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Though one would be hard-pressed to realize it now, during the 1940s and 1950s, the building at the northwest corner of Jackson and Lincoln Streets was home to three different new automobile dealerships. The most recent business to occupy the building was the Reminisce Antique Mall, though that closed several years ago. Prior to that, it had been the home of Arnold Furniture Company. As we look at three auto dealerships that were in that corner location, we’ll see one common thread among them.

Per an article in the July 3, 1952, issue of The Tullahoma News, the Centennial Edition, Shapard Chevrolet was founded in April 1944 by Joe Shapard and occupied that location until August 1951, when it moved to its new building at the southwest corner of N. Jackson and Moore Streets. If that 1944 date is correct, Shapard had a Chevrolet dealership with no new Chevrolets to sell! Because of the U.S. entry into World War II, domestic auto production was halted in early 1942 and didn’t resume until the summer of 1945 with 1946 models. However, Shapard also sold Firestone tires and Texaco gasoline, although both of those were rationed during the war. Service and used cars were probably their profit centers during those years. The gasoline pumps were in front of the showroom on Jackson Street.

In February 1952, the building was taken over by Wiseman Motor Company, Tullahoma’s Studebaker dealership, which moved from another location half a block away. Coincidentally, Studebaker and Tullahoma were both founded in 1852, so both were celebrating a centennial that year. Studebaker was originally a wagon company. Wiseman had been founded in 1938 and prior to being a Studebaker dealer had sold Fords and then Hudsons. At our subject location, they also were Texaco dealers and sold Firestone tires.

Our third dealer selling on that corner was Stockton Motors, the Pontiac automobile and GMC Truck dealer. Stockton was there for at least 1953 and 1954 model years, having previously been on West Lincoln Street, and then on South Anderson Street. Care to guess what else they sold? That’s right, Firestone tires and Texaco gasoline and oil products.

     During the time that all three dealers were in the corner building, there was no adjacent building to the north, so the open lot was used for parking and used car inventory. While Shapard Chevrolet was there, the building had two overhead doors on the front facing Jackson Street. It appears that Wiseman closed off the front service doors and created the showroom windows that still exist. The service department was likely accessed through new doors on the north side of the building.

Do you have sharp pictures of these dealerships or other buildings, businesses, churches or events from Tullahoma’s or Coffee County’s past? If so, reach out to me at alanmayes@lighttube.net.