"Night Lights "

[southsideJ]

I found this article and photo from the Nashville Tennessean Magazine on a great website: historicnashville.com.

Since I am 28 I was not around to experience the Nashville of the past that fascinates me. That's why I love stuff like this that provides a window into the past.

[AceMentor]

That is an interesting pic, southsider. I also share your disability of not being able to see nashville when it was little more than a large town (I'm only a sophomore in hs). Thanks for sharing it.

[Hankster]

I love the wording in the article shown below. A lot of the things mentioned, I remember. I wonder where Hank's Hot Donuts was located. Could that have been a relative of mine? Lol.

Night Lights

Which set Nashville a-glitter

By Guyla Moreland, Cairo, Ill.

I LOVE NASHVILLE at nighttime . . . from the time it is a red glow on the skyline. . . four hours away from Cairo by the highway. Down curving hill by winking red lighted tan tower. . . down and down and around past sheer limerock banks . . . the road winds through tree-clad hills with a thin wedge of moon on high. . . White lined highway weaving. . . on and on . . . the sky glow beckons . . . hills like humps on a crouching dinosaur guard a long low valley . . . Shades of Andrew Jackson. . . did he, once walk by this way? White criss-crossed fences enclose endless acres like lace on square paper valentines. . . Look at the street lights glisten. . . on the far-away skyline. Uphill. . . downhill. . . cross valleys . . . below, city lights like myriad earthbound stars. . . now we cross the Cumberland.. .

FOUR LANE highway. . . No Vacancy . . . open air fruit market . . . Beer with Million Dollar Flavor . . . stoplight at the cemetery. . . to the left around the city of the dead-Stone walled fence of St. Cecelia academy. . . arc lights on divided highway. . . arching in a beckoning curve ahead. . . down hill . . . uphill. . . then on the level. . .

Werthan Bag, Corp. . . . hulking brick factory-41-A. Newsboy on the corner at 11:30 p.m. TENNESSEAN? . . . Beneath the Tennessee Central and then the L&N-NC&St.L . . . Up Capitol Hill the back way . . . glimpse of the pristine beauty of a new square building facing the capitol . . . Gaping lots left by the razing of tenements. . . Clarkston hotel. . . St. John's church erected in 1890 . . . Where is the one Jackson went to that is to be torn down? . . .

NASHVILLE. . . an earthbound Milky Way pinned in place by lamp posts. . . Eagles Aerie. . . the Pepper Pot . . . Hotel Tulane. . . Sears & Roebuck. . . Memphis 224 miles . . Hertz Rent-A-Car . . . lighted clock tower . . . Hank's Hot Donuts. . . the federal building. . . . First Lutheran church. . . erected 1949 . . . the Parthenon Press. . . How many Lutherans does it take to build such a beautiful modern church? Star hotel. . . Royal Crown. . . Swing to the left. . . colored signs . . . four lanes. . . tower of church . . . Beaman-Dodge, Plymouth. . . department of employment security. Commerce Union bank. . . Save one-half day to Fla. . . short route - Shelbyville, Fayetteville, Huntsville. Filling stations. . . used car lots . . . each ringed by a strand of lights . . . continuously changing pattern in neon. . . red and blue and green and orange . . . WILSON Truck Co. . . . Palmer. Hooper Used Cars . . . Doc Wallace. . . Pat Ballinger. . . Never A Bum Steer Here. . . five miles to Colony hotel. . . Mercury . . . the Drake court.. TV... Bar B Cutie . .'. Bozeman's court. . . Alamo plaza . . . no vacancy. . . turn around. . . no vacancy. . . everything filled up early. . .

Purity Dairies. . . Club Plantation . . . surrounded by pastel cars . . . Farm & Ranch Publishing Co. . . . Give Old Fitzgerald. . . Stork club . . . Third National bank. . . The Trend is to Third. . . Lonely church . . . Old 'Crow . . . Greatest Name in Bourbon; . . Smoke Model Tobacco . . . Back down Capitol hill . . . Chicago 457 miles. . . Bordeaux . . . a vacancy sign; Hot water . . . clean towels . . . sample soap tightly wrapped . . . ice water. . . clean cold sheets. . . good firm mattress . . . soon to sleep. There's no place like Nashville.

[ATLBrain]

Where is the Lutheran Church she mentions? Is it the one near Belmont that burned down a couple of years ago. Was that church rebuilt? Dave, what's going on over in that area? I haven't seen 12 South yet. I hear it "happenin".

[Hankster]

Where is the Lutheran Church she mentions?

113 8th Avenue South

[it's just dave]

12South is a bit hard to describe. I'm sure you might remember 12th Avenue South. It was the stretch of road where you locked your doors, closed your eyes and hopefully would end up on Granny White Pike unscathed.

Now, Hillsboro Village has ultra competition. Both have changed beyond recognition over the past few years. You'd be pleased with both. I'll see if I can find a nice, comprehensive description of this truly urban renaissance.

To quote myself on a night not long ago, speaking to a comrade, "Who, in a million years, would think we'd EVER be walking down 12th Avenue So. at midnight." Walking among the Ranger Rovers, Saabs, and Beemers, I felt a little safer. This one you might have too see for yourself, Brain.

[ATLBrain]

I'm sure you might remember 12th Avenue South. It was the stretch of road where you locked your doors, closed your eyes and hopefully would end up on Granny White Pike unscathed.

Now, Hillsboro Village has ultra competition. Both have changed beyond recognition over the past few years. You'd be pleased with both. I'll see if I can find a nice, comprehensive description of this truly urban renaissance.

Wow! I think I'd be shocked... shocked... shocked... did I say shocked? OK, I'd heard it was making great strides, but competition with Hillsboro Village? That's great.... any chance those two areas will grow together?

Thanks for the description. I'll have to check it out.

Hankster, thanks for the clarification on the church. So it's not the one that burned down. Does anybody know which one I'm referring to?