Things you don't see in Huntsville anymore (purchase, middle school)

[cornutt]

Wow, I thought I was the only person around here who remembered Mugs Up. It was a drive-in type of place, like Sonic. It was next to the Krystal on North Parkway.

Here's another train of thought -- early '80s video arcades. At one time, Huntsville had about a dozen of them. The one I remember the most was in the building that had previously been the Brazelton sports car dealership. They carpeted the showroom, painted everything day-glo blue, and put the video games it. Had pool tables too, and a snack bar. It was pretty trippy.

[hey teach]

My parents had some friends that lived on the hill just west of the Carriage Inn and it was said that they lived "in the country."

Does anyone know what school the current Annie Merts Center (Huntsville City Schools Main offices) was. Was it the original Huntsville High?

[cornutt]

Originally Posted by hey teach

Does anyone know what school the current Annie Merts Center (Huntsville City Schools Main offices) was. Was it the original Huntsville High?

I don't think so. I'm pretty sure Huntsville High has always been on the property where it is now (although the current building is not the original). The Merts Center was an elementary school, the name of which I've gone blank on.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by cornutt

I'm pretty sure Huntsville High has always been on the property where it is now (although the current building is not the original).

"Due to growth in Huntsville in the 1920s, Huntsville High moved to a location on Randolph Avenue and White Street in 1927. This building served the high school until 1954, when a new building opened on Billie Watkins St. and Bob Jones [sic] Ave. This building served the school for 50 years, but also faced issues regarding the maintenance of the building. In response to this, the school board decided to construct a new building for the school on the current site, building on the space previously used as athletic fields. This new building, opened in 2004, provided a more traditional look for the school."

(I think they meant Bob Wallace avenue above.)

from

Huntsville High School - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here are some old photos of the original Huntsville High School in 1902 (used as a school in one form or another since 1822), 1927, and 1954

Huntsville in vintage postcards - Google Books

[deesonic]

Yep. The Annie Merts Center Building was originally Huntsville High. After HHS moved to Bob Wallace, that building became Huntsville Middle. Once the new HMS was built, the AMC was pretty much abandoned for several years. Then, after Stone Middle was burned down in 1984, AMC served as the home of Stone Middle for a couple years while Stone was rebuilt. I attended Stone at AMC for my 7th grade year. The paint was peeling off the walls and there were no kitchen facilities. Our food was shipped in from HMS. We had no place to have PE, so they would bus us to the regular campus for PE in the big field on Clinton Ave. Home Economics classes mainly consisted of us working class and projects kids strolling the streets of Twickenham and Old Town admiring houses we could never own.

Good times...

PS. Is Huntsville High's vice principal's name really "Barbara Devil?"

[skinem]

Originally Posted by hey teach

My parents had some friends that lived on the hill just west of the Carriage Inn and it was said that they lived "in the country."

I remember when the Carriage Inn and Jordan Lane there was pretty much the edge of town. It really did use to be "the country" between Athens and Huntsville. I have a cousin out on Capshaw who once was out in the country, and I can remember walking down the middle of Capshaw Road undisturbed...

Now, his farm is absolutely surrounded...he has people in neighboring subdivisions who complain about the fertilizer, chemicals and tractor noise. He used to be polite and try to work with folks--now he just tells them he and his farm was there first, it was there when they moved in, and it'll be there after they move. If they persist, he tells them that becasue of them he is considering stopping growing cotton...and putting in a hog farm.

He did tell me he hates it, but none of his kids are interested in farming so when he retires, he'll sell it. But, he also says that thanks to all that growth, his place is worth more than it ever was!

[julilg]

Originally Posted by skinem

Now, his farm is absolutely surrounded...he has people in neighboring subdivisions who complain about the fertilizer, chemicals and tractor noise. He used to be polite and try to work with folks--now he just tells them he and his farm was there first, it was there when they moved in, and it'll be there after they move. If they persist, he tells them that becasue of them he is considering stopping growing cotton...and putting in a hog farm.

A little like marriage, start trying to change everything after "I do".

[Podadef]

Milton Frank stadium construction started in 1962 and the facility opened in 1963. Before that, the property was usually cultivated for various reasons.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Podadef

Milton Frank stadium construction started in 1962 and the facility opened in 1963. Before that, the property was usually cultivated for various reasons.

What was it built for, primarily? High School Football? Something else?

[cornutt]

Originally Posted by Charles

What was it built for, primarily? High School Football? Something else?

It was intended to be a replacement for Goldman-Schiffman (or is it Goldsmith-Schiffman?) Field in northeast Huntsville. As it happened, they wound up using both fields for a time. I don't know if GS is still in use or not; it might be used for below-varsity sports. I haven't been over there in ages.