04/04/2023
Thank you Terry Wright for sharing this.
“Here’s the second aerial pic from 1959. This one is taken from the other side of Cahaba Heights Road from behind the shopping center. For reference, the building on the right is the back of the Western Supermarket (original CH location) and on the left is the back of VJ Elmore’s where Starbucks is today. The Mutual Oil service station is in the parking lot out by the road and JASPER’S little shoe repair shop is between the two buildings (a/k/a Cahaba Heights Shoe Repair).
The houses across the street sat empty for a few years and were eventually torn down leaving an empty lot. About ten years after this pic, the strip center was built where the houses sat. The first thing to open was the 7 /11 Convenience Store (where Cahaba Pharmacy is now). The concept of convenience store was new to this community, and this was before C-Stores sold gas – at least here. The “convenience” was about it being easier and quicker (albeit more expensive) than the grocery store to shop for things like milk, bread, soft drinks, and snacks. And, this 7/11 was where everyone in Cahaba Heights was introduced and became immediately addicted to Coke Icees. A short time after the 7/11 opened, Paul Barcroft moved the Shoe Corral out of the shopping center, across the street into this building…. Jasper did the same, moving his shoe repair store into this building (his son, Ken is still there).
Personal note: the house directly across the street with the sidewalk/steps was where my grandparents (Otis/Lillian Wright) lived when Dad was born (William/1928). It was owned by my grandfather’s sister & brother-in-law (SV and Hattie Acton). About 1930 my grandfather slowly built the 2-story house just to the left, which is where Dad and his 7 siblings lived until they left home. About the time of this picture, my grandfather built a smaller house and moved (top of the hill, intersection of Pipeline and Milhaven drive across from the cemetery).”
~ Terry Wright
