chris_hotdogs

A Timeless Montgomery Love Story at Chris' Famous Hotdogs

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 18:37:57 GMT

A Timeless Montgomery Love Story at Chris' Famous Hotdogs

by David Wise

On a warm July evening in 1992, love rolled gently down Dexter Avenue in a gleaming 1931 Ford Roadster. Behind the wheel was Mr. Ed Clements, a true gentleman with romance in his heart, and beside him sat his beloved wife, Thelma, his partner in life, laughter, and love for 56 beautiful years.

To celebrate more than half a century together, Ed surprised his bride with a journey back in time not just through the streets of Montgomery, but through the cherished memories they shared. Their destination? Chris’ Hotdogs, the place where countless dates began, stories were told, and love quietly deepened in the simplicity of hot dogs and bottled sodas.

But this night was different.

In on the surprise was the legendary Mr. Theo Katechis, who helped Ed recreate the magic of their early years. Theo turned back the clock to the 1930s, to a time when Chris’ offered curbside service and romance was sealed with a smile and a chrome tray.

Ed gave a nostalgic honk of the horn, just like he had all those years ago, and out came Theo, grinning like he’d just seen an old love story come to life. He took their order and returned moments later with two classic hot dogs and two bottled sodas, balanced perfectly on one of the original chrome trays from Chris’ earliest days, a piece of history brought back just for them.

The Old Montgomery Theatre

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 14:59:55 GMT

The Historic Old Montgomery Theatre

Old Alabama Town – Alabama’s Foremost Historic District

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 15:59:34 GMT

Old Alabama Town – Alabama’s Foremost Historic District

Photo Credit: Old Alabama Town

The First White House of the Confederacy

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 11:00:05 GMT

Exploring the First White House of the Confederacy

William Sayre, one of Montgomery’s prominent citizens and ancestor of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald , built a beautiful home in the Federal Style on a lot which is now at the corner of Lee and Bibb Streets downtown. Construction on the home began in 1832 and lasted until 1835. The architect of the home is unknown; however, the builder was A. M. Bradley. One of the successive owners, Colonel Joseph S. Winter, transformed the house, giving it the appearance it has today.

In 1855, Colonel Winter renovated the Federal style two-story house to the more fashionable Italianate style. The front portico was added along with enclosing the rear porch to create pantries, and a breezeway off the dining room was added to connect to the detached kitchen. Like most “Urban Plantations,” the lot contained a vegetable garden, stables and other outbuildings.

When Montgomery was chosen as the Capitol of the Confederacy, a residence was needed for the new President and his family. The home recently renovated by Joseph Winter had been purchased by Colonel Edmund S. Harrison of Prattville to use as a townhouse. Colonel Harrison offered to rent the home, completely furnished and staffed, to the Confederate Government for $5,000 a year. The house was ideally located being one block from the buildings which were the Government Building and two blocks from the Exchange Hotel where many visitors, dignitaries, and other members of the government would reside. The Davis family were able to add their own touches to the home with items brought from “Brierfield”, their plantation in Mississippi.

Although the Capitol was only in Montgomery for a short time, many extravagant dinner parties and social events were held at the White House and raved about throughout the South. President Davis would also receive and meet with some of the most prominent and powerful of the region’s social and political leaders, Northern sympathizers, along with European political and social figures in his study.

After the Capitol was moved to Richmond, Virginia, the house went back to private ownership. By the early part of the 20 ^th century, it had become a rundown boarding house and was slated for demolition.

The White House Association was founded in 1900 and worked very hard to try and save the home, but could not get the owners to sell. Finally, Governor Kilby came to the aid of the Association and appropriated $25,000 to buy the home and have it moved to its’ current location on the corner of Union Street and Washington Avenue. Mrs. Davis worked with the Association by giving many of the Davis’ personal items to the Association. The home was restored to its’ 1860 appearance and rededicated on June 3, 1921. Today, the home is still operated by the White House Association and open to visitors. Many of those visitors enjoy a great meal at Chris’ Famous Hotdogs.

A Towering Inferno at Dale’s Penthouse

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 11:00:05 GMT

A TOWERING INFERNO

Photo Credit: Times Gone By

Initial reports from the first firefighters to reach the restaurant were either few to no injuries or fatalities. As the night progressed, firefighters began to discover those patrons who could not escape. The total number of people who died that evening was 26, while many others were injured. Among the deceased were a local politician, the hostess of the restaurant, as well as the chief lobbyist for the National Teamsters Union.

The fire at Dale’s Penthouse left a deep scar on the face of Montgomery. In the aftermath, stricter national fire laws were passed. One of these laws included having fire escapes adequately marked. The laws that arose from the great tragedy have since saved countless lives across the country, and perhaps the world.

On a personal note, my parents were supposed to have met some friends that evening at Dales. However, the husband came down with the flu and they cancelled their plans. My father decided to grab a bite at Chris’ Hotdogs and go to his office to take care of some paperwork. On his way home, he saw the restaurant engulfed in flames and called my mother from a payphone. They lost a few friends in the blaze, but were grateful their friend had the flu and kept them away from the restaurant that evening.

From the Katechis Family...

To the families and friends of those lost in the Dale’s Penthouse fire so many years ago—we remember with you. May you continue to find comfort and peace in their memory. May their memory be eternal.

Stough Furniture Store

Thu, 01 May 2025 19:06:21 GMT

Stough Furniture Store

by Geoff Stough

Stough Furniture Store was not one of the larger furniture stores in Montgomery, however, it was a fixture of the community and served people of all economic standings and races. Owned by my grandfather, Cabott Stough (referred to as “Pappy” by the grandchildren), for over thirty years, the store hosted some of the most fascinating historical figures of the 20 ^th century.

The site of the original store was on the corner of Jackson and High Streets. He later moved the store further east on High. The locations of both stores placed him, along with Jewish, Greeks, and other nationalities, in the black community of Centennial Hill. This was not a unique situation in Montgomery. Monroe Street had the same eclectic presence of businessmen.

Pappy extended credit, not just to whites, but to blacks, giving many the chance to purchase furniture and other household goods for their homes. The decision to extend credit to blacks during a time when it was not a popular decision to some, earned him much respect within the black community.

The Civil Rights movement took place while the store was located on Jackson Street. Although my grandfather was respected within the black community, a small demonstration of blacks took place in the area of the store, threatening to burn non-black businesses. Someone placed a telephone call to a young pastor who lived on Jackson Street named Martin Luther King. King arrived at the furniture store and began to speak to the crowd. He reminded them that my grandfather was one of the only men in Montgomery to offer credit to blacks and if it were not for him, many of them would not have furniture in their homes. The crowd soon dispersed and my grandfather’s store was saved.

During the time the furniture store was open, my grandfather was visited by, and was able to make friends with people from all walks of life. Some of the more notable were Joe Lewis, all of the governors from Governor Patterson through Wallace, and Truman Capote, who was a frequent visitor on his trips to Montgomery. Pappy even wrote a song with his good friend Hank Williams at Chris’ Hotdogs, which is still owned by my family.

As I write this, two interesting stories come to mind. In the early days of the store, a young white man moved to Montgomery without any possessions. No one would extend credit to him, except my grandfather. Years later, Pappy received a telephone call asking if he would like to come look at a house and purchase the contents for the store, which was not uncommon. As Pappy walked through the house, he told the homeowner the pieces in the home were quite valuable and he would not be able to pay their worth and make a profit. The man asked how much he could pay, my grandfather told him, and the homeowner accepted. When my grandfather asked why he would accept such a small amount for items he could easily sell at a higher price, the man reminded him of the kindness he showed to him so many years earlier. As it turned out, the penniless young man went on to become a highly successful investment banker and wanted to repay my grandfather for his kindness.

The second story took place much later. In March of 1995, Pappy made his last trip to the Sahara for lunch. While he was eating, one of the black waiters came over to his table and asked if he was Mr. Stough who owned “the furniture store.” My grandfather told him he was and the waiter shook his hand and told him “thank you” for his generosity in helping him buy furniture for his family when he was a young man. Pappy smiled at the waiter’s comments and remarked to my aunt what a special day it had been. He died just a few weeks later.

Court Square Fountain

Thu, 01 May 2025 18:20:05 GMT

Court Square Fountain

by Geoff Stough

The fountain at Court Square is a wonderful fixture in downtown Montgomery and a delight to residents and visitors alike. However, the fountain, as we know it today, would probably be unrecognizable to a resident of Montgomery from the mid-19 ^th century. Not only is today’s basin larger than the original, but it also now has a wrought-iron fence encircling the basin, and an incredible fountain with the goddess Hebe, goddess of youth as the focal point.

Lucas Tavern, located in Old Alabama Town Downtown Montgomery, AL

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 20:33:50 GMT

Lucas Tavern

by Geoff Stough

On April 2 ^nd , 1825, the tavern played host to its most famous visitor. The Marquis de Layfette, who was a French General and helped the colonies during the American Revolution, was on a tour of America and on his way to Montgomery. He and his entourage encountered a terrible storm and the Federal Road, being dirt, was difficult to travel. Word was sent to Montgomery that the dignitary was going to stop at Lucas Tavern before proceeding to Montgomery. Many of Montgomery’s leaders rounded up furnishings to send out to the tavern for the Marquis, even though he was only spending one night.

The Lucas’ eventually sold the tavern and other businesses and moved to Mississippi, where Mrs. Lucas died. Mr. Lucas remarried and had several other children. The tavern passed through several hands until it was purchased by Landmarks and moved to Old Alabama Town. It was opened to the public on January 1, 1980 and served as the “headquarters” for Old Alabama Town for many years. Today, tourists can tour the building and see how the tavern may have appeared during the time it was owned by the Lucas family.

St. John’s Episcopal Church

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 20:16:19 GMT

St. John’s Episcopal Church

by Geoff Stough

Photo Credit: Times Gone By

A Ghost in the Night

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 21:12:01 GMT

A Ghost in the Night

by Geoff Stough

Since its founding, Montgomery has played an important role in many ways, which continues to this day. As the city grew and prospered, so did city services. Toward the end of the 19 ^th century, several major public improvements were made, one of these being in public transportation.

The city’s first trolley system was pulled by mules on tracks which began at the foot of lower Commerce Street and up Dexter Avenue to the Capitol. Joseph Gaboury, a Canadian, was the owner of the trolley, named the Capital City Street Railway Company. The mules were hard to deal with as they pulled the trolleys from point to point. Gaboury soon employed an electrician from Chicago by the name of Charles Van de Poele to solve the mule issue.

Photo Credit: Times Gone By

Van de Poele was known for being a brilliant electrician and presented an ingenious idea to Gaboury. Within a year of being hired, Van de Poele installed electric motors in each of the trolley cars and the cars drew their power from overhead electrical wires. At last, the new system was ready to test. On April 15, 1886, the first electric trolley in the western hemisphere was put into motion. The Montgomery Advertiser described the maiden journey by writing, “Last night, a street car was seen coming up Commerce minus mules…It moved as easily and smoothly as a ghost in the clear moonlight, and at any speed desired.” Perhaps the enthusiasm of the writer had him overstate the speed of the trolley as “any speed desired” as the top speed was six miles per hour, which was still faster than the mule drawn trolleys. Nonetheless, the speed of the trolley made it worthy enough to be given the name “The Lightning Route.”

The electric street car changed the city of Montgomery. Soon after street cars became electric, trolley tracks began to expand throughout the main streets of downtown. Citizens who had lived in homes on streets which are now dominated by government buildings, hotels, and other businesses, moved out of “town” as the electric street car allowed for expansion. One of the first places to see expansion was Montgomery’s first suburb, Graham’s Woods, better known as Cloverdale, and the trolley soon followed. Not long after, the trolley ran to other suburbs such as Capitol Heights and Highland Park, which were all eventually annexed by the city of Montgomery. The trolley also ran to Oak Park and other entertainment areas.

The success of the electric trolley lasted exactly 50 years. The system stopped running on April 15, 1936, being replaced by buses. Today, there is little left of the trolley system. If you look closely at the intersections of Dexter, Commerce, Court, and Montgomery streets, original trolley tracks were excavated and left open during part of downtown revitalization.

Chris’ Hotdogs is located on Dexter Avenue along the original route of the trolley. In the early life of the restaurant, the trolley would have brought many patrons to have a delicious meal.

What’s in a Name? Navigating Downtown Montgomery

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 21:11:59 GMT

What’s in a Name? Navigating Downtown Montgomery

by Geoff Stough

Driving the streets of downtown Montgomery can be tricky, especially when it comes to street names. Unlike Birmingham, the streets of downtown are not numbered, but rather have names, and in some cases, the street can change names without notice. The history of how the streets were named is interesting; however, it is doubtful if most people know how the streets received their names.

In order to determine how the streets were named, it is important to remember Montgomery was formed from two cities: New Philadelphia and East Alabama town. The streets of New Philadelphia were drawn in an orderly North, South, East, and West grid. This makes the streets very easy to navigate and give directions. Andrew Dexter named the five most central streets in New Philadelphia, which run East to West, in honor of the first five US Presidents (with the exception of Market Street). Beginning on the north side of the city and moving south there is Jefferson Street, Madison Avenue, Monroe Street, (skip Market/Dexter), Washington Avenue, and Adams Avenue.

Photo Credit: Times Gone By

St. Peter’s Montgomery’s First Catholic Church

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 15:39:14 GMT

St. Peter’s: Montgomery’s First Catholic Church

by Geoff Stough

The Founding of Montgomery

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 13:53:35 GMT

The Founding of Montgomery

by Geoff Stough

The town of Montgomery was established on December 3, 1819, the same year Alabama became a state. How did Montgomery have its beginning? Who hasn’t driven the streets of downtown Montgomery and wondered why the streets are so oddly drawn? The best place to start is always at the beginning. Two men purchased land located in Montgomery County, which was organized out of the Mississippi Territory in 1816. One man was Andrew Dexter and the other was John Scott. Dexter founded “New Philadelphia” in the eastern section of the new county and Scott first founded “Alabama Town” on the bluff of the river in the western part of the same county, but moved the town closer to New Philadelphia, which included the river area, and renamed it “East Alabama.” There was a bitter rivalry between the two towns and the streets in each town were drawn so the towns would not touch.

chris_hotdogs

A Timeless Montgomery Love Story at Chris' Famous Hotdogs

A Timeless Montgomery Love Story at Chris' Famous Hotdogs

by David Wise

The Old Montgomery Theatre

The Historic Old Montgomery Theatre

Old Alabama Town – Alabama’s Foremost Historic District

Old Alabama Town – Alabama’s Foremost Historic District

The First White House of the Confederacy

Exploring the First White House of the Confederacy

A Towering Inferno at Dale’s Penthouse

A TOWERING INFERNO

Stough Furniture Store

Stough Furniture Store

by Geoff Stough

Court Square Fountain

Court Square Fountain

by Geoff Stough

Lucas Tavern, located in Old Alabama Town Downtown Montgomery, AL

Lucas Tavern

St. John’s Episcopal Church

St. John’s Episcopal Church

by Geoff Stough

A Ghost in the Night

A Ghost in the Night

What’s in a Name? Navigating Downtown Montgomery

What’s in a Name? Navigating Downtown Montgomery

St. Peter’s Montgomery’s First Catholic Church

St. Peter’s: Montgomery’s First Catholic Church

The Founding of Montgomery

The Founding of Montgomery ﻿

The Founding of Montgomery