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Copyright (C) 2011 Kevin Parsons. All Rights Reserved
While history was not a favorite subject of mine in high school and college, I suppose as I am becoming more “historic” with each passing year, it is beginning to catch my attention. Particularly the history of our town. One of my most favorite things is looking at old pictures of Mountain City’s business district and listening to the history of who operated each business and the changes that they either endured or didn’t. Most of the pictures that I have made copies of were taken during the time when Mountain City was recognized as the “Green Bean Capital” of the world.
My most recent history lesson came about three weeks ago from a visit I had with a well respected businessman in our community, Mr. Nelson Gray. As many of you know Mr. Gray was the owner and proprietor of “Blackburn Super Market.” Incidentally, the Blackburn building was demolished in the early eighties when Mr. Gray sold the business to Food Country USA and built the much larger and more modern store they are in today. Blackburn was located at the corner of Church and Main streets with the front door being located almost precisely where the Veteran’s Memorial Clock is located today.
The only part of that building left today is a plaque on display next to the clock which was once set in an exterior wall recognizing “Little Joe” Blackburn. Blackburn, or as he self-proclaimed “Little Ragged Joe,” founded the supermarket and shortly thereafter established a partnership with Nelson Gray. That only lasted for a couple of years due to “Little Joe’s” untimely death which eventually left Mr. Gray as the sole owner.
My collection of early town photos did not feature any sign of the Blackburn building prior to a visit at another home on North Shady Street Sunday. I spotted the photo shown here hanging in the hallway and was given permission to make a copy and share it with you. It was probably taken in the late forties to early fifties and was an enlargement of an old postcard featuring a glimpse of Blackburn Market. When comparing the “today” photo I took Monday, these buildings weren’t always empty and with hope and a little bit of luck they won’t always be that way.
Finally, if you never knew what used to be on the vacant lot beside the building in the far right of the old picture, now you know.
My most recent history lesson came about three weeks ago from a visit I had with a well respected businessman in our community, Mr. Nelson Gray. As many of you know Mr. Gray was the owner and proprietor of “Blackburn Super Market.” Incidentally, the Blackburn building was demolished in the early eighties when Mr. Gray sold the business to Food Country USA and built the much larger and more modern store they are in today. Blackburn was located at the corner of Church and Main streets with the front door being located almost precisely where the Veteran’s Memorial Clock is located today.
The only part of that building left today is a plaque on display next to the clock which was once set in an exterior wall recognizing “Little Joe” Blackburn. Blackburn, or as he self-proclaimed “Little Ragged Joe,” founded the supermarket and shortly thereafter established a partnership with Nelson Gray. That only lasted for a couple of years due to “Little Joe’s” untimely death which eventually left Mr. Gray as the sole owner.
My collection of early town photos did not feature any sign of the Blackburn building prior to a visit at another home on North Shady Street Sunday. I spotted the photo shown here hanging in the hallway and was given permission to make a copy and share it with you. It was probably taken in the late forties to early fifties and was an enlargement of an old postcard featuring a glimpse of Blackburn Market. When comparing the “today” photo I took Monday, these buildings weren’t always empty and with hope and a little bit of luck they won’t always be that way.
Finally, if you never knew what used to be on the vacant lot beside the building in the far right of the old picture, now you know.