👩‍🍳👩‍🍳👩‍🍳👩‍🍳2016 April 23, Saturday Cornbread Festival South Pittsburg Tennessee

We traveled hwy 72 to Athens and took I-65 to I-565 through Huntsville. We took Hwy 72 E and passed through several small towns: Brownsboro, Paint Rock, Woodville, Scottsboro, Hollywood, Fackler, Stevenson, and Bridgeport, Alabama.

Driving to South Pittsburg

We crossed the state line into Tennessee to South Pittsburg.
We arrived around 10:00 A.M., and there was already a crowd of people. We waited in line with many other vehicles to get a parking spot.
We started walking to the downtown area where the Cornbread Festival was located. 
I spotted a school bus being used to shuttle people downtown.
We loaded onto the school bus and got off the bus at the second drop-off. 

Cornbread Festival 

We paid the five-dollar admission to enter the festival. We proceeded to the area where we purchased tickets for the Historic bus tour, which was scheduled for 11:00 A.M. and cost seven dollars each.

We were given brochures with the time stamped on them for our tickets.
The 10:00 A.M. bus had just left the historic City Hall.

We walked through the American Legion Hall (under restoration)
That houses the quilt show.

One of the quilts on display

Next, we view some of the old cars that were on display.

Car Show

We went to the theater to listen to Blues Music for about ten minutes and to use the restrooms. 

Inside the Prince Theater

We walked past some of the vendors and walked back to the City Hall building to wait for the bus.
When the tour bus returned, our guide got off and said she was going to give a talk before everyone loaded onto the bus.
Our guide began by telling the history of  City Hall, Marion Lodge, and American Legion Hall buildings
City Hall was built in 1887, and the former First National Bank had terra cotta trim with decorative brick.

City Hall was built in 1887 

The building across the street, now vacant, was the former Marion Lodge, E&AM No. 515.

Marion Lodge E& AM No 515

The American Legion Hall housed the quilt show.
Everyone loaded onto the air-conditioned bus, but there were not enough seats for everyone, as some had to stand in line.
Everyone was asked to check their ticket to ensure that it had 11:00 A.M. stamped on it. 
There were about six tourists who had a later date stamped on their tickets, and they were asked to get off the bus and return at the time stamped on their tickets.

South Pittsburg, Tennessee Historic Tour ticket

We then began our tour through the crowded, narrow streets of South Pittsburg. We had a great driver; he managed to back up and turn around without hitting a single car, despite the numerous marks along the sides of the road.

We saw the Christ Church Episcopal, located on Third Street at Holly, which was completed in 1884.
At 217 Magnolia, we saw the home originally built by Joseph Lodge in 1878.
At 310 Magnolia, the home of Avery and Kate McCuiston, they owned the Bargain Store on Cedar Avenue. 
Fourth, at Magnolia, a house was built by the Old English company about 1877.
At 401 Oak House, the City Company built the house in 1890.
At 316 Oak House, the Headquarters of the Old English company was built, and it was used as guest quarters, not a home. 
At 504 Oak, we saw a house owned by ST Haskew, which had been sold and was used as a boarding house.
At 518 Laurel, we saw the house where James Scott, a Texan who ran a dry goods store, lived.
At 500 Laurel, we saw the AA Cook home, which he sold to MM Allison in 1898, who was mayor and judge.
At 401 Laurel, we saw the house built for Dr. TW Johnston, a physician for the Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railway Company.
At 414 Holly, we saw a house built for Luther B Sartan.
At 518 Holly, a house purchased in 1887 by Thomas Richardson, a druggist.
At 610 Holly, we saw the home built in 1909 by Walter Denham.
At eight at Elm, we saw the Chapel on the Hill built by Angus Macrae, a native of Scotland.
The tour bus dropped off everyone who wanted to tour the Lodge Factory at the intersection of Sixth Street and the railroad. 

People are going into the Lodge Factory

The Lodge Pans display that the Lodge was founded in 1896 by Joseph Lodge. The original plant was located on the north side of town. The foundry operates two molding machines and produces over 20,000 pieces of cast iron a day.

Touring the plant

After we finished touring the plant, we walked back to the festival, stopping to look at the tractors on display. 
Vendors were cooking a wide variety of food.
Vendors were selling a wide range of clothing.
There were rides of all kinds.

Carnival Rides 

We were getting hungry, so we looked for a local restaurant and stopped at Harvey's Pirate Restaurant for a hamburger and fries. 

Harvey's Pirate Restaurant 

We went to the cars that were on display, and there were three times as many cars as earlier. 
We walked through, taking a look at some of the vendors. I bought four postcards, and we bought a bee catcher. 
We stopped at the Lodge Store and began our walk back to the van.

The Lodge Store

A nice young man offered to take us to our car in his golf cart. 
People were still coming into the downtown area, and they had to park along the highway.
It had been a long day, we were getting hot and tired, and still had a two-hour drive home.