Several news sources have heralded the year 2006 as being when the first baby-boomers reach their sixtieth birthday. All baby-boomers have witnessed a tremendous amount of change so far in their lives, some of which we may not have had time to comprehend fully.
Assuming that some of you have lived in Chattanooga for at least some of these years, here is a timeline that shows when certain things first appeared in the Scenic City.
PIZZA (1921?)
Today, pizza is a strong competitor with hamburgers in the fast food industry. At one time, it was difficult to find pizza in the south. Victor Bush served pizza at Bush's Restaurant, which opened in 1921 on Market Street. In the days of passenger trains at Terminal Station, Bush kept his diner open twenty-four hours a day.
The first restaurant that I found with "pizza" in its name was the Pizza Place, which had locations in the late 1950's at 2212 McCallie Avenue and 409 O'Neal Street. Under "Pizza Pies," the 1958 telephone book had a reference of "see Bakers." Some businesses were also listed as selling pizza baking equipment for those wanting to make big profits.
In 1963, Charlie Ward opened The Pizza Pub, a beer tavern which also served pizzas. Around the same time, the new Eastgate Mall featured Pasquale's Pizza, and a local franchise of Shakey's opened at 5911 Brainerd Road. Darras' Restaurant on Ashland Terrace served pizzas to north river residents.
The first Pizza Hut opened in Chattanooga in 1969, with Harry Gilley as local franchisee. His business grew in to HBG Enterprises, with several area Huts. My first pizza, a thin crust cheese variety, was partaken during a 1972 Hixson High band trip to Knoxville at a Pizza Hut near the university.
The Northgate Pizza Hut began home delivery in 1989, though I believe that others including Pizza Home Delivery preceded them.
TELEVISION (1954)
From its studio in the Volunteer Building, WDEF-TV signed on in 1954. I remember its programming of the early 1960's as featuring all of the Hanna-Barbara cartoons such as Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear. Through its affiliation with CBS, it was the home of Captain Kangaroo and baseball's game of the week with Dizzy Dean. Harry Thornton hosted "The Morning Show," and also emceed live wrestling on Saturday afternoons. Other on-air personalities have included weatherman Harve Bradley, who referenced Colorado and Wyoming as "square states," news anchor Mort Lloyd and forecaster John Gray.
McDONALD'S (1963)
Chattanooga's first McDonald's Hamburgers opened on September 17, 1963 at 5710 Ringgold Road in East Ridge. The Chattanooga Times reported that the company had 513 locations in 42 states. Hamburgers were sold for fifteen cents; fries for twelve cents. A triple-thick milk shake complemented the meal. McDonald's increased the price of their hamburgers to the outrageous sum of eighteen cents in 1967. Brainerd and Hixson stores were opened in 1969.
MEXICAN RESTAURANT (1969)
The earliest listing that I could find for Mexican food was in 1969, when Narcie and Rosa Robinson opened their El Palacio at 2914 Rossville Boulevard. The restaurant was described in the Yellow Pages as "Chattanooga's Home of Authentic Mexican Food." El Palacio later moved next to the Broad Street Drive-in Theater.
Taco Bell came to Chattanooga in 1973, with a restaurant at 4921 Brainerd Road.
ATM's (1972)
The date of the first Automated Teller Machines in Chattanooga surprised me in terms of how long ago it was. The February 20, 1972 Chattanooga Times reported that American National Bank (predecessor of Suntrust locally) planned to install Docuteller automatic banking machines. The bank marketed them as "Teller24" devices. American National issued special Mastercards which allowed customers to access their bank account twenty-four/seven with a personal identification number, now simply called a PIN.
A company spokesman said, "American National is extremely proud to be the first bank to offer the service, not only in Chattanooga, but in the state."
RECYCLING CENTERS (1974)
Inspired by the environmental movement, the word "recycling" came to the Chattanooga phone book in 1974. The new category listed Chattanooga Recycled Fiber, which accepted computer tab cards and computer paper, and Tri-State Recycling.
Several local businesses had accepted materials for recycling long before the term "recycling" was coined.
CABLE TELEVISION (1976)
The area's first experience with cable television was through the opening of Battlefield Cablevision at 1202 LaFayette Road. Billy Neal Ellis was listed as its president. For those living in one of the area's many valleys, cable provided a clearer picture than the tall aerials on roofs and rabbit ears with tin foil (to improve reception) that we once used.
HOME HEALTH (1977)
History does some time come full circle. In days gone by, healthcare providers came to the homes of patients. This was followed by a period when patients had to be treated in a doctor's office or hospital. Healthcare returned to its origins in 1977 with the opening of the North Georgia Home Health Agency at 1816 LaFayette Road. This was headed by Dr. F.J. Smiley.
VIDEO CASSETTE RECORDERS (1978)
The local division of the RCA Company sold the RCA Selectavision at its 3220 Wilcox office. Capitol AudioVisuals on Brainerd Road was another early vendor of the VCR.
Early units were much more expensive than they would be just a few years later, and were a good picture example for the dictionary's definition of "clunky." The remote control was connected to the VCR by a cable. Despite their clunkiness, the early VCR's were easier to program than later models, as the buttons were larger and fewer.
The Beta versus VHS battle ensued, with VHS eventually becoming the dominant format only to have DVD's make them obsolete.
Retailers began in-store tape rentals to boost sales of the VCR's. When Circuit City had a small store on Hixson Pike, it had a small tape rental department that must have been a closet previously. Tape rental also became the favorite choice of local "mom and pop" start-up businesses, eventually overtaken by major chains.
MICRO-COMPUTERS (1978)
Clunky also once described computers. The big iron of mainframes had been around for most of the Baby Boom. In 1978, A&A Business Machines had a Yellow Pages advertisement which included the Xerox Diablo 3200, the first listing that I could find that included "micro-computer." Personal computers became widely available in the early 1980's. Though some units were described as portable, those PC's would also be described as clunky by today's standards. Some, though, have become collectible, so check what is in your attic, basement, or garage.
STORAGE (1978)
Having acquired a lot of things by now, boomers looked for additional space in which to store them. Enter the advent of the self-storage business in 1978, with U-Haul Self-Storage at three locations, and Self-Service Mini-Warehouses at 4006 Industry Drive. The number of such warehouses has greatly increased since 1978, with many tracts of real estate being occupied. Some places where baby-boomers went to have fun, such as the Roller Coaster Skating Rink in Hixson, have given way to mini-storage.
COMPACT DISCS (1985)
In 1985, there was no Yellow Pages listing for CD's, though Oz Records, with stores at 5948 Brainerd Road and near Northgate next to ShowBiz Pizza, sold them. I recall the days when local record store clerks could be observed rearranging and reducing the space devoted to vinyl records in favor of compact discs. The CD's were more portable, and stored in less space. However, there is still something wonderful about looking at old album covers and watching a record spin on the turntable.
CHECK-CASHING (1988)
Today, check cashing, check advance, and title loan businesses are common around Chattanooga. Several have their offices in former fast food restaurant buildings, sort of another form of recycling like I mentioned earlier. In 1988, the local pioneering firm of The Cash Connection opened at 4617 Brainerd Road.
CELLULAR PHONES (1988)
The 1988 Yellow Pages listed BellSouth and others as selling this new type of communication device. Like VCR's, cell phones became less clunky in later years. Cell phone towers now dot the landscape.
ASSISTED LIVING (1995)
When a new type of business or product enters the market, the initial listing in the Yellow Pages often has a "see also" reference. This was the case in 1995, when Assisted Living referred the reader to "Retirement Homes." Assisted Living residences represented a new type of home for those who want some assistance with daily living, but did not require the full-time care of a nursing home.
INTERNET PROVIDERS (circa 1995)
Chattanooga's entrance ramp to the information superhighway was aided by local providers such as Chattanooga Data Connection, Voyager Online, Vol State Online, and Chattanooga On-line. I recall my first "WWW" link being to the Hootie and the Blowfish Web site to see their tour schedule.
When I was a tyke watching "The Jetsons," I sometimes wondered if technology like the Jetsons used would be prevalent by the 21st Century. The Internet is definitely something that George Jetson would have used, possibly as a way to contact the veterinarian about Astro's behavior.
Sixty years, and a tremendous amount of change during that time. To the first wave of baby-boomers, we salute you as you reach the sixtieth anniversary of your birth. Those of us who make up the remaining years of the Baby Boom Generation are following right behind you, trying to cope with all of the changes that we see every day.
If you have memories of any of the businesses listed in this article, please send me an e-mail at jolleyh@bellsouth.net.