The Blue Goose Cafe was located on the corner of W. Main and S. Forrest
right off the Court Square in the early 1940s.
In Deed Book A on Page 147 an entry from January 7, 1839, shows a deed from the Commissioners to James Gordon. Sold to Mr. Gordon were lots 23 and 24 for the sum of $188.00. On this lot were a livery. saloon, barber shop; and E.E. McElyea and Son had a blacksmith and woodworking shop as well. T.W. Saunders built a two-story block building with C.R. Finley's dry goods store downstairs and rooms and offices located upstairs. This building burned and another one replaced it.
M.C. Bowles acquired this lot and sold it to W.C. Lockhart, who also bought the McElyea shop. After the first building burned, M.C. Bowles built another two-story one in 1922.
The Blue Goose Cafe opened there in 1930. It was managed by Ozzie Lee Williams, who lived upstairs. Mr. Wylie Sykes and his daughter Rita managed it later on. Burchess and Mary Bateman then ran the cafe until 1952. The upstairs portion was rented out separately. At one time Dr. Perry had his offices upstairs.
After this second building was built, another one story building adjoining on the south next to the Blue Goose Cafe was erected. P.R. (Muncie) Cochran and V.J. Drewry started D&C Parts Co. there in 1936.
When U.S. Highway 70 was improved, the buildings were removed. Mr. Lockhart then erected the U-Tote-Em grocery and the Esso Servicenter. B.F. Hall ran a blacksmith shop, and E.L. Morgan's gas station was run by Floyd Daniels there in the early 1940s. Floyd also worked on radios. Then the Morgan Station was torn down in 1946, Floyd moved his shop to a building behind the Blue Goose building. This building also housed a barber shop run by Looney Hollingsworth. A taxi service operated out of the same building and Ray Smith ran an ice house there.
John Rowland ran the Esso station from 1953 until 1964. Jim Crowe and Charles Watson also ran it. The U-Tote-Em building also housed the Carroll Co. Development Center, the Police Dept., and a furniture store.
In October 1998, John S. Shimkus moved the business office of the Benton Co. NewsTribune, Press Pros Printing, and the Backroads Bull Magazine to this location which most recently had housed an auto repair business. Shiloh Hill Spice Co., L.L.C., is located in the building facing S. Forrest Ave. which adjoins it.
Thought for the Week:
A hug doesn't cost anything, takes only a second or two, and best of all, can make someone happy.
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