And then the photographer turned to his right.

This is now looking up Magnolia Avenue, excuse me, Street. It was Street in 1952. The cross street, the one we just saw, was College Street of course.

To the left is Toomer's Drugs, the exterior of which hasn't much changed in all these years. (They've tweaked the overhang.) The products inside have changed quite a bit though, as we've discussed. Above the drug store are a series of what are generously called loft apartments. Pretty nice digs, that come at a price.

Also on the left is little Ware's Jewelers, still making delightfully horrible local television ads the last I heard. Got scrap gold? He's your man. Past that is Auburn Hardware, which still makes a pass at selling hardware, though they've "diversified." We should use the term loosely considering that it still feels like a hardware store when you walk inside.

Further down the left are a string of businesses and restaurants that come and go. Nothing like the right side of the road.

That's the Bank of Auburn, founded in 1907 by state Sen. Sheldon Toomer. Another Toomer property? Synergy before there was such a word. It has long since become a Compass Bank, but the limestone building with a "classic revival facade" remains.

I don't write the historic markers, I just read them.

Note the single traffic light floating in the sky. All stop lights look the same, of course, but it is possible that's the same light that they removed from the intersection when I was in school at Auburn. I remember it well, the addition of turn lanes and lights with arrows was very controversial for some people.

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