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This week’s look at the pages of the winter 1940/41 special edition of The Tullahoma Guardian is especially interesting because a couple of the houses shown in the advertisements still exist in their original appearance. So, too, does the building of one of the businesses, though changed somewhat.

One page features portraits of several prominent citizens, including some whose names you’ll recognize: Dr. R.L. Dossett and Col. R.H. Mitchell. Also shown are Polk Ross, The Tullahoma Guardian publisher, and his wife and son, Powell, both listed as co-publishers. Powell was also a correspondent for The Nashville Tennessean.

On that same page is an advertisement for Carey’s Grocery, which was located on S. Jackson St., where the parking lot between Retro Hair and the First Methodist Church is now. E.E. Duckworth Construction Co. also has an ad on that page with a photo of Mr. Duckworth’s home. The 1940 telephone book says the Duckworths resided at 201 S. Anderson St., and that house is still there. It now is home to Pet Paradise. You may also be aware of the Duckworth Building on S. Anderson St., the strip shopping center where Bar 315, Reigning Ink Tattoo, and Walton’s Appliances are located.

Three businesses share the second page: General Shoe Corp., Owens Manufacturing, and Highland Lumber and Millwork. General Shoe was located at the northwest corner of S. Anderson and E. Carroll Streets in the large brick building that was torn down a few years ago. They were a major employer at the time of this ad’s publishing.

Owens Manufacturing was a maker of chenille bedspreads and located at 206 S. Anderson St. Have you ever noticed the long and low white building behind Water’s Edge Chocolates? That was the Owens Manufacturing plant, the original part being built in 1923. Consider that a teaser as we’ll do more about Owens Manufacturing in a later article.

The third business on that page, Highland Lumber and Mill Work Co., was located on W. Lincoln St., and its owner was P.R. Campbell. The Campbells figure prominently in Tullahoma business history and we’ll talk more about them at a later date. Looking at their ad, notice the house at the lower right. That house still stands on E. Lincoln, across the street from E. Lincoln Elementary School.

Do you have stories and photos of any of these old Tullahoma businesses that you would share? You can contact me at alanmayes@lighttube.net.