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Back then: Dillsboro’s Front Street
This photo of Dillsboro’s Front Street was brought to The Herald by Peggy Queen Mason, who obtained the photo from her husband’s cousin, Francie Hoell. Mason, who believes the photo was taken during the 1920s, couldn’t identify the first two buildings on the right but said the space after the third building (the one by the large group of trees with the sign that reads, in part, “Craddock-Terry fine shoes”) is the yard of the Enloe House. Continuing down the street from there, Mason identified the next building as present-day Heaven’s Railway, and said that structure once housed Harris Clay Co., and the Dillsboro and Sylva Electric Co., which were both owned by early industrialist and civic leader C.J. Harris. The next building is now Annie’s Whimsey and housed lawyer John Hooker’s office during Mason’s childhood. After the lawyer’s office is the entrance to Church Street. The building that is now home to Shirley’s Boutique, which Mason said has housed a number of stores through the years, is in the next group of buildings, she said. The sidewalk then continues to Webster Street, where Mason’s mother still lives in a home that was built in the 1880s. The cornfield at the far end of the photo is just past Webster Street, Mason said. As best Mason can determine, the photo was likely taken from the old depot, which was located where the Cheddar Box is now. Signs visible in the entrance of the first building on the right read “Shield Brand Shoes are best” and “Special Agency, Atlanta, Ga.” The Coca-Cola sign lists a 5-cent price for the drink. Readers who have photos taken in Jackson County that are at least 25 years old and include a recognizable feature (such as an existing building, highway, mountaintop or ridgeline) are invited to submit them for use in the newspaper’s popular “Then and Now” features, which are published at least once a month. Photos can be dropped off or mailed to the newspaper office. As a convenience to those who would prefer not to let their cherished photos out of their sight, Herald photographer Nick Breedlove will scan photos Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 10 and 11 a.m. Those with questions about potential “Then and Now” photos may contact Breedlove at 586-2611, ext. 310, or nick@thesylvaherald.com. And don’t forget The Herald’s upcoming “Christmas Photo Gallery” that will be published in the newspaper’s Dec. 21 holiday special section. Readers are invited to submit yuletide photos, both past and present, that illustrate the special feelings associated with Christmas in the mountains. All photos will be considered, but publication preference will be given to candid holiday shots over studio portraits. Breedlove will also scan holiday pictures Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 10 and 11 a.m. Deadline for submissions to the Christmas Gallery is Wednesday, Dec. 13. |
