Bleach Cream Promised to Take Your Breath Away!

Who knew that the Paris Toilet Company ran an ad in the June 1927 issue of the "Peoples Home Journal" with a coupon good for a free test jar of the new Golden Peacock Tonic Face Powder? Source: MagazineArt.org. Submitted by Don Nichols (click the photo for a larger version).

Nancy Hall Jubilee Preceded Mule Day and Fish Fry

Who knew that the second Nancy Hall Jubilee in 1939 was a spectacular affair? Nancy Hall was the favorite sweet potato variety grown here and this festival celebrated that crop. The picture below shows the cover of the program for the event. Miss Ann Abernathy reigned as Queen Nancy II for the 3 day celebration. The climax was the Coronation Ball at the brand new City Auditorium. It was to begin at 10 p.m. with music by Don Bestor, Jack Benny’s radio orchestra, followed by a grand march and beauty review to select the Queen for 1940. Tennessee Governor Prentice Cooper would crown the Queen. Dancing was to continue until 2:00 a.m. The Nancy Hall Jubilee was later replaced by Mule Day (which also began in 1938) and then by the World’s Biggest Fish Fry in 1953. Source – Nancy Hall Jubilee Program for 1939, and The PI Post Mortems column by Bryant Williams April 22, 1991. Submitted by Ray Harding.

Weather Forecaster Seldom Fumbled

Who knew that when weather forecasts were much less reliable than today, kids enjoyed predicting their own weather? A small plastic house with two doors featured a boy and girl in the left doorway and a witch in the right one. If the witch emerged from her door, rain was predicted. Appearance of the boy and girl meant that fair weather was on the way. It was surprisingly accurate! The picture below shows a 1949 vintage device predicting rain. This was on the wall in my room for years when I was a kid. Source - Ray Harding. 

Kids Club Challenge Provided Baseball Glove

Who knew that in the late 1940’s, the Paris Royal Crown Bottling Company manager Paul Perry partnered with the new WTPR radio station to host a Saturday morning kids club? The program was broadcast live from the bottling plant at 222 W. Wood St. and Fentress (now has a train mural). The MC was a WTPR announcer and may have been Ralph Emery. They held a contest for the most RC bottle caps collected. My dad was a wholesale grocery salesman and I emptied every bottle cap catcher in country stores in parts of Henry, Stewart, and Benton Counties. Sorting the caps was a sticky mess, but I won the grand prize; a baseball glove which I used in my Little League years. Source – Remembrances of Margery (Mrs. Paul) Perry and Ray Harding. Submitted by Ray Harding.

Wrestling was Much-loved Pasttime

Who knew that, forty-one years ago, the local Shrine Club sponsored weekly wrestling matches at the Paris City Auditorium. I was always there, I loved it. This poster was from 1969, admission was $1.25. The lady wrestlers on this card became two of the best in the nation in the 70's. Submitted by Don Nichols.

Retreads Helped Cars Look and Run Well

Who knew that before the advent of radial tires, tire treads would wear out with much lower mileage than today. When I drove a $100 car to high school, a new set of tires would have almost doubled my investment. If the sidewalls were good, Adams Tire and Recapping (located at 401 Wood St. across from the current Fire Station) could bond a set of new treads on my old tires very inexpensively. These usually held up well. Dressed up with a set of recaps, “Portawalls” (fake white sidewalls) and “Spinner” hubcaps, my 1947 Ford looked good to me. Submitted by Ray Harding.

Atkins Porter School Nourished Kids with Aid of Lee

Who knew that Atkins Porter school was opened for the first time in 1915? Grades 5,6,7, and 8 were taught at that time. Since there was no cooking equipment there, soup prepared at Robert E. Lee School was transported to Atkins Porter each day. Students were charged 5 cents per bowl. This arrangement continued for several years. Source – Article by Gini Burton Routon, pp. 146-147, A History of Henry County Tennessee, E Mcleod Johnson. Submitted by Ray Harding.

Early Employment Instills Lasting Values

Who knew that a high school girl hired for Christmas season in the early 60’s at a local Five and Ten would be warned that she could be “paid in hard candy” if she did not sell enough of it, and that the money in the register had to be stacked so that the “Georges faced the street”? However, to my surprise, on pay day I was paid in cash in a little brown sack just like everyone else.

My boss taught me not to fold my arms as I worked so that I would appear to be ready for the next customer. I learned to ask for check approval for everyone, but I trusted my own judgment anyway if the customer was a local celebrity. When a customer paid in cash, I had to count out the change from the amount of purchase, since there were no computers to calculate everything for me.

I learned during inventory that every item, including the tiny bottles of Blue Waltz perfume, had to be counted -- even if their value seemed negligible to me -- and that a big part of inventory was cleaning the stock and straightening the shelves.

I have had many jobs since that first one, but not one has taught me more about work nor has offered me occasional free candy as one of the perks. Source - personal recollections; submitted by Helen Harding Henderson.

Punch Board Chance Preceded Lottery

Who knew that in the 1940’s and ‘50’s you could do some small time gambling at most country stores in this area? A “punch board” would be positioned near the cash register. You could pay 5 cents to punch a piece of paper from one of the hundreds of sealed holes in the board (actually thick cardboard). Colorful text promised a chance to win up to $5.00. The board in the picture below displayed some of the potential winnings. They were not exactly legal, but I think punch boards finally faded away more from lack of interest than from any law enforcement crack-down. Submitted by Ray Harding.