A vote is up on Tuesday on whether the stop light stays or goes

If City of Lafollette leaders vote in favor of removing Stop Light 8 at next week’s meeting, it will mean there will not be left turns from First Street onto East Central Avenue and that a caution light will replace the traffic light.

By Charlie Hutson

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- The proposed removal of Traffic Light 8 on East Central Avenue at First Street prompts some First Street red light history.

Stop Light 8 has had its share of changes through the years with many traffic light upgrades.

In the late 1940s, Lafollette had two shirt factories operating in the downtown area, and the Lafollette High School, where McDonald’s is, was on the hill on West Central Avenue just above downtown. Back then when the City fire siren sounded at 12 o’clock, “high noon”, both shirt factories, and the high school went to lunch, about a thousand people hit downtown at the same time.

With both shirt factories on the north side of East Central Ave., that meant a lot of the people would be crossing Central going to the south side. Some were going to grocery shop at Woodson’s or Lyon’s grocery, downtown back then. Others were going to eat at the Central or Dixie Cafes while some were just going shopping.

Before the stop light was installed, there were several people hit crossing Central Avenue. At that time, the only red light was at Central and Tennessee Avenues. So in March 1948, the city put up the traffic light at First street, and there has been a traffic light there for 78 years. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-04/30/2026-6AM-PHOTOS COURTESY OF WLAF’S CHARLIE HUTSON)

5 Replies to “Some Traffic Light 8 history before it goes away”

  2. The traffic light needs to stay there. It is keeping people from driving through town at excessive speeds. People still visit the downtown area shops and park on the Main Street. In the afternoon you can’t safely get out of your vehicle unless the light is red for fear of being hit by oncoming traffic. If people can’t safely park on the street, the city will eventually be abandoned. I was under the impression the city leaders wanted to bring life back to the downtown area, not drive people away. I think this is a big mistake. The businesses in town will suffer from this decision.

  3. The traffic light needs to go. Of both morning and evening, this light causes so much congestion. When downtown LaFollette was being built it was structured for then. With such growth in this community, this light should be of the past. There is plenty of parking behind Ace Hardware ^ Helen Connor ,for main street shop stops.
    I also agree with ^Ken White. There are lights needed in much more pressing areas.

  4. The traffic light should go and the speed limit between Domino’s and the hospital should be dropped to 30mph

  5. On the old traffic light. If you was going eastbound, there was a small sign under the light that said ” Turn Left on Red when Clear”

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