Another One with a Certain How You Say ...

From the John Holly Williams Collection -- LLF Library

"A copy of (a photo of) a girl sitting in grass was made for Mrs. W. A. Garner; Rt 3, Box 58, Brookhaven Miss. The date that the copy was made was September 6, 1945," -- Library caption.

Here's another photo from Mr. Williams' collection that has a strange, captivating quality.  The subject is holding what appears to be flowers, possibly made of tissue, and what may be a paper cutout that I can only describe as bearing a resemblance to the Easter Seals symbol. (But a quick check of the internet shows that that trademark didn't come into being until 1952.)  

Her unusual pose and pensive gaze toward the horizon only add to the intrigue.  

Just who she is (a Garner perhaps?) and the occasion for the photo remain a mystery, although the copy was made just a few days after the Japanese surrendered and WWII drew to an official close.  Could she be waiting for a soldier or a sailor to return home?  

If anyone recognizes this young lady and knows the history of how this photo came to be, please leave word her or on Facebook.

A Teen Hang Out Disappears and a Shopping Center Rises

Both Photos from the Don Jackson Collection, LLF Library

"Shainberg's, Sears, and T G & Y are located in this shopping center," -- Library caption.

It's the mid 1960s, based on the Mustang in the top photo, but the exact date, I cannot recall. I seem to remember that Hammond's, where they served the best brown derby ice cream custards ever, was atop a hill, approximately where the photographer was standing in the second photo.  

Help as far as the history of this center is needed and welcomed, here or on Facebook.

A Tourist Court from the 1950s

From the Don Jackson Collection -- LLF Library

"The back view of a motel. Name of the motel is Danny's Tourist Court." -- Library caption.

This one has me stumped.  I don't recall it at all.  Help is welcome in determining its history, location, etc.  Please leave word here or on my Facebook page.

In my research, I did find some interesting reading on the rise and fall of the Mom and Pop motel industry along the nation's old highway system.  Here's the link if you are so inclined.

Ma Bell Gets a New Home

Both Photos from the Don Jackson Collection, LLF Library

"This large building foundation belongs to Bell Telephone Company. You can see Fisk Tire business in the background." -- Library caption.

I am not clear on the date of these photos, but it most likely from the early 1960s.  I like the above shot for the background, depicting the "Fisk Tire" business and building that was razed in 1971 to make way for the First Baptist Church on East Monticello. The building sporting the Paul Johnson banner is the old Entrican Motors building, which still stands today.

The photo below (which ran in a previous Sippiana post) shows the street level view and reveals that the "foundation" mentioned in the above caption is actually the roof of the building.  

Further helping to narrow the possible date, the "newest" car that I recognize is the 1959 Chevy on the far right. Johnson ran for Lieutenant Governor in 1959 and won, but I suspect the banner may have been for his bid for governor some four years later.  (The previous posting shows the large, two-story home that was sold in 1958 and later torn down to make way for this new commercial structure.)

This telephone company building stands today, though I am unclear as to whether it is still the home of Ma Bell.  

Comments are welcome here or on my Facebook page, especially as to dates.   

A Soldier and a Sailor

"George Case in a soldier uniform with a man wearing a sailor's uniform. Date 12/31/1945." -- Library caption.

If anyone knows more about these two members of the military, please leave word here or on my Facebook page. 

National Guard Officers 1948

"Several officers on a stage shaking hands . Note reads 'American vet meeting National guard officers.' Taken for the Leader Co. 10/20/1948." -- Library Caption.

Not sure who these gents are, or the occasion, but in honor of this Memorial Day Weekend, I give you this photo from the John Holly Williams Collection.

As always, if you recognize anyone please leave a note here or on my Facebook page.

Whitworth Campus, Circa Late 1800s, Early 1900s

From the LLF Library Collection

A westbound view of Cherokee Street not often seen ... The spire in the background is most likely that of the first First Methodist Church.  The twin buildings in the foreground were likely designed by Capt. A.E. Moreton, a young Baltimore architect who, through sheer serendipity, met the college's founder on a northbound train in 1859, disembarked in Brookhaven and never looked back.

An earlier post showed an eastbound view of Cherokee Street from this approximate time period.  To view that photo, showing downtown buildings and the townspeople ready for a parade, please click on this link.

A Prize Catch and a Possible Clue to a Mystery ...

From the John Holly Williams Collection, LLF Library

"Five men holding a long line of fish. Taken downtown Brookhaven. Date 8/13/1951." -- Library Caption

I am featuring this photo not so much for the catch and the unnamed men and little boy to the far right, but for what's in the background -- Gulley's Men's Store.  

Two days ago, a post of Wilson's Department Store got a lot of people wondering where on earth it might have been in downtown Brookhaven, if at all, and a lively debate ensued on my Facebook page.  

I am thinking that since Gulley's (now the approximate location of Smith's Jewelers) was east of Benoits and west of Hodge's, that Gulley's was probably the location for Wilson's, which operated in the mid 1960s, according to a Facebook friend who worked there over the Christmas holidays in 1965.  

Comments, opinions, and respectful disagreements are welcome, here or on Facebook!  

I just love a mystery, don't you?

Also, if anyone recognizes any of the men or the little boy in the photo, please offer up names.  

David Davidson as a Tot

From the John Holly Williams Collection -- LLF Library

"Several pictures show a mother and her little boy at home reading a book. Some of the pictures are single poses of the mother and some are single poses of the little boy. Only information is the name 'Davidson,' and the date 1945." -- Library caption.

I am going to go out on a limb here and say this toddler is David Davidson, born Feb. 13, 1943. His parents were Burton Kinchen Davidson (1904-1988) and Elizabeth Pitts Davidson (1906-1998).  

From what I know, Burton Davidson and photographer John Holly Williams were the best of friends, and Mr. Williams and his wife treated David like the son they never had.  For many years after World War II, the Davidsons lived in the Florida Keys, where David's father worked for the U.S. government.

Mr. Williams kept an old Model T Ford parked outside his Art Studio during the late 1950s to help attract business, and he was more than happy to allow Dave and my brother Sam drive around town in a most unique car and attract pretty young girls in the process.

David grew up to be a crooner and a musician. Please see this link to view an earlier Sippiana Succotash post featuring David as the entertainer at one of the Lion's Club Water Carnivals.

UPDATE:  My brother, who was friends with David for many years, reports that David married the daughter of the President of Costa Rica and lived there for many years.  After that marriage ended, he lived in Fort Lauderdale and owned a bar there.  He arrived back in Brookhaven around 1978 or 1979. My brother lost touch with him after 1983, when he was last known to be selling cars in Brookhaven and still dabbling in music.

David died Dec. 5, 2002, age 59.  He is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Brookhaven, and his black granite grave marker, which has an etching of a guitar on it, is not far from the old stone fountain.

  

Wilson Department Store

Don Jackson Collection -- LLF Library

"Wilson Department Store -- Lewis Wilson had this photo taken of a men's department store. The store shows suits on a wall and also hats." -- Library caption.

Okay, I'll admit it -- this one has me completely stumped.  I do not recall a Wilson Department Store, nor do I recognize any of the people in this photo.  Perhaps this is from a neighboring town or perhaps I just have a huge gap in my knowledge of the merchants in the area?  

Help is appreciated on this one!  Here or on Facebook.

1956 Chevy and Friends

From the Don Jackson Collection -- LLF Library

Two classics sit wrecked at an auto body shop in downtown Brookhaven.  This is circa 1960, based on the Chevrolet in the background.

I haven't been able to figure out the make and model of the little convertible to the left of the 1956 Chevy, although I suspect it's an MG or a Triumph.  Motorheads feel free to chime in on what you know about these cars.

Update:  The convertible to the left of the Chevy is most likely an Austin-Healey MK1 3000, and the year could be 1959, '60 or '61, based on my cursory search of the internet.  Thanks to Larry Morgan for putting me straight on the supposition this car was an MG or a Triumph.  The motto of the Austin Healey at the time was "Go fast and look good doing it," or words to that effect.  It appears the driver took that motto to heart.

Walley-Field Drugs and More

From the Don Jackson Collection, LLF Library

"One of Brookhaven's downtown buildings was the home of Walley-Field drug store. A cafe that was 

next door can also be seen." -- Library caption.

Based on the cars, this photo was probably taken circa WWII, possibly earlier.  I not sure which building housed Walley Field, although I was always under the impression it was near Jackson Studio.  


The spilt back windows and the two tail lights can be something of an indicator of the makes and models, although the poor resolution on either photograph is a hindrance to my best efforts at Googling and matching up these cars to classics.

I would appreciate any car enthusiast who knows more about the makes and models than I do to help me out by leaving a message here or on my Facebook page.

  

Brookhaven's Bravest ... And Our Very Own "Red" ...

From the Don Jackson Collection, LLF Library 

"Brookhaven Fire Department -- Several men are standing on a street in front of a fire truck."  -- Library caption.

Names?  Dates?  Please offer up what you may know.  My best guess that this photo was taken in the mid to late 1960s.  They are standing in front of the old brick fire house from 1910, which is at the back of old City Hall, now home to the Chamber of Commerce.  The steps on the lower right are those of the first public library. 

On a personal note: I simply love the 1956 American LaFrance fire truck on the right, since I am a diehard fan of the animated movie Cars, which featured a "shy" fire truck just like this one called "Red."  

I wonder the fate of Brookhaven's own version of "Red."  Anyone know?

Update: I'm told that third from left is Paul Sartin. 

A Lawyer, a Banker and Tree Farmer

From the Don Jackson Collection -- LLF Library

Hugh V. Wall was a lawyer and a banker, and, at one point in his life, ran for Congress, according to information on file at the Ole Miss archives. If this photograph is any indication, he evidently was a tree farmer/conservationist as well.

Wall died in 1965, and his daughter, Valerie Wall Campbell, lead the State Bank as a director and major stockholder for more than 40 years, until her death in 2009 -- this, according to Sylvia Campbell Hall, daughter of  Jewel and Valerie Wall Campbell.

Just who is pictured here is awaiting annotation from Sylvia or others who may be familiar with this photograph.  I will update as soon as I am able. 

War Brides and Best Girls at McCall's Creek

L to R: Louise Stratton, Unidentified, Mary Becker Hatcher, Unidentified, and Adine Becker Hill 

L to R: Adine Becker Hill,  Louise Stratton,  Unidentified (FennCile Arrington?), Unidentified and Unidentified 

These really fun snapshots are courtesy of Bettie Hatcher Cox, whose mother Mary Becker Hatcher is pictured in the first photograph.

These beautiful young women hung out together during WWII while waiting for their husbands and/or boyfriends to return home from the war.

Here they are posing for the camera at McCall's Creek, a popular sunning and cooling off spot for generations of Piney Woods dwellers.

If anyone recognizes those who are unidentified, please leave word here or on my Facebook page.

Blogger's Note: A special thank you to Bettie for forwarding these delightful photos.  

UPDATE:  Arrington family members believe the lady second from left in the first photograph may be Sash Arrington, sister of A. C. Arrington, rather than his bride, FennCile, the identification of which, I concede, was my error, having probably seen a picture of Sash when I was a kid, hanging out with my best friend Ursula at her house, and mistaking it for her Momma FennCile.

The family is uncertain whether that is FennCile in the second photo, rocking the white framed sunglasses, so if anyone out there recognizes this long-stemmed beauty, please leave a note here or on Facebook.

Keeping It Real, Keeping It Clean!

From the Don Jackson Collection, LFF Library

"Keep Your City Clean -- Several men are standing on a street in downtown Brookhaven Mississippi. They are members of the Junior Chamber of Commerce. They are showing the new trash cans for the downtown area of Brookhaven."  -- Library caption.

This one is driving me crazy. 

The man on the left looks like a youthful James Noble, Esq., and the man directly behind him looks so very familiar, but the name simply isn't coming to me -- although I am inclined to think it MAY be Henry Ware Hobbs, Esq. 

While the detail isn't sharp enough for me to say definitively, I can only imagine that the man on the far right is wearing a seersucker suit.  The spectator shoes and the Panama hat are so natty, I can hardly stand it! 

My best guess is this was taken in the late 1940s, given the car models in the distance and the neckties.

If anyone recognizes any of these men, please leave word here or on my Facebook page.

UPDATE:  We have a consensus:  It is agreed that James Noble and Henry Ware Hobbs are the start of the L-R.  The next in the L-R is a ? and Bill Perkins is holding the trash can and Milton Schesinger, owner of the Shirley Slipper Shop, is standing on the right of the receptacle.    

Next in the L-R is ? and the natty dresser on the far right is Jewel Campbell, who owned Dixie Lumber Company and who served as mayor of Brookhaven 1950-52.  Campbell also dabbled in real estate development in Brookhaven and Jackson, according to his daughter Sylvia.

Some have suggested that Honey Godbold is in this picture, but I am unable to recognize which of the two remaining candidates would step forward to make that claim.  Additional help is needed in that regard!!

C.B. Perkins Hardware

From the Don Jackson Collection, LLF Library

"C B Perkins --A large group of boys is standing in front of the C. B. Perkins building. Mike Parker had this copy made." -- Library caption

Hard to say when this photograph may have been taken -- the clothing styles are roughly from 90 to 100 years ago, if family pictures of my father are indicative of the fashion of that day.

One thing this photo does tell us: that "cauliflower" coating on the exterior of the building, which still stands today across from the old railroad depot, has been there a very long time.

Coach! (and Friends)

From the John Holly Williams Collection

"Men sitting around a table. Note reads 'City of Brookhaven.' Date 3/8/1951." -- LLF Library Caption

Yesterday's post of the old City Pool brought up a lot of fond memories of a man we all simply called Coach.  

Coach Robert L.Therrell, with his ever-present impish smile, is pictured here at age 55, first row, second from right.  

This photo caption does not carry identifications, and I am not sure who most of these folks are, although I suspect that they may be the board of aldermen in 1951.  I think recognize Lucien Whittington, second from the left, in the lighter colored suit.

At the time this photo was taken, Jewel Campbell was mayor. 

W.W. "Honey" Godbold Sr. served as mayor from 1953 to 1962,  and when he died in office, his wife Myrtis stepped into his role for one year, 1962 to 1963. (Could that be Honey in the center chair?) 

According to Dr. Jack Tindall's book, Coach was elected mayor in 1963 and served in that capacity until 1965.   

Coach died Oct. 18, 1986, at age 90.  Information from Findagrave shows that he was born in Rankin County and served as a second lieutenant in the US Army during WWI.  He and wife Ruby Landrum Therrell had one child, Bobbye F. Therrell, who suffered from cerebral palsy.  

The 1940 Census gives a slightly different account, saying Coach was born in Texas.  His daughter was reported to be 15 in 1940, which would put her birthdate at 1925 and not 1921 as reported on FindaGrave.  Her date of death is also in question, with Findagrave reporting it to be 1993, but others who knew the family well report that she passed away before her father, in 1983.

As always, feel free to offer up names of anyone you recognize in this photo, either here or on my Facebook page.  

Sum, Sum, Summer Time!

From the Don Jackson Collection at the Lincoln, Lawrence, Franklin Library

"Brookhaven Swimming Pool -- A group of young people are gathered at the public swimming pool ... This swimming pool was located behind the public high school." -- Library caption.

Come on in, the water's fine!  Based on the style of dress, my best guess is this picture of the city pool was taken in the mid to late 1950s.  

I like this shot because it is rare to see a straight-on view of the cabanas and the area where my mother would fish me out of the pool, cover me with a towel, and on the way out via those center doors, buy me a frozen treat.  

On the other side of that building, I and my friends, with blue lips and goose flesh from spending hours in the pool, ended many a summer day dripping wet and fully chlorinated, giving ourselves brain freeze with banana popsicles or frozen Snicker bars.  

This Olympic-sized pool is where countless children learned how to swim in the shallow end and others honed their skills as divers on the other.  It is also the scene of the Lion's Club Water Carnival, which has been featured many times on this blog.  

Major William Sherman Rutter supervised the construction of the high school in 1937-38 (replacing the red brick structure that was destroyed by fire) and the city pool in 1939-40, along with the stadium, football field and the country club, according to his granddaughter Rachel Rutter Manning.  

For any number of reasons, the City Pool was closed in the 1970s, and a BHS academic building now stands on this location.

Car Wreck, 'Mater, the Old Courthouse and a Service Station Sign

From the Don Jackson Collection at the Lincoln, Lawrence, Franklin Library

I like this one for oh, so many reasons -- and it's largely for what's pictured in the background:  the Kees wrecker (affectionately referred to as 'Mater by us fans of the animated movie Cars); the long-gone Courthouse in the background center, and the old Gulf sign.

This photo is likely from 1961 or later, if I am correctly identifying the tail lights of the Chevrolet Bel Air near the Gulf sign.

If anyone out there knows more about this photograph, including the circumstances of the wreck of what appears to be a 1954 Ford, fire away here or on my Facebook page.

School's Out! and So's the Milk!

From the Don Jackson Collection

"Got Milk?  Several people are in a restaurant.  Empty milk bottles are sitting on a table where some girls are sitting." -- Lincoln, Lawrence, Franklin Library caption.

Two of the girls are long-time high educators Blanche Mathison (Modern Analysis, Trig; Algebra), center, and Theresia Abshagen (English IV, Spoken English, Annual Adviser), right.  

Just who the lady is in the ruffled dress and the name of the man -- though his face is familiar -- are not registering in my old brain and help is needed.

If anyone can put names to faces in this photo, including those in the background and a possible date, which I would think is from the 1950s or early 1960s, feel free to leave a comment here or on my Facebook page.  Identifying the location would also be welcomed!

Update: The couple in the background (seated behind Miss Mathison) is Mr. and Mrs. Roy Malta.  The suggested dates have ranged from the 1940s to 1960.  

When Wesson Was a Boomtown ...

From the Don Jackson Collection, Lincoln, Lawrence, Franklin Library

"Main street in Wesson Mississippi. This was a copy that Mr Jackson made for a Mr Kern. Scanned from a 4 x 5 hard copy." -- Library caption.

Here's one I've not seen before.  This old postcard appears to be from the late 1800s, depicting the engine driving the economy, Mississippi Mills in the tall buildings.  Try as I may, I still cannot get my bearings in relation to today's town landscape.  If someone can turn me around and orient me, I would appreciate it.  I think some of the buildings on the left are still in existence today, but I could be wrong.