Showing off its new digs "Garners", having dropped the "Inn", had a grand opening in 1958. The building was state of the art for its time. The restaurant had a full-service grille, soda fountain and juke box. Two neon-back lit glass block counters offered seating, as well as traditional table seating being available. The station had bunk rooms and showers, full service pumps and a tall garage bay with hydraulic lifts for repairs. 
Alice Garner, matriarch, her daughters and several ladies from the local Church of God provided waitressing, grill cook and fountain service. Jack Sr., and later Jr., provided fuel service at the full service pumps. The truckstop quickly became a hub for the community, being open 24 hours a day......and with only one hold-up!
Between the years of 1958 and 1981 the building went through two renovations and expansions. Additional restrooms were added to the west side of the building and new entries were created on the restaurant as well as changing from table to booth seating. Concrete block was covered with sandstone ashlars and expansions were constructed of blended tan and orange brick. One cousin and an uncle met their future wives here.....and it was here that dad and mom were introduced. The 25th anniversary of the new location was celebrated by having grandma and all of the daughters and daughters-in-law staff the restaurant.
I worked Saturdays. As a kid of about 8 I stood on a Coke box and washed dishes. At the end of the day, or whenever I tired, grandma would tell me to go ask gramps how much he thought I was worth that day. Usually a silver dollar. I ate a lot of the profits too. The candy case was pretty much fair game for us grandkids and I loved french fries and chocolate ice cream cones with marshmallow topping. And pickles-I ate a lot of pickles. We also had a dart board set up in the back of the station and a basketball hoop in the garage. My mom worked a couple of third shifts and when she did, she put me in the first booth to sleep. We had a corner booth too that was primarily the family's as I remember it. And I loved the juke box-it had an all-time favorite on it: "Saturday".
Lots of good memories, but its hey day was yet to come.
3 comments:
Great Pictures HR! I love that shot of the counter with the glass blocks, the soda fountain, the kellogs cereal box display (how many can remember those!) I know you are hurt by the persistence of the media to refer to the demolished building as the GARNER truck stop. But you have so many wonderful memories don't be too blue!
HEY one thing I have just noticed I have never seen you wear a baseball or seed corn hat! Whats up with that?
We should have taken the Kellogs display with us when we closed in 96...it was still there!
I'm ok with people calling it Garners, but it seems that some pleasure is taken in throwing around "unsafe" and "eyesore" in conjunction with the name. That bothers me.
I will do a post on my hat some day...or lack of hat wearing!
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