East Elm Street

"This Oaks view of East Elm centers on the village blacksmith shop, the frame building with the wide open doors that afforded a glimpse of the flaming forge and the blacksmith at work within.  The blacksmith shop became a garage when the automobile replaced the horse and the first taxi came to town, operated by W. D. Bennett.  Enlarged, it became the headquarters for Bennett-Sheeks and the Ford Agency until the operation was moved to West Elm when E. V. Sheeks assumed charge of the agency.

"The white frame feed store was built by Dave Bennett after he retired as ferry man on Black river and moved to town.  The building was enlarged into a roller mill when wheat tried for the second time to oust King Cotton.  The failure found the roller mill reverting into a cotton gin as the first attempt had done.

"The concrete home of S. B. Neill, on East First street at Elm, had replaced the Crites Bottling Works that had held down the corner in a frame building that had been moved to West Second and Vine, across from the Bank of Corning, where it was the early home of Model Grocery.  The building was razed in the 60's [sic] and replaced by the present brick."

Submitted by Danny Moore