A 1985 Map of Hoover

I've written a number of pieces on this blog about various Alabama maps; one of these days I may put together a post that's a list of those posts. At any rate, here we are again.

Son Amos and I were recently going through some of the endless stuff around our house and came across this map of Hoover. We both agreed these kinds of graphic maps are pretty neat.

This map was issued in 1985 by Landmark Graphics Ltd. and Town Art Incorporated. The Riverchase Galleria did not open until February 1986, so that large regional mall is not on the map. We rented a house on Chapel Hill Road in Hoover in 1983, but before the end of 1985 we purchased our first home in Pelham. I remember in particular two of these businesses we patronized.

When we moved to Hoover in 1983 and then Pelham in 1985, restaurant choices were far more limited than today. El Palacio was our go-to Mexican place in those days. The chain's first operation was in Texas and the second was the Huntsville location where our family ate often. The chain had almost 60 restaurants by the early 1970s. The Hoover location closed a number of years ago. The one in Huntsville, believed to be the first Mexican restaurant in in that city, opened around 1966 and closed in 2017. Werner Von Braun was apparently a frequent customer.

We often ate at the Hunan Garden Chinese Restaurant and have continued to do so over the years. The menu is large with excellent food each time we visit. Another favorite in Hoover was the Mandarin House, which was a Chinese restaurant we patronized even a few times after we moved; that business closed several years ago. 

I don't remember if we ever ate at Showbiz Pizza, but we sure did patronize the Vestavia Chuck E. Cheese's back in the day. Showbiz eventually merged with Chuck E. Cheese; follow the link for a look at that complicated history. Many other national brands can be seen on the map: Firestone, Texaco, Citgo, 76, State Farm, and Gulf. I don't recognize many of the local businesses, such as Jahmins Food & Games, Ed's Hair Gallery, or Greenside Nursery. Perhaps Ed's is now Ed and Company Hair and Nail Salon? 

Davenport's Pizza Palace does have two locations now in Mountain Brook and Vestavia. Founded by Rex Hollis, the pizza places were named after a childhood friend, Jim Davenport. A Siluria native, Davenport played professional baseball with the San Francisco Giants. He is a member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and was recently inducted into the inaugural class of the Shelby County Hall of Fame. 

If you have memories about any of the businesses on this map, feel free to leave them in the comments!

I was unable to locate information about either of the businesses credited for the map's creation. 

I have a similar though smaller 1989 map of Pelham created for the city's 25th anniversary of incorporation. Maybe I'll get around to a blog post on that one someday.