Monday, November 17, 2008

Frankstown, and Franks' Store





These are a couple of photos of the intersection of highways MS-30 and US-45 at Frankstown. They are dated, and approximately 15 or so years apart. As you can see, US-45 wasn't paved at the time of the older photo (neither was 30).

Most of the buildings are still there! Also pictured is the gin, which still remains, but is not used as such.

We discussed in an earlier post how US 45 once came through the center of the town of Baldwyn (Second Street) and moved farther West in the mid-30s to what is now 4th Street, and eventually was four-laned and moved even farther West.
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Photos courtesy of Jim Miller


8 comments:

  1. Carl, I remember Hwy 30 before it was paved, my dad always drove to New Albany on 30 when we made a trip to Memphis. We had a gray 4 door "46" Ford, (no air cond.) man the dust was unbelivable til we got to hwy 78-- the houses built close to the road would spray the area in front with water and/or old oil to keep the dust down-- in fact that was my job at one time when we lived on West Main in Baldwyn--that street was quiet dusty also, you may remember ---

    Later
    John Melvin

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  2. I made many trips to Franks' Store riding up the highway on my bicycle from the Anderson farm which was a half mile south of Frankstown. (Now the McKissick place.) Little girls could do that back in those days. The original highway was a little to the east of the present highway. It ran through Granddaddy's cotton field. My dad worked on the crew laying out the road. It came out below Bob Cappleman's house which was just south of the cotton gin which you can see in the '50s picture.

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  3. Can you get the 1935 picture oriented for me? Which highway is which?

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  4. Jo, I added the photo of the gin after you mentioned it. Should have put it in before. Bet you remember it, huh?

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  5. TMG, I believe the photo is looking north, and US 45 is in the foreground. I know the Franks home is/was to the west of the store and is to the store's left in the photo. Also, there is a highway marker to the left which has the distinctive outline of a US highway sign, so that would be on US 45, I would think.

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  6. I remember Mrs. Franks made and sold the most delicious fried pies I ever ate! They were filled with fresh apples and peaches from her trees.

    They were fried somehow and were very crispy on the edges, the way I like 'em!

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  7. The 1950 photo looks exactly like I remrmber the scene. Bob Arnold built a store directly across from the gin--don't know if he or the store is still around. JM, I can attest to the dust problem--our house was about a mile further than the end of original blacktop and at times it was hard to handle.
    The building directly across Frank's store was a small cafe/coffee shop where JB Dugger parked as Constable waiting to prey on out of state drivers transporting hooch in their luggage. There was a JP just South of the intersection who was the jurist in these cases--forgot his name. Needless to say, not many acquitals were handed down. I seem to recall that AAA printed some type of warning to members planning to drive this stretch of US45.

    David

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  8. The Presley brothers ran that cafe across from the Franks store.

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