Brick Kiln Road, which connects River Road to U.S. Highway 264, is filled with history that many of us know nothing about. Like Terrapin Track Road, it was full of rich, red clay that was used to make quality brick. At one time, it was the only connection to Washington from Whootentown, where the bricks were made.

Most of us grew up knowing nothing about this, but we knew that it was a good road to speed on after dropping our dates off in Washington Park or down River Road.

Once our dates were safely in their homes, we could take the Brick Kiln road to 264 and make good time because there was usually no patrolman on that road. Oh, River Road was full of patrolmen, so we had to be especially careful. It would have been embarrassing to get a ticket with our dates in the car. Also, she had to be in her home at a certain time or you were not invited back by her parents. The reason for the speeding was to get to Grandma’s, located on the corner of Bonner and Fifth streets, beside a filling station that was closed. Directly behind Grandma’s Chuck Wagon was Leggett’s Laundromat on Bonner Street.

Grandma’s Chuck Wagon was the hangout after a date. We never carried our dates to the Chuck Wagon, but we always met there afterward. She made the best large hamburgers with pressed buns and chili in town. Her French fries were also a staple that we all had to have to go along with the burger. Most of the time, I just carried my bag home to eat before I went to bed. The bag was always dripping with grease, but still it was as good as any burger in town. Most of us would order an extra-large order of French fries with ketchup on top, and the ketchup would stick to the wrapper that it was wrapped in. Still, I can taste that burger even as I type.

The conversation at Grandma’s usually was about our dates that night. It was a bunch of falsehoods that never happened but made us look like we had climbed Mt. Everest. You could see the guys as they gathered to place their order and that was the major topic unless it was a Friday after a football game. Sometimes we hurried after returning from a close game to get our burgers with the one dollar Coach gave us to eat with following the game.

I never knew who Grandma was, but she always knew exactly what I wanted and if you changed the order she would get mad and tell you so. She must have had the patience of Job because she was always there for us and worked right by herself late into the night. Thanks, Grandma. You had many grandsons!

Yes, Brick Kiln Road was like the Daytona Race Track, at least for me, and I am sure many others that will not admit it. I loved Grandma’s Chuck Wagon and the burgers and fries she prepared. Riding by there now brings back many fond memories of yesterday and speeding to get there without being caught. Thanks to Brick Kiln Road it was an easy access to Highway 264 and onto Grandma’s. Now, I would love an extra-large burger with a pressed bun wrapped in paper along with a large order of fries, even if it made the bag wet with grease!

They were the best of times with the best of friends and in the best of places, Washington, N.C.!

— Harold Jr.

Harold Robinson Jr. is a native of Washington.