Downtown East point
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East Point Main Street Association, Inc. – PO Box 91274, East Point, GA 30344
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Mission
To preserve and enhance the downtown area as the heart of
East Point, communicating a sense of place, community pride and heritage, while providing for a successful business and
residential environment.

Downtown Flashback Feature

Each month, EPMSA will dig through the East Point Historical Society's archives to provide you with that month's "Flashback Feature". Each feature will highlight a photo and/or article from East Point's vibrant history. The photos/articles will give you a brief look at East Point back then . . . more information about East Point's history is available at the East Point Historical Society located at 1685 Norman Berry Drive, East Point, GA 30344. You can contact them at (404) 767-4656 or visit www.eastpoinths.org. All "Flashback Features" will be archived on the website and can be accessed at any time.

Fixing Things in the Past and Present

WYLIE CALLAHANWylie Callahan grew up in East Point and is a member of two of the city's most historic families. The Callahan's have been in East Point since 1900. His great grandfather, William B. Callahan was a newspaper man as well as the owner of "Callahan and Sons", a firm that prided itself for raising the best Rhode Island Red's in the state. His grandfather, Render Callahan sat on city council and gave his life while in service to the citizens of East Point. His other great grandfather was A. S. Schell, one of East Point's charter signing members and a pioneering citizen. During high school, Wylie worked for a local hardware store and enjoyed it so much that after serving in the Navy aboard the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, he opened East Point Hardware.

When I was growing up in East Point in the 50’s, there were three hardware stores. There was McCoy Hardware, Moon & Hemperly Hardware and King Hardware. Moon & Hemperly was purchased by Robert Stephenson and he changed the name to Stephenson Hardware Co. King Hardware was next door to McCoy Hardware on Main Street and later moved to College Park.

East Point Hardware was established sometime in the 1900’s. Andy McCoy’s father purchased the store sometime in the 1930’s. Andy McCoy took over the store when his father left to open another hardware store in Hapeville.

In 1965, Robert Berryman, owner of The Gun Room in East Point, purchased McCoy Hardware from Andy McCoy and moved The Gun Room into the hardware store. It was at that time that he changed the name to East Point Hardware Co. In 1968 my wife and I purchased East Point Hardware and The Gun Room moved to the location that is now the Krystal.

Several years later we moved the hardware store two buildings down to what had been Carvens Fabric Store. We stayed there until 1985 when we moved to our present location.

In July of this year, we decided it was time for us to retire and we sold the business to a young man by the name of Sonny Singh.

We have experienced a wonderful relationship with our customers over the last 43 years and have made a lot of longtime friends. We would like to see Sonny have the same experience. Therefore, we hope everyone will come by the store and welcome him to East Point and support him as you have supported us. You will see the same employees working for him as worked for us, ready and willing to help you in any way.

-WYLIE CALLAHAN

 

East Point Historical Society
Be sure to visit the East Point Historical Society at 1685 Norman Berry Drive to learn more about our city’s history. Museum & Archives - Free Admission
- Thursdays 1 - 4 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Phone: 404-767-4656