Snapshots of Old West Durham
This is a growing archive of shots submitted by residents of the neighborhood.
Visit it often!


A
pyramid house on Hale Street.

Dan and Mack
Moore grew up on Hale Street (photo taken in 1937).

When he was 12 years old, Dan received the best Christmas present of
all -- a goat named Bill to pull his wagon. Bill took Dan anywhere in
West Durham that he wanted to go. Bill knew the way to Shorty Barnes
Supply Co. on Ninth Street for goat food. When the wagon was loaded
with his pellets, Bill would run all the way home. Dan knew to feed
him some pellets when he got home, or he'd have a very mad goat.
Behind the wagon,
you can barely see the Moore's shower house that Dan's father made out
of pine slabs. Everybody in the neighborhood knew about the shower house
and many people came up to 914 Hale to get a cool shower on hot summer
days. Fun was had by all. (1947)

The picture of Dan with his goat was taken in his grandmother's yard
at the corner of Alabama and Knox, near the corner store that still
stands there today. (1948)

In the middle of
the summer of '43, an uncle serving in the Air Force during WWII wrote
home asking what the boys received for Christmas. Dan's mother insisted
the brothers put on their heavy winter clothes for a picture to mail
their uncle. With temps over 100 degrees, the boys were perspiring like
mad while their mother was sitting on the porch saying, "Smile." We
understand the smiles were not happy ones. (1943)

914 Hale Street
in 1955. Both parents worked at Erwin Mills -- Mr. Moore was an Assistant
Overseer in No. 1 Weave Room and Mrs. Moore was a weaver in No. 4 Weave
Room. Photo was taken by Dan's new wife, Lucy Moore. Home for a visit,
the newlyweds had car trouble and borrowed a Desoto from an uncle who
worked at Elkins Motor Co.

914 Hale Street
in 2002. Dan Moore back in town for an EK Powe reunion (and tour around
Old West Durham).
Photos courtesy
of Dan Moore, Baltimore.

If anyone else has pictures of other OWD homes or landmarks, email me and either attach the scans, or arrange to drop off
the pictures to me and I'll scan them and put them on the site.
Thanks,
Tom Clark, webmaster