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GOING DOWN TOWN WITH GRANDPA

 

It was really a great day when I could walk with my grandfather, Rev. H. I. Cook. He would stop and exchange pleasantries with everyone we met. After crossing the bridge at the Central Office, where the phone company had their operators, probably one at a time., the next building was then the post office. He would stop and chat with the postmaster, Fernando Williams, then on to William's Dry goods store, owned and operated by Mary Elizabeth (Mollie) Williams, wife of the postmaster. Little did I realize that years later, I would marry the Williams granddaughter, Margaret Ann Allen.

In those days, an order to Sears & Roebuck could be paid for in postage stamps so the post office did a thriving stamp business. I also remember saving a Ralston box top and along with a nickel, ordering this genuine wooden Tom Mix six-shooter. It was a nice toy but the paper handles were white and I replaced them many times with new paper because a Tom Mix aficionado could not have a dirty, pearl handled six- shooter.

The next stop would be the Wright Drug Store, run by Lake Wright and his wife. Next we had the Piggly Wiggly run by Johns Martin. The next stores escape me. Don't remember whether the Mosries Department Store was there or not. Then we had the White Front Cafe and the barber shop. Fult Pennington and Beverly Stevens, were two of the barbers there and at times, as many as six barbers were working at one time. Shelby Pennington was the resident shoe shine boy. I believe the Hub, owned by Joe Jaber was the next department store and then there was a vacant lot. Somewhere in here, Arlie Basham had a jewelry store but remember, what I am recalling was a long time ago. About the time of my grandfather's death, Sam Akel moved two old streetcars into that lot and opened the Streetcar Lunch. Next was Hadden's Department Store and the A & P. The next building on the corner was a bank that had failed. The Busy Bee restaurant was across the street in a wooden frame building. We were near the end of the street and I believe the buildings on the street at right angles to this street contained Pat Murphy's Insurance Agency, another drug store, and a low frame building which housed Bruno Bartucca's shoe repair shop.

When I was in the first or second grade, I got a pair of lace up boots, which I loved. Now children wear out shoes quickly so when they needed new soles, I came to the shop, sat there and watched Mr. Bartucca resole my boots. My grandfather came by and picked me up when he was finished.

Next door to Bartucca's Shop was another old wooden building ,which housed the dry cleaning shop of Kate James, a black lady who finally brought dry cleaning to the town. She was a friendly lady and I remember going back of the shop with some friends to watch her prepare a turtle for the pot. She had cut out the heart and stuck it on a splinter and it still beat for quite some time. Turning left at the building on the comer, which became the second post office , we headed toward the bridge. I believe the only other building was a restaurant run by Woodie Sangid. After crossing the bridge, the Bank of Matoaka was on the left and the home and office of the two Doctor Harloes was opposite it on the other side of the road. The side of the street with the doctors' office also had several other residences and a garage, where Noah Hawkes worked.

The side of the street where the bank was had Casey's Chevrolet Dealership. a residence, and Lee Bailey's business, where he sold bee keeping supplies and the things sold by a hatchery. There was an Esso station on the comer. Turning right on what was Route 10, leading out of town were a row of tin garages, which formed an L, with a gap for an alley and these tin garages extended behind all the houses on the Dr. Harloe side of the road. All I could figure they could have been used for was as stables when the horse was all the rage. I remember going out during lunch hour and watching Edgar York sharpening mining tools and making some. He had a blacksmith shop in one of these garages and it was fascinating to watch him beat the cherry red metal into the shape he wanted. I'm not sure when these tin garages were torn down because I left Matoaka while in the fourth grade and the Blankenships built a filling station on part of the site. They sold pop and candy so the school children liked to go there.

Now, lest I forget, on the start of our trip through town, we neglected the right side of the street. We will again start at the central office, after crossing the bridge. On the right, was the Ford Agency, owned by Okie Garret. My father once worked for him and at that time, you could buy any color of a Ford car, as long as it was a shade of black.. I believe the whole top floor of the building was for storing cars because I remember when with my father, father driving on the elevator and riding it upstairs. The upstairs was later converted into apartments when the building was sold. Once I fell down the steps and my father drove home a Model T Ford and gave me a ride in it. By this time, they were selling Model A fords, some with rumble seats, which vanished from cars years ago.

I'm not sure the Feed Store was there then or came later. Then we had a vacant lot and Matoaka Theater, run by John R. Powell. There was a small haberdashery store next to the theater, run by Percy Williams, who married Mrs. Yost, my second grade teacher. I believe the next structure was the Matoaka Hotel, next an empty store and the Pool Room, run by Carse Tabor. There may have been another empty store between the Pool Room and the Carter Hardware but I'm not sure. Next, a vacant lot and Tabor's Five and Ten, later known as the Polecat Inn. On the corner was the Original Busy Bee restaurant, run by M. E. Williams and his wife. Rounding the corner was the Moose Lodge Building , Mr. Epling�s Jewelry Store, and around the corner, the Midkiff Hotel, run by Nellie Midkiff and her brother, who had lost a leg.

On these trips, grandfather knew everybody and they knew him. I just hope he enjoyed my company as much as I enjoyed being with him.

Musings of Henry T. Cook, Lt. Col., USMC (Ret.)