Skip to main content

I was raised in Florence. Attended JW Powell Elementary, Hibbett Junior High, and Bradshaw High School. Even did a year or two at UNA. I moved away in 1989, and not long after, my mom moved to the Memphis area, so I never had a reason or chance to return home until Christmas of 2009, when my mother had moved back to enjoy her golden years.
I found myself wandering around the city one weekday. Thoughts of good days past rushed through my brain. I found myself wondering...where is Gusmus Bike Shop? For that matter, where is any bike shop? What happened to Stefano's Little Italy? Where is Court Street Cafe? Is the owl's eye green? Wait, where is the owl? Rogers Department Store is sitting empty! Where are the woods between Windcrest Heights and the Mall? There is a road in them now! But, alas, they are gone.
Where are Bradshaw and Coffee? I see the buildings, but they have a new name. Freshman Center? What is that? Do they institutionalize freshmen now? It is a curable condition, just let them age one year!
I went out one Friday night to pick up dinner for Mom, and I again found myself in Nostalgia land as I drove down Florence Boulevard. Nobody is crusing the Strip! Where is the Hickory Hills Cinema? K-Mart shopping center is sitting almost empty! What, no Dairy Queen or KFC? I NEED MY DIPPED CONE! China Dragon is gone!
Sunday afternoon, my Mom wanted to go to the river, so we drove to McFarland Park. No kids cruising, no groups of teens at the picnic shelters, all quiet. Wow! also, I noticed that there is a great big bridge over one of my favorite old fishing holes. I always used to anchor off Patton Island. Where is the railroad bridge and trestle?
Just a few thoughts from a guy who should have come home more! I almost feel like I missed out. I left home 21 years ago feeling like I had been liberated. Now I find myself with a serious case of homesickness for the Florence of the 1970s and 1980s. Anyone else feel the same?
Last edited {1}
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

I was born and raised in Florence and when I got the chance, I got away from that bored town and moved to Florida...You could not pay me enough to come back there!!! There is no jobs there zip-zap, nothing to do there. Why would anyone live in that hick town anyway??? There is no future there, and don't think it will ever change.....
quote:
Originally posted by slice:
I was born and raised in Florence and when I got the chance, I got away from that bored town and moved to Florida...You could not pay me enough to come back there!!! There is no jobs there zip-zap, nothing to do there. Why would anyone live in that hick town anyway??? There is no future there, and don't think it will ever change.....


If you hate this area so bad, then why are you on this forum?
Don't get me wrong, I did leave for a reason. The Shoals died in the 1980s, with the closing of Ford and Union Carbide, as well as the downsizing at Reynolds, TVA, and Champion Paper. Also, to get a job at one of the "good" companies, you had to have an "in" from family or friends. I had no future there at that time. The only jobs I could find would have been at Bevis Table, one of the furniture factories up on the state line, or one of the industries at the Industrial Park, or a retail job, and most of those jobs paid barely above minimum wage. Not complaining, because we were all in that boat during that time. I joined the service, and afterward, graduated from MTSU, and settled in Nashville, where ironically, I married a Russellville girl that lived in Nashville. I simply miss my childhood sometimes, and I do carry fond memories of the Shoals. Just wish sometimes that I could have stayed.
quote:
Originally posted by slice:
I was born and raised in Florence and when I got the chance, I got away from that bored town and moved to Florida...You could not pay me enough to come back there!!! There is no jobs there zip-zap, nothing to do there. Why would anyone live in that hick town anyway??? There is no future there, and don't think it will ever change.....


Go away, Please!
quote:
Originally posted by slice:
I was born and raised in Florence and when I got the chance, I got away from that bored town and moved to Florida...You could not pay me enough to come back there!!! There is no jobs there zip-zap, nothing to do there. Why would anyone live in that hick town anyway??? There is no future there, and don't think it will ever change.....


You and I have something in common, we're both glad you no longer live here.
quote:
Originally posted by renecillo7:
I am the opposite of Slice. I was born and raised in South Florida and have now been in Florence for 5 years. I think that Slice is confused and has yet to take in the crime wave from Florida. He will get it after a while!


I was born and raised (mostly) in Florence, lived in south Florida for awhile, and was so glad when i got the chance to move back home.
quote:
Originally posted by bhk:
Don't get me wrong, I did leave for a reason. The Shoals died in the 1980s, with the closing of Ford and Union Carbide, as well as the downsizing at Reynolds, TVA, and Champion Paper. Also, to get a job at one of the "good" companies, you had to have an "in" from family or friends. I had no future there at that time. The only jobs I could find would have been at Bevis Table, one of the furniture factories up on the state line, or one of the industries at the Industrial Park, or a retail job, and most of those jobs paid barely above minimum wage. Not complaining, because we were all in that boat during that time. I joined the service, and afterward, graduated from MTSU, and settled in Nashville, where ironically, I married a Russellville girl that lived in Nashville. I simply miss my childhood sometimes, and I do carry fond memories of the Shoals. Just wish sometimes that I could have stayed.


bh,

The downsizing of TVA was inevitable. The entire program was designed to get Tennessee Valley out of the Great Depression. It was never meant to be indefinite.

Regarding Ford Motors, I was away at college and remember hearing on the national news that every union local EXCEPT ONE had agreed to a new contract, and that the acceptance, under union rules, had to be unanimous. You know where the one rogue local was.

It's no wonder Ford "rightsized" the Sheffield plant at its first opportunity.

Did Union Carbide leave when they were finally deprived of using the Tennessee River as a chemical dump?

I have no opinion of Reynolds, except that as long as they were here, they employed educated people who contributed to the common intelligence of the area, and they are sorely missed.
Last edited by Billy Joe Bob Gene
quote:
Originally posted by slice:
I was born and raised in Florence and when I got the chance, I got away from that bored town and moved to Florida...You could not pay me enough to come back there!!! There is no jobs there zip-zap, nothing to do there. Why would anyone live in that hick town anyway??? There is no future there, and don't think it will ever change.....


Don't see how you can enjoy sand in your shorts.
You should know by now that YOU control your future by using your god-given sense to make choices that you like.
quote:
Originally posted by earthmomma:
Ford left the area because the plant and its location were polluted and still cannot be used for any purpose. Any union problems were expanded upon for Ford's publicity purposes and by those who have a vendetta against unions. BTW, there will always be a last entity to ratify anything. It just works that way!


Being intimately familiar with the situation (it affected my father), I can tell you that pollution had absolutely nothing to do with the 1983 closure of the plant. The economy at that time and the labor unions were the reason (I wish I could remember which local it was that held out on the contract and brought about the closure).
It may be that the site was found unusable due to pollution after it closed, but the closing was a corporate vs. union battle combined with an economy that was only a little bit better than the current state of affairs. Who lost? Everyone that lived here at that time. Many of my high school friends graduated from high school in Nashville, Detroit, and Atlanta when their parents had to move to to keep their jobs with Ford. The 80s were an economic lost decade in the Shoals. I remember seeing 40-60 year old men bagging groceries and working in fast food restaurants to survive. It was horrible.

Yeah man I was raised in Killen/Greenhill in the 70's. There was always something to do to name a few. Going to B's place at the state line and listening to raw rock-n-roll Jackson Highway Band, Raintree county(FCC) bands. Other road running parallel you had Tony's and Foxes. Going back downtown you had the strip, constant cruising up and down hanging out with folks, on to Cox Creek Parkway for a few drag races. Then on over to Muscle Shoals and back to the strip. Saturday and Sunday afternoons McFarland park throwing frisbee all evening, catching some rays. Hooking up making the way over to Natchez Trace for a cruise. On top of that, musicians constantly coming into the Shoals for recording. We had lots of activity (haha). Visit up there on occasion and you're right, it is dead to the world. Glad I was raised in the Shoals but I won't be moving back. I remember looking forward to Friday and Saturday nights in the Shoals, then on to Sunday to regroup....LOL

Last edited by The Chief

Add Reply

Post

Untitled Document
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×