Photo of The Month – Jan 2010

Free Enterprise

Picture contributor: Roy Lee Harris Collection

We’re in the heart of the “business district” of Fairview, the neighborhood in east Cliffside, on the road to Boiling Springs, looking west. Just down the highway, beyond Clif Scruggs’ house on the right, was Harry Hawkins’ Gulf Station and garage, then, in another hundred feet or so, Hamrick’s store. And just beyond the curve in the distance you’d go straight onto Cliffside Street, or bear left onto Shelby Highway (called Highway Street in prior decades). This was the early ’50s, before the state had gotten around to striping all the highways.

Going the other way, toward Boiling Springs, you would immediately enter Cleveland County, and find Voyd Jenkins’ Grocery on your right, then another store run by Romie Dedmond, and finally, there was Reidus Marsh’s garage, the last commercial entity in this end of town. These businesses closed long ago.

The arrow under the “FRYERS FOR SALE” sign points to Elijah Harris’ farm, about half a mile down a little private lane. He also sold Rawleigh’s Products. And he could, if he wanted to, grow produce to sell. If you wanted a shoat or a calf, he might have one.

E.C. was an enterprising man, as were his sons, Clifford and Roy Lee.

Roy Lee was, of course, the town’s photographer for over 30 years, and took many photos of his father. That’s one of them at left. Elijah was an excellent subject.