September 23, 1984 (Revisiting the Past)

I'm going back through what comprised my senior year of high school and first semester of college in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Come along for the ride. New posts every day or so mixed in with other things.

September 23, 1984. A few advertisements along with a blurb about the rock band The Producers coming to town soon. Do furniture stores still sell television sets? Does anyone miss those days when a television was considered a piece of furniture. Did you or your family buy, or not buy a particular set because of its style? 

I wouldn't have a VCR in my house until 1989 or so. This meant I didn't get a lifetime video club membership at Cat's Records. I hope those Cat's video club members got their money's worth since the lifetime would be less than a decade. I feel really bad for those who missed the limited offer and paid the full $50 price.

A three day city wide "Harvest Days Sellabration" was coming on September 27, 28, and 29. Here's the ad for it. I wonder how many of these businesses listed in the ad still exist in Murfreesboro as of the writing on this post on September 22, 2022. I'll let you know below the ad.

All of the businesses listed for Thursday, September 27th, were located in or just outside what was once called the Murfreesboro Mall but was renamed Stones River Plaza. This is now called Broad Street Centre and remnants of its past are still visible, but the mall part of it was heavily remodeled over the years. 

September 27th businesses from the ad:

While you can find many locksmiths bearing the AAA name, the Stones River Plaza AAA Lock & Key is long gone. 

These businesses are also no longer around. Gone completely from Murfreesboro. If you notice I'm wrong on any of these drop me comment and I'd be happy to correct it.

Pickwick's Guys and Gals

Funland (was the arcade between Walgreens and Radio Shack which was once called the Silver Shack)

Radio Shack

Readmore Book-n-Card which would move to Georgetown Square in a few years is a store I really miss.

Southern Health Foods

Country Boy Waterbeds 

Port O Call record store is another store I wish had survived.

Payless Shoe Source which had a store outside.

Behrs which was a dress shop inside Stones River Plaza.

Citizens Central Bank although I believe the building is still being used for a savings and loan.

Did any of the businesses listed for the day of September 27 survive? Yes! I guess Citizens Central Bank could be bumped into this list as banks never truly die, they just get bought out by bigger banks. Olan Mills photography can still be purchased in Murfreesboro, but not at Broad Street Centre. The only real survivor is the Peddler store which, like Readmore, moved to Georgetown Square. It has changed ownership, but is still going strong. 

September 28th businesses from the ad:

These stores were located in various places including the Square, Mercury Plaza, and Jackson Heights Plaza.

These are all still around, but not in the same location or name.

Baskin-Robbins 31 Ice Cream would have been located in Mercury Plaza but that location is no longer around even though Mercury Plaza is still there. There is a Memorial Blvd location which is still scooping out the treats. 

Commerce Union Bank of Ruth. Co. is Bank of America today. 

Mazda Car Village and Subaru Car Village are gone, but as you can still get Mazdas and Subarus in Murfreesboro so we'll consider them still around in a way.

Ace Hardware....hmmm I couldn't find an Ace Hardware in Murfreesboro looking online, but there's bound to one right? 

There are a couple of restaurant chains in the ad that still exist as chains, but not in Murfreesboro. Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken which was located at Memorial Blvd and Bonanza which was at Mercury Plaza. 

Here's the long list of businesses gone from the September 28, 1984 list:

Billingsley's which was located at Mercury Plaza.

Royal Jewelers

Harveys

Cohen's Custom Interiors

Milady Shoppe

Brown's Shoes located on the Square.

Holloway's 

Crocker's-Rone which was a jewelry store located at Mercury Plaza.

Aultman's Jewelry which was on the Square. They would move out to Stones River Mall and make it to the 21st century before closing for good.

Baldwin Appliance

Right Step was a shoe outlet which I believe was located in Outlets Ltd. Mall

Cap Tree was a clothing store at Outlets Ltd.

The Grog Shoppe building is still on E. Main and is now a liquor store called Beer & Liquor Depot so it's kind of still around, but not really. 

The Music Shop

Brown and Harris Equipment Co.

Sewing Nook which was on the Square.

Sterchi's which was where my father always bought furniture plus he just loved to go there and look around.

There are 3 businesses listed for the September 28th Sellabration still going strong in Murfreesboro.

Haynes Bros. Lumber

Haynes Hardware although I believe it would have had a different location in 1984.

Carpets by Ozburn

That leaves the Saturday September 29th participating businesses. None of them are around in Murfreesboro any longer. Montgomery Ward does have an online business, but does anyone use them or know they still exist? 

Etlinger Chiropractic Clinic

Red Food Store once had 2 locations in Murfreesboro before being bought out by Bi-Lo in 1994. Bi-Lo went through the usual sell off to a financial firm. The Wikipedia entry will make your head spin.

Waterbed Shed

Polliwogs n'Pinafores

Mary Helen Jordan, Antiques and Jewelry

Mid-State Building Supply

Hearthstone Heaters

The one thing you learn as you get older is that change is constant and businesses come and go. It's been 38 years at the time of writing this in 2022 and if I count just the Peddler, Carpets by Ozburn, Haynes Hardware, and Haynes Lumber that's 8.3% of those businesses featured in the Harvest Days Sellabration promotion still around. That's really not all that bad even if I do wish Readmore, Port O Call, and Funland (just call it Silver Shack though) could re-materialize for me. I think I got most of these photos from Bill Wilson aka Mr. Murfreesboro so if you want to see more of that stuff you can check out his Facebook page.

The great Georgia New Wave/power pop band The Producers would be coming to Mainstreet soon. I never got to see them live, but I've heard they were fantastic. I have their 1981 self-titled debut and it's a great record. 

What's He Got?