Lunch time in White House
By Margery Plummer

As we were driving through Eastside subdivision recently, I noticed a large white house that I hadn’t seen before. A closer look, however, reminded me that I had seen it there but had forgotten it.

Believe it or not, it is the house that once stood on the corner of Highway 76 and 31W about where Mapco now stands.

It’s a very pretty house whose front porch faced Highway 76 with a nice little front yard with an embankment where flowers, beautiful poppies and iris grew. The side yard was larger and faced 31W. There was a swing and lawn chairs where family and friends visited and watched traffic on the heavily traveled highway.

Mrs. (Miss) Annabell Choate of Choate and Byrum Dry Goods store and her sister, Miss Carrie Byrum lived there. I remember many things about that house and the people who lived there, but one of my most memorable pictures is that of Miss Carrie or a visiting relative walking up the sidewalk with a basket in which she carried Miss Annabell’s lunch.

Thinking of Miss Carrie and her lunch delivery basket started me thinking, “Where did the other store keepers eat their lunch? Then I remembered. (I was a young child, mind you).

The Bizy Bee Cafe was popular, but most merchants or employees had their meals “delivered” or walked home for lunch. Mrs. Mabel Baggett, or “Miss Mable” was post mistress for many years, and she was one who had hers delivered. Her lunch was brought to her in her tiny post office where the little Stickle Insurance business is.

It was brought to her from her home on Tyree Springs Road, near town (on the back side of the square) and brought up an alley connecting 31W and Tyree Springs Road. The alley came into town in what is now the “chain link area”, between the drugstore and Miss Annabell’s.

The alley was the main short cut for many walkers who came from other parts of town to shop.

Mr. Bill Pitt, who operated Pitt’s Barber Shop walked home next door to what is now State Farm Insurance Co. His house is still standing. He locked his door but didn’t stay long for lunch before he returned and opened the shop.

Sara Covington operated a beauty shop in the back area of the barber shop, and at lunch she walked down the alley to hve lunch with her mother-in-law whose house faced on Portland Road.

Mr. Noel covington (Pappy Noel) who managed Greyhound Bus Stop, had his lunch brought to him much of the time by his granddaughter. Everything that I remember being delivered was brought in baskets with home cooked meals in them, I’m sure.

My father ate much of the time at the Arizona Ranch House where the Paint and Paper Store is now in the Gallery. He was a quick, hearty eater, then took my mother’s lunch to her at the store.

I don’t remember much of Mr. Bob Durrett’s Grocery and Hardware Store, but I do rmemeber that some people watched him close the store, walk a short distance toward home, then turn back to the store and check to see if he locked the door. Sounds strange? Aren’t many of us checker and recheckers of some things.

Mr. Bob’s daughter, Lola and her husband, James Williams brought their lunch from home and maybe topped it off with food from the store.

All of these small town lunch time stories sound quaint and cozy. They are. They are also long ago stories. They’re good for telling, but I’m glad that I’m within walking distance of at least five eateries. For one who is not the greatest cook in the world and doesn’t have a basket carrier, that’s a plus, for sure!