“50” Minute Cleaners or Fifty Minute Cleaners, 900 Lynn Garden Drive (it’s now the low, red-roofed building next to the log house). As far as I can tell from available sources, it was in business from the late 60s to the very early 70s. It faced heavy competition from One Hour Martinizing with seven locations around town.
These are fake poufs for the left outpocket on a sport coat. You could also, I suppose, stash one in the back pocket of your jeans…
Minute Market had nine locations. Jiffy Markets had seven and a bunch of other grocers were scattered about.
If you go upstairs at River Mountain Antiques on Broad Street and amble as far back as you can go, you’ll see this sign. Why did this business end so quickly in 1919?
That’s because Mr. L. J. Oswald was murdered at this location, then the Nelms Building, in 1919. The alleged culprit was M. D. Stallard. Oswald lived long enough to tell that he had been shot in the back (a later account states that he appeared to have been shot in the side). Stallard’s .32 pistol was found beside Oswald. A property dispute was the apparent cause.
At a trial in Bristol, Stallard claimed self-defense and was declared not guilty on Wednesday, December 10, 1919.
Well, 200 years from 1776 to 1976. Health above all! By using DeWitt nostrums, of course.
Anyway, Holston Pharmacy opened its Boone Street location in November, 1926, in the Bandy-Price Building (now Two Dad’s Restaurant) at Five Points (that’s now considered an old designation. It’s the intersection of Charlemont, Boone, East and West Sullivan and Cherokee Streets). The location was advertised as having a bright, all-glass store front with entrances facing Five Points, Sullivan and Charlemont. The owner/operator was Pharmacist W.D. Westmoreland. Holston Pharmacy then had locations on Broad Street, on the Bristol Highway and in Surgoinsville. I saw that at one time later on, the Pharmacy had a sales event featuring a special price on razor blades for Gillette razors…with a free styptic pencil. And, if you ever shaved with a Gillette razor, you darn sure needed a styptic pencil!
(note: a styptic pencil was a pencil-shaped stick of aluminum salts…it helped clot the blood when you nicked yourself with that terrible razor) (and you would…)
Built around 1926 by Joseph Strauss of Bristol VA, this was home to the Cut Rate Dry Goods store in 1927, Watson’s All Bargain Store in 1929, The Miracle Store in 1929, The Vogue Ladies Apparel in 1931, Strauss’s Women’s Clothing (“Quality and Style at Low Prices”) in 1932, Montgomery Ward in 1935, B. F. Goodrich in 1943 (“A and B Radio Batteries!”), The Debbie Shop in 1947, Moskin’s Credit Clothing in 1952, Home Credit in 1972. There were others. It’s Anchor Antiques now.
If you happen to know of other businesses here, let me know.
Bob Lawrence's Kingsport 