1900
Main Street, Athens
Main Street, looking east, in Athens in 1900. The nearest store at the right is that of Will Pace, general merchandise. Proceeding eastward is the Post Office and also the living quarters of George DeLoach and his wife--newlyweds--and the Reverend John Clampitt, later the postmaster, and his family; Simpson Bros. Drug Store. Miss Delia Lloyd rented the larger part upstairs as a millinery shop; Dr. Jim Simpson also had a small office therein. Next was Johnson's Lumber Company Commissary; beyond that not visible was a drug store operated by Dr. D. A. Bailey in connection with his medical practice. At the left is Baker Bros. store. Next is Dillon and Martin's where the first post office, which later burned, stood. John Beauchamp had a jewelry store in the smaller and last store to the left. Baker Bros. and Dillon and Martin each used a one-horse wagon for delivery. Telephone service came to Athens in 1900--note the pole mid-way on the right side. Will Pace built a hand-powered tram-car and track connecting the back door of his store to
the depot, about 40 yards away, for handling his merchandise which was shipped by rail. Just east of Dr. Bailey's drug store was Ed Watson's general store, sold to Will Greer in 1914 and closed for good--or bad--in 1963. Fletcher Marsalis Furniture, about mid-way, was later sold to Abb and Marvin Marsalis. R. W. Baker managed the Homer National Bank branch across the street, left. The branch was later discontinued and the building left empty for many years, but in 1986 was owned by H. P. Pace and used as a feed store. In 1919 all stores, except Pace's burned
down on the right side--south. Again, while rebuilding fire struck and some burned. In 1910 a new Methodist Church was built in the area in which trees are shown.
Photo courtesy of Herbert S. Ford Museum and published in the 23 December 1999 Millenium edition of The Guardian-Journal.
Submitted by
(C) March 2000