50s MEMORY LANE

Memory Lane is what Otis Eldridge calls his place in the country. However, it is not just a place, Eldridge has been putting together a 1950s village near Rogersville. For about five yrs now (2005), he has been hosting antique car shows and 1950s festival which is free and open to the public. As many as 500 antique cars have been there.

The Eldridge place is on Caney Creek Road (from 11-W take Route 70, and its four-tenths of a mile to the Caney Creek Road intersection. Turn west there and travel about 1.4 miles). In 2005, there were so many coming to see the show, they had to be shuttled from the fire station near the Pressmen's Home Road.

When one walks over the hill it is like going back in time, just breath-taking, a lot better than Dollywood. To see all the old cars there and the buildings is truly wonderful. The old country store is filled with things that we saw in the fifties. He also has a 60-year-old stainless steel diner; a 1950's Texaco station; a drive-in theater; a jailhouse with mannequin inmates; an old-time body shop beside a blacksmith shop; railroad crossing and train tunnel; city hall; a beautiful one-room church/schoolhouse; a glass-encased Ford dealship showroom with a 1950's Ford convertible on display;and, remember the 1949 model Lustron prefabricated home that used to be at Rogersville, he has it and it is filled with 1950's antiques. There is also a covered bridge too.

Eldridge also purchased the field across from Memory Lane for parking (and it was filled).There is music everywhere, not to be missed for sure.

In 2005, Mr. Eldridge only charged admission on the cars coming to show. There was no admittance fee to see all this. Plus, all proceeds went to benefit the families of soldiers in the 278th Regimental Combat Team.

Our hat's off to Mr. Eldridge.