bubbiesdad

When I was a kid in the mid 60's, we lived across the street from Carl Ownby. When I had my appendix out in 66, he gave me a pocket knife. His wife was a sweet lady.

Olly Walford, Sevierville's man about town.

Love Addition was at the Fred Atchley bridge, Frog Alley was McMahon Addition, between old and new Newport highway. Think of Gospel Light Baptist church. Riding across Old Shaky below the dam and wondering if you were going to make it.

Bologna and cheese, guns, fireworks and fish bait at Yetts market . Train tracks down the middle of Bruce street. On certain holidays, flags in front of every business in town. Pigeon shoots at the courthouse on Thanksgiving and Christmas. The posters in the stores when Timmy Martin was missing in the Smokies. Looking at wrecked cars at Glenn Fox's or Mouse's gas station. The Indian mound which was dug by archaeologists prior to the bypass. The floods which hit Love Addition, the reason for taking out the mill dam and moving the river. The old Newport Highway, before the wide straight path from Ingle corner to Hodson bridge. We used the old highway for driver's ed. Jimmy Temple's corn meal and flour. He had drawings and gave away cash at Christmas time. He was a Justice of the peace and married people in his store.

Memories of Sevier County. Pigeon Forge had about three restaurants, two gift shops, three hotels, Jungle Cargo, the car museum and corn fields. They moved the river in Sevierville, all the stores closed on Sunday, one gas station open on Sunday and they took turns. One lane bridge at Ownby's hardware store, and a mill dam. A.J. King landing his plane in a field by the lumber yard.

The ways around the traffic are pretty much gone. They are now the main route.