The 'Dell...

So, anyone who has read my facebook or knows me very well, knows I'm from a very small town.  I recently visited my family and while there, I thought about what the town looks like now compared to how it looked while I was growing up.  I had long wanted to take pictures and I realized I should probably do it soon.  Already I had missed the opportunity to take pictures of what my childhood home looked like, the old movie theatre, the Western Auto building, and so on.  Here is a bit of what I captured on my trip...

This is my high school - North Pemiscot

The Mighty Mustangs!!

Our campus was a bit spread out.  In this one, you can see the Principal's building, the band building, and where the old gym used to be.

This old boarded up building may not look like much, but at one time it was a booming business - The Mustang!  I don't really remember it ever being open and operational, but I do remember getting off the bus from the Elementary school and my sister having a candy bar or a Jolly Rancher stick ready for me that she had bought at the Mustang.

The New Mustang

The town's only gas station.  It has a convenience store and some pretty good pizza.

 

Every town has to have one.  Here's ours:  City Hall and the Fire Station.

 

Ah, Wardell's own plaza (or shopping center, whatever you want to call it).  It housed the Post Office (still operating), a movie theatre (now burned and demolished), and a happening little drug store called Mrs. South's.  I remember going to Mrs. South's and getting a soda from the proprietor herself!

Ah, the other business district.  This one housed Bill White's, another little store (which sold the best candy bars - super cheap!), the town tavern, and the auction. 

The Stoplight - the town's one and only

This is also home to the Stoplight Cafe, which has been a great many businesses even in the course of my lifetime.

And last, but not least, we have the old Cotton Gin, not to be confused with the new and still operating Cotton Gin.  :)

Oh, there are so many things that I didn't quite capture!  We do still have another operating grocery store, The Food Center.  There are also still several houses, though many are currently for sale.  There are also several churches that are still going strong.

Wardell may not be a town that I want to live in currently, but I do have many fond memories of it.  Riding my bike all over town, meeting friends at the Food Center for a soda, playing on the playgrounds, etc.  Small towns aren't for everyone, but I did enjoy growing up in one.