Tullos, the Blues, and Junior's Juke Joint
The following photos and captions come from, Why Junior Loves the Blues, one of many great articles in, JUNIOR'S JUKE JOINT, http://www.deltablues.net/ the award-winning blues site of Tullos native and my friend, Junior Doughty.
Junior's Juke Joint is the sort of place where inquiring minds can learn the difference between a juke joint and a honky-tonk, what it's like to be in a bar shoot-out or a Druid wedding, the how-to's of bootlegging, why Nellie Jackson's wasn't listed on the Natchez tour of homes, plus a world of information on the blues, blues musicians, blues joints, and other things vital to a well-rounded education.
In the immortal words of Mr. T, I pity the poor fool who doesn't check it out.
Bayou Bill
Looking northward at the west side of downtown Tullos. The white steeple of the First Baptist Church pokes skyward in the far background. The now-roof-less building just beyond the pickup truck was Aaron Ashley's Western Auto Store. Just this side of the tree in the center once stood Monroe Masters's Bar. The bar's 1-hole outdoor toilet stood behind the bar. Just beneath the toilet's seat was the 6-inch casing of an abandoned oil well. I figure there's lots of coins, watches, jewelry, and even a few wallets located about 1,500 feet straight down.
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Looking northward at the east side of downtown Tullos. From front to back you see (1) the rubble of Russell's Dry Goods; (2) Jimmie Bardin's Pool Hall; (3) Ott Milam's Drug Store; (4) Martin's Dry Goods; (5) the white front of Huffman's Hardware; and, (6) the edge of Jack Jarvis's Pool Hall. Huffman's Hardware, now a church activity center, is the only building in use. The roof-less rear of Russell's Dry Goods contains shelves and racks filled with rotted clothing.
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This shut-down oil well, located in weeds about 100 yds from the Tullos Town Hall, once belonged to my father. Today, it would probably make about 1 barrel of oil a day, which would barely pay the electricity bill.
--
Here's the remains of Moore's Bar. It's about to fall down. Amos and Clara Moore, dead now for several years, lived in a house to the right of the bar. On Sundays and from a closet in their living room, they bootlegged beer and pints and fifths of Old Charter and Old Crow whiskey. I think the thirsty ghost of Hank Williams sometimes glides through one of those broken plate glass windows.
Junior's Juke Joint is the sort of place where inquiring minds can learn the difference between a juke joint and a honky-tonk, what it's like to be in a bar shoot-out or a Druid wedding, the how-to's of bootlegging, why Nellie Jackson's wasn't listed on the Natchez tour of homes, plus a world of information on the blues, blues musicians, blues joints, and other things vital to a well-rounded education.
In the immortal words of Mr. T, I pity the poor fool who doesn't check it out.
Bayou Bill
Looking northward at the west side of downtown Tullos. The white steeple of the First Baptist Church pokes skyward in the far background. The now-roof-less building just beyond the pickup truck was Aaron Ashley's Western Auto Store. Just this side of the tree in the center once stood Monroe Masters's Bar. The bar's 1-hole outdoor toilet stood behind the bar. Just beneath the toilet's seat was the 6-inch casing of an abandoned oil well. I figure there's lots of coins, watches, jewelry, and even a few wallets located about 1,500 feet straight down.
--
Looking northward at the east side of downtown Tullos. From front to back you see (1) the rubble of Russell's Dry Goods; (2) Jimmie Bardin's Pool Hall; (3) Ott Milam's Drug Store; (4) Martin's Dry Goods; (5) the white front of Huffman's Hardware; and, (6) the edge of Jack Jarvis's Pool Hall. Huffman's Hardware, now a church activity center, is the only building in use. The roof-less rear of Russell's Dry Goods contains shelves and racks filled with rotted clothing.
--
This shut-down oil well, located in weeds about 100 yds from the Tullos Town Hall, once belonged to my father. Today, it would probably make about 1 barrel of oil a day, which would barely pay the electricity bill.
--
Here's the remains of Moore's Bar. It's about to fall down. Amos and Clara Moore, dead now for several years, lived in a house to the right of the bar. On Sundays and from a closet in their living room, they bootlegged beer and pints and fifths of Old Charter and Old Crow whiskey. I think the thirsty ghost of Hank Williams sometimes glides through one of those broken plate glass windows.
Labels: Hank Williams, Hub Francis Pool Hall, Huffman Hardware, Jack Jarvis Pool Hall, Jimmie Bardin's Pool Hall, Martin's Dry Goods, Moore's Bar, Ott Milam's Drug Store, Russell's Dry Goods, tullos louisiana
posted by Bill Fullerton at
9:22 PM
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