| This is unfortunately, the only photo
I have of the old Checkmate Club on Laidly Street. This photo taken
years after the club closed. Look closely and you can still
see the checker pattern on the plywood covering the windows.
The Checkmate was one of Charleston's hot clubs in its day.
One of the bartenders was an old friend of mine, Butch Huffman. He
was the son of the famous Dick Huffman. Dick's huge photo hung
in Charleston High from the late 50s until the school was torn down.
Dick played professional football with the Rams, and others.
At one point, he lived on Smith Street a few doors down from us.
Butch would have made a great football player also. But due
to some grade issues at school at Green Bank, he was not allowed
to continue to play and it seemed all down hill from there.
Dick in the meanwhile later became a car salesman st White Dodge. |
