Daydreaming one day, I started thinking of Jackson and what it must have been like in 1901. If I had a time machine, I’d love to travel back and experience Jackson of that time. Since that’s not possible, the next best thing is to travel for research in The Tennessee Room at Jackson-Madison County Library.

Let’s journey back to 1901. You’re a single lady from Madison County, in town with your family for the weekend and you have a room at the New Southern Hotel. You’ve just completed nursing school and are here because you’re moving to Jackson. While your parents are out looking at your new living quarters on East Main and visiting with friends, you head to The Second National Bank on the corner of the first floor of the Pythian Building to open a bank account. Afterwards, you decide to take a walk around to see if you can find any of your old friends.

Turning left on Liberty you can see a playbill posted on the wall of the Pythian Opera House for The Lyric Club, a local group of actors and musicians. There is a performance at 3pm and 7 pm today. The musical is for all, the playbill reads; admission a nickle for adults, children a penny. You notice many people gathered around the Court House, some dressed in uniforms. Today must be a muster day for the guard, the Mayor Hu. C. Anderson is holding court. 
      
Weekend shoppers are everywhere. The town is booming and employment is up for Madison County, the majority of the 36,333 Madison County residents have jobs. The fever may still be a threat but that seems to be a non issue on this beautiful April day.

Walking back toward Main you cross the street. The first thing that catches your eye is Jobe Jewelry Company located at Main and Liberty, lights spotlight the display cases. Further down at 105 E. Main, Harris and Co. has all the new stationery on display in their window along with the latest books in print. Crossing Market (now Highland) you wander into Nathan Pepples Bakery then proceed to 111 E. Main to Sol Tuchfeld and Sons where they have the latest in Gentleman and Ladies apparel. Walking down Main you see someone taking possession of a new carriage at Kierolf Carriage Works.

A young man stops you to see if you want a paper, your choice, The Sun or The Whig, he has the Sun his brother across the street sells the Whig. Crossing the street you catch a street car, one of those new electric ones. You go down Main to Royal, change cars and proceed to Lancaster Park on Royal Street where you find Popcorn Johnny. You buy a bag of popcorn and join the others enjoying the park. As you walk by the Lake on your way back to get some "iron water" from the Well, you see the children enjoying the animals at the zoo.

At the Well you find some of your friends who are going to Highland Park. There’s a band playing and the Roller Coaster is so much fun, so the whole group jumps in a horse drawn carriage and heads for Main Street to catch the Street Car that takes you to the new park. On the way, you pass the Rochelle Sanatorium at 410 East Main. From there you can see the bell tower of the Episcopal Church on Baltimore and then the Pythian Tower. The carriage stops just in time for everyone to pile on the street car for the park. As the car goes down Market, you notice all the wagons filled with supplies; a hot water heater and bathroom fixtures from G.C.Anderson’s on Lafayette. Running water and electricity is available for the majority of the 14,511 residents of the City of Jackson. A sign tells you telephone service has expanded from their original fifty customers of 1896 and additional switchboards have been set up at the office on Lafayette. As the car continues on to Highland Park, a wagon with a familiar Eagle painted on the side stops at a house, the sign says "Home Delivery of the Family Beverage -Budweiser" Henry Braum Jr. Distributor. Finally, we reach Highland Park. The park goes from Crescent to Roland from Park to Lambuth, it was developed by the Jackson and Suburban Railroad.

Later that evening, after the concert ,you take a carriage ride back downtown. The rail cars don’t run at night. If you are so inclined, you may go to one of the 16 Saloons in a three block radius of the Court House but since a lady would not do such a thing, you get an ice cream soda at the Drug Store before retiring to your room.

*In the body of this story are the next topics for Downtown Wanderings. Can you list them?

               Southern Hotel (Early 1900's)

Pythian Building

Main Street 1901

Popcorn Johnny

Old Madison County Courthouse

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