Monday, January 18, 2021

Matchbook Monday

 Matchbook Monday is back for one day only.  Yours truly dug up a few matchbooks that provide a glimpse into Jackson's past.  Feel free to add your stories or any information about them in the comments section as you enjoy these blasts from the past. Readers can email copies of any old matchbooks to kingfish1935@gmail.com.  Can't believe no one has a Sam's Westside matchbook.  A shame Swenson's didn't have one - or did it? Enjoy the ones posted below.

 Once upon a time, there was a dinner theatre at the Rez.  The Barn Dinner Theater opened in the 1960's.  It became the Comedy Barn in a later incarnation in the 1980's before it finally gave up the ghost.  




1968 Clarion-Ledger ad

 The Chimneyville Restaurant once found its home on West Capitol Street.   The ads appeared in the Clarion-Ledger in the 1960's.






There was once a small company called Engineering Service back in the 1940's.  It apparently conducted surveys and similar forms of land exploration. 



Last and maybe least is the Holiday Terrace Hotel on Highway 80.  Like many hotels, it had its day but then declined as the area went bad.  The city of Jackson shut it down in 1995 after it filed a nuisance lawsuit. 



22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Engineering Service is still going strong. I've worked with them quite a bit over the last 40 years. Great guys. http://www.engservice.com/

Anonymous said...

Engineering Service. I always liked Buster Parker. Great guy. I guess he still works for them some. Maybe he is semi-retired.

Anonymous said...

I remember the old barn across from Main Harbor. I think I went inside when I was a little kid. It was a neat looking building. I hate that it has to go, but I doubt it was savable.

Anonymous said...

When the wife and I were dating (A long time ago) we saw Bus Stop at The Barn Dinner Theater. Was a good night. Would do those kinds of things again if there were options in the area. Saw Avery Schriever do a Night at the Forum at a dinner theater in Chicago. was a good night.

Anonymous said...

How does a 6 digit phone number work?

Anonymous said...

@2:57 - how young are you?

A 6 digit phone number worked fine when you had operaters - before dial phones were available. Hell, my home phone number was three digits, and my dad's office number was a two digit. Another business of his had a single digit #7.

How did it work. You picked up the phone and the operator asked "number please?" Worked fine - in fact, sometimes the operator would say - your mother isn't at home, she's at xyz's. Would you like me to connect you to there?

Anonymous said...

"How does a 6 digit phone number work?"

Same as a 5-digit one like I used to have and the same as the 10-digit one I have now. Each digit is dialed one after the other on the phone. But you have to use a rotary phone. ;)

Anonymous said...

To answer your question about phone numbers...this is before digital technology. Every call you made was local unless you told the operator otherwise. Later, every call was local, unless you entered a "1" first which told the automated switch that the call would be going outside of town.

You might have a 3, 4 or 5 digit phone number depending on how big your town or area was. Didn't matter as long as the call was local.

Anonymous said...

I'm laughing over the question about how the phone number worked. I remember that our home phone number in Jackson when I was 4 to 6 years old started with "Fleetwood" but I can't recall the following couple of numbers.

The Barn theater was fun; went there several times back in the day.

Patty's little brother said...

Just a couple of days ago I threw away a box that must have been 100 new old paper matchbooks from the old Fishermans Wharf on Highway 80. I also found her day pass ticket to the 1991 Grand Prix Du Mardi Gras with both Jim and Will Pace's autographs. That was a keeper.

Anonymous said...

What is a phone number?

WMH said...

Snook's!!

Anonymous said...

Love it !

I remember when that venue tried to "rebrand" as more posh.

"Le Barn Rouge" was their new name.

A Dinner Theatre they called it.

Cool place, but about 20 years before what was to come . . .
"The Dock" "Main Harbor" & "Cock of the Walk" were not even in the planning phase.

Anonymous said...

Fleetwood numbers started with FL. Drake numbers started with DR. Emerson started with EM. Can't remember if there was a 4th exchange. Don't think so!

Anonymous said...

I remember as a kid(early 70's) our next door neighbors would sometimes host the traveling actors from the Barn Dinner. I remember this one particular character a very boisterous Italian guy named Danny from New York. One day Danny made this big pot of some Italian stuff called chicken cacciatore. That stuff was so delicious my mom got the recipe and almost fifty years later our family still makes that same chicken cacciatore.

Anonymous said...

" when I was 4 to 6 years old started with 'Fleetwood' "

Gawd yes ! I won't even begin to explain "party lines" to these kids.

To simplify for them, the entire town could/would listen to your private conversations.
It was actually fun to listen-in.

LOL.

We all listened to everyones's personal conversations.
It was fun !

Most people were too smart to discuss personal stuff.
But dumbasses have always existed.




Anonymous said...

Some of you geezers had phone numbers like IV, III, and XVII.

Anonymous said...

Love when you do these. Good memories. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

"the entire town could/would listen to your private conversations"

The entire town, or just others sharing your party line? Or maybe it was a really small town with only one line?

Now explain for the children how the party line ring codes worked... lol. Oh wait, it's just like your cell phone ring tones today. Except everyone's phone rang simultaneously with the same call.

Anonymous said...

My aunt and uncle living out in the sticks outside of Hernando, MS still had a party line until the mid ‘70’s.

Anonymous said...

" Now explain for the children how the party line ring codes worked... lol."

Gawd that's too complicated,

LOL.

But I will try.

One ring for this person.
Two rings for another down the road.

Three short rings for the new phone owner.
Two long rings, followed by four short rings for the first telephone owner.

Gawd knows what the sequence was for my Grandmother's phone.

All I remember, is she knew everyone's "ring" and we would always "listen-in". She always raised Hell about us doing that . . . but she did it too.

We never heard anything "juicy", usually mundane stuff about someone's sore back, toe nail problem, or some issue within a church committee.

LOL !

The children can't believe any of that.



Anonymous said...

Party lines. Yep, it was a lot like Mayberry. My grandma used to hear her phone and say something like "That's Bessie's number and she's out of town. I'd better go see who it is and let them know." Or, if you were Bessie and heard your ring while you were at your neighbor's, you could answer your call from their phone. We have not progressed.


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Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

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Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


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Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

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