CV Main Street- final page

By Wayne Woodruff

I'll finish our walk along the main business district of 1940's and '50's CV. Around the corner east from Adam's Mercantile we come to Caney Valley Electric, a very important place in the memories and lives of many people. It brought electric power to many rural homes for the first time and continues to provide service and jobs to many, and has over the years. When my father died, Carl Steward, the manager at that time, knowing that my mother would have a hard time financially, came to her and told her that I could work summer jobs for as long as I needed to. I worked there for three summers with some good people, i.e., Floyd Patteson, Buck Melton, Gerald Magnus, Bob Brown, Doyle Littrell, Ronald Harp, and Raymond Littrell. I was probably a lousy employee with no experience, but they tolerated me.

Across the street was the lumber yard, owned by Clyde Shaffer with his red hair, freckled arms and the hand with two fingers that had been torn off by his great rip saw. It was fun to go in and watch him use the saw to prepare the lumber that my dad ordered, but he always reminded me to be careful around the saw, and showed me his hand. He was a fine person.

Next was the jail house with which I was threatened, and provided a bonfire later.

Next, on the corner was City Hall with (as I found out recently) the only public rest-room in CV.

Then was the home of the CV Messenger, operated and owned by Kenneth Dunn. Mr. Dunn had all his fingers, unlike Mr. Shaffer, but he was always covered with printing ink. When I was in high school, he was ably assisted by his wife and my good friend, Roy Walkinshaw, who also was usually an inky mess after work.

Then going on north was one of my favorites, Jimpy Lefler's barber shop. My dad's cleaning shop was right across the street, and when he got tired of me hanging around under foot, he would send me over to the barber shop where Mr. Lefler would let me sit and listening to the men telling war stories, etc., and if I was good, he would let me sweep up the hair from the floor that he usually let accumulate throughout the day. More fun. Twid Martin worked with him there for a while before he moved on down the street. I was angry at Twid one Thanksgiving time when I came home from school, and while he was cutting my hair he mentioned that my hair was getting thin, and I would be bald before I was 25. Unfortunately, he was right.

Almost the last business there was E. J. Clark's jewelry shop. As I remember there was less jewelry and more clocks. When I got tired of sweeping the barber shop, I would go and watch Mr. Clark with his funny looking magnifying glasses as he worked on the watches that had no batteries nor digital read-outs, but you actually had to wind-up . And the walls of the shop were covered with clocks that he was repairing, so that on the hour the shop was a cacophony of bells and chimes. He was fairly gruff, but was kind to little kids, (and probably dogs, too. )

The last that I can remember now, was the office of Dr. Wicks. He was a chiropractor and his office was fairly ramshackle, but he was always cheery and friendly. I think he was alone, but he took an active part in community activities and was well liked. He always came to our ball games and helped in the concession stand at the ball park.

Not exactly a business, but way on up the street, (Cedar Street, now, so I am told ) was the home of Catherine Holroyd where I spent many hours being instructed in the fine art of playing the piano. (She was Catherine House, married to Bill). Unlike Mrs. Kirby, Catherine charged 50 cents an hour and you had to go to her house, and she did not strike my fingers with a ruler. That was the first place that I had a job mowing the yard. It was a huge yard and I was paid the princely sum of 75 cents, which I calculated to be about 12 cents per hour.

There were other businesses around town. Someone will likely remember them.

Thanks for listening. Comments???