| When I was writing the "Remembering Time" columns in "The Jasonville Leader" in the early 80's, I received a tape from a former resident, Luther Atkins. His father, J.M. Atkins, was superintendent of the Jasonville Schools in the early 1900s. This tape was so interesting and so descriptive of our town before the time of the terrible fire of 1914 that I decided to share it with everyone. Perhaps a first-person account of a Jasonville we never knew will enrich our understanding of our town, its wonderful history and perhaps our own lives. Luther Atkins Remembers Jasonville 1904-1912 �I remember we came in on the old train in late afternoon, and when we arrived the Jasonville band was there at the depot, where it met all trains to boost the new growing town. I can still remember that old tune they kept playing; in all these years I have never forgotten it. The town was half full of tents; as it was hard to get lumber in there fast enough to keep up with the building. My father rented a small house at first, from Ote Littlejohn. That was back down in what they called the Littlejohn Grove. They used to hold fairs, carnivals, and things in the grove there, I remember very well. This was in 1904, I was six years� old when I got there. I remember everything that happened because it was so exciting and thrilling. The town itself started at the old depot going west on the right side of Main Street: the first building was a two-story, kind of like a flat-iron building, smaller in front in width than it was in the back, made out of some kind of cement block or something. In that store was a restaurant; of course, they catered to the people who came off the train. After a person left that building, you went across kind of a little alleyway and then there were three buildings, all wooden, as were all the buildings in this next block. There were three saloons and then kind of hardware or novelty shop, then a couple of empty buildings, I imagine they were going to put saloons in them. Then Herman Goldstein had a sort of a ten-cent store or whatever you called it back in those days. Next tot hat on the corner of main and Meridian he had this moving picture house, the old silent days and also he had vaudeville there. It started out to be an open-air affair but after awhile it got so doggone cold, he had to put some sort of a roof on the thing. Across Meridian Street on the corner (still going west on the north side of Main) there was a little building on the corner that had the very first moving picture house in Jasonville. It cost 5 cents to get in and the show they played there, believe it or not, was the �Great Train Robbery.� There were a couple of empty stores next, some gypsies had one store building, and then up a little farther, just a few years later Mr. Williams built a ten cent store. This was the first ten-cent store in Jasonville, then a couple of vacant lots, then on the corner a wooden saloon (where O�Haver's are now) two story. Across Lawton Street (still on the north side) was a brick building; in fact, all the buildings in this block were two story brick buildings. The Jasonville mercantile Company was in there. Next to that was Charlie Williams' drug store, then Charlie wood�s father had a funeral home. I believe the Jasonville Leader was next, at least that�s the way I seem to remember it. Next to that was a Millinery shop, then a grocery store. Beecher Cromwell had an ice cream parlor in the next building. Above that was the Telephone Company and then all through there, upstairs were Dr. Welcher�s dentist office, Mr. Thomas insurance office, a law office, and quite a few others. Next door to Cromwell�s was the Neal House, which was, ran by Watson Neal�s mother, it was a hotel. There wasn�t much west of there on Main. Coming back to the depot, we�re going west on main on the south side of the street. Right at the railroad was a flourmill. Then across the tracks (going west) that whole field was empty. Later on a theatre was put in there. On the corner of Main and Meridian was an old wooden restaurant. Across Meridian going west was the old Opera house block. The corner lot at that particular time was vacant. Later on, about 1910, or 1911 they put up a Knights of Pythias building -two story- yellow brick and next to that was a men�s clothing store. Next to that were John Fry and Ora Ax�s Meat Market. Then upstairs was the Opera House, all brick. Downstairs, old man Van Fossen had his saloon. Ben Sink had his Tailor Shop in that bunch of buildings. I never will forger, I happened to be there in front of his hop the day he had his fake fit for the salesman, that started all the excitement that he use late as his slogan �Ben Sink has fits.� With me were Don Myers and Harold Hewitt, Wayne Nash, Elijah Copeland and a couple of other boys that used to hang out there. Ben Sink always had a bunch of people hanging around his place. He was one swell person. I always said the one man that gave Jasonville its spark back in those days was Ben Sink. Next to Ben�s place were the Greek Ice Cream Parlor, then a little millinery shop, and then Stark & Irwin�s Grocery Store. Next to that on the corner of Lawton and Main was the old wooden Band Stand, a little tow story affair, kind of rounded. Mr. Blackwell took this over, boarded it up and put a little sandwich shop there. Boy, he had the finest baked ham, pork sandwiches, hot dogs and homemade pie, especially his coconut cream, boy; they came for miles around to get that. Now we go across Lawton Street, Clem Lacey had Lacy�s Drug Store there on the corner (where Peoples Trust Company is now). I believe Dr. Foor was upstairs. Doc Foor had of the first automobiles, which was an old Maxwell � one lunger. He used to come by my house every day (at this time the Atkins family lived in the first house south of where the Christian Church is now on S. Lawton) and my mother used to grab a broom and run out and sweep the dust off the porch. It just rolled up there after he came by. He made four trips a day, boy, she was always swearing at Dr. Foor. Behind Lacy�s was Ed Markle�s Barber Shop (this is going south on Lawton Street) and next door my father was Postmaster in the old Post Office. Right across the alley was Biggs Sisters Millinery Shop. Next door to that was the original Selfridge Hotel. Later they built a big one back up there which burned down. Wayne Nash and his father had a Bakery Shop across the street, in back of Stark & Irwin�s Store, and then the fire department. There was a hotel down there but I forget the name of it. Coming back up to Lacy�s and going west on the south side of Main Street was Jim Heath who had a men�s clothing store. Jim had the first automobile in Jasonville. It was a great big red thing, that 1ooked like a fire engine. The next business was Hiatt�s Clothing Store, then John Young�s Hardware Store. Next to that were a couple of empty stores and then the old Lyric Theatre, the old movie house, which showed Vite-a-Graph pictures. Next door was a little store and then Harvey Hunter�s Shoe Store. Next was a vacant lot and then the Wakefield home on the corner of Washington Street. Across Washington Street on the corner was a picture house. It was an open-air theatre (where the Gas & Water Office is now.) Then a field, an apple orchard down to Mr. Bonham, who was at one time U.S. Marshall in Jasonville. Then all through that big field there we come to Ruebelt Webber�s Tinsmith Shop. Next door to that was Powell�s Meat Market on the corner of South Park Street. West across Park Street was Clem Van Meter�s poultry place. From there on out were homes. North on Park Avenue was the old ballpark, and south on that street they built an elementary school, when my father was Superintendent of the schools. I attended the eighth grade there and my teacher was Mrs. Dayhoff, a wonderful teacher. When we first went to Jasonville it was nothing but dirt in dry weather and mud in wet weather. I�ve seen my mother being carried across that street many a time by some good-hearted person. It was rugged. It seems to me like it was about 1906 or �07 when they paved. Main Street. I remember we had a parade one time when they were trying to dry up either Jasonville or Greene-County and it was paved then. We left Jasonville in 1912 1 and came to St. Petersburg, May I. 1913. The year my father finished school there was a wonderful year -- so -many good down to earth people. I never will forget them. They used to invite us -out to big chicken dinners on Sunday. There were the -Kirkhams and the Saucermans, the Wilsons and the Shouses and the Myers, Willie Walters and the Poes and A.F. Belcher, the Nashes and the Jones and the Millers and the Barnhills, Graftons and the Talberts and the Fry�s and the Johnson�s. Duncans and the Dayhoff, Dr.Collins, Dr. Foor and Dr. Padgett. Norris, the Lundys, the Anthonys. I could go on for hours and hours with the memories of those wonderful people. I remember Jasonville played a football game at Sullivan in 1911. We won the game, 6 to 5. A touchdown counted 5 points in those days � a kick was 1 point. We won the game because Johnson was running for a touchdown and one of the Sullivan players grabbed him by the sleeve of his jersey. The jersey was rotten and the sleeve came off. He went on for a touchdown. The Sullivan people were so mad that when we went down to the depot that night to get the train back to Linton to come home and they rotten egged us. THEY LITERALLY ROTTEN EGGED US! We were a mess, the train, the people and everything. I don�t know where they got all the eggs, but they got �em. That was one of the highlights that I remember of football in Jasonville. I have such a good memory when it comes to things that I like and Main Street in Jasonville was one of the things that I loved. In the summertime I was up and down that street constantly with all the rest of the kids. We used to be either playing ball or going swimming out in the old swimming hole. In the wintertime we were skating down there on the old millpond. The last time I was in Jasonville was 1935. I would love to see it again. I would love to have a picture of Main Street as it is now. I hope you can use this tape." Luther Atkins |
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| Chapter 1 Luther Atkins Remembers Jasonville 1904 - 1912 |
| Luther Atkins, (front right) in shop class while attending Jasonville School. The Atkins family moved to St. Petersburg, Florida in 1913. |
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| Luther Atkins father, John M. Atkins, was Superintendent of the Jasonville City Schools between 1904-1912. He is shown above in the chemistry lab. |
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