Pages

Saturday, November 08, 2008

I Was Born In and On Dixie!



♫ Look away, Look Away.♪

Really. I was born in and on Dixie. And I was born on Atlanta Street, in Marietta, Georgia. Atlanta Street is the old U.S. 41 Hwy. And the old U.S. 41 Hwy is the Dixie/was the Dixie Highway.

The house I was born in was on this grassy place (top picture), which is now part of the side-base of a railroad bridge (named the Mayor Richard Hunter [my uncle] Memorial Bridge.


Here are some more pictures of Atlanta Street aka Dixie Highway in Marietta.



Alley off Atlanta Street. Once there was a theater next to this alley. One time after a young man sat alone and watched the movie he stepped out in this alley and shot himself in the head. No one knows why. The bullet scar is still in the side of the wall.



Atlanta Street Looking North at the center of town.




Atlanta Street and West Atlanta Street from the Marietta City Cemetery.



Atlanta Street 1st block looking south.


Barnes Big Chicken – really the law office of ex-Governor Roy Barnes.



Clay House on Atlanta Street was the home of Senator Clay and his son General Lucius Clay. Also, I have mentioned it is where my friend Tony H. loved to take a bowel movement behind a bush in the front yard on the way home from school.



Classmate Elizabeth’s grandmother’s house.



Frazier House overlooking Atlanta Street (a Civil War novel was written about this house). It use to be grand old colonial mansion - now as you can see, it is run-down and in need of repairs. Eugenia Price once wrote a Civil War novel based on the residents of this house - I think the name of it was BEAUTY FROM THE ASHES.




Latimer Apartments - my late friend Van Callaway lived here with his parents.



Marietta art Museum which used to be the Library, and before that the Post Office. Which brings to mind, this is another grand old building that gave way to a brick non-nondescript post office building - I am always fussing about the court house - why don't I fuss about this too? I'll have to make myself a note.



This used to be a boarding house where my grammar school principal, Mrs. Whitehead lived.



Looking towards downtown - you are about in front of the building in the next picture.



This building I think was owned by my uncle Crain. It is next to what used to be the Post Office, then library, and now the art museum.




Johnny McCrakens Irish Pub. This is a very typical Irish Pub. Some people believe it is haunted. Upstairs was WBIE Radio Station owned and manned mostly by James Wilder. A very interesting station to listen to.



Gibbs auto – what me worry. Strangely, this building is only about a half block from where I was born. What is that saying, the nut doesn't fall far from the tree?

11 comments:

  1. So you were born at home?

    I was born in the elevator at Kennestone Hospital. lol

    ReplyDelete
  2. Deborah,
    Yep, I was born at home. My older sister was born in the Old Hospital on Cherokee Street and my younger sister was born at Kennestone Hospital, the same as you.
    Well, I take that back. "Not the same as you", she wasn't born in an elevator.
    Between which floors?

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a neat tour. Need to come and see Marietta.

    My "new" Grand Marquis came from the CarMax in Marietta. Paid an extra few hundred to have it brought up to Arlington. Your tour did not include the CarMax.

    ReplyDelete
  4. ps. I was born in Pennsylvania, Tyrone to be exact. But consider myself a Virginian.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Deborah,
    I have a correction. My older sister was not born in Old Marietta Hospital as I thought.
    She read the blog and the comments and said:
    was not born in the old Marietta Hospital. I was
    born at home when we lived on Hansel Street. Mana told me many times how
    Daddy and Old Dr. Perkinson sat at the kitchen table and talked football
    while Willie actually delivered me.

    Willie was an aunt, wife of my father's brother.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you for the tour.... I have been stopping by once in awhile to check out your posts.

    This one is particularly excellent. I have never been to your hometown, but the way that you describe it makes me strongly consider a visit.

    Peace

    ReplyDelete
  7. Si,
    There is a reason that I didn't include Carmax of Marietta on my Atlanta Street Tour. Carmax of Marietta isn't on Atlanta Street. Carmax of Marietta isn't in Marietta either. It is in Kennesaw, Georgia, about 3 or 4 miles away from the Marietta City Limit.
    You were born in Pennsylvania and consider yourself a Virginia? Well, I was born in Georgia and consider myself an Alaskan - I hear you can advance in your career rather quickly there.

    CPC,
    We are nothing special - just a suburb of Atlanta which is about 20 miles away.... but what gets me, when someone from Marietta is asked where they live they usually say "Atlanta." I don't see why, we have our own identity.
    Anyway CPC if you ever visit I think you will enjoy our museum of the Civil War and all.. like our Main Street, U.S.A., downhome ways.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Maybe the guy in the alley outside the movie theater shot himself because it was a really lousy flick.

    Or he didn't like the popcorn.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Pappy,
    Well, I hope he at least tried to get his money back first.

    ReplyDelete
  10. But, but, but my "new" red Grand Marquis - the Cherry Bomb, the Red Rocket - came from that CarMax! Isn't that worth a memorial of some sort? An obelisk or a plaque or something?

    When you get to Alaska, save some moose meat for me. And say hello to Senator Stevens. But seriously, enjoy the weather, folks, heritage, etc. of Virginia. It is also where all of our chidren were born and raised. The old homestead as far as we are concerned.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Si,

    Or at least a bumper sticker.

    Not only moose meat but also wolf meat.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.