Walk the courthouse wall

Beverly B. Carter

July 11, 2008 10:57 pm

— As a little country girl raised between the small towns of Funston and Bay, Moultrie seemed like the capital to me! I didn’t get to come to town very often and only if I had completed my chores at the time someone was driving in.
My parents, Julius and Grace T. Bass, owned the grocery store in Funston from around 1961 until 1973. Of the few times I got to come to town, one was to buy shoes at Mr. Causey’s shoe store. I got one pair at the beginning of each new school year and the occasional pair of Sunday shoes. But that was only if my cousins hadn’t outgrown theirs to be passed down. For the summer, we ran around barefoot. So my parents got off cheap. But, you know what? That trip shouldn’t count as a memory, because I couldn’t see the town for looking down at my feet, admiring my new shoes.
Another time I will always treasure, are the Saturday mornings I got to come into town with my dad. We would go to the meat plant on West Boulevard to load up with fresh meat for resale at our grocery store. I can remember going into that dark, smelly place and seeing Mrs. Miller dressed to the hilt in her gold & silver shoes, with her ‘jet black’ hair piled two foot high on her head, making her at least 5 foot tall! She always looked like she was dressed for church.
If I behaved during this visit, my dad would treat me to a trip to the dime store (G.C. Murphy’s) on the square. WOW, there I would be in the “Macy’s of Moultrie,” where I got to go down the grand stairs to the basement to pick out a toy. They also had aquariums full of tropical fish and cages with gerbils and parakeets! This is now “Market of the Square” gift shop.
Then, if I was really good, Daddy would let me walk on the concrete wall that surrounds the court house. That was big time stuff, especially if you could do it without holding onto someone’s hand!
I remember going to Dr. McCoy’s office to have stitches removed from my head when I was about 5 years old. His office was located upstairs over what is now “The Three Crazy Bakers.” I don’t know which floor it was, but I do know the elevator was scary as all get out! I also remember wanting to be a Christmas “wrapper” for J.C. Penny’s when I grew up, which is now ABAC on the Square. Do you remember the “totem pole” that was on the west side of the courthouse?
I have other fond memories of the rare occasional family outings to the downtown area. But there isn’t enough space to write all of the words to describe those precious moments. As you can tell, I inherited the gift of gab from my dad.
The sad thing of today is families are always in such a hurry. Take time to slow down and visit the downtown area. Don’t just ride around — park the car and get out. Read the names on the bricks laid in the sidewalks. Visit the many shops and share the history of these buildings. But best of all, hold your child’s hand while they balance on the concrete wall around the courthouse.