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Memories of growing up in Perry
A hoys adventures in the 30 s and 40 s
By Charles Irby Shelton
Special to the Home lournal
Growing up in Perry was good,
even if it was during the Great
Depression and World War 11. I was
born 1930 in Virginia and moved
to Perry when I was very young. My
first recollection was living in the
Wells Hotel (Swan Court location).
The hotel was owned and operated
by Mrs. Wells and her daughter,
Mrs. Roughton. During our stay at
the hotel, I would sometimes ride
my tricycle up to the next corner
and buy a nickel chocolate milk and
show the owner how I could turn
on two wheels. Little did the owner,
Robert Tuggle, realize that I would
become his son-in-law a quarter
century later. By that time, he
owned a dairy and I was drinking
all the free milk I wanted.
As time passed, I began to ven
ture out and learn more about Perry
and who lived where. In the 1930 s
we only had three main streets:
Swift Street, US 41, and US 341,
plus a little extra paving around the
courthouse. Carroll and Ball Streets
were part of the highways and had
paved sidewalks. The only other
place with a paved sidewalk was the
home owned by Penn-Dixie
Cement Company (now Watson-
Hunt Funeral Home). It was on this
sidewalk that most young boys and
girls learned to skate. We were wel
comed to skate at anytime, and I do
not think anyone ever got into trou
ble or destroyed anything.
There were plenty of large mud
holes during the rainy weather to
ride our bikes through or sail a
homemade boat. There was one
puddle on the edge of Commerce
Street (by the ACE side parking lot)
that was so big only older boys rode
through it.
In dry, hot weather, the streets
would get really dusty which the
dear little ladies didn’t like. So with
great wisdom, an unmarked tank
truck loaded with used motor oil
would sprinkle the streets (now an
EPA no-no). The grown folks were
glad to see this, but they sure got
mad i( we tracked oil in the house.
Honesty mattered
I remember how people would
come by our house and offer to
work for food. They seldom wanted
a handout without giving some
thing in return. Mr. Tuggle often
told me how honest the travelers
were who came by his gas station
which was open 24 hours a day dur
ing the mid 19305. Many times he
would let people sleep in the station
until they could catch a ride north
or south. There wouid only be one
attendant on duty, but he never
knew of anyone stealing a thing.
They were honest.
Houston County was a farming
area back then, and we had small
country stores scattered throughout
the county. On Saturday afternoons,
the country people would come into
town to do their big shopping. The
local stores stayed open until mid
night or whenever the people finally
left. They came in wagons, Model As,
Model T’s, and by foot. The towns
people would go down and join in
these weekly gatherings. The streets
were crowded, but no one seemed to
get angry. They had a lot to talk about
and laughter was all around. However,
there must have been some back street
trouble, . because the doctors were
most always busy on Sunday morn
ings. Doctors also made house calls
which are now a rarity.
My entire school life was spent in
one brick building that is now occu
pied by the Houston County Board of
Education. It was there that 1 spent
twelve years of my life (should have
been eleven, but that’s another story)
«k===~-~~ ——————
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Photo contributed by Charles I. Shelton
A classroom scene from the 1940’5. Bobby Tuggle is the bright
eyed boy at the front of the classroom.
/77/J
The PerF^ookstore
919 Carroll Street, Perry 987-0600
(A/ yon anmt to /moot more a/xmt {/terry ,V
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and learned much more than the three
R’s. I learned about people: teachers,
classmates, janitors, and others. We
obeyed the instructor, not because we
feared her, but because we respected
her. We knew she cared for us and
what became of us. Her word was law,
with our parents’ backing, and we
knew it. I often thank God for the
good teachers that I had. It’s strange
how we don’t recognize things like
that until we’re older.
When I was very small, my favorite
thing to do was to blow the whisde at
the mill. Of course, 1 had to be lifted
up by Oskar Pate, the fireman, to
reach the rope. Another whistle was
next door at Tolleson Lumber
Company.
There was friendly competition
among the firemen to see who was the
best whistle blower. Each fireman had
his own sound that had been perfect
See BOYHOOD, Page 8
City of Perry 175th Birthday, Nov. 17, 1999, Houston Home Journal
J
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Photo contributed by Charles I. Shelton
James Duggans Texaco gas station was a popular stopping place
in Perry in the mid-1930’5, and Charles Irby Shelton got his first
job there after graduation. Mr. Duggan is shown with his hand on
the hose. The small boy in the photo is Buddy Tolleson. A'so
shown is P.C. Strother.
MARTIN
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PAiNTS
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WINDOW FASHIONS
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SERVING MIDDLE GEORGIA SINCE 1986
1812 MACON ROAD, HWY. 41 N.
PERRY, GEORGIA
987-1112
7B