To lighten the mood I started a game, unlike the nationwide game “Who Remembers This”… mine was a local, Snellville game. The question was : Who remembers “Jack’s Coral”? OH MY, the responses we got, LOL. This is basically how it all transpired —- Tony Downs and Ted Wilson remembers the ‘car-hop’ named Red, who yelled to you, “be-dare”! Susan Ford could walk there for a BBQ sandwich and Robyn Hill loved the brunswick stew. Anne Frazier fed the juke box. Then myself, Denean Britt and Elaine Simpson discussed the ‘old’ Snell’s Pharmacy and the awesome lime-aides and lime-sours. And of course Jody Snell, my daddy always gave him his pens right out of his pocket, Jody loved pens. AND we walked there!! As we did to the “All-Star”, YES walked. They had great steak sandwiches and fries. Then there was “Martin’s” which was located right across from South Gwinnett High School. At his little gas station you could get R.L. Mathis chocolate milk in a glass bottle with the aluminum foil lid – Ahhhhh….
Speaking of gas stations, we can’t forget a definite landmark of Snellville, Aubrey Peters filling station on the corner of 78 & 124. I learned to put peanuts in my coke there (in my case Dr. Pepper). Cami Foster reminded us of Hartman’s, which was right beside the Western Auto, Missy Moon got her first bike from there. Directly across from these businesses was “Peanuts” barber shop. Peanut is a legend all his own. He ‘still’ cuts hair on Saturdays and Christy Adams’ dad still goes to him.
Allison Wilson spoke of the movie theatre in the corner of Snellville Plaza (Jerry Lewis Theatre… I believe). It had one screen and one movie, per week, unless it was a blockbuster and they would keep it running for 2 weeks. Afterwards everyone would walk down to the Dairy Queen for an ice cream, Mr. Misty or hamburger. Located directly behind the DQ was the old Snell house where my daddy was raised (Hugh F. Snell Sr.) as were all of his 9 siblings.
Across 78 was the old Snellville Middle School. At least that’s how we remember it. It was actually ‘all schools in one’… but our age group never got to go there. But Partee (Henry E. Partee) would take me over there to play on the swings. Good Ole’ Partee, don’t we all remember him…. love you Partee.
On that note — Emmett Clower, “World’s Best Mayor”!! Steve Williams posted that he appreciates what he did for “our” town, by keeping it wholesome and a great place to live and be ‘brought’ up!! Allen Brand enjoyed the street dances at Thriftown and Terry Downs has fond memories of working at Thriftown (hard to believe it burned down). Across 78 was the Country Manor, if you wanted to run into someone… just have lunch there. As we got older and started driving O’ Hell…., we broaden our path. The Outer Sanctum (arcade), Piss Road and Grayson Lake (no one thought a ‘non-truck’ vehicle could get back there) but Nici Toland and I proved them all wrong!! haha ! We went further out, but I’ll not mention those places. UGH.. ha. We could go on and on, but ya’ll see where this is/was going.
If I missed anyone’s comments or landmarks’s, I apologize, but there were SO MANY!! And these are just the tip of the iceburg…right? In closing I would like to say thanks to the ones who raised us, the ones who taught us and the ones who protected us. And ‘rest in peace’ to all that have left this earth for a better place!! Thank GOD for Snellville — Our Home — Always !!
