre.
87. The sound of squealing tires as
the attendants delivered and parked cars in the Cain Sloan parking lot
downtown? They would ride back upstairs on a chain lift.
88. In grade school somehow we all
brought in cigar boxes which held our school supplies and shoe boxes
which could be decorated at Valentines to hold treasured cards. Remember
"milk break" in elementary school and when being chosen to wheel the
milk cart to all the rooms was a big deal! Do you remember when they
came by for a count on hamburger day in the cafeteria? Kids with extra
money could order a second hamburger which was a big deal. Remember when
girls FINALLY got to wear pantsuits to school (NOT jeans) in 1970! Do
you remember when there were patrol boys at remote corners a few blocks
away from the school? They had yellow flags on wooden poles and
usually a patrol lady was there to supervise. Patrol girls only
got to work at the school on the porch. Do you remember leaving your
prized bike in a bike rack at school and not even considering putting a
lock on it? Did you ever ride your bike with playing cards stuck in your
spokes with clothes pins?
89. Teenagers mostly stayed
out of trouble, occasionally "rolling" a friends house, drag racing or
sneaking into the "Hoochie Coochie" shows at the Tennessee State Fair.
The youth/delinquent officer Sergeant Currey would cruise by the
"parking spots" every Friday and Saturday night to see if he could catch
kids circle dancing in the headlights of their cars. The State
"reformatory" was at Jordonia, and being sent there was the ultimate
threat that any school principal or other adult authority could issue to
an errant youth. We were always much happier with a school visit by the
Police Department rock band "The Blue Lights" than the youth officer.
The exclusive two-percent club at Hillsboro High School, whose members
called themselves that after the principal said the school was great
except for "two percent who were wild." Green Hills also had a "real"
motorcycle gang called the R.A.T.S. (raising all types of stuff). Or at
least the Metro Police thought so since they investigated the group and
visited the schools to warn about the dangers of gangs. In fact, the
guys met at Griff's Hamburgers on Sunday afternoons and rode their small
Hondas, Harleys, Sears Crusaires and Cushman Eagles around the area and
were totally harmless. Times were very naive and innocent back
then.
90.
Toys in this period were very low-tech. Nashville's Kusan Toys made a
very  popular derringer replica
cap-gun. Kusan also later made pop-guns that would fire ping-pong balls.
In the late 50's every boy had a coon skin hat, replaced in the sixties
by a beatle wig. Kids traded baseball cards and marbles. Did you ever
know the difference between a Candy Swirl, Goldstone Swirl, Swirled Band
or a Indian Swirl? Girls mostly played with Barbies after they
came along in 1959. Prior to that Shirley Temple Dolls were really hot.
Building model cars was cool and Phillips Toy Mart had them all.
Phillips was also a great place to go for a small bottle of chemicals
guaranteed to make your house or school hall smell like rotten eggs - if
you knew what to get. Most young boys carried pocket knives, even to
school. Nobody even considered that they might be used for
violence. It was a real accomplishment if you could throw a pocket knife
and stick it in a tree trunk. Hardware stores had these great huge
displays of pocket knives to ogle. Boy scout knives were kinda lame in
comparison to a slick pearl handled knife. To have your own whet stone
was the ultimate. Everybody had at least one toy made by Wham-O. Boys
aged there own cinnamon toothpicks in pill bottles and the older, the
hotter. The first video game I ever saw was Pong at the Magnavox Store
in 100 Oaks. Kids were busy all summer with programs provided by the
parks. Day camps like Camp Widjiwagen and Davis Gorham Day Camp were
very popular. At the Oak Hill Day Camp you were either a Chickasaw or a
Cherokee. Beechcreek Day Camp with camp director Allen Bell was where
hundreds of girls learned to ride and swim and do archery, etc. Youth
Incorporated was where you went downtown to the bus shelters and you
could catch a bus to spend the whole day at the camp for like a dollar a
year. There was horse-back riding at Riverwood Academy in Inglewood and
at Percy Warner Park Stables. At Shelby Park Day Camp kids looked
forward to "Gold Rush Days" when gold painted rocks were
hidden in the grass and gullies just waiting to be found. Kids were
encouraged to save and Fidelity Federal had the coolest piggy
banks.
91.
In the sixties teen clubs popped up all over town: Hullabaloo on
Dickerson Road, Upbeat Club in Tusculum Shopping Center, The Dog House
located in the old gym at DuPont High School in Old Hickory, Pirates’
Cove at Two Rivers, Don’s Den at Donelson High, Teen Town at Ryan,
Skateland on Thompson Lane (aka The Salt Mines because they threw salt
on the concrete so you could dance), Chicken Coop out on Hwy 70 ,
Tiger A-Go-Go out Charlotte near River Road, The Sack on Gallatin Road
across from East High above an appliance store or the Co-Ed in East
Nashville and the Nowhere Club in Hendersonville behind Woody's
Restaurant. Whether you were scoping babes in the boogaloo line at
Pirates Cove or avoiding the drunken gaze of Bill Grewcook at Dons Den,
you would have been under the same roof on the same night. Both Dons Den
and Pirates Cove took place at the Lions Club Bldg. behind the Donelson
High football bleachers. Imagine! Rival high schools coexisting
simultaneously at the same venue ... although, at times, it could get
interesting! In Green Hills there was Saturday night at Teen Town at
Calvary United Methodist Church. In the early seventies clubs included
the 23rd Psalm, located at 1415 17th Ave. So. in the music row area that
was in operation from November 1st of 1970 until June of 1972. Also, the
Market Place, and Furnace operated in West Nashville. The steps of the
Parthenon were a major teen hangout as were the stone gates of Percy
Warner Park and the train trestle in Shelby Park. Did you ever see a
performance of "Sing Out South" or go Christmas caroling for Fannie
Battle Day Home?
92. Remember the
advertising jingles of the times: "The height of a piggy's ambition from
the day he is born is hope that he'll be good enough to be a Frosty
Morn" (ham). How about "Elm Hill Bill" or the rockabilly pig that
likes Jacob's Preferred sausage? Not to mention "Colonial is GOOD
bread." Did you buy Tom Polk Tires or ever "Go get a Goo Goo, they're
good"? Remember Little Miss Sunbeam making appearances for Sunbeam
Bread? Sunbeam, the bread with no holes. Young redheads could also
compete to be "Little Miss Spark" at the Nashville Fire Dept. "Live the
life of Riley in a Wiley Mobile Home". Purity Dairies cow said "it must
be nice to be wanted". Who could forget Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs
singing for Martha White Flour. "Goodness Gracious good and light,
Martha White." Ole Ernest sold us all on Purity milk.
93. Remember having a school jacket or
sweater with a letter? How about a madras shirt? Girls collected love
loops off the back seams of the boys new oxford shirts. Beatle boots
were available at Family Booterie and were so pointy they could be
considered a deadly weapon. One year lightning bolts on our shoes were
the bomb, the next year multiple taps on our soles was a must have.
Winter coats came from Spartans or Zayres Dept. Stores. Kids wore
goulashes over their good shoes in wet
weather.
94. A trip to the dentist meant a
visit to the Bennie Dillon Building downtown. A trip to the doctor meant
a visit to the Doctor's Bldg. on Church St. or to Doctor's Row on West
End near the hospitals. Do you remember when Nashville was one of only
two cities in the country to have a dental division and to have fluoride
in the water (1953). We also had a dentist come to each school every
year to check the teeth of the students. You had your teeth checked
every fourth year and if you had cavities, you got a note to take to
your parents. The dentists in the health department would fix the
cavities if you came in. Nashville also had two dental vans that went
from one area to another (much like the bookmobiles)
95. In the 60's Country Music stars
attempted to capitalize on their names by launching fast food
restaurants. We had Minnie Pearl's Chicken, Tex Ritter's Chuckwagons,
Hank Williams's Barbeque Pits, Tennessee Ernie Foods, Minnie Pearl's
Roast Beef and Eddy Arnold's Tennessee Fried Chicken among others. We
also had Loretta Lynn's Western Wear, Hank Snow Music and Ernest Tubb's
Record Shop.
96.
We had lots of special media personalities. Sportscasters were always
flamboyant, especially at WSM. Charlie MacAlexander wore the most
bizarre sports jackets. Paul Eells was known for his trademark "Holy
Smokes". How
about when Dan Miller giving us all a special gift of a fireplace
crackling on TV or when WSM decided we needed Disco lessons each night
during the news? What about Channel 5's "Dialing
for Dollars" every weekday afternoon on "The Big Show" 3:30 to 5:30?
Bill Hall and Ralph Emery worked in local rock and roll radio
before settling down. Huell Howser had his "Happy Features" on Channel
4. Huell tried to warn us that we were losing our cities history and got
suspended for it. This website proves his point was well taken. Oprah
Winfrey read the news on Channel 5 and Pat Sajak did the weather on
Channel 4.
97.
Several music/movie/tv stars got their early starts here. Ronnie Milsap
played the roof club of the King of the Road Hotel for many years. Roger
Miller played Printers Alley between sets for Boots Randolph. Actresses
Cynthia Rhodes and Mary Elizabeth Mastrontonio are both alumni of
Opryland USA. Randy Travis washed dishes at the Nashville Palace
Restaurant. Not to mention, Dinah Shore and Pat Boone got their starts
on local TV.
98.
Nashville had it's share of unique and memorable food products. Goo
Goo's and King Leo Candy were made world famous by the Opry but, did you
ever hear of a Dream Cream candy bar? How about Charlie Nicken's
pickled tomatoes and fried corn bread? Nero's Catcus Canyon and Jimmy
Kelly's also featured corn cakes. How about an Elm Hill Meats Spice
Round? How about Kleemans apple pie at Harveys with cheese on top? The
Pie Wagon in 12th Avenue featured a Boston and Denver sandwich and meats
that were boiled, not fried. Have you ever tasted anything as good as
Lorenzo's Special Chicken (Nolensville Road at Thompson Lane) which was
only served in limited supply on weekends? Slow cooked in lemon juice,
vinegar and real butter. Did you ever try a Black Walnut Angel Whip from the
Frozen Castle on Gallatin Road or a Chocolate Drift from Candyland
downtown? You can still relive the past at a few Nashville
establishments. Varallo's downtown restaurant (knick name Nicks) was
started in 1907 and the restaurant was a haven for
politicians and many famous people around Nashville. You never knew who
you would sit next to at Varallo's or who you would meet. Over 500
marriages started at lunch introductions at Varallo's. It was truly one
of the most popular gathering places in Nashville for almost 100 yrs.
You could get Varallo's 3-way Chile only .10 cents a bowl. It's still
owned and operated by Varallo's. Rotier's Restaurant on Elliston Place
and the Loveless Cafe on Highway 100 are virtually unchanged from the
1950's. If you want a "old fashioned" sugary birthday cake, where else
but Becker's Bakery on Granny White Pike.
99.
Christmas and Easter Parades and Funeral Processions downtown on Church
Street and when people dressed up to go "downtown"? Ladies would wear
hats and gloves to visit Castner Knotts. Remember the display windows of
the department stores on Church St. , they were works of art. How about
the elevator ladies in Castner's downtown with their white gloves soiled
from opening and closing the gates.
and
finally...
100.
Remember when Nashville had a real theme
park? Remember the first time you attended a
performance of "I Hear America Singing" and the pride you
took in Nashville?
Gathered from posts on
the Nashville Newsgroup (nashville.general), e-mails and many of my own recollections. I
would like to post pictures of many of these events and establishments.
If you should have old photos or would like to contribute a memory
(1950-1979), please contact me:
You may also leave a public
message
Sign the Guestbook
and
Read the Guestbook
Leave your e-mail address and
High School
and Graduation Year and you may hear
from old friends.
Read the old guestbook with 1,500
memories
Art of
Elaine Speed Neeley
featuring
Fair Park,
Nativity
Scene,
Gen. Jackson, Skyline, State Fair and more.
|
| Price Comparison - 1950 |
| Loaf of Bread |
1 lb. of Butter |
1 Doz. Eggs |
1 Qt. Milk |
| $0.14 |
$0.78 |
$0.57 |
$0.22 |
| Price Comparison - 1960 |
| Loaf of Bread |
1 lb. of Butter |
1 Doz. Eggs |
1 Qt. Milk |
| $0.19 |
$0.81 |
$0.57 |
$0.17 |
| Price Comparison - 1970 |
| Loaf of Bread |
1 lb. of Butter |
1 Doz. Eggs |
1 Qt. Milk |
| $0.23 |
$0.93 |
$1.23 |
$0.33 |
Source: The Value of a Dollar, 1860-1989
According to
the consumer
price index
$100 in 1950 = $742.32 in
2002
Cost of
Living Calculator
Minimum
wage in 1950 $.75
Minimum wage in 2006
$5.15
|
TIMELINE
1950-1970's
|
| 1950 |
WSM brings
Nashville it's first television station, WSM-TV (Channel 4).
The station is owned by the National Life and
Accident Insurance Company. WSM = We Shield
Millions.
|
| 1950 |
Capitol
Records becomes the first major company to locate it's director of
country music in Nashville. |
| 1952 |
Fair Park a
year-round amusement park opens featuring a Ferris wheel and
playground areas for children at the TN State Fairgrounds. A new
roller coaster (Skyliner) is added in 1965, drawing more kids back
to the park and creating many memories for folks who grew up then.
|
| 1953 |
Fred Harvey
of Harvey's Department Stores erects a life size Nativity Scene in
Centennial Park in front of the Parthenon. The Nativity Scene
lasts until 1967 when the exposure to weather finally takes it's
toll on the display and it is retired. |
| 1953 |
WSIX Channel
8 goes on the air as only Nashville's second TV station.
When WSIX-TV went on the
air, the faces of Ken Bramming, Hugh Cherry, Jim Kent, Noel Ball
and many others quickly became well know to viewers in Middle
Tennessee. WSIX-TV produced many local programs, such as Saturday
Showcase, Romper Room, Bop Hop, Shock Theatre and Shock, Jr.,
Classroom Olympics, Bozo Show, Lucky Video, Mickey Mouse Club and
Know your Bible to name a few. |
| 1954 |
WLAC Channel 5 signs on as
Nashville's third TV station. The CBS affiliate is owned by
the Life & Casualty Insurance Company, which built Nashville's
first skyscraper, the L&C Tower, in 1956.
|
| 1955 |
Kelley v. The
Board of Education leads to a school desegregation plan in
Nashville. |
| 1956 |
Phone numbers
in Nashville and Davidson County now have named prefixes.
Telephone number are published as ALpine, CHapel, AMherst,
CYpress, VErnon, CAnal, TUcker or COngress. Prior to that a
favorite form of recreation was listening on the party line. If an
incoming call was for your house it was 2 rings, 3 for the
neighbors, etc. You had to get on the waiting list for a 2 party
line, most were 4. A "private" line was unheard
of. |
| 1957 |
Davidson
County's population is estimated at 368,514 with 47% living in
Nashville and 53% living in the unincorporated
areas. |
| 1957 |
The "L&C"
(Life and Casualty) Tower is completed downtown. |
| 1960 |
The Nashville
Sit-In Movement leads to widespread desegregation of public
facilities. |
| 1961 |
The downtown
Maxwell House Hotel is destroyed by fire. |
| 1961 |
The Municipal
Airport opens. |
| 1962 |
Metropolitan
government, to combine Nashville and Davidson County into one
entity, is approved in a voters' referendum. |
| 1962 |
Tennessee's
first interstate highway, connecting Nashville with Memphis,
arrives in Nashville. |
| 1962 |
Municipal
Auditorium opens hosting everything from rock concerts to
circuses, auto shows to evangelical crusades, and trade shows to
touring extravaganzas. |
| 1963 |
Metropolitan
government is formally inaugurated on April 1. County Judge
Beverly Briley takes office as the first Mayor. Within its 533
square miles, Davidson County is home to an estimated population
of 423,150. |
| 1963 |
Nashville’s Sulphur
Dell ballpark, one of the most interesting and charismatic
ballparks in all of baseball history with its sloping outfield and
short right field fence, was razed in 1963. In its heyday, the
“Dell” was a gathering place for all walks of life that watched
the hometown Nashville Volunteers of the old Southern Association
League and even spent a short period as a race
track. |
| 1965 |
Tragedy struck the Fairgrounds in September,
1965 when a $10 million fire destroyed the grandstand, the Woman's
Building and other exhibition buildings. The flames could be seen
for miles. Fire struck again in 1970 when the Coliseum Building
burned down. |
| 1967 |
Davidson
County's voters approve liquor by the drink. |
| 1968 |
Dr. Martin
Luther King is assassinated in
Memphis, Tennessee and Nashville braces for
riots. |
| 1968 |
100 Oaks Mall opens to huge crowds as
Nashville's first major indoor Mall. |
| 1972 |
Theme park
Opryland USA opens in northeast Davidson County. |
| 1975 |
Cascade
Plunge Swimming Pool closes in
1975. The 200-foot-by-80-foot
pool drew young and old to dip in it's cooling waters. In the
1950s and 1960s, more than 1,000 people a day often came to the
pool. |
| 1975 |
Marcia
Trimble's body is found in a neighborhood garage, 33 days after
her disappearance on Easter Sunday. Nashville loses it's
innocence. |
This page is dedicated to
Fred Harvey,
Sr.
If you enjoyed this page
please e-mail this web address
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This website is always needing pictures of
the Hippodrome, Cascade Plunge, Fair
Park, Kids ball fields/teams at Fort Negley, Museums, Shelby
Park, Madison, etc.
Please write me if
you have any.
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|
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