Work on the floor turned up many interesting
discoveries. Ginger and Justin found piles of car parts
and other relics tossed into a hole in the flooring. “It had
been a gas station at some time, but in the 1960s, it was
an auto parts store,” said Ginger. “We found letters from
Firestone in Ohio to Lyons Auto. We even found an old
newspaper from Jacksonville with an article in it about
the Panama Canal.”
An original door used in the 1950s leaned against
the wall with the store’s hours hand-painted on it: Open
6 a.m. to 9. p.m. Two stickers remained that read, “U.S.
No. 1 Highway Association October 1, 1958—October 1,
1959, and “Member Lyons-Toombs County Chamber of
Commerce.”
Hearing all the memories people in the community
had to share was the most enjoyable part of the
renovation project. “Mr. Joe Smith told us that when it
was an auto store, a deer jumped through the window one
night and went down all the aisles before jumping out
through another window. He said he told the owner
that the deer came in looking for a part and was so
shocked at the high prices, he ran out again,” said
Ginger and laughed.
Some stories were more hearsay turned into
small town gossip, such as the tales surrounding the
trap door. Ginger smiled. “Some said it was where
they put moonshine during prohibition. Others said
it was where the Dixie Mafia put people they wanted
to punish.”
At another point in time, Toombs
Manufacturing temporarily moved into the
building. “There was a whole set of wiring in the
floor for those machines that were separate from
the regular wiring. No matter how much sanding
we did, we still had to remove some of the boards
because of the machine oil they used.”
After months of hard work, G. Marie’s Formal
Boutique officially opened on December 1, 2018.
Ginger’s new business lit up the corner of Lyons
bringing new life and elegant style to the downtown
district. The list of designer brands at G. Marie’s
includes Jonathan Kayne, Rachel Allan, Dave and
Johnny, Tiffany, Alisha Hill, and many others.
“We have prom, pageant, and special occasion
gowns, including a full bridal line with bridesmaid
History on Main Street
When Ginger and her husband Justin began restoring
the corner building in downtown Lyons that would
become home to G. Marie's, they found a treasure trove of
memorabilia from past businesses. The original door used
as far back as the 1950s now rests against a wall inside the
store. It still has the hand-painted store hours on it.
HOMETOWN L I V ING AT ITS BEST 67