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Editor Duane Sherrill has asked me to occasionally provide a pictorial look into Tullahoma’s history. I’ve been privileged to obtain a few high-quality vintage photos, and I’m happy to share. Unfortunately, I do not know the photographer’s identity on some. When I do know, I will give appropriate credit.

This first one is a street fair scene from about 1924, looking north on Atlantic Street. Look closely and you can recognize most of the buildings, although some façades have changed considerably over the 99 years since this photo was taken. The second story windows are the best clues for this series of buildings. Sometime when you are downtown, park in the parking lot parallel to the railroad track and look at those upper stories. Despite several repaints, most still have visible signs of the windows having been removed and their holes bricked in.

At the far left is the building currently known as the Veranda House Apartments (first six upper story windows). That corner space was a drug store for many years. This picture doesn’t give a clue to its occupants at the time, but it’s likely that the first section at least was a drug store. The second section of that same building appears to have been a different business, based on its different awning and color stripe above.

Next is the building that is currently being remodeled and was most recently the Moore, Hedges & Proffitt attorneys’ office suite. (Count the second set of six second-story windows.) Just past that is the building that currently houses the American Legion, with three more second-story windows. The next building looks surprisingly similar today as compared to this near 100-year-old photo. That’s the Robert Carter law office, and it still has its single point at the center top of the façade, and still today shows its build date, 1914.

The Downtown Avenues now occupy the next two buildings in this picture, as they were combined in the mid-twentieth century to create the First National Bank building. That includes the white pillared building in our photo, and the one to its immediate left. After that, we see the still recognizable recent and longtime home of Couch’s Photo, and also longtime and current occupant, Daddy Billy’s. Next, we drop down in height to a smaller building, which is now the location of Spinelli’s Pizza. The last two buildings on the block were also combined somewhere along the way. i3 Corps is there now, but at one time, the end corner building was the Strand Theatre, and later H.G. Hill Stores supermarket.

Not visible in this picture is the railroad depot, which once stood about where the red caboose sits now. It was moved two blocks north to its current location many years ago, after passenger service was discontinued. The railroad played a huge part in Tullahoma’s growth, and the depot area was a hub of activity.

If you enjoy these stories and photos, let me know. And if you have some sharp, high resolution photos you can share, I’d be happy to see them. I’ll scan them and then immediately return them to you. You can contact me at alanmayes@realtracs.com. Thanks for looking.