Memorable car of the day:
From a car show in Eustis Florida. This '37 was new when my girl was born at home on Spruce street in Belmont.
For today:
This town, Belmont, NC, was a cotton mill town. Sherry was born here, I moved here
in 1954. Belmont was actually reflective of a small Southern town. Stores
closed by 6 o’clock. Stores also closed at noon on Tuesdays. There was a Donut Dinette that was open 24 hours
on Hwy 74. One or two service stations were open until 9PM.
Kids played ball on empty lots. No houses were locked and in the summer windows and doors were wide open day and night to stay a little cooler.
People
went to town on Saturday to shop as a rule.
There were no malls yet. The town was speckled with Cotton Mill
Villages. Sherry’s family lived at the Climax Cotton Mill village. She was born
on Spruce Street. The Climax Mill Building is still there, but is a
storage and shipping complex not a cotton mill. The machines were sold to an
overseas company and shipped out.
Only a
few of the mill houses are left, instead now that area is covered with modern
Medical services. Spruce Street still exists. Now in her 80s and yesterday had a medical procedure called Ultra
Sound. Geography wise, the procedure was completed just a few yards from where she was born. We are awaiting the results of the procedure. As I am sure you all know, waiting is not a fun thing at times.
Nite Shipslog
PS: (Sherry is still hoping it will be a girl! ;-)
+018.jpg)
+040aa_edited-1.jpg)
9 comments:
Blame it on my age, but I think it's sad when historic buildings -- in fact whole areas are razed to make room for modern (soul-less) structures. That said, I sure don't miss the Sunday "blue laws." Did they have that in your part of the country, where one couldn't buy certain items? The only thing that sticks in my memory is being able to buy baby formula or milk, but not the bottle. Crazy!
Still praying, my friends!
We have some empty spaces on the shelves out here with the cargo cases out in the harbor. But back in the day? I remember stores being closed on certain days. But, if you had an emergency, we called Bruce and he opened the store up.
We moved back into Deferiet, it used to be a Paper Mill Town with a Mill that had about 400 Employees, Overseas Paper brought in caused the loss and need for USA Paper. Our House is a small 2 bedroom Bungalow we like it. We have very little crime, not much traffic and it is quiet with the Mill shut down and vacant and falling down. Hope you 2 are doing well, sending down our love!!! Gary an Anna Mae
Praying for Sherry and you, Jack.
Reading this, it's amazing the similarities with the UK. Times gone by, shops here used to close on Wednesday afternoons. I never understood why. Also, people used to keep their front/back doors open/unlocked. I remember this well in Scotland. Also, pubs in certain areas (Wales) were closed on Sundays. All supermarkets closed on Sundays except small (one-man privately owned) grocery shops which were allowed to open for short periods.
God bless.
I have heard or read that "Nothing is more permanent than Change"... and that's true over my 7+ decades. The stories of the cotton mills always amaze me. Love reading about them.
It's raining really hard here, I do love the sound on my metal roof, lulling most of the time! Love to y'all, Glenda
There have been many changes in our town too. New buildings have gone up all over and old ones are being taken down. I'd like to see more of them restored but they say that is too costly.
I’m always hearing about the Dounut Dinette. It was apparently before my time. The only old bakery I remember is the Patty Cake bakery in Akers Center.
Wish they would bring back the old places like these.
Lisa
So much change has happened here too, the biggest lately is the paper mill that Dad and Bill worked in for 50 yrs, and most my brothers, it's doors closed for good about a month ago. Town is closing down to near ghosthood but there's a new bank going up. What do they know that we don't.? At least the office building with the tower clock is a historical building and staying up.
The only thing left here for industry is logging, also which has slowed to a crawl, and St. Croix, the fishing pole factory/store. At least folks can go fishing now that they don't have jobs. Hoping all goes well for your sweet Sherry. Hug her gently for me.
loven'hugs from up north where we are still getting fair fall weather and lovin' it as we had a new fridg installed today....talk about sticker shock!!!
Post a Comment