Hogan’s Store is a familiar landmark for anyone driving Highway 78 south of Lexington, Georgia.
Hogan’s Store of Oglethorpe County, Georgia
Category Archives: Signs
Baber-Rhyne Drug Store of Spartanburg, South Carolina
The Baber Rhyne Drug Store, located next to the train depot on Magnolia Street, was incorporated in 1918. The original owners were Grover Baber and J. W. Rhyne. They eventually turned ownership to Wendell Burnett. Based on advertisements, it was the only drug store in town open 24 hours a day. The location was convenient for travelers and rail staff. The drugstore eventually closed. Different restaurants have called this location home over the years.
On a side note, while researching the history of the building, I found an article about a William Walker pleading guilty to taking over 14,000 narcotic pain tablets from the drug store. He was a former clerk there. It made me wonder what the black market value of narcotics was back in the 1950s.
The Krispy Kreme of Spartanburg, South Carolina
If you grew up in Spartanburg, this is the Krispy Kreme where you would pick up their delicious doughnuts. Located on Church Street, the building was opened in 1969 by Reverend Wilford W. Reese. When he passed away in 1979, his son, Glenn Reese, took over the franchise. Glenn Reese was also a teacher, basketball official, and a South Carolina senator. This location closed in 2005, and a new location was built across the street.
See Rock City Barns
Since 1935, the See Rock City barns have decorated the rural landscape in the United States. This barn can be found in Bartow County, Georgia. The brainchild of the Rock City developer and owner, Garnet Carter, he hired painter Clark Byers to travel the United States seeking permission to paint “See Rock City” on barns. Owners were paid with free tickets to Rock City, promotional goodies, and some money with the guarantee the sign would be maintained. Byers painted over 900 barns in 19 states.
The number of barns began to decline during the 1960s when the highway beautification movement began. Legislation passed during Lyndon Johnson’s administration restricted billboards. Coupled with the developing interstate system, barns were often lost to development. In 2019, it was estimated that there were 250 barns left. Those barns still get a fresh coat of paint when needed.
In 2024, the state of Tennessee was working to get remaining signs listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Lone Oak Motel in Toccoa, Georgia was the Final Home of R&B singer Dee Clark
The Lone Oak Motel is an abandoned motel outside of Toccoa, Georgia. Built in 1941, it seems to have been in use until 2021. Tax records indicate it was sold in 2024, so its future is unknown. It could be restored, demolished, or continue to languish.
When I researched the motel’s history, I found out it was the final home of the singer Delecta “Dee” Clark (1938-1990), who sang the 1961 hit “Raindrops.” The song reached number 2 on the Hot 100 chart. You can hear the song here.
One of the things I love researching is unexpected or hidden stories. When I found the article about Dee’s death, I did some research about him and found that he had an interracial cover in 1961. If any music history people know more about this cover, please share.
Mosley and Jesus Mission of Love Holiness Church Cemeteries-Macon, Georgia
If you’ve traveled Pio Nono Road in Macon, you likely have noticed the entrance consisting of three arches leading into a cemetery. At first glance, one would assume it serves as the entrance for one cemetery, but there are two: Mosley Cemetery and Jesus Mission of Love Holiness Church Cemetery. There is a third cemetery, but it is on the other side of the church.
The entrance was designed and built by Macon brick mason and general contractor Bartholomew Duhart. Duhart created the arches to honor his parents, Ruel and Annie, who are buried in Mosley Cemetery.
I am uncertain when Mosley Cemetery began. The earliest obituary for Mosley Cemetery is 1933. While I cannot find proof, but I suspect it was either founded by or named for Ruth Hartley Mosley. Mosley was a nurse and helped run her husband’s funeral home. She was well-known around Macon and was very involved in the community.
The Unionville Missionary Baptist Church began in 1865. Its worship home was on Pio Nono until they relocated. The Jesus Mission of Love Church took over the church and cemetery.
While the cemeteries are officially separate, the landscape of the two cemeteries doesn’t delineate from one to the other.
