Originally published in the June 22, 2016 edition of the Cherokeean
A hundred years ago Alto was a thriving little city and the Alto Herald wanted everybody to know it. On April 20 1916 there was a special edition of the Herald that had 20 pages full of praise for the town and advertisements from the merchants. We have pure air, good health, good people, good land it says. The week before had been “”clean up” week and between thirty and forty wagon loads of rubbish had been hauled off. No wonder the citizens felt they had something to brag about.
A front-page article headlined A BRIEF SKETCH OF ALTO, A CITY LOCATED IN THE MIDST OF LIMITLESS RESOURCES AND POSSIBILITIES offered the following list of amenities.
1 large sawmill – 1 light and power plant – 1 box and crate factory – 1 grist mill – 1 oil mill – 2 planing mills – 2 tailor shops – 2 barber shops – 1 newspaper – 1 machine shop – 2 gins – 2 garages – 1 bottling works – 1 saddle shop – 2 shoe shops – 1 candy kitchen – 3 restaurants – 2 banks – 3 hardware stores – 1 picture show – 4 grocery stores – 4 churches – 5 general stores – 1 telephone exchange – 4 dry goods stores – 2 bakeries – 1 novelty store – 3 milliners – 2 dentists – 3 drug stores – 6 doctors – 4 lawyers – 2 hotels – 2 blacksmith shops – 1 photographer – 2 real estate agents – 1 transfer line – numerous lodges and fraternal organizations.
Alto has 48 brick business houses, 10 of them being 2-story, and 9 frame buildings, making 57 business houses in all.
Most of these establishments responded with paid ads. Three of the department stores had double-page spreads of Easter specials. Of course BERRYMAN & WATTERS got the centerfold, but FRANK HAWS & CROUCH and THE ECONOMY offered worthy competition.
Those ladies who took advantage of the special offer at Mrs. Broome’s Candy Kitchen might then have found a need to check out the Famous Henderson Corsets – front or back laced.
Most of the prices seem ridiculously low to us today: Men’s Work Shirts @ 39c; Blue Serge Suits @ $13.50; haircut @ 25c; hotel room @ $1.00 a night. However one advertisement made me sit up and take notice. The Cotton Belt was running a special train to the Confederate Veterans’ Reunion in Birmingham Alabama and the cost was $1510. Unfortunately, all the issues for May 1916 are missing, so we don’t know whether any Alto veterans could afford that trip.
In looking at the list of businesses and organizations I am curious as to the reference to a “transfer line”. According to Google it now means something like a manufacturing assembly line, but I doubt that is what was referred to in 1916.
Also I wonder about no filling stations. Perhaps the 2 garages had gas pumps.
Maybe we don’t have 6 doctors and 4 lawyers, but we do have more churches and therefore more preachers. Does that mean we are better or worse?