East Laurel Street

Here are historical photos of the north side of the square.


Early 1900s

Notice that the Bank Building, Garland Building, and Brown Building are the only buildings in this photo still seen on the square today. This photo is from W. Jerry Gist’s book.



Here is another view from this time period, from Walt Hammer’s book.




1908






Winter of 1917-18

Bill Tally pointed on in commentary on this photo in Facebook that the church steeple in this photo belongs to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church (located in what is now the parking lot of Word Lumber) before the church built a new building in 1954 and moved to 315 South Kyle Street. Bill points out that the Hal Hurt family lived in the house to the left of the church, and that his grandfather and father’s family lived to the right of the church.



Here are two others from this set of 1917-1918 photos from the set purchased on eBay, this showing the north side of town behind the square. Notice Tater Knob is in the first photo.







1920, from the court house steeple




Late 1920s

The two-story brick on the corner is the Brown Building. The second story of the Brown Build was was removed in the 1960s. The two current (brick) buildings that adjoin the Brown Building were not constructed until the late 1920s. The current buildings replaced the wooden frame buildings we see in this photo.





1931 during the Scottsboro Boys trial






Thomas Shipp’s 1930s photo




1930s north side




Alfred Eisenstadt famous WPA photo of “The Melon Seller, 1930s




1937

This photo of another melon seller on the square was from the Matthews sisters and, based on the truck in the photo, John Allen estimates it was made about 1937.



1939






During a WWII Bond Rally











Late 1940s




Postcards from the 1940s






1948 Dean and Bernice Saint, with Dean leaving for Ft. Hood, TX

This photo of the Saints is from The Daily Sentinel book . Ann Chambless thinks that this photo was made on the north side of the square opposite the bandstand with four of the (eastern-most) windows of the Hackworth Building showing and the roofline of the Brown-Robinson Building and the Brown Building on the corner. I think I can see an American flag on a high pole in this early 1940s photo. IF so, that could have been when the post office was in the ground floor of the Hackworth Building. The area in front of the bandstand and sulfur well were well known spots for photos of soldiers in the 1940s, as this area was the Greyhound bus stop during that time period.




1950s



Notice that Stone’s clothing store of the corner of Laurel and Market can be clearly seen in this photo, the only photo I know of of this store. This photo is from Leroy Gist’s book.




Late 1950s




1957 aerial view




Early 1960s homecoming parade




2010 north side of the square from the Howland Building




”Then and Now” from Jackson Magazine



Snapshot Views of Laurel Street


The businesses on all sides of the square changed over time and as new buildings were built. We have reliable “snapshots” of the square from such public documents as phone books and city directories.


1956

Businesses located on the North side of the square according to the 1956 phone book.

  • 228 West Martin’s Grocery
  • 223 West Coca Cola Bottling Company
  • 212 West Independent Produce
  • 209 West Red Hot Store
  • 206 West H. O. Bynum and Son Livestock
  • 203 West Scottsboro Auto Parts
  • 107 West Rough and Tumble Furniture

  • 101 W. H. Payne Drug Company
  • 105 Brewer’s/Brewster’s Grocery Store
  • 109 Word Furniture
  • 113 Majestic Cafe
  • 115 Derrick Insurance and Real Estate
  • 121 Cinderella Beauty Salon
  • 123 Woodall’s Ready-to-Wear
  • 125 Bocanita Theater
  • 129 City Cafe
  • 131 C. O. Reed Agency (National Bank Building)
  • 131 State National Bank of Decatur (National Bank Building)
  • 133 Children’s Shoppe
  • 137 Wales Jewelry
  • 137 Dr. Sarah Archly, Optometrist (Hackworth Building)
  • 137 H. T. Foster, Attorney (Hackworth Building)
  • 137 Hamlet and Smith, Attorneys (Hackworth Building)
  • 137 Hembree Insurance Agency (Hackworth Building)
  • 137 Federal Land Bank of New Orleans (Hackworth Building)
  • 137 National Farm Loan Association (Hackworth Building)
  • 141 Hodges Drug Store
  • 143 Quality Store
  • 145 Stone’s Department Store

  • 204 Health Department
  • 205 Pioneer Finance
  • 205 Skelton TV Service
  • 207 Webb Beauty Shoppe (Skelton Building)
  • 209 Lovelady Tax Service
  • 211 Payne and Westmoreland Florist
  • 230 Shell Service Station

  • 307 Hodges Hospital

1961

Businesses located on the North side of the square according to the 1961 phone book.

  • 203 West Laurel Scottsboro Auto Parts
  • 209 West Laurel Red Hot Store
  • 223 West Laurel Scottsboro CocaCola Bottling Plant
  • 228 West Laurel Speed Wash Coin Operated Laundry
  • 107 West Laurel Rough and Tumble Furniture

  • 101 Payne’s Drug Store
  • 105 L. D. Cobb Grocer
  • 109 Word Furniture
  • 111 Lays Ten Cent Store
  • 115 Hembree Insurance
  • 115 Hembree Realty
  • 115 R. M. Starkey Sr. Real Estate
  • 123 Woodall’s Read-to-Wear
  • 129 Swaim’s Restaurant
  • 131 State National Bank
  • 131 O. G. Whitaker Insurance (State National Bank Building)
  • 131 C. H. Moore Real Estate (State National Bank Building)
  • 131 H. O. Weeks, Attorney (State National Bank Building
  • 133 Ladies and Childrens Shoppe
  • 137 Wales Jewelry
  • 137 H. T. Foster, Attorney (Hackworth Building)
  • 137 Hamlet and Smith, Attorneys (Hackworth Building)
  • 141 Hodges Drugs
  • 143 The Quality Store
  • 145 Stone’s Department Store

  • 204 Dr. Sarah Atchley, Optometrist
  • 209 Lovelady Tax Service
  • 211 Mary Carter Paint

  • 307 Hodges Hospital


1966

Businesses located on the North side of the square according to the 1966 phone book. A lot has happened between 1961 and 1966. Phone numbers are now seven digits instead or 2 or 3. Businesses are moving off the square in greater numbers to location further down Broad street and on the Ft. Payne Highway. Other retail locations, like Holiday Plaza on East Willow, are becoming available.

  • 106 West Mary’s Styleorama
  • 107 West Laurel Rough and Tumble Furniture
  • 203 West Scottsboro Auto Parts
  • 209 West Derrick Red Hot Store>/li>
  • 226 West Bobbye Manning’s Beauty Salon
  • 230 West H & H Pharmacy

  • 101 Payne’s Drugs
  • 107 Tom’s Cafe
  • 109 Word Furniture
  • 111 Lays 5 and 10
  • 115 Hembree Insurance
  • 123 Woodall’s Ready-to-Wear
  • 131 State National Bank of Alabama
  • 131 American-Amicable Life Insurance Company (State National Bank Building)
  • 131 R. B. Derrick Real Estate (State National Bank Building)
  • 131 Clarence H. Moore, Real Estate (State National Bank Building)
  • 131 C. O. Reed, Insurance (State National Bank Building
  • 133 H. O. Weeks, Attorney (State National Bank Building)
  • 137 Wales Jewelry
  • 137 John B. Tally, Attorney (Hackworth Building)
  • 137 H. T. Foster, Attorney (Hackworth Building)
  • 137 Hamlet and Smith, Attorneys (Hackworth Building)
  • 141 Hodges Drug Dtore
  • 143 Radcliff’s Quality Store (Ratliff or Radcliffe)
  • 145 Kennamer’s Store

  • 205 Century Finance Company
  • 207 Nita’s Beauty Salon
  • 208 Mutual Savings Insurance Company
  • 210 Shell Service Station
  • 211 Mary Carter Paints

  • 307 Dr. Durwood Hodges
  • 307 Hodges Clinic

  • 404 Jacobs and Moody Insurance
  • 406 Jacobs Bank


1956 1960 1961 1965 1966 1967 1970 1972 1975
101 W.H. Payne Drugs NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC
105 Brewer’s Grocery L.D. Cobb Grocery NC NC No data No data No data No data
107 No data Deluxe Barber Shop No data Tom’s Cafe NC NC NC
109 Word Furniture NC NC NC NC NC NC
111 No data Lay & Company NC NC NC NC NC
113 Majestic Cafe NC No data No data No data No data
115 Derrick Insurance & Real Estate Hembree Insurance and Real Estate
R. M. Starkey Real Estate		 NC NC NC NC NC NC
117 No data J. H. Westmoreland Shoe Shop
G. E. Young Furniture & Rooms		 No data Deluxe Barber Shop No data No data Deluxe Barber Shop (121) NC/td>
123 Woodall’s Ready-to-Wear NC NC NC NC No data Ronald A. Drummond, Attorney
Jack Livingston, Attorney
125 Bocanita Theater NC No data W.E. Garner, Attorney No data Lorches
127 No data OK Barber Shop No data Martin Barber Shop No data Martin’s Barber Shop NC
129 City Cafe Swaim Restaurant NC Charles Restaurant No data Charles Restaurant NC
131 State National Bank
C.O. Reed Agency		 State National Bank
Aetna Causalty & Surety
Columbian Mutual Life Insurance
C.O. Reed Agency
Title Guarantee & Abstract
H.O. Weeks, Attorney
O. G. Whitaker Insurance 		State National Bank
H.O. Weeks, Attorney
O. G. Whitaker Insurance
C. H. Moore Real Estate 		NC NC State National Bank
Wesley Johnson Real Estate		 Century Finance
Morgan H. Weeks
Harold O. Weeks
133 Children’s Shoppe Ladies & Children’s Shoppe NC No data H. O. Weeks, Attorney No data No data
137 Wales Jewelry Wales Jewelry
Federal Land Bank Assn.
H.T. Foster, Attorney
Andy Hamlet Jr., Attorney 		NC NC but add J.B. Tally, Attorney NC Wales Jewelry
G. T. Foster, Accountant
H. T. Foster, Attorney
Andy Hamlet Jr., Attorney 		NC, add William. W. Haralson
141 Hodges Drug Store NC NC NC NC Hodges Books and Sundries Kay’s Book and Gift Shop
143 Quality Store Ratliff’s Quality Store The Quality Store Ratliff’s Quality Store NC Ratliff Dept. Store NC
145 Stone’s Dept. Store NC NC NC Kennamer’s
J. S. Liles Insurance (147)		 Kennamer’s (no Liles) NC NC