Reminiscing (Savannah, Rome: club, night club, car)

[Newsboy]

You should bring your mom back for a long visit! Imagine how exciting that would be?

The thing you've got to put your head around: Savannah is no longer a gritty, sleepy Southern town. It's a growing, progressive -- dare I say cosmopolitan? -- city! If you really LOVE Savannah as much as you say, you'll really appreciate it for what it has become. Most all the things you recall fondly are still here (it's still quirky as hell and smells funny on some days). But it's SO MUCH BETTER TOO! I'm sure you'll fall in love with it all over again. Most people never shake Savannah. I know I can't.

[Newsboy]

MORE "MODERN SAVANNAH" IMAGES:

DOWNTOWN: Ellis Square, Cay Building, News Place, City Market





HUTCHINSON ISLAND: Westin Savannah Harbor Resort, Savannah Maritime Convention Center





TELFAIR ACADEMY: Jepson Center for Contemporary Art





SAVANNAH-HILTON HEAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT





LUXURY HOTELS: The Mansion on Forsyth Park, the Bohemian River Street

[Padgett2]

While you are imagining how things used to be back in the forties......

there was a lot of talk about removing some of the squares. There were street car tracks down the center of some of them and fire lanes for fire truck and ambulances had been cut through the center of those without the old monuments. Needless to say, there was a lot of regular traffic that took short cuts across instead of going around those squares.

And to laundry some more dirty linen....WWII... We were a point of departure for thousands of troops through the Ports and Shipyards. The Streets were packed with service men from Beaufort and Parris Island (Navy and Marines) Fort Stewart, Hunter Air Force, Travis Field (this air force base became our current air port) Anyway, you can imagine the "fun" that went on when these service men about to go overseas to maybe die, got liberty. It was sooooo bad that at one point, Savannah was declared Off Limits to all military personnel because of our venereal disease rate. Every Man, Woman, and child above a certain age had to have a blood test. Medical Personnel showed up at the high school and drew blood from the students for hours.

This was a horrible time during the war. At first we would stand respectfully while the convoys carried the men down to the ships, then as the convoys grew to well over 100 transports each, we were so used to them that they were more or less ignored as they went on to their destiny.

Did you know that there is a little island sort of place that was bought (by whom, i don't know) just before you get to Tybee. It was for the men that came back so horridly scared and hacked up that they did not ever want to be seen in public. This was their refuge.

[Newsboy]

There are several books available that feature images of old Savannah alongside present-day photographs, to show you how the city has changed -- or stayed the same in some cases. Fascinating reading! There's also a great book I saw at Shop SCAD once that is nothing but old photographs of signs and storefronts, back in the day when commercial signs made a big statement and were truly works of art. I could look through those old images all day!

Barne's BBQ on Waters Avenue (mentioned in an earlier post) has a HUGE high-resolution photograph of Bull and Broughton Street downtown taken sometime at the turn of the last century. I don't recall autos in the image, but lots of bicycles and horse-drawn carriages. Anyhow, the image is such high quality that you can clearly read all the store marquees AND nearly make out the expressions on people's faces. Similar high-quality images of Old Savannah are to be found in hotels and restaurants all over town. They fascinate me!

[counterclockwise]

Inspection of the picture of old Historic downtown shows overhead lights on cables stretched across the street probably lighted during the Christmas shopping season as I remember. The lines supporting these lights was part of the old overhead electrical system that supported the electrical lines to power for the streetcars. Close inspection of the pavement reveals the old streetcar tracks that were paved over.

[Newsboy]

Further close inspection of that book cover photo shows a tall building at the corner of Bull and Broughton streets that was home to Trust Co. Bank of Georgia and one of Savannah's earliest "skyscrapers." For whatever reason, they tore down that fine old building and replaces it with the current SunTrust "brick block" back in the 1980s. CRIMINAL!!

[Gracienfamily]

Here's something my friend and I discussed which you natives / long-timers can help answer: What's the deal with people pulling up and eating in their cars?! It's NOT a fast-food joint, or a typical burger drive-in by any means. Even the brand new location out in Pooler still offers this, and it's strange. Just get off your butts and go inside and eat people! Who devours a seafood platter in their car?!


I remember eating at the 'drive up' at Carey Hilliard's on the way home from the beach. We weren't dressed to go inside, and it was nice eating it hot n fresh in the car instead of driving home and then eating. Love being able to pick up food to take home from there, too.


Love this thread! Anyone else remember selling Byrd's Oatmeal Cookies at school for fund raisers?

[DanielAvery]

Back when the pull-up-and-eat thing was hot, people drove nice, big, comfy cars. Perhaps the car was more comfortable than going in! And if you have three rowdy kids in tow, I would much prefer you all ate in your car, if you catch my drift. :-/

[counterclockwise]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

Further close inspection of that book cover photo shows a tall building at the corner of Bull and Broughton streets that was home to Trust Co. Bank of Georgia and one of Savannah's earliest "skyscrapers." For whatever reason, they tore down that fine old building and replaces it with the current SunTrust "brick block" back in the 1980s. CRIMINAL!!

I remember when WSAV TV Channel 3 went on the air. Their studio was located in the Trust Co. Bank building and their broadcast antenna was on top along with some two-way repeater stations. I remember having to relocate some two-way radio equipment when it was scheduled to be torn down.

[dvick3]

looking for Teresa Young from Savannah......Anyone know her?