102 E. Everett Street in 1903
Constructed in 1895. The building originally housed the Turner’s (John T.) Saloon. From its earliest days until the County voted to become ‘dry’ in 1951 (except for the years 1919—1933 when national Prohibition was in effect and alcohol was only available through bootleggers) Pocahontas had numerous saloons and liquor stores. The town had a regional reputation for being a somewhat wild and rip-roaring locale, widely known as “Little Chicago”. There were as many as four saloons on the old court square and Pyburn Street (one block to the north) was lined with saloons. The rough clientele who frequented these establishments specialized in fist and knife fights.
“Respectable ladies” of the town knew better than to walk down that block of Pyburn Street lest they be accosted with unseemly language and sights.
Turner’s Saloon was where in 1901 the Knights of Pythias are said to have gone to get liquored up before attacking the local jail a block north on Marr Street where they overpowered the Sheriff, battered down the iron door to the jail, and took a man named Cheverie from his cell. Earlier that day, Cheverie, who lived on a houseboat down on the banks of Black River, had shot and killed the town’s Night Marshall, John Norris, in a dispute over ownership of some logs Cheverie had appropriated from the river (logs were floated down river to Sallee’s Hickory Handle Mill here in those days). The mob lost one of its members, who was killed when the log they swung to batter down the cell door ricocheted and struck him in the abdomen (he died later from the wound). They marched Cheverie down Bettis Street to the Old Red Bridge that then spanned Marr’s Creek and lynched him.
In the 1930s, the building housed Dan Burke’s Pharmacy. Later it was home of Perrin’s (Millard) Rexall Pharmacy. Amos Perrin was the ‘drug store comedian’ here, also known as a soda jerk. Later City Pharmacy was located here. The building housed Hubbell’s (George) Shoe Store in the 1960s and 70s. Then it was home to dry cleaners for several years, and later a recreation hall before becoming home to Gypsy Girl Boutique.