
Though it’s quite small, Edison has retained much of its early-20th-century commercial architecture.


Edison Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Though it’s quite small, Edison has retained much of its early-20th-century commercial architecture.


Edison Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

This was located in an antique store window in downtown Edison.

Lane Drugs has been in business for decades and they even sell lunch. I believe this was originally the Farmers Trading Company, built in 1912.
Edison Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

The nicely restored jail and fire engine are the centerpiece of a small park on Hartford Street.

Lamar Sanders writes: I went to its opening in the 1950s. It was an Esther Williams swimming movie, and it was packed and had chairs in the aisles. The theater across the street charged 11 cents, and this one, built by Bill Israel, went up to 15 cents. Then you needed a nickel for a piece of candy and another nickel for a coke.
Edison Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Fred Bailey writes: I grew up in Edison, across the street from Mr. Joe and “Miss” Lynnette Jackson. They owned this business that we called “the freezer locker”. I believe the formal name of it was Calhoun County Frozen Foods…I was born in Edison in 1950. I worked for the Jacksons for a couple of months back then to earn money for college. Cows and hogs were slaughtered and processed there. Monday was “hog killing day”- also custom deer processing was done, as well as cold storage for the public. Horace Shepard, Jr, as well as a great man- a black man named “Sam” who taught me a lot about life, worked there along with the Jackson’s two son: Tom, who is my age, along with the older brother Joe, Jr, and of course Mr. Joe as well as “Miss” Lynnette also worked there. Life was much simpler back then- but though I like to look back on it- I really don’t miss it.
Martha Davis Collins recalls: Joe Jackson, who built and operating this business, and his family was our next-door neighbor. Everyone referred to it as “the freezer locker.”
Don King writes: I used to deliver meat to that place in the early to late 70’s from Lykes Brothers packing company. I also worked as a police officer in Edison 2000-2004.

Marcia Killingsworth writes: This was demolished in August, 2020. She also notes: It was originally Hardage’s Grocery (at least in the ‘50s, but I’m not sure of its full timeframe). In my memories – late ‘60s – early ‘70s and beyond a couple of decades – it was Worthy’s, a gas station and, I believe auto repair. It may have had some snacks and things like gas stations did back then.

Lamar Sanders writes: This was the old American Legion building that has been there since my memories of the 1950’s. We had square dances, senior proms, and family reunions in this building.

I found several shotgun houses in Leary. I’ve always liked them and find them increasingly difficult to locate in authentic condition. The tiny house and sustainable architecture movements have been responsible for new versions popping up all over the place, but the originals have a character all their own.
