The Brown Shanty’s Original Name: Wade’s Barbecue, Then Moran’s Barbecue

For its first year of existence, the little trailer like structure near the corner of Mill and East Hoard Streets that most remember as The Brown Shanty served up Barbecue as Wade’s Barbecue.  Opening in 1932, Wade’s Barbecue would start a long-standing tradition of sponsoring teams in the City’s softball league that played at North Junior’s diamonds.  Upon opening, they also advertised “something new” in the form of a fish fry every Friday and Saturday.

In 1937, the place would undergo a name and ownership change to Moran’s Barbecue for short as seen in advertisements, or as seen in the photo, Moran’s Old Fashioned Southern Barbecue, a name that was more than a mouthful but undoubtedly just as finger lickin’ good.  Edward Moran, the manager and namesake, would operate operate in its location for five years (though the advertisements would list a Mrs. Bernard Singleton as proprietor.)

Six years later in 1943, Raymond E. Mattraw, of nearby 102 East Hoard Street, filed an assumed name certificate for a business at the location under the title, “The Brown Shanty Restaurant.”  The Brown Shanty would have its grand opening on New Year’s Eve of that same year.   Over the years, the bar was a popular place and sponsored a softball team in the Jefferson County League as well as a bowling team.

In November of 2005, the Brown Shanty would be damaged in a fire.  City public crew workers attending to a downed tree limb near neighboring Shuler’s Restaurant at 3:30am would notice smoke coming from the rear of the Shanty and turned it over to the fire department.  While the firemen were able to save the structure from ruin, John Rice, who leased the property, was unsure if it would ever re-open again as it was still owned by the estate of Richard A. Mattraw.

The following year, in 2006, the dilapidated and boarded up shanty would be razed after neighbors began to complain of its condition.