Built in the 1914, the Snodgrass Building is located at 101 South Broad Street, across from the original location of Jacobs Bank. It was built by Cecil Word and until recently was owned by his heirs. The current building is a two-story with three pairs of double windows on the second story on the Broad Street side and XX on the Willow Street side. The lower story features plate glass display windows. The door is on the corner. The name and date plate is off center. The facade and the side of the building are of different brick, reinforcing the observation that the leftmost pair of windows were removed to accommodate the final route of Willow Street.

Until November 2016, it was assumed that building was a 1940s era building, but recent renovation by a Mr. Putnam who purchase the building removed metal siding from the second story to reveal the actual historic facade. It is currently under renovation.


Current view: Under Renovation




Detailed view: 1914 nameplate

This 1914 construction date and name were uncovered in 2016 renovation.


The only earlier photo of this building before the last bank of windows was removed is hanging in City Hall. The photo is from the 1920s. Notice the steeple of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church on the left. The signs on this building are difficult to read. The businesses appear to be the Sanitary Cash Grocery Store, the Palace Meat Market (owned and managed by Polk McClendon), and Quick Something.


Building on the corner of Willow and Broad before Parks, 1920s



Inez Starnes remembers this building. She said that Bill Derrick’s father ran a dry goods store in the leftmost of these stores (the location of Sanitary Grocery Store in this photo). The second store, the Palace, was a meat market. The third business, only “Quick” can be read. Inez says that when the Derrick dry good business was in that space, Caldwell’s Grocery Store was across the street. “It was there by Brown Bergman; it was next door to them,” Inez said. “Skinny Jones had a dry goods store right by Brown and Bergman.” This was the 108 location.

This ad for a Sanitary Restaurant was found in the 1923 Jackson County Sentinel. This ad indicates that the owners of this restaurant in 1923 were McCarley and Maples. Notice that this is not just a restaurant but also a boarding house.




All the time these primary businesses we going on at the street level, the second floor had a succession of tenants and offices.
1960

  • Donald Word Protective Life Insurance Company
  • Credit Bureau of Scottsboro

1961
  • Donald Word Protective Life Insurance Company
  • State Farm Adjusters
  • Telephone Answering Service

1965
  • D. D. Work Agency
  • State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance
  • Credit Bureau of Scottsboro and Jackson County
  • Telephone Answering Service

1966
  • Orkin Exterminating

1967
  • D. D. Work Agency
  • Credit Bureau of Scottsboro and Jackson County
  • Cherokee DeKalb Jackson Action Agency
  • Neighborhood Youth Corps

1972
  • Retail Credit Company
  • Kirby Insurance Agency
  • Dickson and Davis, Architects

1975
  • Credit Bureau of Scottsboro and Jackson County
  • Kirby Insurance Agency

In 1975 Parks main store is called Parks’ Ladies Apparel in the city directory and a new building 105 S. Broad Street is called Parks’ Men’s Store.

Parks Family and retail clothing business


The relationship between the Albert Parks family of Scottsboro and the retail clothing business began before in the early 1940s. The Parks family’s initial association with the Quality Store came through Eva. She was a newlywed in her early 20s when Albert was drafted into service for World War II. She worked at the Quality Store throughout the war, and was manager of the store when Albert returned. Soon after Albert’s return, she was pregnant and no longer able to work, and Albert took her place at the Quality Store.

When the two original owners of the Quality Store died, their heirs continued to operate the store for a time but eventually sold it. About this time, Albert Parks decided to open his own clothing store. He was interested in a burned out pool hall that sat on the corner of Willow and Broad. The building had been built by Cecil Word. Albert Parks observed the traffic on this corner and counted cars before deciding in 1957 to approach Cecil Word, the building owner, about opening Parks Department Store about this location. Cecil renovated the building for him, using knotty pine lumber from his sawmill operation. When renovation was completed, Albert and Eva opened Parks Department Store in this location in January 1958. Son Bill remembers this because they had stocked the new store with clothing for the upcoming season, and during one of the coldest winter’s on record, the new store offered the public sleeveless dresses and short-sleeved shirts. The store sold men’s, women’s, and children’s clothes, overalls, work clothes, and shoes, in the traditional of old general stores.

Son Bill grew up and went to college. About the time he was to graduate in 1970-71, his father opened a new men’s wear store at Parks Law Office space. Albert offered management of this new business to his son. In the 1975 city directory, we see this business open with the address 105.

The store operated at this location until the late 1970s when it expanded into the Parks Law Building. Parks clothing store closed in the late 1990s. Since that time no other businesses have been in this location. Bruce Yates, Cecil Word’s grandson, recently sold this building and it is currently unoccupied and under renovation.


1930 ad for Palace Meat Market from the Reminder




1960: Parks ad from the city directory




1967 ad for the Jackson County Credit Bureau over Parks




Parks Store in 1980




Shopping bag from the Parks Store