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GUIDE TO YELLOW SPR INGS  |  2020 – 2021 31 chise way — but Mr. Cassano allowed them to change the sign to reflect the village’s culture.” When the Joneses closed the Pizza King, another Black-owned business moved from across the street to fill the vacant space — Gabby’s Pit BBQ, which Roe said her mother helped run for a time. “My mom and Gabby’s wife, Mary, did all the mar- keting and business-running, and Gabby made the food and the sauce,” she said. Another drive-through alcohol establishment was Eddie’s Drive-Thru, owned by Eddie Ellington, on Xenia Avenue. McKee said her parents would go through Eddie’s to pick up cream sodas for floats once in a while for a treat that was “pure sugar — it sent you into orbit,” she said. Eddie’s also served pizza, which is fondly remembered. The space later became Peach’s Grill, named after its talented original Black chef, David “Peach Fuzz” Sebree. Further down Xenia and onto Glen Street was an electronics shop owned by Bill and Camilla Harris. The Harrises went on to open the bowling alley; that building, located between Village Auto- motive and Dollar General, is now owned by YS Brewery for storage and events. The village’s Black-owned businesses weren’t all con- centrated downtown — in the 1940s, Oliver Henry opened a small grocery store at the corner of High and West Davis streets where Michael James Salon now stands; in the 1950s, Henry Williams operated a grocery and pool hall in the same space. Right across High Street on Davis was Com’s, a popular restaurant for both town and gown, opened by Hillard “Com” and Goldie Williams in 1945. Villagers still remember Goldie’s gumbo soup and fried chicken. The same site was later DGs, where “Peach Fuzz” honed his cooking skills and was remembered for his swiss bacon burgers. Its final incar - nations were as Trisha Di’s and Sharon’s, and the art deco bar back from the location now resides at Peach’s Grill. The site of the businesses is now a private residence. There were also many home-operated businesses over the years, offering construction, locksmith ser - vices, plumbing, realty and catering. One such home- operated business remains: Hershell Winburn has owned and operated Winburn Jani- torial Service for 39 years. By the 1980s, many of the Black-owned businesses in the village closed; in 2010, ’70s. Roe said they knew they wanted to be village entrepreneurs from the time they married in the 1940s — they were wed in custom- made business suits. Their first venture was the Party Pantry, which opened in the ’60s at the corner of Dayton and Corry streets. The busi- ness sold food and spirits for its adult customers, as well as treats for younger patrons who would stop by on their way home from school. The Party Pantry was also one of the sites of Gabby’s BBQ; Gabby Mason, well- loved in the village, operated his business out of several locations over the years, including his Stafford Street home. In the ’60s, he cooked and served his signature bar- becue from a portion of the Party Pantry that Jake Jones, who was a good friend, rehabbed specifically for that purpose. The Joneses sold the Party Pantry to Shelley Black- man Sr., who, looking to expand, moved to a newly constructed beer, wine and liquor drive-through at the rear of Kings Yard in the early 1970s. The large, glass-fronted building would go on to be the home of Rita Caz Jewelry Studio, and now houses the House of AUM and Little Fairy Gardens. The Joneses were also the first Black owners of a Cassano’s Pizza franchise, their third village business, which opened at the corner of Xenia Avenue and Corry Street, where the Winds Wine Cellar is now. Roe said she remembers a bit of controversy surrounding that business, too. This time, folks were concerned about the sign — which bore the full name of the business, “Vic Cassano Mom Donisi Pizza King” — being too garish. “As a franchise, they had to do everything the fran- Jamie Sharp, owner of YS Toy Company Hershell Winburn, owner of Winburn’s Janitorial Village Barber Shop owner Emmett Burks and his daughter, Charita Mark Crockett, of Rita Caz PHOTOS: YS NEWS ARCHIVE, EXCEPT TOP, YS TOY COMPANY. A gallery store for readers and writers PO BOX 6, YELLOW SPRINGS, OH 45387 PH 937-470-1867 sameckenrode @ gmail.com follow us on and Need a book, journal, puzzle, or other safely delivered gift? Check out www.Bookshop.org/shop/ SamandEddiesOpenBooks Need a digital audiobook? Check out www.Libro.fm/samandeddies