KNOXVILLE 1948

REVISITED

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Neighborhood Businesses

by Ron Allen

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This supplements my earlier book, KNOXVILLE, 1948. Originally printed in 1998, that book described the business firms, theaters, restaurants, and other enterprises that were located in downtown Knoxville in 1948. The boundaries of downtown in 1948 generally included the section south from the river to around Magnolia Avenue on the north, and from Central Street west to Henley Street. The author still considers those to be the approximate boundaries of downtown Knoxville, and finds it difficult to accept some modern suggestions that "downtown Knoxville" today extends for considerable distances into other sections beyond those boundaries.

This compilation concerns the city neighborhoods that existed in 1948. Often, the boundaries of those communities were loosely defined, and often overlapped into other neighborhoods, thus the definitions of those boundaries as described here should perhaps be considered only as loosely accurate.

Urban sprawl was still in the future in 1948, although some development had already taken place outside what then were the city limits. The majority of the communities listed here were located within the city limits that year, although some of the adjoining communities - - such as Fountain City and Bearden - - have been included, those neighborhoods considered to have been well enough known locally for inclusion here. Many smaller communities that were then located in Knox County, at more distant points from the city, have not been included. Neighborhood businesses were likewise located in those areas, but finding verifiable records to accurately identify those places today is considerably hampered by the fact that city directories usually did not include the streets and roads in Knox County where those businesses were located.

Many of these old city neighborhoods in Knoxville have either disappeared , or drastically changed. One example - - none of the eighteen neighborhood movie theaters that were in Knoxville in 1948 are in existence today. Another example is that thirty-eight of the forty-seven neighborhood schools that were in operation in various Knoxville communities that year have since been closed.

A primary difference is that the local community stores and businesses - - those that provided goods and services for neighborhood residents - - only exist in small numbers today, having been replaced with chain operations including businesses and restaurants, shopping centers, strip malls, and the like. Those are now generally located in larger and more centrally populated sections of Knoxville. In 1948, there were more than one hundred and seventy-five neighborhood grocery stores in Knoxville's urban communities. The fact that only fifteen other grocers were located in the downtown area that year makes it obvious that the large majority of people bought their groceries from stores in their local communities. Many families did not own an automobile then, and walking or riding the bus (streetcars had recently been discontinued in Knoxville) were the most common methods of transportation for many of the city's residents.

Downtown, there were more than eighty restaurants and eateries in 1948, and for many people a trip downtown often included lunch at one of those establishments. Even so, despite the fact that it was likely more common that meals were prepared and eaten at home then, it seems obvious a decent percentage of neighborhood residents were at least periodically eating at community restaurants, else it's difficult to explain why there were more than one hundred and fifteen restaurants and eating places in the various neighborhood communities that year.

Much of today's population has moved to different sections, now often living in what were rural sections of the county in 1948. The Zayers and the Almarts came and went, and the K Marts and the Walmarts took their place - - and stayed - - together with a plethora of other businesses of all kinds, shapes, and sizes.

Readers will notice that I often have referred to roads and streets in the past tense, such as mentioning that a particular road "crossed" another, or that a street "intersected" with a certain street. As I was writing this compilation, I usually recorded the information in that manner, although I'm obviously aware that the majority of those thoroughfares are in the same places today as they were in 1948.

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NORTH

KNOXVILLE

North Knoxville included the sections that in modern times have been renamed with such designations as the "Fourth and Gill" neighborhood and "Old North Knoxville". It encompassed sections along both sides of Central, including such communities as Beaumont, Happy Holler, Oakwood, Lincoln Park, to around Sharp's Ridge, and along both sides of Broadway, including the communities of Arlington, Whittle Springs, Sixth Avenue, and north, including Fountain City.

Broadway / Central intersection and surrounding areas

This was the section of Central from Fifth Avenue north to around Stewart Street, and Broadway from Fifth north to beyond Glenwood. The Courtesy Drug store, a popular hang-out for Knoxville High School students and others from the neighborhood for many years, was located at the northeast corner of Broadway and Fifth Avenue. Several used car dealers were in this block, and the First Cumberland Presbyterian Church was on the west side, before you came to Emory Place, where the St John's Lutheran Church still sits at the corner, across from the Old Gray Cemetery. Tyson Street intersects at the cemetery, where the depot and waiting room for the Fountain City dummy line railway had been located at the corner of Broadway. Emory Park was between Central and Broadway in the middle of the block, originally called the Central Market in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when it was established a local market for North Knoxville residents. All but forgotten today is the fact that originally there was a somewhat smaller version of downtown's Market House here, located in the middle of the Central Market block, where peddlers and farmers sold their wares.

On Broadway between Tyson to Central were more used car dealers, and businesses including the Edelen Furniture and storage company, Harb's Rug Cleaning, the Broadway Grill, Sanitary Laundry, John Housley Cigar Company, the Standard Furniture Store, and the Carlton Furniture Store.

Beyond Central, on the left or north side, was the flat iron building, with the Park National Bank and other offices and. Further up the street towards Lamar Street were the Fashion Beauty Salon, Lydia Mapes Williams Florist, Jewel's Beauty Shop, the North Knoxville Post Office branch, Henshaw Furniture, and Scott's Electric Shop. At the corner, facing Lamar Street, was the Knoxville Bowling Alley.

Several private residents were in the block between Lamar and Morgan, and such business firms as Scarborough Key Shop, Hayes Pet Clinic, Courtesy Café, and U-Li-Ka Cleaners were in that block. From there, it was a short walk two or three blocks away down to a neighborhood business section, located on Luttrell Street in the block beyond Fourth Avenue. On that street were the White Store groceries, Brummitt's Grocery Store, Bill's Shoe Shop, Luttrell Street Barber Shop, Goodstein's Grocery Store, Parks' Lunch Room, and the Quality Sandwich Shop.

Broadway Baptist Church occupied the entire left side of the block between Morgan and Bearden Place. On the opposite side of the block were the Knoxville Furniture Company, T & T Grocery store, Broadway Shoe Repair, Hicks Five and Ten Cent Store, and the Broadway Pharmacy. An elementary school, the McCallie School, was located east of Broadway, at the corner of Grantz and Lovenia. The Broadway Pharmacy was sometimes a Sunday morning hideout for young boys and men who were members at the church, who had showed up for Sunday School across the street at the church, but sometimes would linger past the beginning time for the church service, sipping a Coke and reading the current magazines and "inadvertently" missing that morning's sermon. On occasional Sunday mornings, Broadway pastor Ramsey Pollard, sometimes a loud and boisterous presence, would suddenly appear through the front door of the drug store about five minutes before the morning service was to begin, clapping his hands loudly and admonishing " O. K., you people finish up here and get on over to church right now."

The majority of the section of Broadway from Carter street to near Glenwood consisted of private residences, but in the block between Wells and Glenwood were Hicks Plumbing Company, the Hot Shoppe restaurant, Petite Beauty Salon, Baker's Food Market, and Williams Drug Store. The First Lutheran Church and the Fourth Presbyterian Church were, and still are, in that block. Beyond there, Halliburton's ESSO station was at the corner of Glenwood and Broadway on the west side, as was (and still is) the Rose Funeral Home. On the opposite side were the Glenwood Barber Shop, Atlantic Beauty Salon, and the White Store, one of the many locations of that grocery chain in Knoxville. The Brownlow School was located a block away, at the corner of Glenwood and Luttrell.

Returning south, and beginning north along Central from the corner of Fifth Avenue, Knoxville High School stood at the northeast corner. The school closed in 1951, but the building is still standing today. The section along Central from Fifth Avenue to Broadway was partially a residential area, but there were several used car lots along the street, and businesses in that block included Service Auto Parts, Parks Grill, Lowe Hardware Company, Turner's Meat Market, Roden Electric Shop, and the only neighborhood movie theater in the immediate area, the Capitol Theater, was located at 810 Central, near the corner of Broadway.

Businesses in the block between Broadway and Pruett Place / Jennings included the Sam Toole Candy Company, North Knoxville Beauty and Barber Shop, Herb's Grill, Sheldon's Grocery, Garrison Electric, Oliver Office Equipment, Etter's Grocery, Bayless Shoe Company, Tennessee Electric Motor Service, Pangle's Variety Shop, Turner Electric, Howell's Rod and Reel, Morton McCrary Motors, and the Corner Grill. On to Bernard on Central were Johnson Tires and Sporting Goods, Wilkins Shell Station, and the C. D. Johnson service station. Harry Sheldon, my wife's father, owned and operated Sheldon's Grocery store. He had started in the grocery business as a butcher, and as a stark reminder of so many changes - particularly prices - in modern times, I recall that once after he had retired he asked me to pick up a beef roast , for the Sunday lunch our family often had at my in law's house, following church. He admonished me to carefully check at more than one store if necessary, and to pay no more than twenty-nine cents a pound for the roast, else the store would be robbing me.

Between Barnard and Stewart were Mother's Café, Nichols Grocery, Central and Bearden ESSO, Corum Barber Shop, Central Radio Service, Dixie Furniture, Model Furniture, Service Awning and Tent, Shannon Grocery store, Sanders Cycle Company, House of Flowers, Fashion Dry Cleaners, Advance Music Company, Wolfenbarger's Café, and Norris Motor Company, among other businesses. Wolfenbarger's was an eatery located at the corner of Dameron, particularly popular among neighborhood customers for its hot dogs.

Happy Holler.

Continuing on Central, from Pearl Place to Oklahoma Avenue, and along both sides of that street, was the Happy Holler neighborhood. I have not determined the date or origin of the community the name, but it was apparently in common use by the 1930's.

In earlier years, the property at the northern corner along Central, north of Pearl Place along Baxter to Alexander, had been the North Central playground. Immediately north of Pearl were nice multi-story residences, and the field itself was at a lower level, below a hill that dropped off from the final house down to the south end of the playground. By 1948, Sears had relocated from downtown to their newly constructed building at this site, the building and parking lot occupying the entire block between Pearl Place and Baxter, and between Central and Alexander. The Mynders elementary school was located on Pearl Place, bordering Alexander. Business at the new Sears store was so successful that at night - when the relatively new innovation of keeping their store during evening hours came into vogue - the parking lot was full, and additional parking facilities were needed. When the Mynders school closed, the building was demolished and Sears acquired the property and converted the site into an adjoining parking lot for their store.

Among businesses between Baxter and Anderson in 1948 were Doug Goins service station, North Central Motor Company, Dandy Coffee Shop, Play House Billiards, Cas Walker groceries, Wright and Nichols Hardware, Ditto Ice Cream parlor, Juanita's Beauty Shop, Ellison Department Store, L. O. Bacon Drug Store, and Williams Drug Store. Cas Walker had earlier been located at the southeast corner of Central and Anderson, but had moved into the middle of the block. The fact that two adjoining drug stores were on the west side of this block, together with the Weeks Drug Store, across the street at the northeast corner of Anderson and Central, is obvious evidence that the neighborhood supported local firms in those times, otherwise it's difficult to believe that three drug stores could have continued to exist at the same time in that single community.

In the block from Anderson to Oklahoma were the aforementioned Weeks Drug Store, Sharp's Grocery store, Kelly's Food Market, the Joy Theater, Kitt's Grill, the White Store, Easy Way Five and Dime, Southern Household Furniture, Chesney and Son Dry Goods, Merita Bakery, Tasty Sandwich Shop, Lawson's Café, Fix-Rite Cleaners, M & H Grill, and Sherrod-Beeler service station. Notice that in the two block section between Baxter to Oklahoma, there were no less than four grocery stores. The movie theater on the west side of Central in Happy Holler had been at the same location - - albeit under different names - - since 1916, when it originally opened as the Picto Theater. It had the distinction of being Knoxville's first neighborhood movie theater. In 1948, the Joy was hardly a classy theater, and the aisles were apparently only periodically swept and cleaned, but in that regard it was not much different from a number of other neighborhood theaters in Knoxville, and even at some downtown theaters, such as the Roxy and the Strand.

In the first block of Anderson east of Central, were two barber shops, a beer joint called the Blue Goose, the Veta Barber Shop, and Cole's Groceries, and a couple of other neighborhood grocery stores were a couple of block to the east on the same street. In the block of Anderson west of Central were Raines Shoe Store, the Clyde Café, and Phillips Grocery store. Neighborhood youngsters quickly learned to walk along the north side of this block of Anderson, in hopes of avoiding the drunks and occasionally the fights that broke out at the Blue Goose, particularly during evening hours.

Grove City

Grove City was located in the eastern section of Vermont Avenue, and included the eastern section of Virginia Avenue and the surrounding streets. The area was known by this name from the early twentieth century, and continued to be so known by local residents long afterwards. Years after I attended Rule High School, I ran into an old classmate, and asked him exactly where in Lonsdale he had lived back then. He quickly corrected me, saying that he had grown up in the Grove City community. Apparently the only local business in Grove City in 1948 was a neighborhood grocery store, L. H. Gentry's, at 238 Virginia Avenue, at the corner of Boyce street.

Oakwood and Grasshopper City

Oakwood was the community primarily along both sides of Central, north of Happy Holler, in the blocks north from Woodland to beyond Morelia, originally developed in the early 20^th century by C. B. Atkin. The C. B. Atkin furniture company was at the north end of Harvey, at the railroad tracks.

Businesses along Central between Woodland and Oldham included the Southern Shoe Shop, Coney Island Lunch Room, the Valley Grill, and the Blue Bird Barber Shop. From Oldham to Emerald were Central Food Market, Oak Hill Grocery store, the Radiator Repair Shop, and Miller's Barber Shop. North to Emerald were private dwellings. West of Central, at the corner of Oldham and Branner, was the Davis Brothers grocery store. The Oakwood elementary school was at 214 East Churchwell Avenue.

The section north on Central from Emerald to Warren was primarily private residential, but the Deluxe Waffle Shop, Simpson Motor Company, and Jenkins Dry Cleaners were in business, between Columbia and Warren. (The name Warren later was changed to Oglewood.)

Businesses along Central from Warren to Caldwell included Bertha's Beauty Salon, Knoxville Uniform manufacturers, Emory and Richards Builders, the Friendly Tavern, Charlie's Pies, Williams and Leslie Super Market, and Johnson and Johnson Oil Company. From Caldwell to Springdale were Lindsay's Service Station, Tennessee Biscuit Company, Central Ice Cream Parlor, Miller's Sandwich Shop, and Cook's Service Station.

Between Springdale and Burwell were Reagan's Grocery Store, Royal Cleaners, and East Tennessee bed spread manufacturers. From Burwell to Morelia were Brown's Restaurant, White Store groceries, Dodson's Hardware and Variety Store, Crippen Construction Company, Sunlight Beauty Shop, Oakwood Fruit and Vegetables, the Lunch Box, Bales Meat Market, Oakwood Barber Shop, Charles Watson Furniture Company, and the Oakwood Shoe Shop. From Morelia north to the Southern Railway tracks, everything was private residences, other than the National Biscuit Company and Nathan's Auto Parts.

While not verified, it appears that the section along Central north from the railroad tracks to Central Avenue Pike was considered to be part of Lincoln Park in 1948. In addition to private residences, in that section of Central that year were Wilcox Service Station, Hi-Way Food Market, Almeda's Café, Abattior Meat Supply, Hughes Grain and Feed Company, Sanders Woodworking, Wilson Blacksmith, and the Dutch Tavern.

Lincoln Park

Lincoln Park included the section from south of the railroad tracks north to beyond Chickamauga, and from the tracks east to near Broadway and west to Central. The residential area north of the intersection of Pershing and Morelia was considered to be in Lincoln Park, bordering the original edge of the Oakwood community. Atlantic Avenue and adjoining streets were also in Lincoln Park, and was also a residential section, with two or three commercial businesses, but no neighborhood stores in 1948. The section at the western end of Chickamauga was then known as Buzzard Roost. Years earlier, that area had been known as Roseberry City, and in 1948 there was still a remnant of that community name, an African American church in the western end of Watauga Avenue, the Roseberry City Baptist Church.

The Lincoln Park business section was located primarily in the section of Chickamauga Avenue, between the intersection with Pershing and Hanover, to Huron Street. Businesses along Chickamauga east of Leland Street included Dick's Service Station, Bailes-Workman Drug Store, Lincoln Park Beauty Shop, Clough Barber Shop, White Stores grocery, and Knoxville Display Service. In the block between Gladstone and Kenyon were Emory Window Cleaners, B & W Groceries, and the Lincoln Park Cleaners. Burchfield's grocery was at the corner of Chickamauga and Kenyon. Until streetcars ceased operation in Knoxville, the Lincoln Park car turned east on Chickamauga Avenue, circled the two story building located near the railroad tracks, and returned on its journey to Central, continued to downtown, and eventually to the opposite end of the line, in Burlington.

New Clinton Highway

For clarification, a brief explanation might be necessary here. In 1948, Clinton Highway as it exists today was a relatively new road. Coming beneath the railroad underpass from Central Avenue, Old Central Avenue Pike continued to the north beyond the point, through Sharp's Gap, and what was then called the New Clinton Highway was an offset from that road. The name "new" Clinton Highway was apparently designed to differentiate that road from the old road that still was called Clinton Pike at that time, running north from Western Avenue, all the way to and beyond the airplane service station. The name of that road was soon was changed to Pleasant Ridge Road . The "new" Clinton Highway was then in the process of being developed.

City directories show no crossing roads or streets along Clinton Highway, but in 1948 the following businesses were located on that road. The city directory listings end abruptly, with no indication of how far out the highway these places were actually located. However, the final, or northernmost business listed at that time, were probably not that far north of the intersection at Tillery Road. Businesses then included Fred's Place (beer), Gateway Hardware, McClain Landscape Service, Maypole Restaurant, Meadow View Market groceries, Parker Cigarette Service, Roaring Forties (night club), Selvedge Food Market and Ice Cream Parlor, Shafer Service Station, Story Brothers Construction, Vic's Auto Service, Washington Heights Nursery, and Wolfenbarger Groceries. The Tillery family was obviously an early and influential name in this area, since a connecting street was called Tillery Road, and soon a neighborhood movie house, the Tillery Theater, would open near the northwest corner of Clinton Highway and Tillery Road.

Arlington / Edgewood

These communities were somewhat intertwined, including the areas north of Cecil Avenue, along both sides of Broadway to around Walker Boulevard, and perhaps a bit beyond that point.

The Broadway Shopping Center didn't yet exist in 1948. A handful of private residences were along Broadway that year between Cecil and Coker, but by then it had primarily already become a commercial area. In that block were Tony and Jerry's Confectionaries, Broadway Tea Room, Broadway Garage, H A T Food Products, K and A Motor Company, Sportsman's Super Club, Cervone Service Station, and Pet Dairy Products Company. In those days, before the city finally did considerable flood control work along the creek and surrounding area, it was not unusual during heavy rains that the entire section would be under several feet of water, particularly the Pet Dairy facility on the western side of the street. The Edgewood elementary school for African American students was located at 5 Krone Street in 1948. Krone was a block long street just west of Broadway, running between Fremont and Ledgerwood. The school and that street disappeared when the new Fulton High School was constructed and opened in the fall of 1951.

Among the businesses on Broadway between Coker and Oglewood were the Ace Mattress Company, Godfrey Tires, Courtesy Dry Cleaners, Curtis Candy Company, Paramount Printing, Trent Dry Cleaners, Perfection Laundry, Winter Garden, Petty's Service Center, Broadway Inn restaurant, Manna Doughnut Company, Swaggerty Service Station, and the Kenoco Service Station.

Businesses between Oglewood and Edgewood included Cox's Home Fashionettes, Pettyjohn Electrical, A & P Grocery, Newman's Florists, Broadway Beauty Shop, Broadedge Barber Shop, Armstrong Hardware, Good Luck Cleaners, Edith's Variety Store, Jim Rule Hardware, Mack's Service Station, Standard Market groceries, Clark's Shoe Store, Publix Diner, Phoenix Cleaners, Lane Rexall Drugs, Broadway Bakery, and the W. C. Sharp Drug Store. West of Broadway, on Oglewood, was Christenberry Junior High School. Students there often were in the habit of hanging out at Sharp's Drug Store in those days, the boys sometimes sipping a Coke with a girlfriend, or perhaps on the way to Chavannes Park (now called Edgewood Park) for a sandlot ball game.

It is interesting to notice that in 1948,in the section from Edgewood, past Atlantic, Chickamauga, and Hiawassee, to the Emoriland Boulevard / Fairmont Boulevard intersections, virtually everything consisted of private residents - - including private homes, tourist homes, and apartment complexes. The only businesses in that four block area then were Chiropractor Frank Sartz, Dentist Ted Beeler, and the Dutch Mill restaurant.

From Hiawassee on the west side and Fairmont Boulevard on the east, north to Walker Boulevard, businesses included C & S Laundry, Winninger's Super Market, Broadway branch of Lawson McGhee Library, Arlington Beauty Shop, the Broadway Theater, Tip Top Lunch, Variety Shop, Broadway Flower Shop, Dixie Terrell Dress Shop, Mi Lady Beauty Shop, Bell Electric Company, Galo Ice Cream Company, Lusk ESSO Service Station, Arlington Beauty Shop, Southern Drug and Mfg. Co., C. T. Vaughn Grocery, Arlington Drug Store, and Sadler Auto Sales. The Broadway was the nearest neighborhood movie theater for those living in the Arlington and Edgewood neighborhoods in 1948. The McCampbell elementary school was east of Broadway, at 520 Emoriland Boulevard.

In the blocks between Walker Boulevard and Mineral Springs were forty private homes, and the section was primarily residential. Businesses in those blocks of Broadway were the Arlington Service Station, Dixie Service Station, Wholesale and Retail Monument Company, Fleet Oil service station, Lowe Bros Insulation, Hunley Turner Refrigeration, Kitt and McPherson Motors, Crowder and Reagan Gulf Station, Weaver and Phillips Market, Fred Clark Used Cars, Kay's Ice Cream, Tri State Electrical Supply, and Huskisson's Tire and Battery Shop. It would not be long before the Family Drive In Theater would open in this area, at 4300 Broadway.

Sixth Avenue / New Hope

Sixth Avenue ran from Albers Place north to McCrosky, a block beyond Cecil. For some reason, the 1947 city directory shows only the KUB sub station on Sixth Avenue, south of Washington Avenue, but the Sixth Avenue public swimming pool was obviously then in existence, having opened in 1946 at that location. However, the pool was closed in August, 1948, because of a polio outbreak. North from Washington Avenue to Glenwood were Arkansas Oil, Kelso Oil, Sixth Avenue Service Station, P & G Food Market, Ted's Grocery, Tony and Jerry's confectionary, Glenwood Sandwich Shop, Davis Service Station, and Jones Oil Company. The Austin Tobacco Company was between Glenwood and Pratt.

From Pratt north to Cottage was the John Pratt Service Station, and north to Grainger were Farragut Lumber Company, Red Front Café, Bob's Barber Shop, Southern Coffin, North Knoxville Cleaners, Sixth Avenue Shoe Shop, Proctor Upholstery, Croley Typewriter Company, Sixth Avenue Barber Shop, Chesney Dry Goods, Drumheller's Appliances, and the White Store groceries.

North of Grainger, to Gillespie, were Sixth Avenue Lunch, Morgan Ice and Coal Company, Galo Ice Cream, Deans Café, and Sixth and Gillespie Service Station.

Bill's Grocery Store was at Sixth and Hoitt, and the remainder of Sixth Avenue was residential. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the residential section along both sides of Sixth Avenue in this general area, north to Cecil Street, had been known as the Mayfield community.

A few businesses were located on the streets adjoining Sixth Avenue. On Grainger were Reagan's Building Supplies and Uneeda Cleaners. On Gillespie were the J. E. Sutton Grocery store, Tidy-Didy Diaper Service, Ideal Cleaners, J. W. Beeler's Grocery, and the Gillespie Avenue Lunch. On Hoitt were the Hoitt Avenue Food Market, Beeler and Son groceries, and the Marsh grocery store.

A block south of the eastern end of Cecil Street was the New Hope elementary school for black children, and a small African American neighborhood in that area was known as the New Hope community.

Whittle Springs / Washington Pike / North Hills

North Hills was a residential neighborhood in 1948. Whittles Springs likewise was essentially a residential neighborhood. In the dozen or so blocks section between Washington Pike and Mineral Springs avenue, were Whittle Springs Food Market, Arwine's Confectionary, and Graham's Barber Shop - all near the Golf Avenue intersection. The Whittle Springs Hotel still stood on the east side of the street, north of White Oak Lane, and the Whittle Springs swimming pool was on the opposite side of the street. The Whittle Springs golf course was to the east, at the same location where it continues in operation today. According to the street listing in the city directory, that year the southern termination of Whittle Springs Road was at Washington Pike, and the road apparently had not yet been extended to Cecil Street.

Washington Pike, running from Broadway to beyond Alice Bell Road, had a few pockets of local businesses. In the section between Nadine and Copeland were a White Stores grocery, the Washington Pike Pharmacy, Well Market grocers, and an eatery called Harvey's Snack Bar. The Washington Pike Barber Shop was in the basement at 2408. The Belle Morris School was located at 2630 Washington Pike. At the corner of Whittle Springs Road was the McMillan Service Station, and in the several blocks to the east, in what then was a rural section, were Dalton's Grocery, C. J. Dyer Grocery, Lynch Grocery, Smith's Food Market, and Washington Pike Cleaners.

Fountain City and Smithwood

If it has not already become evident to the reader, not only the businesses that were in Fountain City in 1948, but the large majority of businesses that were located in most other neighborhoods throughout Knoxville at that time are no longer in existence today. In some communities, businesses of virtually any type are scarce today, having been replaced with stores, restaurants and theaters that are now located in area shopping centers, strip malls, and generally in different and often larger locales. Fountain City is somewhat of an exception, since there are still many businesses located in that community. However, the locally owned and "Mom and Pop" operations are now scarce, having now been replaced with chain stores and restaurants galore.

The Tower Theater was at 3600 North Broadway. The only business between Tazewell Pike and Adair Drive in 1948 was the Blue Seal Eating House., Private restaurants were on the remainder of that block of Broadway, as was true in the majority of the block northward to Sanders Lane and to Woodward Drive. However, in those two blocks there were some businesses, including Thompson Brothers Service Station, Fountain City Sport Shop, Central Supply Store appliances, Fountain City Supply Company, and Headrick's Grocery.

Between Woodrow and Rennoc Road / Hillcrest Avenue on Broadway were the International Feed Store, the Cabinet Shop, Fountain City Fire Department, Robbins Dry Cleaners, Robbins and Satterfield service station, Favorite Club Ice Cream, Broadway Plumbing, Fred Allmon Shoe Shop, Boruff's Barber Shop, Sherrod's Market, Brothers Bedding Company, Broadway Electric Co., Broadway Supply hardware Co., Stop and Shop Foods, Beeler's Service Station, Walter's Printing Co., and Betty's Beauty Salon.

Along Broadway from Knox Avenue to Cedar Lane - Essary Road were Holloway's Super Market, the Sport's Store, McClanahan Construction, Hensley's Motor Service, the Palace movie theater, Fountain City Beauty Shoppe, and Lakeside Service Station. The Palace Skating Rink was located behind the Palace Theater, on Essary Road at Jackson. The Palace, Fountain City's only movie theater, originally opened in 1936 and closed in 1948.

North on Broadway to Hotel Avenue were Kay's Ice Cream, Fountain City Ladies Apparel, and Fountain City Real Estate Co. Between Hotel Avenue and College Avenue were Bryant Drugs, Fountain City Hardware, Fountain City branch post office, C. Lamarr department store, White Stores grocery, Dentist G. A. Bibee, Doctors G. G. Henson and J. J. Raulston, and the Rivoli Coffee Shop. Beyond College Avenue were Capper's Grocery, Fountain City Grill, Copeland Motor Company, and Fountain City Cab Company, Fountain City Grocery, Fountain City Cleaners, Horner's Auto Service, P & W Café, and Tolbert's Tourist Court.

On Hotel Avenue, leading from Broadway, were a number of businesses, including Nell and Nell Ladies Clothing, Fountain City Florist, Fountain City Barber Shop, Cosmetique Beauty Salon, Fountain City Furniture Co., Dentist T. S. Cox, Thorton's Drugs, Dr. E. Y. Guynes, Fountain City Radio Service, Robin's Foto Service, Fountain City Plumbing, Elbert Hall barber, and Hood Food Market. Eight other businesses were at 188 Hotel Avenue, including American Radio Service, the Beauty Nook, Fountain City Insurance, Fountain City Shoe Shop, Gourdin's Jewelers, Knox Book Store, Melody Bar Radios, and Redell Real Estate.

Central High School was located at 500 College Avenue. The Fountain City elementary school was at the corner of Grove and College Avenue.

In Smithwood, on Tazewell Pike were the Smithwood Drug Store, Cherokee Electric Company, Smithwood Cab Company, Pratt Brothers Grocery and Smithwood Cleaners. On Jacksboro Pike were Hill Brothers grocery store and Johnson Brothers Home Insulation Company. The Smithwood elementary school was at 401 Tazewell Pike.

The Oakland elementary school for African American students was located on Oakland Road, east of Smithwood, in what then was known as the Oakland community (earlier called the Beverly community.)

Beaumont

Beaumont was the community along the street of the same name, and the streets along both sides of that street, from around Baxter Avenue west to Keith Avenue.

While Beaumont was primarily a residential community, businesses and local stores were scattered throughout the community. On Beaumont itself, in the blocks that crossed McSpadden, Boyd, and Mercer, were Mynatt's Service Station, Wright's Grocery, Kays Beauty Shop, the Beaumont Pool Room, and J. D. Cole's barber shop and service Station. The Beaumont school was in the block between Mercer and Reed, and next to the Beaumont Avenue Baptist Church at the corner of Booker was the Red Front grocery store. Otherwise, those two blocks and the remaining three blocks between Booker to Keith were residential.

Adjoining streets to the in Beaumont included West Baxter, Pickett, and Iradell. Nolan, and West Oldham, all being residential streets. The streets that crossed Beaumont in the community likewise consisted of private residences in 1948, and apparently no local stores were on any of those streets that year.

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EAST

KNOXVILLE

In a few instances it's difficult to assign certain places in Knoxville to a specific geographical location. One example is in East Knoxville. The section east of the original location of Central Avenue, from the river to around Jackson, is historically known as being in East Knoxville. However, when Central intersects with Magnolia, the area east of Central is generally not considered to be East, and really doesn't become East Knoxville for several blocks to the east of Central, beyond the Magnolia Avenue bridge that crosses the railroad tracks. Moreover, while it is obvious that the section along Washington Avenue east of the tracks just east of Sixth Avenue was long considered to be a part of the eastern suburb of Park City, the truth is that Whittle Springs Road, at Cecil Street, situated several blocks east of Sixth Avenue, and the sections to the east of that road - such as North Hills - have historically been considered to be located in North, not East Knoxville. I have included the Sixth Avenue neighborhood in the North Knoxville chapter. There may be those who will question where I have placed a few of the communities in this compilation, but in most instances they are included in what generally seems to be their most recognized and logical location. My intent has been to describe these communities as they existed in the immediate post World War Two time period, and not particularly to worry about whether they are always listed here in terms of their precise geographical location in Knoxville.

East Knoxville

What I'm referring to here as East Knoxville is the section east from Central, from the river north to around Magnolia, north to Washington Avenue east of the railroad tracks, and east from those tracks to Burlington and a bit beyond.

The neighborhoods east from Central to around Dandridge, between Jackson and Main, represented the largest concentration of African American residents in Knoxville at the time. Obviously, other neighborhoods were also located in East Knoxville, and those places have been separately listed here under their community names.

Main Avenue ran east from Central to Vine Avenue. The Harry Lipshin grocery store was at 100 Main, at the corner of Central, and the first three blocks were white residences. From Collins Alley several block east to the Otis / Dandridge intersection, most residents were black. In the section between East Church and East Clinch, in what was still known as the Mountain View community, were a number of neighborhood businesses, including Swaggerty Barber Shop*, Louie's Plantation Grill*, Kays Ice Cream, East Knoxville Grocery, Main Street Shoe Shop, Main Street Milk Depot, Queen Anne Beauty Shop, Green Lantern Café, Cas Walker groceries, Royal Tavern *, Easy Way Five and Dime, Main Street Beer Garden *, Doane Brothers Meat Market, East Main Shoe Shop *, and Gaddis Service Station. (Businesses shown with (*) were owned and operated by African Americans, providing obvious evidence that both white and black businesses were then in operation along Main Avenue in this area.)

East Clinch was a black community, primarily residential, but with African American businesses that included Henderson Confectionary, the Grey Terrace Hotel, East Clinch Grocery, College Cleaners, Wofford Beauty Shop, Big Er Days cosmetics, Page's Beauty Shop, Victory Beauty Shop, Lillian's Beauty Shop, and Webb Grocery and Sandwich Shop.

A community known as the "Bottoms" was located between Vine and Jackson, running east from Central. The name apparently evolved from the fact that the area was located at the base of the hill where the water reservoir tank was located. Streets included Patton, Rocky Alley, Campbell, Florida, and Willow. Patton ran south from Jackson to East Church, Willow ran east from Central, and Florida ran south from Jackson. The residential community was almost exclusively African American, but in the first block from Jackson were Lockett and Nicely beer distributors, the Farmers Exchange Store, and the Cureton Café. Andrew Taylor's hot dog and tamale shop was then also located in that block. Taylor sold his hot tamales in Knoxville at various locations for more than fifty years. Businesses along Willow Street included Shelton's Café, Stock Yard Café, Maples Café, Oliver Wright farm machinery, African American businesses on Willow included Willow Street Grocery, Harden's Grocery, Harris Beer Store, Wades Wesley beer store, and the Bridge Billiard Parlor. Florida Street, earlier in the twentieth century one of the streets in this area where prostitution had flourished, was primarily a residential street in 1948, but two African American businesses, Shady Corner Groceries and Green's Pool Room, were located on Florida. The Heiskell elementary school for African American children was located on Campbell Street, between Georgia and Kentucky Streets.

On Vine Street, east from Central, was by far the largest concentrated location of African American business establishments in the city. Those Vine businesses in 1948 included the Joy Barber Shop, the Smoke Shop, the Gem Theater, Brass Rail billiards, Gay Cab Company, Royal Barber Shop, Gem Cab Company, Walt's Sport Center, Austin Cab Company, Dukes Smoke Shop, B & K Grill, Veulah's Beauty Shop, Pete's Billiards, Red Star Sport Shop, Lumber Jack Barber Shop, Dewey's Cabs, Greenway Inn, Medical Arts Building (with physicians N.A. Henderson and P. L. Bryant, Carter-Roberts Pharmacy, Union Protective Assurance, and Greene's Exquisite Shop), Tipton and Gillespie Grocery, Modernistic Beauty Shop, Virgil's Shoe Shop, A & F Beauty Salon, Wright's Grocery, Beardsley Cabs, Freeman Beauty Shop, Hartford Hotel and Hartford Grill, Black and Gold Beauty Salon, Mike's Flower Shop, Dentist P. M. Alexander, Doctor J. H. Presnell, Atlanta Life Insurance Company, Gidean Beauty Shop, East Vine Smoke Shop, Hardin Beauty Shop, East Side Grill, Wheeler and Son Undertakers, Universal Beauty Shop, Cox Doors and Windows, Brown's Barbeque Stand, Mamie's Beauty Shop, Jimmie's Confectionary, East Vine Cleaners, East Vine Tin Shop, Playland Arcade, Tennessee Auto Music, Little Dutch Beauty Shop, Do Drop In Café, Last Chance Café, Delaney's Beauty Shop, Universal Beauty Shop, Joe's Shoe Shine Parlor, Austin Shoe Shop, Austin Cleaners, Austin Billiard Parlor, Wilson's Restaurant, and the Rufus Arnold Shoe Shop. Also on East Vine were the Cansler branch of the YMCA and the Carnegie Library. Besides the Gem Theater, Another theater for African American patrons, the Grand Theater, had opened nearby on Central, just south of Vine. Austin High School, the city's only high school for African American students, was located on Vine Avenue.

Mountain View

The Mountain View community was along both sides of Dandridge Avenue, eastward from and including East Main Avenue, to around Wilder Place. The Mountain View elementary school was on Dandridge Avenue, and the neighborhood was a residential section in 1948, with essentially no businesses in the immediate neighborhood. However, there were several businesses along Main Avenue in the western section of the Mountain View community (already listed here elsewhere). Also, at the intersection of Dandridge at Wilder Place was Beeler's Grocery Store. Mountain View originally encompassed a large area in East Knoxville, and had been an incorporated town of more than 1400 people until it became a part of the city of Knoxville in 1917. Morningside Drive was in the heart of the Mountain View community, and apparently the name of "Morningside" has now become the name for a considerable portion of the community originally known as the Mountain View neighborhood.

African American schools in the East Knoxville area in 1948 were the Green School, at 907 Payne Avenue, the McMillan School, at 716 Church Avenue, and the Eastport School, at 2220 Bethel Avenue. As far as I can determine, the Eastport School was the longest continuous school in Knoxville, in existence as early as 1869, and not closing until 1995.

Five Points

While most of the original East Knoxville community immediately east of Central has disappeared today, due to the Mountain View redevelopment and the construction of the downtown loop, the Five Points section to the east still exists. However, the make-up of the community is much different today than it was in 1948. Considered to be the area just east of McCalla and Spurgeon, and east and south for a few blocks, the listings in the city directory confirm that Five Points was then essentially a white neighborhood. That year, all residents living in that section of McCalla Avenue were white, as were the business firms on that street, including the following : Easley Auto Repair, Five Points Barber Shop, Parks Furniture Repair, Five Points Shoe Shop, Baby Diaper Laundry, Blalock Grocery, Brown's Five Points Drug Store, Five Points Furniture Store, Earl Bowling Upholstery, White Store groceries, A & T Cash Store, Five Points Service Station, Knoxville Dry Cleaners, J. S. Cooper Variety Store, Roth's Boiler and Stoker Sales, Bayless Service Station, and Phillips Tire Company.

Not only on McCalla, but also on other community streets, all area residents were white, including those living on Ben Hur, from McCalla to Vine Avenue, those who lived on Louise Avenue a block south and parallel with McCalla, and residents on Parkview, running parallel with McCalla on the north. Today, Five Points is primarily an African American community. The displacement of many black families, who lived in the original East Knoxville community immediately east of Central, possibly resulted in the relocation of many of those families to the Five Points community and surrounding sections, some distance east of their original neighborhoods.

Burlington

Burlington is along both sides of McCalla, in the East Knoxville area beyond Chilhowee Park, generally from around Bentley Street east to Holston Drive, including Magnolia Avenue. The origin of the community name is not known, but according to listings in early city twentieth century directories, at least a portion of the original residential neighborhood was called Sunny Side.

Businesses in Burlington in 1948, between the Kirkwood / Oakland intersections to Magnolia, included The Gay Theater, Mrs. Burnette's Kitchen, Tobacco Sales Company, Burlington Milk Depot, Vaught Food Market, Burlington Food Market, Fogarty Jewelers, Henderlight Feed and Poultry Co., A L and H Radio Service, Ray's Shoe Shop, Newman Grocery, Ira Akridge Furniture, Easy Way Five and Dime Store, G. R. Scott household furnishings, Electric Service Company, Bible Motor Company, Weaver's Cafeteria, Hodge Brothers Service Station, White Store groceries, Holston Hardware Company, Capp's Café, Burlington Shoe Rebuilders, McCarthy Mortuary, and J. R. Shannon Furniture Repair.

On Fern Street, south from McCalla, were the Burlington Cab Company, Barnes Beauty Shop, Burlington Beauty Shop, and Burlington Dry Cleaners, and the Fair Garden School, at the corner of Lansing Street.

The fact that the eastern section of Magnolia Avenue, east of Chilhowee Park, was obviously considered to be a part of the Burlington community is evident from names of two businesses that were located on Magnolia in 1948 - - the Burlington Radio Repair Service, Burlington Flower Shop, Burlington Sandwich Shop, and Burlington Garage.

Washington Avenue

Washington Avenue runs east from Sixth Avenue, past the railroad tracks to Hembree. The neighborhood along both side of that street were considered as a part of the Park City community in 1948. Businesses on Washington included Shubert Lumber Company. Schubert Variety Store, Standard Knitting Milles, Ben Franklin Five and Dime, Tennessee Press, the State Theater (the movie theater was located at 1505, and the entrance to that building also led to two other businesses - D. S. Jones Jewelry and C. Lena's Beauty Shop - besides the theater entrance), Key Refrigeration Service, Stand Beauty Shop, Harr Furniture Company, J. W. Clark Plumbing, Park City Barber Shop, Rhyne dry goods, Thomas Food Market, Easy Way Five and Dime, Pat's Grill, Imperial Cleaners, Past Time Billiard Parlor, White Store groceries, Morgan's Drug Store, Fred's Grocery Store, Paul Hansard Barber Shop, and Wheeling Transfer Company.

The intersection at Winona Street was generally in the heart of the business district, and on that street south of Washington Avenue were Kraft Foods Company and Simpson's Garage.

Park City

Park City actually included the section along Magnolia Avenue, from First Creek east to beyond Chilhowee Park, and streets north and south of that street, including the communities already listed above in the East Knoxville area. In 1948, Magnolia was primarily residential, including private homes, tourist homes, and apartments. But there were a number of businesses on the street that year. Aside from service stations and tourist homes, some of those were the following :

The Knoxville Transit Lines car barn was on the north side, west of Jessamine Street.

Catholic High School was located at 1600 Magnolia, between Winona and Holly. Then still in the two story frame dwelling that had been used since 1933. Although a new brick gymnasium, auditorium and science laboratory building had been added in 1942, the school's new main building was not completed and opened until 1952.

Between Austin and Cruze were Swan's Bakery, Maynard's Furniture, A & P Grocery, McKays Grocery, Luther's Café, U Li Ka Cleaners, Nicely's Barber Shop, Caldwell Dry Cleaners, Model Laundry, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, and Rogers Dry Cleaners.

Park City Junior High School was located on Bertrand Street, just east of the Evans Collins field and Winona Park, and the Park City Lowery elementary school was on Linden Avenue.

Between Cruze and Kyle were Marney's Book Shop, the Book Shop, and Perfection Laundry. Perhaps it's just the author's opinion, but it seems a bit unusual that four different cleaners and dry cleaning establishments were then in business in the two block section of Magnolia between Austin to Kyle streets.

From Kyle and Olive were the Trent Printing Company, Standard Brands grocery, Drinnen's Barber Shop, and Lane-Rexall Drugs. Between Olive and Spruce were Glover and Blevins grocery, Jack Dance Cleaners, the Park Theater, Turner's Beauty Shop. All else in those blocks were residential.

The two blocks of Magnolia from Spruce to Chestnut and between Chestnut and Cherry, other than the Park City Branch of Lawson McGhee Library, the Bargain Beauty Shop, and Kay's Ice Cream, was also a residential section.

From Cherry to Harrison were Campbell's Laundry and Holloway's Super Market. From Harrison to Hembree and from Hembree to Milligan the only businesses were Alice's Beauty Shop, Lance Foods, and Magnolia Avenue Drugs.

The three block section from Milligan to Elmwood, Elmwood to Castle, and from Castle to Mary was residential. Between Mary and Beaman were Walker's Barbecue, Roy's Barbecue, and the Bon Mar Grill.

Chilhowee Park, as today, was on both sides of Magnolia. On the south side, between Magnolia and McCalla, the western section of the park was a place of picnic tables for picnics and recreation. In the east portion of that section was a playing field, originally a field with a grandstand where Knoxville's professional baseball team had played their home games back in the early twentieth century. By 1948, it was the site of the midway when the annual TVA & I Fair was held at the park. On the northern side of Magnolia was the lake and the city-owned midway, with rides including a ferris wheel, dodg-ems, swings, a merry-go-round, and those small "games of chance", all of which were open daily every month during season. The Chilhowee Park theater was in the eastern portion of the park on that side of Magnolia. .

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WEST

KNOXVILLE

West Knoxville included the section west from around Henley Street to the railroad tracks near 23^rd street, and north from the river in to Western Avenue. The area known today as the Fort Sanders neighborhood was called West Knoxville in 1948. Cumberland Avenue was both a residential and business area in West Knoxville. Western Avenue was another such section. While today the section along Western is usually known as the northwestern area of Knoxville, in 1948 it was considered to be West Knoxville, and was so called in local newspaper reports at that time, which explains why the street, earlier called Asylum Street, had been renamed as Western Avenue - - it runs directly west from downtown Knoxville. Thus the communities including McAnally Flats (later to regain the original community name of Mechanicsville) and Lonsdale were then referred to as West Knoxville. Among other evidence in the fact that the housing project in the area was called Western Heights when it was constructed around 1940.

West Knoxville

On Cumberland Avenue in 1948, aside from the University of Tennessee buildings, were the following businesses. In many of these blocks there were also private residences and apartment houses.

Cumberland, between Henley and Broadway : Standard Tire Company, G. L. Bruce Photographers , H. F. Baily Dentist and Knoxville Venetian Blind Company. Cumberland, between South Broadway and Barry : Leopold and Tillers plumbers, Peerless Laundry, Prosthetic Dental Lab, LeConte Sheet Metal Works, and Westside Motor Company

Cumberland, between Berry and 12^th Street : Atlantic Ice Company, Spur Distributing Company, Old Hickory Cleaners, Walters Animal Hospital, Radio and Appliance Companym and Snap Vent Plastic Parts

Cumberland, between 15^th and 16^th streets : Ellis and Ernest Drug Store, Standard Oil Company, Fred Brown Clothing, Vol Cleaning and Laundry, Recreational Parlor, Mrs L H. Wyce Boarding House, Byerley's Cafeteria, Kay's Ice Cream, University Cleaners, University Shoe Store, Collegiate Jewelers, Little Inn Tourist Home, Phi Gamma Fraternity, Newton Student's Home, Aconda Court apartments, and Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity. The "E and E" Drug Store at the corner of Fifteenth street was a regular student hangout. Byerley's Cafeteria later moved a block to the north, and today is one of the handful of 1948 Knoxville businesses that remain, today in business in a motel, at Merchants Road and Central Avenue Pike. Fifteenth Street is now called Stadium Drive, and the large student center that was later built on the south side of Cumberland, including the site where the old drug store once stood, is reportedly soon to be demolished.

Cumberland, between 16^th to 17^th streets : (Mostly University of Tennessee buildings, halls - but also the following) Clifton Apartments, Phoenix Dye Works, Turner Douglas ladies clothing, Cumberland Court Tourist Home, F. E. Evans, dentist, and Cole Drug Store.

Cumberland, between 17^th to 18^th streets : Model Motors, Regas Coffee Shoppe, Painter and Reed Groceries, Monday Guest House, Toddle House restaurant, S. C Chambers dentist, A & P Groceries, Kingston Apartments, Monday Hotel, and Stratton Tire Company. In this block, and the following few blocks of Cumberland, a section that today is commonly referred to as the "Strip", none of the businesses that existed in 1948 remains today.

Cumberland, between 18^th to 19^th streets : Minton Service Station The Tennessean restaurant Bowl Land bowling, Bowl Land Grill, Britton's Tourist Home, Ideal Cleaners, C. Dean Tire Company, Whitehall Electric Company, Mynatt Shoe Repair, Dean Block Barber and Beauty Shop, Imperial Cleaners, Fort Sanders Grill, Happy's Barber Shop, Perfection Laundry, Booth motion picture theater, J & P Sandwich Shop, Ballis Pool Room, Brownie's Grill, Louis Barbecue, Mitchell-Davis interior decorators, Betty's Beauty Shop, Crenshaw Shop childrens clothes, Bignall's Five and Dime, Williams Tourist Court

Cumberland, between 19^th to 20^th streets : McNutt Service Station; Lane Rexall Drug Store, Duncan and Schaad groceries, W. W. Woodruff Company hardware, C & S Laundry, Mary Cary Bake Shop, Mary Gill's Gift Shop, Van Huss and Herbert ladies clothing, Shamrock Tea Room, and Graphic Arts Studio

Cumberland, between 20^th and 23^rd streets : The blocks between twentieth and twenty third streets, to the railroad tracks, were primarily residential in 1948. The Twentieth Street Service Station and Reynolds Service Station sat at opposite corners of Cumberland and 20^th street. There were a few other other businesses scattered in that three block section, including A. E. Lensgraf chiropractor, Model Laundry, Knoxville Tent and Awning, White Store groceries, Cumberland Service Station, Grant's Laundry, Peoples Oil Company service store, and Crouch - Brockway Florists.

The street name changed from Cumberland Avenue to Kingston Pike. Kingston Pike Village was at 2424 Kingston Pike, south along Alcoa Highway. It was not a community, but a housing project of more than 150 numbered trailers, mostly occupied by single men who were veterans of the military, then students at the University of Tennessee. The Tyson Junior High School was located at 2451 Kingston Pike.

Sequoyah Hills was almost exclusively a residential community. The Sequoyah Market grocery store was located at the corner of Kenesaw and Keowee, the Sequoyah Kindergarten school was at that same intersection, and the Sequoyah elementary school was located on Southgate Road

Seventeenth Street / Fort Sanders Street

Seventeenth Street was originally called Fort Sanders Street, named for the Civil War fort. The street ran from Grand Avenue, south beyond Cumberland to the river. The section north from Grand, past Dale and Euclid to Western Avenue, was still called Fort Sanders Street in 1948.

There were thirty private residences on Fort Sanders Street, but several businesses were located in the four block area, including Long's Billiard Parlor, Hensley Grocery, Workers Supply Company Grocery, Cockrum Second Hand Furniture, ABC Electric Appliances, Walden Electric Company, Kathryn's Beauty Shop, and Spurgeon Brothers bakery.

From Grand Avenue, south along Seventeenth Street, beyond Forest, Highland, Laurel, and Clinch, to Cumberland, Seventeenth Street was also a residential area in 1948. The only businesses in that section of West Knoxville were the Arnold Roberts super market and service station, Fort Sanders Manor Beauty Salon, and the Cole Drug Store, near Cumberland. To the east, the Staub School was located at 1923 Rose Avenue, and the Van Guilder elementary school was at 1300 Highland Avenue, at the corner of 13^th street.

South from Cumberland to beyond the railroad tracks and to the river was also a residential community, where aside from residences and apartments, only the Sigma Nu, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and Alpha Tau Omega fraternity houses, and the Evans Grocery Store, at the corner of Detroit, were located on Seventeenth.

Marble City

The Marble City community included Sutherland Avenue, the connecting streets, and the streets along both sides of Cumberland, from Varner Street west to around Cedar Lane. It was basically a residential neighborhood in 1948, but as was the case in many Knoxville neighborhoods, there were a number of businesses that provided goods and services for those living in the community. Among the businesses on Sutherland Avenue that year were Judge's grocery, W. H. Hunnicutt dry goods, Burleson Radio Service, Iris Beauty Shop, Crumley Grocery, Marble City Barber Shop, Sutherland Avenue Service Station, Clyde King Grocery, W. I. King Grocery, Pittman Service Station, Eula's Cash Store, Bill's Grocery, Sentell Brothers Hardware, Underwood Grocery, Marble City Cleaners, and Knott Grocery Store. The Perkins School, a city elementary school, was located on Brock Avenue, at the corner of Portland, off Sutherland Avenue.

The original McGhee Tyson airport on Sutherland Avenue had long ago been abandoned before 1948, and it would be four years before the new West High School was built and opened on a portion of that site, on the south side of Sutherland, in the fall of 1951.

Bearden

The city directory mentions only that the area along Kingston Pike from around Armstrong to beyond Bearden Drive was "through Bearden". Bearden of course included the streets intersecting with and along both sides of Kingston Pike, and a fairly sizeable business section had developed in that section by then. However, there were at least fifty private residences between Armstrong and Bearden Drive on Kingston Pike that year. The section west of Bearden Drive is shown then as a rural area in the city directory, where residences and businesses were not numbered. It does seem unusual that only one eating establishment - the Henslee Soda Shop - was located in the entire Bearden section on Kingston Pike in 1948, particularly since in most of Knoxville's communities at that time (some that were smaller in area than Bearden) there were usually at least two or three such places

The White Store groceries was at the eastern corner of Armstrong. In the block between Armstrong and Mohican were B & H Service Station, Webb's Used Cars, Model Tourist Court, Highland Tourist Court, Ritter's Grocery, and Armstrong Hardware Store.

Between Mohican and Westwood Drive on Kingston Pike were Fonde Construction, Steinway Tourist Court, Pip's Welding, Clothier's ESSO station, O M Vance Grocery, Henslee Soda Shop, Oliver Smith Tractor Co., The Pike motion picture theater, Pike Dry Cleaners, DeArmond Trailer Court, Bowman Hat Company, Alhambra Tourist Court, Cappys' Coliseum Skating Rink, Walters Pure Station, Pike Cab Company, and Restwell Tourist Court.

From Westwood Drive to Gore Avenue were the Wayside Food Market, Bearden Baptist Church, and Bearden High School. The rest of that block was residential.

From Gore to Bearden Drive were Bearden Cash Grocery, Ideal Cleaners, Byerley Electric Company, Bearden Christian Church, and the Electronic Shop. All else is that block was also residential. The Bearden High School and Bearden elementary school were located on Kingston Pike.

The Bearden Super Market, Bearden Variety Store, Bessie Kate's Beauty Shop, Deal's Barber Shop, LeHardy Grocery Store, and Lockett's Pan Am service station were in the block west of Bearden Drive, to a point where the city directory refers to the section to the west as "Rural Delivery, 14" (around Northshore Drive.)

To the west were the Central Baptist Church of Bearden, DeArmond's Tourist Cabins, and thirty-five or so private residences. Beyond that point, nothing is shown in the city directory, and what today is the vast commercial section along Kingston Pike for a long distance to the west was essentially a rural area in 1948.

In Bearden, there were several tourist homes and tourist courts on Kingston Pike. Travelers and families coming through the city took advantages of those overnight facilities on the way to or from their destinations. The Tourist home / court was often a more convenient (and perhaps less expensive) alternative to a hotel stay, when all local hotels were located in the downtown area of the city, and motels were still on the horizon in Knoxville.

A community of African American residents lived south of the western section of Bearden, south of Kingston Pike, and in the early twentieth century the city directory in 1910 referred to that community as Bearden. In fact, the school for African American children on Lyons View Pike was then called the Bearden School, By 1948, those families still were living in the general neighborhood, but nearer Lyons View Pike, when that area of black residents was known as the Lyons View community, and the name of their school had been changed to the Lyons View School.

Western Avenue / McAnally Flats / Western Heights

In the block of Western west of Henley, on the north side opposite the L & N Railroad station and the bridge that crossed over the L & N railroad tracks, were several business firms : H. B. Turner Confectionaries, L & N Barber Shop, Gouffon Transfer Company, L & N Hotel, Craig's Café, L & N Café, and House Hassen Hardware Company.

Among businesses on Western between the Southern railway tracks and Dale Avenue were the East Tennessee Iron and Metal Co., Great Atlantic Shoe Co., Southeastern Neon, Witt Lumber Company, Hartman Beverage Co., the Snack Bar, a building housing seven produce companies, the Western Avenue Tobacco warehouse, and the Sparks and Brewer Café.

There were businesses, and also private residences, between Dale Avenue and Deaderick Avenue, in the neighborhood that was then known as Western Heights. The businesses on Western included McCarter's Food Market, Western Avenue Billiards, Cris Café, Simpson's Market, Pete's Paint and Body Shop, Appalachian Auto Parts, A. E. White Groceries, Mack's Café, Carey Sausage Mfg., Knoxville Bedding , Parker's Department Store, Spangler's Furniture Mart, Vineyard Service Station, Webb Food Market, Sanitary Meat Market, Western Heights Hardward, Carl and Rosa's Café, Alvin Weber Furniture, A. M. Smith Service Station, Ellis and Ernest Drug Store, Center Lunch, Kirby Beauty Shop, Shipley Furniture, Marshall and Hudson Grocery, and Swan's Dry Cleaners.

On Ailor, south from Western, were the Community Store dry goods, Johnson's Radio Service, the Dawn Theater, and the White Store groceries. The Dawn was a movie theater for white patrons.

From Deaderick west to University Avenue on Western, where the community neighborhood became McAnally Flats, were Loftis Motor Company, Nelson's Café, Doane's Grocery, Bogart Carpentry Shop, the Ritz Theater, Sawyer Bicycle Shop, and R. L. Gilreath Watch Repair. The Ritz movie theater had opened in the same building where the Sunset Theater was earlier located. The Sunset was a theater for white patrons, but the balcony was designated for African American audiences, as was the arrangement at the Bijou Theater in downtown Knoxville. The Ritz theater changed names a couple of times before closing around 1951, and it was the only movie house for black patrons ever located in the area. The Moses School was located at the corner of Deaderick and Tulip Avenue.

Beyond Deaderick, Western was primarily a residential section - mostly being African American families - but some businesses were in that section, including Western Avenue Stove Repair, U Laundry It, and the Dixie Garage.

Continuing west from University to Leslie street were Nickle's Auto Supplies, Western Avenue Beer Shop, Prince Poultry and Egg, Cas Walker's grocery, the Bob Guess Variety Store, Ideal Market groceries, Western Star Lunch, Victory Shoe Store, Valentine's Barber Shop, Sanderson Cleaners, Paul's Food Market, the L & H Grill, W. E. Hatcher Grocery, Western Avenue Drugs, Warwick Hardware Company, and Evans Service Station. Beyond Leslie were Herbert and Nickle Furniture Company, McCullah Coal Company, and Everett's Place eating house. However, the section along University west of Leslie was primarily a residential area in 1948. With so many businesses concentrated around the intersection of Western and University, this was a major business and shopping area for residents in Western Heights and McAnally Flats at that time, plus some who lived in nearby communities such as Beaumont and West View. South of Western, at the corner of Twenty-Second Street, was a city owned playground and park for African Americans, Leslie Street Park, and the Leslie Street swimming pool adjoined that park.

The University Avenue section was known as McAnally Flats in 1948. In the first few blocks north of Western, the residents were African Americans, as were the businesses. Apparently, it was not until the 1960's or 1970's that the original old community name of Mechanicsville was again being used for this area. From College Street north to Dunbar, all businesses and residents were black. The businesses included College Grocery, College Cabs, Hudson Pool Room, Ralph's Sports Center, Walker's Beauty Shop, Joe's Beauty Shop, White's Barber Shop, Little Brutus Sandwich Shop, Little Grill, Williams Paper Hanging, Modern Tailors, Murphy Branch of Lawson McGhee Library, and Lovely's Electrical Appliances. Virtually all residents north on University from Dunbar to Fifth Avenue were African Americans. Contrary to information in an article that appeared in the News Sentinel a few years ago, there were never any African American hotels or movie theaters on University Avenue. The Maynard elementary school for black children was located at 1625 College Street.

South on University in 1948, from College Street to Western, all residents were African Americans, on both sides of the block, including the College Homes housing complex, and the only businesses in the block were the Met Funeral Home and Jack's Place, an eating house - - both black establishments. Continuing south on University beyond Western, the first block continued to be African American residences. However, the businesses were in that block - - Hall's Market groceries, the Coffee Cup Café, and Hoover Motor Express - - were operated by whites, and beyond Clyde Street, virtually all residents on University Avenue and in this section of McAnally Flats were white families.

West View

West View was basically a white community, but the city directory reveals at that time African Americans families were living in all of the residences in the five block section along the south side of Western Avenue, west from Citico to Orange Avenue, including West View Avenue itself. Then, black families also lived in the first blocks of adjoining streets south of Western, including Eubanks, Alpha, Citico, Webster, and Leslie streets. West from Orange to Keith Avenue and beyond, all residents were white. In the African American section of Western Avenue, there were no businesses. The community south of Western in this area was originally known as Proctor, established in the early twentieth century, and originally included Ambrister, Cherry, Clinton Pike, Orange, Sevier and Sterchi streets. Some residents and occasional newspaper articles still referred to that area as the Proctor community as late as the early 1940's.

Some people who were living in the area at that time have mentioned that the hill at the top of Western that leads down to University Avenue was known in the 1940's as Brandau Hill. That name apparently came from a short street that had been located on the north side of Western in that area back in 1943, but by 1948 that street no longer was in existence.

In the section on Western Avenue, west from Orange Avenue in 1948, were Bill's Service Station, Bea's Beauty Shop, Norton's Grocery, and the Rolen and Lee grocery store. The Overbrook Service Station was at the corner of Keith and University, and in the section west to West Tennessee Avenue were primarily white residents, with a concrete block company and a machine shop located in that section.

In 1948, the West View community included the section from Western south to Liberty Street, and from Middlebrook west to Keith Avenue, including the area south of the railroad tracks. The West View elementary school was located on Mingle Avenue, at the corner of Belmont Heights Avenue. The section along the western side of Keith, south of Western, was also considered to be in West View. It is difficult today to determine which sections of the streets south of Western and east of the railroad tracks were then considered to be a part of West View, if in fact any were considered as to be in that community. In any event, whether it's a sign of the times, or merely ironic, the street from which the community got its original name - - West View - - no longer exists today.

Lonsdale

Some may think I have misplaced Lonsdale in this compilation, since it does also extends towards northern section of the city, and in fact is usually referred to these days as being located in "northwest Knoxville. However, the community borders Western Avenue, a street that was so named since it leads directly west from downtown Knoxville, and the West Haven community, also now often considered as being in northwest Knoxville, is also directly west from the city. Since I have included such sections as Bearden in the West Knoxville section - - although that community in fact is southwest of downtown Knoxville - - I've also shown Lonsdale as being in West Knoxville, considering its geographical location.

For reasons I don't fully comprehend, little seems to have been written about the Lonsdale community in the standard recognized publications about Knoxville and Knox County. William Rule's History of Knoxville, published in 1900, obviously mentions nothing about Lonsdale, since the community was outside the city limits when that history was published. The 1946 history of Knox County issued by the East Tennessee Historical Society, The French Broad Holston Country, essentially follows Rule's work a half century earlier, since the annexation of Lonsdale into the city of Knoxville in 1917 is the only mention of Lonsdale found in that work. The 1976 publication, Heart of the Valley, also issued by the East Tennessee Historical Society, likewise mentions nothing about Lonsdale other than that same references to the fact that the community became a part of the city in 1917. While the following certainly is not intended as an in depth history of that community, I've included some information here concerning its early history, since I had previously done the research concerning Lonsdale.

The Lonsdale community was developed in 1890, on land owned by Will Ragsdale and his family. Ragsdale combined his wife's maiden name, Lonas, with a portion of his name, Ragsdale, to establish the community name of Lonsdale. Back in 1951, my history teacher at Rule High School, J. A. ("Red") Sharp, mentioned that the original name had been "Lonasdale", but soon was changed to Lonsdale. I've been unable to verify that information, but since Sharp was knowledgeable concerning the history of Lonsdals, I suspect he had secured that from an accurate source, and it likely was fact.

On October 31, 1890, the Journal reported that Knoxville's Aldermen had met with President W. G. McAdoo, Jr., and representatives of the Knoxville Transit Company. An ordinance granting the right of way over certain streets and avenues in North Knoxville, including Lonsdale, had already been granted, and it was anticipated that the new four mile electric line, terminating in Lonsdale, would be completed within eighteen months. A few years later, an article appeared in the Journal and Tribune on August 29, 1901, titled "LONSDALE'S PROMISE OF BEING A LIVELY SUBURB." The article predicted the "new iron mills, completion of the Southern's switch yards, and the building of factories, will make a city of it."

Lonsdale included the streets north from Vermont, to beyond Ohio Street, and the streets from Second Creek west to around Western Avenue (originally called Clinton Pike.) Sections where mostly African American residents were living were located in the area along Texas Avenue and north of that street in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when those communities were called Mitchell Chapel and Tall Timbers. A few other streets, including those north of the original northern boundary of Ohio, had developed since the original establishment of the Lonsdale community. In the early twentieth century, one such section in the northeastern section was called Rosedale, but apparently was still considered to be a part of Lonsdale.

On April 8, 1907, a bill to incorporate the town of Lonsdale was passed by the Tennessee House of Representatives. The bill had already been passed by the State Senate.

The Lonsdale School for white students was originally located on Connecticut Avenue. In 1907, a new school building was built at 131 West Louisiana Avenue, between Burnside and Bragg. For most years it was known simply as the Lonsdale School, but for a year or two it was referred to in city directories as Lonsdale High School, a circumstance that sometimes seems to cause confusion these days, particularly since the school did issue a yearbook for the school year 1911, called the Appalachian, in which the school is referred to as Lonsdale High School. However, it was the same school that had already been in existence earlier, and continued later to be known merely as the Lonsdale School. At the time, Lonsdale was outside the city limits, the school taught all grades from one through ten, and the tenth grade was usually the highest grade level at local schools at that time. Other schools in Knox County often taught the same ten grades, and sometimes were also called high schools. For example, in the Oakwood community, also located outside the city limits at the time, and where the same grade levels were taught, the 1911 city directory refers to that school as the Oakwood High School. Apparently the designation of those schools as "high schools" was dropped soon after 1911. When communities including Lonsdale, Oakwood, and Lincoln Park became a part of the city of Knoxville in 1917, high school age students in those sections were assigned to Knoxville High School, although the designation of those and other Knox County schools as "high schools" had already been abandoned.

In 1909, officials in Lonsdale proposed improvements and betterments in the Lonsdale community. Those supporting those improvements were known as the Progressives. They were opposed by a group labeled the Do Nothings, citizens who opposed the proposed improvements, since they wanted no part of taxation that would be required for implementing such projects. The supporters of the plan eventually won out, and the Lonsdale Council officially reduced the boundaries of Lonsdale, eliminating the areas where many of those who had opposed the community improvements lived. Those sections that were eliminated from Lonsdale's boundaries included the areas of African American residents, along Texas Avenue and north of that street. Until 1917, those sections were officially not a part of the Lonsdale community. When Lonsdale became a part of the city of Knoxville that year, the entire original community became a part of the city, and those living in the previously eliminated areas thereafter considered themselves as living in the Lonsdale community (although, in truth, it may well be that even during the years between 1909 and 1917 those residents had continued to do so.)

There were several adjoining or nearby communities. The West View community was southwest of Lonsdale, as was the Proctor community, and to the south were Beaumont, Grove City, and Oakview. The Coster community was east of Lonsdale, adjoining the Southern Railway's Coster Shops.

Lonsdale continued to be essentially a racially separated community in 1948, and for some years afterwards, with rather clearly defined white and black residential sections. The majority of African American residents lived along Texas Avenue and on streets north of that street, and white families primarily lived in the sections south of Texas Avenue. There are no specific records available to estimate the population of the community that year, but one method is to merely first determine the number of families that were living on each street in Lonsdale in 1948. I have methodically counted the total number of those residents listed in the city directory. Since the modern practice, brought about by political correctness - - dictating that the race of residents cannot be shown in directories - - was not yet in vogue, the directory at that time does provide such information, enabling one to determine the number of black and white residents in Lonsdale. Approximately eighty percent of Lonsdale's adult residents that year were white, and twenty percent were African Americans. Unfortunately, city directories usually listed only one adult at each address, the head of the household, thus neither spouses nor children were listed. Obviously, only a guesstimate of the approximate population of Lonsdale at that time is possible. However, assuming that fifty percent of the adults who were living in Lonsdale were married and living with a spouse, the adult population was around 1,850 people - - approximately 1500 whites and 350 African Americans. Obviously, those figures exclude children of all ages. Following is a list of most of the streets in Lonsdale in 1948, together with brief information concerning the businesses, churches, racial makeup, etc. These have been listed here in alphabetical order.

Adcock From 220 Thomas northeast to the city limits at Ambrose. Nine families, all black.

Alabama From South Johnston east to Second Creek. Five families, all white.

Bishop From Sycamore northwest to Larch, one block west of McPherson. Eight families, all black.

Bonny From Gay west to city limits, one block west of Ohio. Five families, all black.

Bragg. From 201 West Massachusetts northwest to Texas, one block west of Burnside. Seven families, all white. In 1948, the Foreign and Domestic Veneers Company was located at 161 Bragg, and the Atlumor Manfacturing Company was on Bragg, at the northwest corner of the L & N railroad.

Burnside. Extends north from New York to two blocks beyond Texas, and south to Massachusetts, south of Tennessee Avenue. Thirty white families lived on Burnside. Business shown on Burnside in the city directory were : 121 Thornton and Summers Grocery store, 309 Marion Dee Beauty Shop, 501 Ailor's Grocery, and 117 Kentucky Coal Company

Coster From the junction North Central and Heiskell, two blocks along Southern Railway. Six residents, all white.

Crozier From Minnesota to Midway, one block north of Dinwiddie. Five residents, all white.

Dakota. North of Texas Avenue, from 700 block Burnside. One block. Ten residences, all black.

Delaware. From 401 Burnside east to beyond Sheridan and west to beyond Sherman, one block south of Minnesota. In the six blocks of Delaware from Sheridan to Bragg were sixty-nine white families. Four of the fourteen families on Delaware between Bragg and Stonewall were black families and the other nine were white. Fifteen black families lived between Stonewall and Sherman. In the eastern section the Lonsdale Christian Church was at 111-113 East Delaware in 1948. That same year Bruce Grocery store was at 219 West Delaware. The the Sam E. Hill elementary school for African American children was at 329 West Delaware.

Dinwiddie From Rudy west to Minnesota. Nine residents, all white.

Evans From Bonny north to Larch, one block west of Gap. Seven families, all black.

Galbraith From Delaware north to Heiskell, one block west of Johnston. Thirty-six residents, all white. Nelson's Grocery was at 641 ½ Galbraith.

Gap From West Ohio north to city limits. Fourteen residents, all black. The Lomax Temple AME Church was at 314 Gap.

Hawkins. From Tennessee Avenue to Delaware. Only two families, both white.

Heiskell From the 300 block North Minnesota to Central Avenue Pike, one block north of Ambrose Avenue. Five white residents.

Johnston. From East New York Ave north to East Minnesota and south to East Massachusetts. All of the seventy residents were white. Why it was that Johnston was the site of so many neighborhood grocery stores in 1948 is not known, but seven grocers were located on Johnston street that year ; C. H. Turner & Son Grocery, White Store groceries, Penery Grocery, Brimmer and Slover Grocery (Corner Heiskell), Coffman Grocery, Bill's Cash Grocery, and Lanning Groceries. Also on Johnston were the Davis Brothers Garage, Southern Extract Company, Lonsdale Hardware and Service Station, and the warehouse of the Lonsdale Furniture Company

Katherine From Rector east to Second Creek, one block north of Delaware. Thirteen families, all white. The Lonsdale Methodist Church was at 305 Katherine, at the corner of Galbraith.

Larch 3 blocks north of Ohio. All black families (only four residences)

Lonsdale Pike From Massachusetts to Vermont and beyond to Virginia. Only two residents between Massachusetts and Vermont, both white families.

Louisiana. From the 200 block of North Burnside east to beyond Sheridan, and west to beyond McPherson, one block north of New York. All sixty-two residents in 1948 were white. The Lonsdale School was at 131 West Louisiana Avenue.

McClellan Between Maryland and Massachusetts. Only one vacant dwelling is shown in city directory on this street.

McPherson From 500 block west Tenn north to Larch. All thirteen families on McPherson in 1948 were African Americans. The Twentieth Century Builders were located at 115 McPherson that year.

Maryland From Hooker east to beyond Murphy and west to beyond Maple, at Western, two blocks south of Tennessee Avenue. Six blocks. All ninety residents living on Maryland in 1948 were white.

Massachusetts. From South Burnside east to beyond Murphy Avenue and west to Schofield, one block south of Tennessee Avenue. Eight blocks, all seventy-nine residents were white families. The following were on Massachusetts in 1948 : Turner Neagil Produce Company, Walker's Photographic Studio, and the Lonsdale Church of God

Midway. From Dinwiddie to Crozier, one block south of Johnston. Seventeen families, all white. The Midway Church of God was located at 845 Midway.

Minnesota. One block southeast of Texas Avenue, from 501 N. Burnside east to Crozier and west to beyond McPherson. In the section from Crozier to Stonewall, seventy-nine residents were white and three were black. West of Stonewall, all twenty-five residents were black. The Cavalry Baptist Church was at 401 West Minnesota

Murphy. One block south of Second Creek, from end of Marion west to the junction of South Johnston and East Massachusetts. All twenty-three residents were white families.

New York. From 100 block Burnside east to Sheridan and west to beyond McPherson, two blocks north of Tennessee Avenue. All sixty-four residents were white. The following were located on New York Avenue : Fire engine station number 7, Lonsdale branch of the Lawson McGhee Library, Tennessee Valley Store Works, Hutchison Garage, Union Coal Company, Faulkner's Grocery, and Neel's Grocery

Ohio. One block north of Texas Avenue. Runs seven blocks, from Coster west to the city limits. Forty-one black families and eight white families lived on Ohio in 1948. Churches on Ohio in 1947 were the Church of God, Lonsdale Methodist Church , and Mount Olive Baptist Church following :

O'Neal From southeast of 200 block East Minnesota, northwest to beyond. (Shown in the city directory description of Minnesota, but not separated listed as a street in that directory (?)

Dakota. Two blocks north of Burnside. Two blocks, with five families, in 1948 - three black and two white families.

Rudy From Heiskell north and northeast to Midway. Twenty-three residents, all white.

Stonewall. From 200 block of West Massachusetts Avenue, north and northwest to West Ohio, one block west of Bragg. Families were then living only in the block between Massachusetts and Tennessee - - no other residences were located in the other four blocks, but the Thompson Grocery store was at the corner of Stonewall and West Texas Avenue. All six families on this street were white.

Sycamore From McPherson to city limits, one block south of Bonny. Four residents, all black.

Tennessee Avenue. From Second Creek, west to Richmond Avenue, one block west of Western Avenue. This was the primary business district in Lonsdale during those times. In 1948, there were eighty-six residences located on Tennessee Avenue, several with apartments and/or multiple residents. All of those residents were white. Besides those homes, the following twenty-four establishments (including one church) were located on the street that year :

Tennessee Avenue, from Second Creek to Johnston Street ; Lonsdale Drug Store, Lonsdale Furniture Company, H & P Food Market, Eckard's Drug Store, London's Ice Cream Parlor, Perkins Barber Shop ,Courtesy Shoe Shop, Wright's Café ,Lonsdale Barber Shop, and Lockett's Café

Tennessee Avenue, from Johnson Street to Burnside Street ; Yates Dry Goods, Lonsdale Radio Service, and Lonsdale Beauty Shop

Tennessee Avenue, from Burnside Street to Bragg Street ; Baptist Tabernacle, Noe & Son Auto Repair, Willard Body Works, Mullins Cleaners, and the Lee Theater. The Lee was Lonsdale's first and only neighborhood movie theater.

Tennessee Avenue, from Bragg Street to Stonewall ; Roach Grocery and Coppock's Grocery

Tennessee Avenue, from Stonewall to Hawkins ; Tom's Café, Stacie and Art's Café, Tennessee Concrete and Supply, and the Company Knoxville Iron Company (called the Knoxville Steel Co in the 1947 city directory)

Between the Southern Railway tracks and Western Avenue was the Reliable Barber Shop , at number 518.

Thomas. From Texas Avenue northwest to Larch, one block east of Stonewall. Twenty-two families, all blacks. The only business on Thomas in 1948 was the Thomas Grocery, operated by Mary Thomas.

Texas Avenue ran from east of Gallaher west to Western Avenue. All of the fourteen residents in the block between Burnside and O'Neal were white families, and there were thirteen other white families living on Texas in 1948. The other forty-seven residents were African Americans. Few businesses were located on Texas Avenue in 1948, the main thoroughfare in Lonsdale's black section at that time. In the entire ten block section of that street, between Gallaher and Western, only four business establishments were located on Texas Avenue that year, as follows : Gibson Grocery (rear, 318), Williams Grocery, the Flamingo Restaurant at the corner of Sherman, and Dan's Eating Place .

Sheridan From Tennessee Avenue to beyond Ambrose. Twenty white families lived on Sheridan in 1948. Hodges Candy Company was at 208 Sheridan

Sherman Two blocks west of Bragg, from NY to beyond Ohio. All six residents on Bragg in 1948 were black families.

Schofield From west end 2200 block of Western at junction with Mississippi, west to the 500 block of West Tennessee, one block east of Western. All seventeen residents in 1948 were white. The following businesses were then on Schofield : Schofield Café, Clifton Body Works, the Red White and Blue Café, and the Rainbow Food Market

Vermont Vermont Avenue was the southern boundary of the original Lonsdale community, running east from Maple to Schofield. In 1948, one hundred and thirty one residents, all white, lived on Vermont. Rule Junior-Senior High School was located on Vermont. In the early twentieth century, the West Lonsdale community had developed along the west side of Western Avenue in 1948, It was primarily a residential area, where streets terminating at Western were Waverly, Dayton, and Piedmont, and Sanderson Road crossed Western. Only a couple of businesses - - Elmer Nickle Auto Parts, and Carroll's Grocery - - were on Western Avenue in this section in 1948. The city directory shows that residents in this section were listed only to a point that was "beyond the New Gray Cemetery", and the road that continued directly to the west was Ball Camp Pike. Earlier, what then was Western had been called Clinton Pike, and that name continued to be used in 1948 where that road continued north towards Clinton (later the name was changed to Pleasant Ridge Road.) A popular nineteenth century horse racing track, Flanders Track, had been located at or near the site where the West Lonsdale community developed, south of Ball Camp and west of the cemetery. Years later, the Bradshaw Gardens community, later to be known as West Haven, adjoined what had been the West Lonsdale community. The Claxton School was in the West Lonsdale community, at 500 Piedmont Street. Among the few local businesses in West Lonsdale were the Swann grocery store at 2905 Carnation, and McCloud's Food Market on Ball Camp Pike, east of Sanderson Road. West of Sanderson Road were the Nelson Cleaners, Hazelwood Service Station, and the Silver Dollar Café.

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SOUTH

KNOXVILLE

Chapman Highway

Between Blount Avenue and Young High Pike, the following businesses were located on Chapman Highway in 1948. Also in that stretch of highway were five private residences and an apartment complex.

Between the bridge and Woodland Pike / Maryville Pike : Henley Bridge Esso Station, Smoky Mountain Market, Roberts Gulf Station, Kay's Ice Cream, Bell Engineering, Campbell's Laundry, Shipe's Pan Am Station, Kern's Bakery, Brown, Greer & Co., Cooper's Garage, LeConte Food Market, Moseley's Southside Pharmacy, King-Thompson Dry Cleaners, Gilbert Plastering Company, and The Inferno eating house. Some people thought the hot dogs at Smoky Mountain Market were the best in the city, but the author tried them more than once back in those days, and personally thought a few other places in town served an equally tasty dog.

South On Chapman Highway to Martin Mill Pike were Hillside Gifts and Antiques, Cliff Pettit Motors, Parkway Service Station, W. H. Ball confectioner, Buchanan Service Station, Bills' Service Station, Atcheley's Grocery, the Yellow Jacket Diner, and Rollins Service Station.

On Chapman Highway between Martin Mill and Young High Pike were Berry Funeral Home, Dixie Service Station, Park Highway Grocery, Chapman Highway service Station, Martin Machinery, Jay and Pat's Blue Room eating house and the Horne movie theater.

From Blount avenue to Young High Pike, twenty-nine businesses were on Chapman Highway in 1948. Today, at least eighty businesses are located in the same area. It is interesting to notice that in 1948, in that approximate eight block section of Chapman Highway, there were only five restaurants or eating establishments. Even considering the tourists who are passing through, it seems that many in South Knoxville now prefer to "eat out" rather than to have meals at home - - as seems to be true throughout Knoxville these days - - as is evident from the many eating establishments that dot the landscape in those same blocks of Chapman Highway today.

Young High School was at the southwest corner of Young High Pike and Chapman Highway. The section of Chapman Highway from Young High Pike to Stone Road, was primarily residential, other than the Center Grill and Drug Store, Cogwill Hardware, and Chapman Highway Super Market. From Stone Road to Colonial Road / Ford Valley Road likewise was primarily a residential section, with the Thomas Market grocery store and the Lakeside Inn north of Colonial Road. South of Colonial were the Lakeview Tourist Court, Dishman Repair Shop, Green's Garage, Maple Sheet Metal Works, Park Highway Grocery, and Williams Brothers building contractors located on Chapman Highway south of Colonial Road.

Colonial Village was a residential area, developed originally in 1940, east of Martin Mill Pike and north of Magazine Road. The Mooreland Heights elementary school was located on Magazine Road.

Vestal

Vestal included sections along Blount Avenue, Martin Mill Pike, Ogle Avenue, and Maryville Pike. The community developed around the Vestal Lumber Company.

On Maryville Pike, between Blount and Candora were the Vestal Lumber Company and Candora Marble Company. From Candora to Ogle were the Rosemary Beauty Shop, Cherokee Grill, Gay Record and Novelty Company. Between Ogle and Simms / Eddington were Andrews Stone and Marble, Dykes and Sharp building contractors, and the Vestal Diner. The Flenniken School was located at the corner of Maryville Pike and Flenniken. The Vestal elementary school was located on Willoughby Road.

On Ogle Avenue, between Martin Mill Pike and Maryville Pike, were Knoxville Motor Service, Vestal Cleaners, Tom Doyle Grocery, Vestal Grocery, Vestal Hardware and Variety, and the Moseley Drug Store.

On Martin Mill Pike, between Crenshaw and Blount were Garner Ellis & Son Grocery and Hensley Auto Accesories. Between Blount to Moody Avenue were Trip's Café, South Knoxville Cleaners., Dunn's Home and Supply, and Doctor Fred West. From Keeble to Ogle were Vestal Avenue Barber Shop, Vestal Ice Cream Parlor, Childress-Fitz Hardware, P & M Radio Service, Vestal Shoe Shop, Parkview Grocery, and Pease Food Market. From Ogle to Higgins were Summit Beauty Shop, White Store groceries, a branch of the Lawson McGhee Library, and the Johnson Drug Store.

Church Lane, between Martin Mill Pike and Moody, was a street of African American residents in 1948. The Simpson elementary school for black children was located on Church Lane.

Blount Avenue area

In the section of Blount Avenue, from Hawthorne to Augusta / Clancy Avenues, were Marilynn's Grill, McBath's Food Market, Evelyn's Variety Store, Steiner's Beauty and Barber Shop, and Jefferson Woolen Mills. The Baker Grocery store and Brown's Grocery strore were between Clancy and Redwine. Between Redwine and the railroad tracks was the Lake Side Food Market, Williams Grocery store was between the tracks and Maryville Pike, and E. F. Scarf's Grocery was near the intersection at Martin Mill Pike.

Scottish Pike was a block west of Blount. The Scottish Pike Grocery Store was between Clancy and Pitner, and the Lockett elementary school was at the corner of Schttish Pike and Pitner.

Sevier Avenue / Island Home

Sevier Avenue, From Blount Avenue at the Gay Street bridge to Jones Street, was a residential section, with the Model Laundry at the corner of Jones and Sevier. Between Jones and Agee Street / Davenport Road were Charlie's Café, Proffitt's Grocery, the Tennessee Coach Company, and Carnes ESSO service station. Further to the east on Sevier, to Claude Street, were the Orange Crush Bottling Company, the South Knoxville School, the Grand Barber Shop, Parker and Crisp Grocers, Ralph's Place eating house, and the Ford Barber Shop. Years earlier, in this area between Sevier and the river, the Johnson race track was located in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The South Knoxville elementary school was at 601 Sevier Avenue.

Between Daisy Street and the Island Home intersection were Red Seal Auto Sales, Margart Waters Beauty Shop, I. C. King grocery store, White Stores grocers, Ruth's Sandwich Shop, Sydney Kent Grocers, and Proffitt's Texaco service station.

Sevier continued for several blocks, to its continuation as Sevierville Pike. It was primarily a residential community, but in that section were scattered several neighborhood businesses on Sevier, including Bean Printing Shop, Jack Walker grocery store, A. L. Christenberry grocery store, Baldwin Auto Service, B & B Grocery, Dossett Grocery, and Burgin's Market grocers.

The Lake Theater, a movie house that had opened in 1947 and existed only a few years, was at 1100 Sevier, at the corner of Island Home Avenue. Island Home Avenue continued from Sevier to Island Home Boulevard. In the first two blocks to McCormick, it was primarily residential, the only businesses being Loy and McKamey contractors, the K & M Grill, and the Little Brick grocery store. The section between McCormick and Island Home Boulevard was primarily commercial, with the Eagle Monument Company, Riverside Park and Swimming Pool, The Dog House confectioners, Appalachian Outboard Motors, Buck's Welding Service, Power Equipment Company, Tom Black Foods, Inorganics Incorporated, Central Welding, Baskerville Builders, and Pure Oil Company. Island Home Boulevard was a residential section. The Giffin elementary school was on Beech Street, near McClung Avenue.

Island Home Pike ran between South Haven and Sevierville Pike. It was a residential section, with only the Home Service and Supply, the Island Home Grocery and the Southside Green House along the numbered sections of the street. Beyond there, in the rural delivery area of the pike, were Carmichael's Grocery and Childress Grocery. The Island Home elementary school was located on Home Avenue, near 524 Island Home Pike.

South Haven Road runs from Island Home Avenue to Sevierville Pike. It was essentially a residential street, but near the intersections with Earl Avenue and Trotter Road were the Tramp Beauty Shop, Village Sundries, Village Barber Shop and Village Market Groceries.

Moody Avenue runs from Martin Mill Pike, across Chapman Highway, and to Davenport Road. It was a residential area, where the eastern end of Moody was then a rural delivery area, and where South Knoxville Junior High School was located.

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