Ads in the Auburn Plainsman on February 7, 1945

I was recently sifting through a box of old newspapers that came from my paternal grandparents' house in Gadsden. I've written about them, Amos J. and Rosa Mae Wright, in a previous post and hope to do others in the future. This particular box of treasures contained mostly the front page section of many issues of the Gadsden Times published during World War II. I assume my grandmother saved them; she seemed to be the archivist of that couple. Naturally there is a lot of interesting war news, but the issues also have fascinating material from the Gadsden area and around the state and elsewhere. I imagine there are numerous possible blog posts buried there.....

But I digress. I also came across this random issue of the Auburn Plainsman, the university's student newspaper. My Dad, Amos J. Jr., was enrolled at Alabama Polytechnic Institute at this time, before a couple of years in the Navy just after the war ended. I didn't find too much of interest except some fascinating advertisements, so here we are. 

The Plainsman had begun publication in 1922; you can find past issues here. The issue I found was six pages; the sheet with pages three and four is missing. I'm not sure why this random issue was saved, but perhaps Dad brought it home as a sample to show his mother while he was enrolled at Auburn.

I've made a number of comments below the ads, with help from these sources:

Ralph Draughon, Jr, et al. Lost Auburn: A Village Remembered in Period Photographs [2012]

Sam Hendrix, Auburn: A History in Street Names [2021]

The first Tiger Theatre opened in 1925 and closed in the summer 1928 so the next bigger one could be built. The new building had over 700 seats and closed on April 26, 1984. I seem to remember seeing Who'll Stop the Rain? there, the 1978 film with Nick Nolte and Tuesday Weld. The film was based on Robert Stone's 1974 novel Dog Soldiers, which is well worth reading. 

Hat Check Honey was released on March 10, 1944; many films took longer to make their way around in the country in those days. The Very Thought of You came out on October 20, 1944. The Pearl of Death, released on August 1, 1944, was a Sherlock Holmes film so I probably would have gone to see that one. 

The Windmill operated from the 1930s until 1951, when its beer license was revoked for selling to minors and other offenses. In the 1930s and early 1940s it was the only place in the Auburn area to obtain legal alcohol. The place was frequented by veterans in school at Auburn; no co-eds were allowed. The entrance was a faux windmill. The business was really a gas station with a few booths and tables inside. 

I did not find any information on the Varsity. 

Auburn Grille advertised as "an institution within itself." The Greek immigrants John and Lucas Gazes operated the Grille and Roy's Place. The Grille was the first restaurant with air conditioning in Lee County and  was named for the Auburn automobile, manufactured in Auburn, Indiana, from 1900 until 1937. Their father Emmanuel Gazes operated the Auburn Cafe from 1907 until 1921. The family was also involved in various other eating places, including what became the War Eagle Supper Club.

Some of these places such as Roy's and the Windmill operated outside city limits since according to state law at the time alcohol could not be served inside the limits.

War Eagle Theater was part of the Martin chain & the first chain theater in Auburn. This one must have been known as Martin Theater and later renamed.

By 1982 there were 300 Martin Theaters in the southeastern U.S. In that year the chain's owner, Fuqua Industries sold the chain to Carmike Cinemas. In 2016 Carmike was purchased by AMC Theatres. 

This particular Martin opened on August 19, 1948 and closed in 1985. In October 1970 it hosted the first Alabama showing of I Walk the Line, based on the novel An Exile by Madison Jones [1925-2012], long-time faculty member at AU. 

One of the films showing that I especially note and have enjoyed was To Have and Have Not, released in October 1944 and starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. The movie was based on Ernest Hemingway's 1937 novel. 

"Chief" Shine provided the first rental car service in Auburn.

I did not find anything about this establishment, even in a general Google search.

Auburn Postcard: Ross Chemical Building

Here we are with another historical postcard to explore. I picked one from Auburn University, since my family has many ties to that institution. As noted below, my grandfather Amos J. Wright, Sr., did his military training on campus at the end of World War II. My parents Amos J. Wright, Jr., and Carolyn Shores Wright met and married while attending Auburn--or Alabama Polytechnic Institute, as it was formally known then--in the late 1940s. My wife Dianne and I met at Auburn--in the library! Daughter Becca graduated from Auburn as well. 

Note that "Samford" is misspelled as "Sanford" on the card. On the back of the card below we see the number "24052" which according to this history of Dexter Press postcards after 1950 makes it part of the 1950-51 batch of cards. That history includes some information about the press from the 1930s until it went out of business in the 1980. 

If this postcard indeed dates to ca. 1950, it was printed just before U.S. postage on postcards increased. From 1872 until 1951, postage was just one cent. The only exception was the two cent rate imposed in 1917-1918 during World War I. 

The post office approved this kind of "divided back" card on March 1, 1907. 

The building's namesake, Bennett Battle Ross [1864-1930] was a Tuskegee native who studied at Auburn, the University of Chicago, and universities in Germany. Ross then taught for six years each at Auburn and LSU before returning to Auburn as professor of general and agricultural chemistry and state chemist. He served as dean of agricultural sciences from 1911 until 1922 and dean of chemistry and pharmacy from 1922 until his death in 1930. In 1926 he published Chemistry in Agriculture. 

Ross Hall has 43,478 square feet of space and was built in 1930. In 1963, the School of Chemistry moved to Saunders Hall. In 1977 Ross was renovated for the use of mechanical, chemical and aerospace engineering. 

In all of the family photographs we have are some Dad took while at Auburn in 1945 and 1946. You can read my blog post about them here. This photo of the Ross Chemical Building was among them. 

Oh, and that building in the background of the postcard? Samford Hall? Here's my grandfather in 1918 standing near the spot where Ross Hall would later be built. Having been drafted into the army, he was in Auburn doing basic training. Luckily for him World War I ended before his unit was deployed, and he returned home to Gadsden. My blog post about all that is here.

Ross Chemical Building [now Ross Hall] in a 1948 postcard

Source: Alabama Postcards Collection via Auburn University Digital Library 

Bennett Battle Ross [25 Dec 1864-4 April 1930]

He is buried in Pine Hill Cemetery in Auburn.

Source: FindAGrave

Punt, Bama, Punt! Auburn Does It 17-16

As the most recent one demonstrated, the annual Iron Bowl football contest between Auburn University and the University of Alabama can have all kinds of craziness. That was certainly true for the 1972 contest, the immortal "Punt, Bama, Punt!" game. As my brother Richard and I continue to clean out mom and dad's  house in Huntsville, we keep encountering all sorts of interesting things, and this blog post is about one of them. 

The sound recording seen below was mailed to Auburn University alumni in 1973 as a fund raiser for the university's foundation. In the game played December 2, 1972, Alabama was undefeated, ranked 2nd in the nation and a two-touchdown  favorite over Auburn. With less than 10 minutes left in the game, the score was  16-3 with Alabama leading when the Crimson Tide had to punt.  Auburn player Bill Newton blocked and teammate David Langner ran the ball back for a touchdown. Several minutes later, Alabama had to punt again, Newton again blocked it, and Langner again returned it for a touchdown. Langner intercepted an Alabama pass to seal Auburn's victory.  See the Wikipedia entry "Punt Bama Punt" for more details about the game. This item has a portion of the official Auburn Football Network broadcast with Gary Sanders and Gusty Yearout.

Auburn vs. Birmingham-Southern in 1938

In 1938 Auburn [then formally known as Alabama Polytechnic Institute, but seldom called that] and Birmingham-Southern College met in the first football game of the season for both teams. The contest took place on September 23 at Crampton Bowl in Montgomery. Auburn managed to win 14-0 with a "late spurt" as the article below describes it.

That article was written by Bill Rollow for the Montgomery Advertiser. Also below is an excerpt declaring that "Auburn's play was unimpressive" and noting the team will have to greatly improve before the next game against Tulane. Birmingham-Southern had been a three touchdown underdog.

The teams would finish that season with similar records. Under fifth-year coach Jack Meagher the Tigers had a record of 4-5-1. The Panthers coach Jenks Gillem completed his eleventh season at 4-5. 

The Panthers home stadium was Legion Field, but they only played two games there that year. Some of their other games were played in New Orleans, Memphis, Mobile and Gadsden. Auburn played Tulane in New Orleans, and other teams in Houston, Atlanta and Jacksonville, Florida. They lost to Villanova in Philadelphia. Two games were played at Crampton Bowl, and Auburn defeated LSU at Legion Field. 

Source: Auburn University Libraries Digital Collections

Harold McInnish, center, Birmingham-Southern 

Source: Alabama Dept of Archives and History

Lewis Holliday, end, Birmingham-Southern. He did not start, but according to the newspaper account below he did play. 

Source: Alabama Dept of Archives and History 

Rollow notes later in the article that Auburn attempted no passes in the first half and "did not open up with anything but country store football." Their fanciest play in that half was four laterals after an interception that gained about a yard. 

Montgomery Advertiser, Saturday 24 September 1938, written by Bill Rollow

Larger version can be found at the source

Source: Newpapers.com

Alabama Photos: Langdon Hall at Auburn University

One of Auburn University's most prominent older buildings is Langdon Hall on South College Street. I remember it well from my student days at AU in the early 1970s. I watched films there and heard visiting speakers on several occasions. 

The building was constructed in 1883; the architect was W.P. Wood, an 1881 alumnus of the university. The auditorium was remodeled in 1950, and Langdon is now used as an auditorium and personnel office. 

The structure was named after Charles Carter Langdon (1805-1889), a Mobile cotton broker, newspaper editor and mayor. He was also an Auburn trustee from 1872 until his death. Fellow trustees named the building Langdon Hall after his death.

Langdon Hall in the 1930s

Source: Alabama Dept of Archives and History

Langdon Hall in 1897

Source: Alabama Dept. of Archives and History

Charles Carter Langdon 

Source: Auburn University 

Alabama Photos of the Day: Two Auburn Bookstores in 1950

I recently ran across these first two photos in one of Auburn University Libraries' digital collections and being a retired librarian and bookstore denizen since the days of my youth, they grabbed my attention. Let's investigate. The photos show the interior of two bookstores in Auburn in 1950, Hawkins' and Burton's. The quotes about each store come from the linked source. At some point Mr. Hawkins died and a bookstore entrepreneur from Tuscaloosa named Paul Malone purchased the store and renamed it Malone's. George Johnston had been working there and took over management; he purchased the store in 1953. The Johnston family took full control in 1960 and renamed it Johnston and Malone, which became J&M in 1968. That's how the store was known when I arrived in Auburn in June 1970. You can read more about J&M here, here and here. I've found nothing yet on Mr. Hawkins' background, but that's not the case with with the founder of the other store, Robert Wilton Burton. Although born in Georgia in 1848, he grew up in Lafayette and spent most of his adult life in the Auburn area. After the Civil War he taught school in Lee County and Opelika until he and his brother opened a bookstore in that town. In 1878 faculty members at the college then known as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama asked him to open a bookstore in Auburn to serve the school and community. Burton's Book Store became a center of literary and intellectual life and operated until 1968. Before his death in 1917 Burton published numerous poems and humorous stories in newspapers and national magazines. With the income he built a one-story house for his family affectionately called the "Four-Story Cottage". Although listed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1980, the Queen Anne-style house on East Magnolia Street was demolished in 1993. In May 1957 Paul Malone was one of the incorporators of Malone's Book Store, Inc. in Tuscaloosa. The business was dissolved in 1968. I raided my parents' collection of Auburn University yearbooks from ca. 1947-1950 and other sources for book store ads and photos beyond the two I found initially. I couldn't stop myself and have included them below in order to create a mini-history of bookstores in Auburn. I wonder if my parents are in either of these photographs. They were at Auburn in 1950. If you have any information or memories about these stores, please tell us in the comments section. UPDATE 19 March 2022 One Auburn bookstore I didn't discuss was Anders, which closed recently after 56 years in business. Hawkins Bookstore in 1950 "Hawkin's Bookstore in Auburn in 1950 was called 'The Friendly Bookstore.' George and Paul Malone took over the store years later and named it Johnston and Malone's." Source: C. Harry Knowles Photographs Collection, Auburn University Libraries Burton's Bookstore in 1950 "Auburn's Burton's Bookstore in 1950 packed with students getting their books from the quarter. Robert Wilton Burton opened the first bookstore in Auburn in 1878 for then Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama. The slogan for Burton's, on East Magnolia and South College, was "Something New Everyday." It closed its doors in 1968 after 90 years." Source: C. Harry Knowles Photographs Collection, Auburn University Libraries Advertisement from the 1949 Glomerata, Auburn University's yearbook Advertisement from the 1948 Glomerata, Auburn University's yearbook Advertisement from the 1949 Glomerata, Auburn University's yearbook Advertisement from the 1947 Glomerata, Auburn University's yearbook Advertisement from the 1948 Glomerata, Auburn University's yearbook Advertisement from the 1949 Glomerata, Auburn University's yearbook Advertisement from the 1950 Glomerata, Auburn University's yearbook In this photograph taken around 1910, we are looking down what is now College Street in Auburn. The building on the right in front of the water tower is Burton's  Book Store. Toomer's Drug Store is the building with the awning.  Source: Auburn University Digital Library  At some point a Wright Brothers Book Store operated in Auburn. "The water tower behind reveals its location on the north side of Magnolia Avenue a few doors east of Toomer's Drug Store. Source: Ralph Draughon, Jr., Delos Hughes & Ann Pearson, Lost Auburn: A Village  Remembered in Period Photographs. New South Books, 2012, p. 129 J & M Bookstore today Source: J & M website

Alabama Photo of the Day: Amphitheater at Auburn University

In recent wanderings through Alabama Mosaic I came across this 1940's photograph of the amphitheater on Auburn University's campus. I seem to remember seeing a few events there in my time at Auburn during the 1970's.

The formal name of the facility is the Graves Centre and Amphitheatre. As noted below, the location has been used for various assemblies over the years. The Centre was a facility for agriculture and then fisheries conferences and the original 30 cottages housed guests.. Athletics the occupied the cottages for a while. When the cottages were torn down is unknown. The amphitheater is built of Belgian granite blocks from the streets of Montgomery. 

Also below is a link to the Change.org petition seeking to remove the name of Alabama governor David Bibb Graves from the facility. 

Apparently there s a plan for another amphitheater to be built at the school's Ag Heritage Park. 

The amphitheater about 1940 with two guest cottages in the background

Source: Alabama Dept. of Archives and History 

A more recent photo of the amphitheater taken from a Change.org petition to remove the name of David Bibb Graves from the facility. 

These two images appear in Lengthening Shadows that contains information about Auburn University buildings up to the time of publication in 1977. 

David Bibb Graves [1873-1942]

Source: Encyclopedia of Alabama