Gallatin, Missouri Changed the Last Fifty Years

The changes in Gallatin’s business scene since 2007; the purchase of Whitfield’s by Casey’s (which eliminated the last privately owned gas station in town), the purchase of the pharmacy of the D.H. Davis Drug Company by Shopko and the move of the Gallatin Publishing Company to the Lambert Building; along with the recent west side fire, made me recall the Gallatin of 50 years ago. It was quite a different Gallatin from the present model.

Let’s start in the northeast corner of town. The first Lynch’s Market, now Dungy’s, was in what is now Cycles Restaurant. Initially the store was about a third the size of the present building. Mr. Barlow had a tastee freeze in the west end before the grocery store was expanded. The car wash to the east was the first coin operated car wash in town. The laundry came later. West two blocks was the Barlow gas station. They had the first coin operated all-night gas station. I think it was called Mad Max. The Barlow boys were notorious for setting the gasoline prices in Gallatin setting off what we then called a “gas war” (all of about two cents on a 25-30 cent gallon of gas). North of Barlow’s was the MFA hog barn. South toward town in the large house across from what is now Shopko was the Daviess County library. Jan Johnson’s mother, and Mrs. Naylor were in charge. Glen Van Dyke had his paint shop, his apartment and two rentals in the next building. I think I recall the first kindergarten class was in one of those rentals before it moved to the school. The Woodruff Ice Cream Company was in the big white building next door In the heat of the summer as much as 600 gallons of ice cream were made weekly. The Gallatin Publishing Company was beside the ice cream factory. At one time they printed two papers weekly; one for the republicans and one for the democrats but the advertising was the same. Right beside the publishing company was Corwin Miller’s express agency. He brought deliveries from the two train depots to the square. Helen Persinger had a liquor store in what later was the main office of the publishing company. The Leopard law office was on the corner.

One block east of Leopard’s was Hal Hamilton’s Feed Store and angling across the street was the Carder Welding Shop. On the east side of the square were a number of businesses. I recall the first building on the north end as Linville’s Electrical and McGinnis Rugs in the corner building and an insurance office. Earlier the entire building was the post office. Merrigan’s grocery, later Hales, was next door. Moving south in maybe not this order we had the Ben Franklin Store, the telephone office, Harlow Pharmacy, Hass Jewelry and a hair salon. The Phyllis Shop, Marshall’s Hardware, Mundell’s Electric, D. H. Davis Drug and Binney’s Hardware completed the block.

On the southeast corner of the four-way stop was the Western Auto. Next to it was the Courter Theatre with movies Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. There was a dry cleaner to the south and Grogg’s cafe was in what is now the senior center. The Post Office separated Grogg’s from the Outlet Store. For a short time there was a small grocery just south of the Outlet Store. The next storefront was a dentist office and on the corner was an eye doctor’s office. East a half block was the Owings’ Mill and Produce. On the corner where Dr. L. J. Dickinson’s Medical building now stands was the Baker then Terry, Allis Chalmer dealership before Terry’s moved west of town. The American Legion Hall was another block south. I think two classes went to the third grade there while they built the new elementary school. Across the street the Tate used car lot shared the block with Lambert’s Cap Factory. The Park and Shop Grocery Store was where the car wash now stands. Earlier it was a car dealership. Reynolds’ garage was in the next block, south of there was the Whitfield garage and small engine repair and for a short time there was a tastee freeze, complete with car hops, farther south.

On the west side of highway 13 was the Mundell then Harlow’s Drive In. Many a nights were spent cruising around their drive. Early in the sixties there was a milk collection point in the next building north; next to it the Elbert Skating Rink brought many kids and their dates to town. The MODOT barn finished out the block. Across the street was the Hisle, now Sandman Motel, and farther north was Thompson John Deere Implement. One block off the square was the Trimm DX gas station. The Dickey Hatchery was south and west across the street beside the Hope Funeral Home.

On the south side of the square were the First National Bank, (before it moved to the present location), Elbert’s Department Store, Place’s Grocery, North Missouri Rug (before it moved to Cameron), Barton’s Appliance, Woodruff Ice Cream retail shop, Gann’s Department Store and the Gamble’s Automotive Store. Across the street west was the Haggerty Trucking Company. At one time the MFA Exchange was in that building, and later was the True Value. Going south was a small café and next to that was Bill Walker’s Barber Shop. There was another building beside the Walker shop. I think Mr. Johnson had a pool hall upstairs. Across the alley, as it is today, was the lumber company.

From the southwest corner of the square going west were the Lynch Produce and Swofford Motor Company. Swofford’s sold Ford cars and trucks. The Blackburn and Hockensmith Case Implement and Pontiac, Buick and GMC dealership was in what is now the Daviess County library building. Mc Broom’s had their television and refrigeration repair in the basement of their home. The Corner Liquor Store, now the Flowers and More flower shop, has always been a fixture below the sale barn that offered weekly lunches. The Sullenger International Dealership was in what is now the Lions Club Building. They offered both International machinery and trucks. Both the elementary and high school buildings were located where Gold Key is now, before the new elementary building was built. The junior high and high school were still there until the new high school was built. One block off the square on the north side of highway six was the Mc Donald’s Tearoom. At one time it was one of the best places to eat in all of Missouri. Turpin Youtsey had his MFA insurance office east of the Tea Room.

The west side of the square had a number of storefronts. Hillman’s Skelly station was on the south corner. Ray Richards, later the Koffee Kup, had a café next door. Haley’s flower shop was in one of the storefronts as was Frank Jones’ Barber Shop. Foster’s shoe repair was in one of the buildings. In the late sixties the Selective Service Office was on the west side. The first Bonnie Bird Café was near the Moore Ford Implement and Rambler dealership. On down the street was Tony Watson’s Barber Shop. In the basement of that building was the Submarine Tavern. Paul Pierce Auto Supply and Gun Works building was the John Deere dealership before Thompson’s moved off the square. North of that building was Mr. Pile’s Diner and across the alley was Campbell’s Dry Cleaners. The Farmer’s Bank parking lot was Gallatin’s other lumber company. I think Frank Tooley was the last manager. Dowell’s Garage was east of the lumber company. Dr. Nixon’s office was beside the Dowell Garage.

On the north side of the square, before Gallatin’s earlier big fire, was the Elbert Hotel; with Mrs. Bennett’s beauty shop in the corner of the building, next Kulis television repair shop, the Brandom Law Office, a bowling alley, and the North Side Tavern. Richardson’s had a heating and air conditioning business beside the Bank of Gallatin, now BTC Bank. Turning north at the corner north of the bank was the Crawford Eye office, later Mr. Merrigan’s office, and at mid-block was the second location of the Bonnie Bird Café (later Whitt’s Dinner Bell Café), earlier it was the Weldon grocery store. Completing the block was the Tate Motor Company, probably Gallatin’s largest car dealership, offering Chevrolet cars and trucks and Oldsmobiles, and later they offered Honda Motorcycles. At one time the first coin laundry was in their basement on the north end. The Standard Oil gas station was where Casey’s now stands and west of there was Whitton’s, then Bud’s, Locker, that offered some groceries.

During this period Gallatin had three local physicians, Dr. Bailey, D.O., Dr. Nelson, D.O. and Dr. Nixon, M.D. Some used Dr. Wilson at Winston and Dr. Bailey, D.O. at Jamesport.

Fifty years ago Gallatin had five car dealerships and five implement dealerships inside the city limits. Counting the locker, there were five grocery stores and five or six restaurants/cafes. People lived in most of the apartments above the storefronts either above their store or as rentals. Times have changed. It will be interesting to see what Gallatin is like 50 years from now.

Written by Frank Woodruff March 2017

GHS Class of 1967