Rogan's Furniture Store occupied the first floor of the two story building on the corner of Main and Shelby Streets for most of the 20th century. Mr. F. W. Rogan operated a diversified business that included an Ambulance service and Mortuary. Rogan's deceased customers were brought into the back of the building for embalming by way of a narrow alley between Rogan's and a small building at it's rear. Coffins were also brought in through the alley and lifted to the second floor for storage by a hoist. Rogan closed the embalming business around mid-century when the Montevallo City Council voted that mortuaries should not be located on Main Street.
The small building indicated by a red arrow in the photo is thought to have housed the local newspaper at one time. In the 1950's and 1960's, the local distributor of the Birmingham Post-Herald and the Birmingham News used the building to muster his "Paper Boys" each morning and afternoon. Several enterprising Montevallo youths would gather at the building to roll fresh newspapers and tie them with string. The papers were then loaded into their bicycle baskets, each standing on end to make them easy to grab and throw while pedaling, and, rain or shine, the boys would complete their designated delivery routes throughout the town. The paper boys were also responsible for collecting payments from their subscribers. Failure to do so would result in personal liability to the distributor for what was owed.
Thank you Clay Nordan, Vice President of the Montevallo Historical Society, for contributing this image and information!
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