Halloween Night Explosion at Atherton;s and some & thoughts

 

We just watched Krista and Amy present  Marietta Museum of History’s report on the deadly explosion of Atherton’s Drug Store on Halloween Night, October 31, 1963.  I have a few thoughts and remembrances:   First of all, (holding both hands up) I have an alibi, I was in the a Navy helicopter squadron in Lakehurst, NJ, with 300 witnesses, who will vouch for me, unless they have died of old age already.

 

As I remember the first time, I was aware of Atherton’s Drug Store, was on West Park Square about 3 stores from the Whitlock Avenue corner, next door to Johnny Walker’s Men’s Clothing.  William’s Drug Store was on the corner of West Park Square and Depot  Street, where a children’s book or toy store is now.  Hodges Drug Store was on North Park Square, Dunaway Drug Store bought it.

I thought Mayor Sam Welch was mayor around 1948, 49, 50, in that neighborhood.  He appointed my father Ed Hunter Chief of the Marietta Police about that time.

Sometime in the 1960s my uncle Dick Hunter was mayor.  I think he was after Red Atherton.

Above Atherton Drub Store was office space.  Doctor Means, who brought me into this world had an office there.  Doctor Means was short little jovial fellow who was always glad to see me.  He never would charge me.  I was born without breathing and it took him a long time to beat life into me.  I guess I was his pride.  I’m glad he never got to see my school grades, he might have dreaded his action.

As a teenager I and many more hung out at Atherton after school.  Doc Atherton (Red’s father) asked us more than once to leave.

The only time some of us were physically  thrown out of Atherton’s is when several of us got into a French Fry fight, throwing at each other, and Cleo grabbed Larry Bradford and I and  marched us through the front door.

At Atherton’s,l probably about 1959 or 60  I saw the only racial tension at Atherton’s.  Tony  and a friend of his, black and about 3 years younger came in to Atherton’s from  fishing all day on a Saturday.  Tony ordered two Cokes.  The waitress Mott said she could not serve “him”.  Tony said she did  wasn’t serving “him”, he placed the order and he will pay for it.  Mott appeared very uncomfortable but held her ground.  Tony and his friend left.

My first cousin, Johnny Hunter, was one of the on-the-spot volunteers at Atherton that night.

 

Here is  Dr. Jonathan Swift and Jim Lamer  Jim was injured at Atherton’s that night and Doctor Swift saved his life.

 

Romeo Hudgins ran the rescue operation that night.  Romeo was a quick actioned man.  I know he was my Little League coach.  If some parent disagreed with him he would step those long legs of his over the fence and say, “Lets settle this!”  He was the owner of Hudgins Welding Service Atlanta Street and Reynolds, just across West Atlanta Street to the Confederate Cemetery. 

 

 

 

Khrista and Amy also told how ther explosion sort of put a damper on Halloween celebrations for about a decade but they renewed it and things got, er-sort of out of hand.  Our youngest son was born in 1979.  About 1982 we carried our two boys to the Square for the Halloween Celebrations.  One of he funniest costumes that year that several people had was a raincoat closed.  When the person felt he could get away with it he would quickly open his raincoat and a huge artificial penus, about 3 or 4 feet long would spring out and erect