The Hokie House

Here's another place that has been around for decades.  Started in 1966 by George Willard, the building was the original bus station which moved to the adjacent corner.  The photo above was taken around 1967.  The Hokie House started life as a luncheonette with about 10 stools lining the counter.  The photo below is more how we remember the place.

The Hokie House was famous for the Hokie Burger, a delicious fresh ground burger served on buttered Texas toast.  At the time I think it was the best burger in town.  Their other specialties included homemade chili beans, vegetable soup, and BBQ.

Julie Willard told me that one of their cooks, a woman named Dolly, was there for 32 years.
Sometime in the 1970's George Willard put on a side addition, and in the rear was pool tables and pinball machines.  I remember shooting pool there and man did it get crowded as twosomes would slap their quarters on the table to challenge the winners.

George sold the business in 1993, but it's still going strong ... now with an upper level.

Lendy's

Lendy's Family Restaurant - Home of the Buddy Boy Hamburger

(Thanks to Twig Gravely for sending these photos)

I mentioned this place in an earlier post.  Lendy's was a great diner located in front of the Gables Shopping Center right on South Main.  There was also a "Buddy Boy" statue outside that this photo doesn't show.

My friends and I frequented this place a lot, especially in the late evenings when we were in "need" of food.  If we didn't get a full meal, then certainly we ordered the Hot Fudge Sundae along with coffee.

The rear entrance took you to a counter where you could get Kentucky Fried Chicken to go.  Yum.
Other menu treats were their hamburgers, fried shrimp and steak dinners, and Lendy's famous Strawberry Pie made with fresh berries year round.

The wait staff at Lendy's  (I presume)

Street Scenes

Many thanks to a new acquaintance named Richard Cobb for these great street scene photos.

 

This was taken standing in front of Heavener Chevrolet (to the left) and looking north.  I don't remember the name of the Shell station, but if you look real hard the sign on the brick building says Blue Grass Market (click on photos to enlarge).  The butcher there was often kind enough to give me scraps to take back to my beagle dog.  Just to the left of that the sign says "Pizza".  Had Backstreets opened by 1979?.... or was this another pizza joint I've forgotten about.

 

 

The winter scenes above give a good look at the different businesses that were downtown.

The Sewer

If you passed by Book Strings & Things and hung a left into the alley you'd find a door leading to a unique sub shop with an unlikely name ...... The Sewer.

Poor T. Marshall Hahn, always getting harassed

The Sewer was the brainchild of a guy named Garth, along with his merry band of hippie friends who lived commune style out in the Ellett Valley area.   Garth scraped together $350 and proposed opening this place that would stay open way into the night, quite often up until 3 a.m.   At the time nothing else in town was open this late.

Sitting around in the living room of the old farmhouse they kicked around names.  Fellow flower-child Ken suggested "Ditch Works", but when the name "Sewer" was suggested it was instantly accepted.  After all, there was a near constant stream of water running across the floor.  Remember, Stroubles Creek flows under those buildings.

So in December of 1971 The Sewer opened it's doors.  For a mere $1.50 you could get a beast of a hoagie with turkey, ham, salami, roast beef, bologna, american and swiss cheeses, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, onion, Italian dressing, salt, pepper, and mustard.  Enough for two meals, easily.

Thanks to the tireless work of Garth, Doug, Ken, Paul, Bill, Joe, Anita and Barbara, there was no such thing as insatiable munchies in the early 70's in downtown Blacksburg.

The only surviving mural left at The Sewer

The Blue Bug

This is just an update to the June 2012 post about our police force's addition to their fleet of vehicles.  Probably should have been called Herbie the Love Police (or even Herbie the Love Fuzz).  Anyway, after stumbling onto this picture today we now know when this thing was puttering around town ..... it was the Spring of 1972.

Scotty's Radio and TV

Scotty's Radio & TV             3615 South Main Street

At the far south end of town was a popular place for starting or adding on to your hi-fi stereo equipment, or to purchase a tv set, or indulge in other electronic hobbies.  Scotty's was an authorized Lafayette dealer (I think I bought a Fisher amp there) as well as a Zenith TV dealer.  They also sold compact units that housed the turntable, receiver, and sometimes 8-track player all in one.

This place probably had the best selection in town for a variety of electronic equipment.  The kids here showing off the Sony display are listed as (from left to right)  Carol, Courtney, Cliff, Margaret, Dan, and Martha.  Anyone you know?

Blacksburg High School

The old Blacksburg High School on South Main

It was out with the old and in with the new for students at Blacksburg High School about mid-decade when they moved from their long time home on South Main Street to the new, modern facility on Patrick Henry Drive.  The vacated building then became known as Blacksburg Middle School for quite a long stretch until being leveled to make way for new development.

The new high school on Patrick Henry Drive

The new high school was much larger and more modern, and served the community for more than 30 years before a heavy snowfall collapsed the gym roof and closed the school forever.

I'm hoping that a lot of you old BHS Indians who knew both schools will chime in and give us your reflections of the move from old to new in the 1970's.