Throwback Thursday trips back 50 years

By Charlie Hutson

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- In November 1976, the Goodyear store located at the corner of West Central Avenue and Depot Street was destroyed by fire.

As the clean up of the debris left from the fire was being done, the above image appeared on the wall of the building next door. The Goodyear building was built in the early 1920s. It was built to house the Lafollette Grocery Company. Back then, the Southern Railroad depot was just up the hill behind this building.

In those days, the grocery company received much of their product by rail. In 1926, the building in the image housed Smith Hardware. This is part of Community Trust Bank today. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-06/25/2026-6AM)