Jack & Joanie Jones were 2001Mardi Gras Ball Royalty

Who knew that before the Heritage Center Mardi Gras Ball was instituted in 2008, a much smaller Mardi Gras Ball was held in a local residence for several years, beginning in 1999? This became an annual event and was so much fun, it was later expanded into the area wide fundraiser just recently held at The Paris Convention Center. The King and Queen of the 2001 Mardi Gras Ball were Jack and Joanie Jones. As the picture below indicates, they made a regal royal couple. Submitted by Ray Harding.

Puryear Roller Mill was Henry County's "Belle" & "Pride"

Who Knew about the Puryear Roller Mill, which was in operation in Puryear, Tennessee in the 40's and 50's ? The two main items they produced was "Belle of Puryear Flour" and "Pride of Puryear Meal". My mother & dad, Myrtice & Alfred Nichols, sold those two products in our grocery store on Route 5, a few miles from Paris, during that time period. I still have a picture that was given to us by Puryear Roller Mill, as a token of appreciation. The picture is in a metal frame with a small thermometer in the upper right corner. A scanned image of the picture is shown below. Notice the phone number, which indicates it was many years ago. Submitted by Don Nichols.

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.