Remembering Tryon in the 1940s

Published 8:08 pm Saturday, November 14, 2015

I am glad to see the storefronts being brought back on the three buildings that were combined by Tryon Federal many years ago. Almost nothing in Tryon looks as it did in the 40s when I was a boy. And I am sure that nothing then looked anything like it did when Tryon started becoming a town when the railroad construction stopped here while the engineers decided where it could go across our mountains. Does anyone know what “Historic Tryon” should look like? What year?

During WWII, the flags of our allies were displayed between two cables stretched across Trade Street and a pole flying the US flag by day stood about where Morris stands now. The only traffic light in town was at that intersection and there was a turn-around area where the Nina Simone Plaza is now. Trade Street was a part of US 176 then as now, but all the traffic between Charleston and Tennessee was on it then.

McCown Street was cut from the hill below the great Oak Hall Hotel so that traffic could move between that side of town and Landrum when a freight train was parked on one track to let a passenger train pass on the other. Oak Hall covered the hilltop where all those condos stand now; it commanded a magnificent view of downtown Tryon and the majestic spread of the mountains beyond. Rotary and Kiwanis met there, and everyone enjoyed dining there on white tablecloths, attended by a white-coated wait staff.

Getting back to the new storefronts, Missildine’s Drug store was in the corner building, and it could be said that Missildine’s anchored Tryon. The drug store was across the back, the soda fountain was along the south wall, and little tables with four chairs filled the rest of the space. People gathered to drink coffee and visit until the morning train came through and the mail was put up in the Post Office a few doors south. It was a great place to see and be seen, table-hopping as necessary for full coverage.

Another crowd came in for lunch, and many of the others then came back to drink Cokes while awaiting the afternoon train and its mail.

There was a wide iron staircase attached to the north wall to access the second floor. There was also a large tree that was as tall as the building, with branches that spread across the narrow street that led down to the telephone building. The French may have had their handy (for men) troughs on their sidewalks, but Tryon had that tree!

Next to Missildine’s was Elizabeth Rhodes’ Exclusive Ladies Shoppe. She was a tiny lady, who may have worn pince-nez glasses (not sure), and catered to local ladies who wished to dress fashionably. I never went in there.

The third building housed Jackson’s grocery, later Noah Wilson’s Foodland. It was a roomy grocery store, about as big as the A&P at the corner where Owen’s Drug store is now. I don’t remember who had the meat market there, but the store thrived for a while, competing with John Cowan’s and the A&P supermarkets, Ballenger’s and Farthing & Covington. I worked for a time at Farthing & Covington. Archie Covington, former manager of the A&P, had bought in and ran the store while Ralph Farthing was serving in the Army in WWII.

F&C was the fancy, upscale grocery in town. We delivered groceries to Pine Crest Inn, Oak Hall, Thousand Pines and other fine dining places. And when Pope Wingo failed to make it in to work, I got to drive the delivery truck! I was only 15, with a brand new driver license, so I welcomed the experience!