Vintage Athens, Ohio - Court Street Parade
Court Street, Athens, Ohio - The late 1930s or early 1940s
As you can see it’s parade going down Court Street, but I can’t make out if there was something special like a visit or a holiday. I do know this would be between the late 1930s to Wartime. If you look closely you can see some sort of banner is strung across the street from one building to the other side. I’ve tried doing some adjustments to the banner in Photoshop to try to visualize the words, but I just can’t make it happen! Someone more versed in Athens and Ohio University history than I could probably make heads or tails of a more exact time by looking at the store signs and roofline shapes. Some of those places are no longer there, obviously, and some of those places didn’t even make it into the 1950’s from the images I’ve seen.
I’m betting the marching band is the Ohio University marching band. One of the flags being carried you can clearly see the word “Ohio” and “Athens” under it. At this point in time The Ohio University Marching 110 did not exist. I suppose it is possible that is Athens High School, but those uniforms appear to be pretty high end. Would a high school have uniforms that nice in a rural area just after the depression or during WWII?
Beckley’s Men’s Store is clearly visible. That store was located at the corner from the late 20s until it’s closing in 1970. Most people today know that location at the corner of South Court and West Union as College Book Store. The store is in what was originally called The Lawrence Building, being owned by W.B. Lawrence. You can also see The Athena movie theater and Ranch’s Bakery signs quite clearly in the back.
I can’t help but wonder how many miles I put on walking up and down that street during my four years there.
