Deborah Lynne Johnson Burgess

 Julion Burgess

Our First Move

From Scottsboro, Alabama

To 

Gibson Department Center

Natchitoches, Louisiana

This is a photo of the shopping center in Natchitoches, Louisiana where one of the Gibson Department Stores was located. My husband's first promotion and transfer was to this store where he became Assistant Manager. Mr. Roy Shirley was manager of the store at that time. Julion started his career with Gibson's in the newly built Scottsboro, Alabama store in 1969. Gibson’s was the first job Julion had after returning from his military service in Viet Nam. He was first given a job as the Sporting Goods Manager and then promoted to Soft Goods Manager which meant he was basically over the household department. I was also employed by Gibson’s and worked in the Jewelry Department. We both helped prepare and stock the new store for their grand opening. Julion and I met while working there. We started dating, (which was against the rules of the company but we kept it as quiet as possible) fell in love and got married! The Assistant Manager of the store knew we were dating but kept our secret because he saw the potential of Julion’s work ethics and knew he was a true asset to the company. One of us had to quit if Julion was to move up with the company, so I took the cut. The Scottsboro store was located on Hwy. 72 in the building that housed Roden and Baggett Furniture for many years after Gibson's closed. The Word family owned a movie theater which was also located there for several years. The Scottsboro shopping center that held the Gibson Discount Center has through the years been divided into several stores and companies. The Scottsboro Gibson's was a discount merchandise store that preceded Walmart. Gibson's was owned by the West Brothers who owned the original West Brothers Store on Main St. in Natchitoches. They (the West Brothers, Billy, Keith, and Jerry West) established the company in their hometown, Natchitoches, with the initial launch of the West Brothers Discount Store which remained on the historical downtown roster for many years. I have researched the history and am unsure if the original West Brothers Store is still in operation today. The West Brothers owned the first small jet aircraft to land at the Scottsboro, Alabama airport. Our daughter, Melanie Leigh Burgess Waldon, was born in the Natchitoches Parrish Hospital which was actually located right across the street from the shopping center! After working in Natchitoches for two years Julion got his next promotion to the Gibson Department Store which was located in the Westgate Shopping Center which faced the Old Moulton Road in Decatur, Alabama. Our son, William Thomas Burgess, was born in the Decatur General Hospital. The West Brothers owned several Gibson stores in Louisiana and Alabama including the Scottsboro, Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama (which was totally destroyed by a tornado in the early 1970’s and was never rebuilt), Decatur, Alabama, Bogalusa, Louisiana, Shreveport, Louisiana, Natchitoches, Louisiana, and the original West Brothers Natchitoches store located on Main Street. With the opening of stores such as Fred’s, Big K, and Walmart, the Gibson stores lost money and closed their stores one by one. Julion was offered a job in the West Brothers Natchitoches store, but declined the offer because we didn’t want to move that far from our families again. Months before the Decatur store announced its closing, we moved back to Scottsboro and purchased our home on Main Street in Section, Alabama. We lived there for almost 18 years. After selling the Main St. home, we purchased land in Macedonia, Alabama and built a home where we still live today. My husband Julion and I will celebrate our 47th Anniversary on April 19, 2017. Time flies when you are having fun!  :) *Please excuse the photo quality. This photo was taken with an old Kodak snap 'n shoot camera but it is the only photo I have of the shopping center...

I don’t have many old photos of Natchitoches, Louisiana. It would be nice if I had been able to take more, but having a small baby and only one car,
(that had to be shared), hindered my photo excursions. During the early days of our marriage, camera equipment was very limited. I, like so many other people, had a Kodak “snap ‘n shoot” and was glad to own any camera! This photo was taken in the Natchitoches, Louisiana downtown area which is located on the elevated banks of the Cane River. The movie, Steel Magnolias, was filmed in and around this river. The street that runs from one end of the downtown area is a true old cobblestone which is constructed of bricks. When driving through this area, you can hear the clicking sound of the bricks as your tires roll over them. Natchitoches is a very old, peaceful town that is full of history. There was a bridge that “connected” the old side of town to the “newer” side. There was no other option to travel to and from Natchitoches without crossing that bridge! The city is very old, quaint, and full of interesting facts and places to visit! Again, it is still on my “bucket list” to revisit the city to see the changes that have been made since we lived there in the early 1970’s. This photo was made in 1970-71. This site provides many interesting facts about the city and also lots of history!  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natchitoches,_Louisiana

 

My YouTube Channel for more videos:  http://www.YouTube.com/dodotburgess

My photography site:  http://www.MemoryPrintsPhotography.com