Second Ave – Wholesale district

B. H. Stief Jewelry Company

The leading Jewelers and Silversmiths. 404 Union Street, Nashville, Tennessee 1908

B.H. Stief was a repairman of fine watches and retailer of jewelry who started his company in the late 1800s.

Lion Station at 5th and Jefferson

By 1932, Lion Oil operated 441 service stations. In 1935, the company continued to expand with the purchase of the Arkansas properties of Marathon Oil, adding twenty-nine bulk plants and 375 service stations to its holdings. In 1939, Lion Oil became the first Arkansas corporation to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

Lion Oil service stations became a common feature along roadsides in the South. At their peak in the mid-1950s, nearly 2,000 Lion service stations dotted the region. In the 1960s, this gave rise to the popular “Beauregard Lion” mascot in Lion advertisements. However, by the 1970s, Monsanto had integrated the company into its operations, and the Lion identity began to disappear. Monsanto slowly sold off many elements of the old company, shutting down the service stations, and employment dropped. In 1975, Monsanto sold the oil refinery to California-based Tosco. By this time, not even the refinery was referred to as “Lion.”

Lion station at Harding Road and Gardner Drive

Harding Rd at Gardner Drive

Looks to now be the Belle Meade city hall

By 1932, Lion Oil operated 441 service stations. In 1935, the company continued to expand with the purchase of the Arkansas properties of Marathon Oil, adding twenty-nine bulk plants and 375 service stations to its holdings. In 1939, Lion Oil became the first Arkansas corporation to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

Lion Oil service stations became a common feature along roadsides in the South. At their peak in the mid-1950s, nearly 2,000 Lion service stations dotted the region. In the 1960s, this gave rise to the popular “Beauregard Lion” mascot in Lion advertisements. However, by the 1970s, Monsanto had integrated the company into its operations, and the Lion identity began to disappear. Monsanto slowly sold off many elements of the old company, shutting down the service stations, and employment dropped. In 1975, Monsanto sold the oil refinery to California-based Tosco. By this time, not even the refinery was referred to as “Lion.”

Flooding on Woodland Street

A slightly closer view

I spy a theatre, an Esso station and a Lion station. That is possibly the Woodland Street Theatre. It was a theater from 1924 to 1955. It has been a recording studio and there are some who are working on restoring it to a theater. The Esso is probably where the “baked and fried” restaurant in now. The Lion station is now the Margot cafe & bar according to Google.

This shot is probably at what is called 5 corners

Joel A Battle Lodge

Photo courtesy Mike Slate

This from Jim Stephens-
There is a great write up page of Joel A. Battle and says he was State Treasurer after the civil war.
The story says that the Lodge was built by the Knights of Pythias and named in his honor and I believe it was located on the corner of Second and Lindsley.
This may have been the building on the corner which is referred to in the second and lindsley photo as the teamster lodge on my site.
The write up of Battle is great -it is located at tennessee-scv.org

From John Conner-
I had the pleasure of interviewing Harold Bradley recently who (with his brother Owen) bought the first house on 16th Avenue that later became Music row.
They bought the 16th ave house around 1955 and put the Quonset Hut behind it.

I learned from Harold that their studio had existed at 2 previous locations before the 16th Ave house. The first location was at the corner of 2nd and Lindsley which he said was inside a lodge. It appears to be the Battle Lodge you have in your photographs. They paid $25 per month rent for the Lodge. When the banker wanted to triple the rent they moved their studio to Hillsboro Village into what is now a pottery business off a west ally from 21st. After that was the 16th ave. purchase and the beginning of Music row. Pat Boone’s first record was cut in the Hillsboro Village location.