TOP: A photo of a possible funeral procession with the casket on display in the center of town (M. Gorden's in the background). This is about 1944-45. Some have thought that it might be the funeral of Uncle George, the porter at the Home Hotel, but that would have been 1949. Any ideas from the more senior readers?
SECOND. The Ritz theater. How much of our time did we spend in there?
THIRD. Marie Evans takes a break from her duties at Tom's Drug Store.
FOURTH. "Hizzoner" the mayor of Baldwyn for many years and Mrs. Heflin at their home patio with homemade furniture.
LOWER. Jimmy Cunningham and Alton Wallis (Wallace?) and the grocery delivery truck from Cunningham's store. About 1954.
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Photo credits: Clips from "Around Town" video by Claude Gentry. Third and fourth photos courtesy of Clarene Evans and David Heflin. Lower photo courtesy of Jim Greene.
Top photo looks like the Saturday drawing to me.
ReplyDeleteMost of my meager allowance was spent at the Ritz and the soda fountain at Tom's. I remember Marie made the best cherry sundaes!
ReplyDeleteThey would let you read comic books as long as you were sipping something.
Well, my perception is varied. That very well could be the drawing, owing to the crowd. But, I've seen a lot of caskets in my lifetime and that sure looks like one to me. Sometimes a funeral motorcade would stop in places like downtown and let folks pay respects to the deceased.
ReplyDeleteThe top photo has been "shopped around" to older Baldwynians and they have mixed ideas about it. Most seem to agree on a funeral, but no one has any idea who or when exactly.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a casket to me too, yall. Notice also that most everyone is dressed up somewhat. We may never know who or what is going on>.
ReplyDeleteI ALSO THINK ITS A CASKET BUT WHAT IS IT SITTING ON??
ReplyDeleteI noticed last year while walking downtown Baldwyn that the old Ritz building has been converted for use as school offices or something. The beautiful facade is still prominent, tho.
ReplyDeleteThere was a lot of facelift construction in progress then including the gutting of some old stores like Johnny Arnold's dry goods. What are they doing?
Sue
Actually it is the roof of a pickup cab, notice the reflections in the windshield just below the roofline in front.
ReplyDeleteAlton "shorty" Wallis cut meat for Cunningham's for many decades. He was the father of Jimmy Wallis, BHS grad.
George Pearce's funeral, who worked at Home Hotel, maybe? I always heard that was well attended and stores closed.
ReplyDeleteDo you have a picture of the Lyric theatter across the street?
ReplyDeleteI tend to agree with Milton. That looks like the top of a pickup and there are people standing in the bed. There could very well be something like a funeral going on, but that looks like a cab top!
ReplyDeleteThe revitalization of downtown Baldwyn has stopped with the news that Mr. Davis has been charged with some wrongdoing. It was going good for a while, but may never be started again.
ReplyDeleteWish it had continued....
I have spent many happy days playing with SeeSaw and others at the Heflin home. Now and then we would be invited to eat dinner with the family. What a feast!! The table would be groaning with food. I'll never forget Uncle Lloyd bring home fresh loaves of bread and placing them on both ends of the table. And those lard biscuits with blackberry jam were to die for. Watermelon was a usual treat in the summertime as well. Lloyd referred to watermelon as vitamin P.
ReplyDeleteRecently, Larry Johnson and I spoke of those walnut sundaes in Tom's drug store. Another Marie treat.
Henry
I do not have a photo of the "new" Lyric theater across from the Ritz. The original Lyric is a featured posting from some time ago that you can search for and read and see the photo of it.
ReplyDeleteI do have a photo of the building before it became the new Lyric and the Western Auto store next door. I will get it on the posting list for the near future.
Miz Marie could make a cherry coke that tasted excellent. If you asked for something out of the ordinary at the soda fountain at Toms, you just might get it! Good ice cream treats were the summertime craze!
ReplyDeleteI cant see a pickup truck as well as i see a casket with two top hats on it. Maybe I'm incorrect, but I believe it is a a casket.
ReplyDeleteTMG
If that is a casket it has glass on the sides. You can see a face through it or a reflection of a face. If not a drawing it could be a canidate speaking. Remember back then all the men went dressed up in a coat and hat.
ReplyDeleteMy folks shopped at Cunninghams and almost every Saturday they would bring the next week's food home and included there would always be a three foot long stick of baloney. We sure ate a lot of that stuff.
ReplyDeleteSome of you car experts help me out. Is that a '59 or '60 model Chevy beside Marie?
ReplyDeletePhil, I don't claim to be an expert but I believe that is a 60 model. There was a noticeable difference in the fins from the 59. mc
ReplyDeleteLook at the weight scales in front of the Ritz and then at the one in front of Toms behind Marie. They are alike or could that be the same one?
ReplyDeleteWhat did Epting's sell? I remember the store but only recall buying some peanut candy once there.
ReplyDeleteWhat is that about a video from Claude Gentry? How did he do that? And when?
ReplyDeleteClaude Gentry had a 16MM video camera in the 1940s and made a lot of footage of scenes around the Baldwyn area. He would show it at his theaters occasionally.
ReplyDeleteThe film has survived and has been made into a VHS tape. It may be available from someone. Anyone interested could ask at the Brices Crossroads Interpretative Center on Grisham Street.
Epting's was a variety store as was Ben Franklin Store, East Main. The Ben Franklin was run by the Spivey's and I worked there in high school, my first job. Eptings were grandparents of Larry Johnson I am pretty sure. He can set me straight if I am wrong.
ReplyDeleteto Milton Copeland--who has the original photo of the Too-Tough Bunch-do u know?
ReplyDeleteNo, I'm not sure who submitted that photo, Carl should know.
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ReplyDeleteThe too-tough photo was scanned from an old BHS annual I was loaned some time ago. I don't remember the year.
ReplyDeleteIt was on a page with several others and had to be cropped and enhanced somewhat.
Anon, following Carl's tip I found the "too tough" photo in the 1959 BHS annual, close to the back at bottom left. mc
ReplyDeleteref: too-tuff gang--thanks guys - i looked in the 59 yrbook & found it-Jackie Cole-David Palmer-Buddy Devaughn-Wyatt Weatherford & Jerry Rowan-could not figure out from blog pic/thanks
ReplyDeleteIN RESPONSE TO JO ANNE, YES THE EPTINGS WERE THE GRANDPARENTS OF LARRY AND ME. HIS STORE WAS A VARIETY. I GOT MANY HANDFULLS OF CANDY FROM THERE ON MY WAY TO THE MOVIES.
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