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Many people know the phrase “It takes a village to raise a child” and how true that is! So let me share with you some of the villagers in Tullahoma who helped to raise the children in Tullahoma during the 40s and 50s. Having been born here in ‘39, I really benefitted from so many of those who kept an eye out for us “younguns” as we were fondly called. Those friends are all gone now, but I want to share with you what they shared with us younguns.

Since I lived on N. Atlantic St., most of my mentors lived close by. Starting at the corner that ran along Hogan St. lived Alan Grey Campbell. She was a very tall and elegant lady. She was a musician, and served as the organist at our church. Not only did she play the organ and the piano, she wrote music, and she composed the piece “Welcome to Tullahoma, Mr. President” which was sung to President Truman when he came for the dedication of the AEDC.

Next on Atlantic lived Ben and Taters Wilkins. Mr. Wilkins was head of the Overall plant right across the railroad tracks from where he lived.

The Wilkins were well known for the large tree in their yard which they decorated every year during the Christmas season with many lights and was a destination for many family outings to see the lights. Next on Atlantic was Mrs. Davis, a lovely soft-spoken lady who had roots in Tuscaloosa, Ala., as did my Mother and they often talked about happenings there when she would be walking to town. And next to her lived the Sewards, and Mrs. Seward ran a boarding house which was a popular place when commercial housing was not available here. She was known to be a great cook and always had time for a chat. Her oldest son was an artist and was selected to paint a portrait of the dog of one of the presidents. Crossing the street, the first home was where Dr. Crouch and his wife Ms. Annie lived. They were our next door neighbors, and I dearly loved both of them. Dr. Crouch and my grandfather, Daddy Billy, were great friends and visited often with me sitting at their feet.

Often I would take a mud pie to Dr. Crouch, and he always graciously accepted it and told me to come back the next day for my pie plate ready to have another mud pie in it! Although Dr. Crouch had graduated from the Nashville Medical College (later Vanderbilt Medical), and came home to practice medicine, he lost his very first patient, and he said “I will never practice medicine again!” And he didn’t!

On the other side of us was a duplex, and many different occupants lived there. During Camp Forrest days, many were connected to it. Some of those families had children, and one family had a son who started school with me at East Lincoln. On the corner was a very large home where the superintendent of the railroad, Mr. Bone, lived with his family.  After they moved to Lebanon, Henry Lytle Wilson who was just returning home from military service lived there with his new wife. On the next corner were his parents, the Wilson’s. Mr. Wilson owned Wilson’s Department store on Lincoln St. where 122 West is now. There were three levels inside, and when you made a purchase, there was a pneumatic tube that would take your payment to the first floor and return your change to the point of purchase. That was before the days of credit cards, but you could charge items. You could also take items home on approval, keep them or return them. We knew all the ladies who worker there, and their customer service was outstanding. Mr. Wilson’s mother, Ms. Mollie, also worked there, and she always had nice things to say to us.

Next to the Wilson’s lived Dr. Dossett and his wife. He was our family doctor, and he also served as Tullahoma’s Mayor. The thing I remember when I passed their house was that they had a flag hanging in their window that had a gold star on it because their only son had died while serving in the Army during WWII. I was sad when I learned what it meant.

Further down the street was the bus station, and it was a very busy place during those early days. Next to it was Hurricane Hall, an apartment house. Out front of it was a metal fence where a number of the older retired gentlemen would hang out, and sit on the fence and whittle.  Since my grandfather, Daddy Billy, and I walked to town often, we would always speak to them, and they loved to tease, especially when I was pushing my duck in my doll carriage. It was a fun time.

In the next block was the King Hotel where my sister, Mary Searcy, lived with her husband, G.C. King, Jr. as he was the manager of the hotel. The senior Kings lived behind the hotel.

Mrs. King’s mother, Mrs.  Granbury, lived with them. She had worked for many years, at Cain-Sloans in Nashville as a seamstress making wedding gowns, debutant ball gowns, and alterations as necessary.  Once retired, she did some of that in Tullahoma as well. She made the wedding dress my sister wore when she married G.C.  But something she did for me was a big surprise!

I had received a doll for my 7th birthday.  It was not long until my doll disappeared!  What I did not know was she had the doll and made her a complete wardrobe. There was a wedding dress, a rehearsal dinner dress, a going away outfit, and so much more. I still have the doll and that trousseau!

Two blocks down on S. Atlantic lived Mrs. R.T. Hill who owned the Marshall Theater.  Also living there was her mother, Ms. Will. They were good friends and we visited often. One time Mrs.  Hill hurt her ankle and could not walk for quite a while. It was a time when I was learning to bake, so I made a coffee cake which I took to her. To my surprise, sometime later, I received a gift from her along with a thank you note.

The gift was a Madam Alexander doll portrayed as Marne, the mother of the Little Women girls in the book by the same name. And I sent her a thank you note as well!

Others that have to be mentioned are Maude and Doc Taylor who owned and operated Taylor’s Pharmacy.  They were so much fun! Maude had a sister, Mary Boone Tong who lived down on the west side of Atlantic. She was not an artist who painted, but she was an artist in her flower arrangements and as a milliner. Of course, in those days, hats were a big part of the fashion industry. And around the corner from Taylor’s, was Clayton’s Shoe Store, and I remember Mr.  Zippy. It was fun to go in there and step into the fluoroscope machine where you could see the bones in your feet. It was a big draw for all the young kids.

Of course, it goes without saying that those days were before television, cell phones, or hand held devices so prominent these days.

Also, so many social interactions took place in our churches as not only did they serve as places of worship but served as the social centers of the community! So many of the seniors in our church played a major roll as models in our early education.

So I hope you have a feel for some of the villagers who had a great influence on the youngsters in Tullahoma in those early days. What made them so special was that they took the time to talk to us, listen to us, and impart knowledge to us. They made a difference in our lives and left us with some great memories!