The town that wasn’t really a town Recollections of a former Tate

Photo courtesy of Mary Beth Lane

A nostalgic black and white snapshot shows Doris Roberts Lane relaxing at her home in Tater Town.

If you grab up a state road map or even a county map, you will come to the conclusion, after a good bit of searching, that a place called Tater Town just isn’t on the map.

You see, Tater Town is there in the spirit of those who lived there and helped make the little community a story in its own time.

If you are traveling north on Main Street in Sharpsburg, you will come a traffic light at a four-way crossing.

To the north you will find the Upper East Union road and south is Flat Creek road, now these names have changed some over the years, but they still cover the same ground.

At the four- way stop, turn right at the traffic light down the hill toward the Community Center, travel a hundred yards or so until you see a left turn onto Forrest Avenue.

Once you have turned onto this street you have crossed into Tater Town proper.

Forrest Avenue, the main drag of Tater Town, covers about one third mile from entrance off Flat Creek road until you come to the end and connect back to Flat Creek Road, or what is now called Tunnel Hill road.

Once someone made the comment that they had had the Tater Town Tour.

Of course, a little humor was projected at the little community from time to time, but we didn’t mind at all.

Up until recently, Tater Town wasn’t part of Sharpsburg’s city limits and we were kind of outcast so to speak, yet a vital part of Sharpsburg as a whole.

Just like Back Street residents in the city limits contributed their skills, labor, taxes, sports, etc., and everyone had a reputation to uphold.

This was a prime time for Tater Town for family growth and coming out of WWII, the Korean War and Vietnam.

Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Happy Chandler, John Y. Brown, Bert Combs, Hee Haw, Ed Sullivan, Jackie Gleason, Gunsmoke, The Walton’s, Little House on the Prairie, American Bandstand, Laugh-In, Glenn Campbell, came into our world by way of the television screen.

Corvettes, Impalas, Chevelle’s, GTO’s, Mustangs, Grand Sport, Cougars, Grand Prix’s Z25, Camaro, Road Runners, Cobras, El Caminos, and sharp pickup trucks are the vehicles that I remember when I was growing up in Tater Town.

During my days as a youth and teenager in Sharpsburg, Billy Graham was a mover and a shaker that lifted the spirits of millions nationwide; a man that was commissioned to preach the Gospel, spread the word, led lost souls back home. Graham was a household name.

At the crest of Forrest Avenue, just at the front of Charlie Hills house and the home of Shipwreck Hazelrigg, is the high elevation spot of Tater Town.

This crest of elevation is the actual crown that extends on around out into the cemetery at the back gate, on toward the front gate on Main Street.

This crest elevation or crown, is where the name Crown Hill came from and the older grave sites are on the crown elevation.

The cemetery back gate area and the crest of Tater Town run directly together. Not to get lost in detail, yet these are bits and pieces that make up the whole.

The only actual business located in Tater Town was Shrout’s Garage and Tow Service.

Paul Shrout was known to be the fixer of the unfixable.

His garage was always full of machines, motors, and contraptions of some type under repair.

His wife Cynthia ran the snack counter, gun ammo, hunting and fishing license, and tobacco products. During the winter months it was not too unusual to see a make shift pen inside that held baby lambs, pigs, pups, and even a calf or two.

A couple old bus seats had been converted into seats for the loafers and men eating snacks.

When the old high school was still operating just across the road, students could walk over to Shrout’s Garage for soft drinks, snacks and to sneak a smoke.

A dollar went a long way back then. The son, Jackie, was always drumming up business with students, and mechanics in training.

I used to hang out at Shrout’s garage when I skipped school, and everyone would pretend they didn’t know as I passed off some untruth.

The high school principal would walk over from time to time to see if any “slow walkers” were still there. Hiding places had already been selected.

Since I was a Tater Town resident, I noticed things and any changes to the landscape and buildings.

Once you are comfortable with a perceived image, any changes can infringe on memory.

Roy Reffitt’s son’s, Billy and Byram, built houses next door to me, after they got married.

Later Paul Harvey built a house for his family.

These houses were built on empty lots, so the vacant space became a new sight image.

Those are the recall times old men have when they sit and stare into space, just seeing through the minds eye, as it was.

All in all, Tater Town had a complete cast, such as plumbers, Coleman Shrout; carpenters, Raymond Hayes and the Reffitt’s; electricians, Owens Gulley; postal workers, the Harts; school teachers, Mrs. Atkinson; substitute teachers, Mrs. Ann Gulley, Mrs. Hill; Merchants, Billy Roberts and Mr. Eli; Midas Muffler; Ed Johnson; furniture, Frank Hart, Clayton Gilvin, Charles Lee Hill, Avon Depot; Shipwreck Hazelrigg, Service station; Mrs.Genave Webb, school cafeteria; Mark Thomas, Case; Roy Tinsley, retired; Estell Bailey, farmer; Lacy Hatton, farmer; Mrs. Grimes, clerk; Eddie Grimes, farming and postal worker; Irene Gulley, postal work; Sachel Gulley, trucker.

But what about the name Tater Town, how did that come to be?

Here is what I found out personally, I ask at least two dozen people, “why do they call it Tater Town”?

Someone told me he had heard that at one time there had been a potato bagging operation located about where Mark Thomas’ house is so the phrase over in Tater Town was referenced.

Then a lady told me it was because everyone that lived there were working folks, so the working class ate beans and potatoes and often grew them in their own gardens.

The other reason I recall well, it was because of the gardens raised in backyards of those who lived in Tater Town that the Main Street residents didn’t grow, therefore someone on main street started referring to Forrest Avenue as Tater Town. It was originally called Newtown by some of the older residents.

In whatever case the name derived from, Tater Town is my kind of place.

You folks there now are continuing to carry the torch. Be safe, be happy and be proud.

At large,

Yours Truly,

Bill Howe Gilvin