(click on each picture to get more out of it)
If you have lived in Cobb County, Georgia, for the past 40 years or so, you will know what the 4-Lane is – or was. It is still there, but the name of it is now Cobb Parkway, or The 41 Hwy.
My first cousin Bobby Crain lent me these pictures. He knows about my blog and knows I love to get a hold of things like this.
This wreck is not a real wreck. It is a staged wreck with play-actors. The injured fellow is Bobby’s brother, the late Jimmy Crain (1937 – 2001). It was staged by the Georgia State Patrol, Mayes Ward Funeral Home, and Crain’s Garage. Mayes Ward would have furnished the ambulance and personnel and Crain’s Garage would have furnished the wreck cars. I’m sure there was a message there about to drive safely. In the top picture, Robert Spencer Crain, the owner of Crain’s Garage apparently was unaware in wreck exercise saw the wreck and walked over to get a closer look. He is the man standing left to the patrolman looking down…when he saw it was his son Jimmy, all covered with blood (fake) he did a double-take.
I asked Bobby when did he think the make-believe wreck took place. Bobby said, ‘Well, judging from the license plate, I would say 1952.” Oh.
Why didn’t I think of that?
Jimmy was born in 1937. He was about 15 in these pictures.
There are a few landmarks that no longer exist such as the Sings Truck Stop.
Bill Bullard is helping Jimmy until the stretcher can get there. The man wearing the white suit is Mayes Ward. -2-
I am not sure but I think this is at the corner of The 4-Lane and Clay Street. If that is right, what are the buildings on the top left? They look like barracks. Is this really Dobbins Air Force barracks?
In this picture the young man standing to the left of the State Patrolman is Bill Bullard, long time employee and eventually owner of Mayes Ward; the guy who you cannot see his complete face because of the opened door of the wreck car is Joe Slade, who worked for Crain’s Garage; and the guy next to him with the wavy hair is Darrell Garland, owner of the Standard Service Station across corner/Hwy of the future Big Chicken.
Crain's Garage on the 4-Lane was sort of common social watering hole on Friday and Saturday nights. Almost as soon as there was a tragic wreck of teenage friends we knew, we would go to Crain's where the wrecked cars were hauled in. There we looked over the cars, the damage, and the blood.
Looks like they could have just photographed a real wreck instead of making one up.
ReplyDeleteI remember my uncle Albert Dobbins teling me about how they use to compete with Mayes Ward over who would pick up injured folks from auto accidents. Sometimes, it was who ever got there first. I'd hate to be laying on the ground,injured, while two ambulance services fought over who was going to take you to the hospital!
ReplyDeleteOM,
ReplyDeleteI take it OM stands for "Old Mariettan"
I remember Albert Dobbins. Every time he and my father crossed paths they would talk about old friends. I think they lived near each other as kids and also maybe they were in the National Guards together.
Eddie,
ReplyDeleteYou are correct in that I am an OM. I grew up on Cherokee St. about a half-mile from the square. My mother was a Dobbins. Her dad use to have a furniture store on the square and it was her brothers who started Dobbins Funeral Home. I enjoy reading your blogs although I am a little 'younger' at 58. There are so many things to remember about growing up in Marietta and the number of people I grew up with that are still around is truely amazing.
OM,
ReplyDeleteAnd sadly the ones that are not still around is, well not amazing, but disappointing.
I hope you dig around in my blog some, and while here, run some searches on things like downtown Marietta, Marietta History, etc.
I went to school with female Dobbins - I can't think of her name off hand. I think she was Albert's daughter. And also, wasn't the science teacher, Ms Dobbins related to you?