Jim's Dining Car from old Searcy Arkansas

I think Don should have said "West Race and Gum Street", I don't know where Pine is.  But Jim's was well known when we were growing up and had enough money to go there for lunch rather than eat in the lunch room at school.

I can't let these two guys, Gene and Don, talk without putting in my 2 cents!     I can't argue about WHERE the diner was.  My one memory is going in there with my dad in the 40's  - don't remember what I ate, but he played a "punch board" -  surely Barbara, some of your ActiveRainers will know what that is, and maybe can remember playing one.  I - and WHY would I remember this, but I DO:  "Rum and CokeCola" by the Andrew Sisters was playing on the juke box.

The woman with my mother is Oneida Shouse and she later joined the WAVES.  I've written about her in the W.C. Historical Bulletin so Barbara, get out your copy and post pictures of her in her dress blues and dress whites. (Now that I think about it, I think you already have)....

Don, find us a punch board.

Anita Fuller

I'm sure Don's right about the street names, at least I won't argue with him.  I hardly ever remember using the street names growing up, we just said who lived at the place we were talking about and everyone knew exactly where that was. If someone told me to go to Pine Street I would have been lost.

Don's fire story reminds me how jealous I was of the high school boys who belonged to the Fire Department when we were in school.  When the siren when off, they got up and left class.  In those days, the Seattle Fire Department was volunteer, they just got paid so much for each call. 

The punch boards I remember had small holes and one used what looked like a heavy paperclip, straightened out, to punch out a small rolled up paper which listed the prize you won.  They had to take it out of play when the major prize on the board was awarded.

Thanks for the picture Barbara. I'll try to clear up the locations and who owned what, when. This picture is of Jim Selvidge's, my grandfather's, diner on West Race street next to the old VFW hall directly north and across of street from the court house. That rock building is now apparently a red Cross office. Today, Searcy Suites occupies that spot plus the lot, on the corner, where Phillips Paint Store stood

Jim and another man constructed the diner to sell burgers at the state fair in Little Rock. After the fair they brought it back to Searcy and Jim set it up across from the court house. He left the wheels on it for tax purposes, and added a room on the back for the kitchen. The dining room had tables next to the window and a counter, with stools, running the length of the diner. The delicious pies were made by my grandmother, Lula Selvidge, in their home.  One exception was the pecan pies which he got from Allen's bakery.  Jim Selvidge, had a heart attack right after WWII and sold the diner on doctor's advice.

The diner across from the fire station belonged to my mother Veronia Selvidge Collins.  In 1946 she opened  a diner in the 100 block of North Spruce across from Moye and Young's. Sometime around 1949-50 she lost her ground lease and moved the diner to the lot across from the fire station and city hall. The diner was located just to the north of where the Save A Lot sign is now. I can't remember the name of her diner.

This diner was an old street car conversion.  It had a shed room that ran the length of the back of the car. The add-on was for food prep, dish washing, and storage. The car itself  had the counter, stools,  a big pie cabinet and the cash register, but no tables. The pies all came from Allen's bakery. I washed the dishes.

Hope that helps and glad everyone enjoyed the experience. BTW, Anita, thanks for reminding me of the punch boards. They were fun.

Thanks Barbara. I'm still trying to figure out my account at Activerain. In the meantime, here is the info on the above picture.

Jim's Dining Car Interior, Date unknown (probably early Forties.)

Delivery man: Harry Walker of Allen's Bakery; Seated (L-R): Bill Lawson, Moody Cooke, Billy Lawson; Standing (L-R): Jim Selvidge, Myrtle Lawson, Hattie Griffin (Jim's sister-in-law)

hi  i saw the site on the net   i renenber hearing my mother talk about the diner  jim selvidge was my grandfather  i only met him one time after i grew up   i just wanted to thank you all for helping me  see some of the past  that my granddad was a part of 

Truly enjoyed the comments and pictures of Jim Selvidge's diner. He is my great grandpa.