At that time, Auburn was a sleepy little village still on the cusp of the economic boom it would see years later. It is still hard to believe it happened! The jukebox is gone, and the smoke clouds have long since cleared out, although that took some time. Thank you for reading! COVID brought some changes, of course. Sara Morris, owner and operator of Kopper Kettle. I had just bought my 1st camera. 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That place is disgusting. McCord worked on top of the ladder truck for about three and a half hours before being relieved. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. The Kapalas guess that the wall is as old as the bar, possibly dating back to the 1930s. Soggy potato. It was owned by John Brooks, Laurel Kapala's great-uncle. !< Spelling copper with a K was Georges idea, Morris says, because theres no C in the Greek alphabet. It was an event that I will always remember. Still, she does big business on Saturday mornings, when Pineville families come in for breakfast. We'd love to hear eyewitness Failure to report these wages allowed the restaurant to avoid paying FICA taxes, which include Social Security and Medicare taxes, authorities said. Saradina Morris didnt plan to spend her life running a small caf surrounded by warehouses and industrial parks outside Pineville. "For our federal tax system to work properly, businesses need to accurately report the wages paid to their employees," McSwain said. He said he told the fire captain he smelled natural gas at the corner and then began getting ready to work that day, putting on his uniform in the bathroom of the fire station at the corner of Magnolia and Ross Street. Matter of fact it was the talk of the Opelika-Auburn area for several months afterwards. I immediately fell to the ground, and when I looked up, there were huge pieces of buildings so far up in the sky, I couldnt believe it, says Patterson. Join over 20,000 Charlotte residents who receive our daily updates. We are a family style dining restaurant, known for our famous pan fried chicken, delicious filet mignon and fresh seafood. Get a sneak preview of each months magazine when you sign up! : The Kopper Kettle Inn Restaurant has been serving Indiana's finest for over 91 years! "Having never been in war or anything like that, I certainly didnt know exactly how to interpret that. You can help keep more like it coming by becoming a TWER patron. With her family in crisis, Morris, a counselor by trade, resigned from her job as a health educator at North Central Family Medical Center in Rock Hill and took charge of the Kettle. My first thought was: Someone used too much dynamite on the bank. In the years since she took over for her parents, Morris hasnt changed the menu much: biscuits and egg platters for breakfast, along with a signature dish, The Original Smash Pot, a heap of potatoes topped with cheese, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and sausage or bacon. "The boys from Station 2 come driving up there in the truck, and they thought it was just people laying out there in the road.". Its a memory Ill never forget, says Patterson. So how is being a counselor similar to running a restaurant? In 1964, Richards father, Karol, and a co-owner bought the bar. He sleepily said, "Must be somebody lighting dynamite in the parking lot." https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/pa/feasterville-trevose/1985-bridgetown-pike/pid_31709455/ https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/bucks-county-bar-and-restaurant-owners-charged-tax-offenses comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A tor29c Im so thankful Auburn was small and slow back then. He lived near the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, and says as his windows shook from the plane crash, he thought back to that January day in 1978. Don't forget to call and make your reservations for the holidays! It was just an incredible experience.. The Kopper Kettle . He told me it was. Larry was in his building on the second floor when all this occurred. I thought my 1 1/2 year old fell out of bed when it blew. I was in Magnolia Dorm cafeteria for breakfast. Now the Kapalas hire a DJ to spin tracks on Friday and Saturday nights. Low 66F. He thought a small plane had crashed into the downtown area. Get the inside scoop on jobs, salaries, top office locations, and CEO insights. William Taxis Owner/Director at Tuscany Restored Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy. accounts, the history behind an article. Sunday morning, I was just beginning to wake up when, >BLAMMO! So I dozed back to sleep! You can throw whatever you want in there, she tells me as I peruse the menu. It was a big deal. If this had happened today, it would be a much different outcome.. Its such a gem, she says. They've been there forever. For retired Auburn firefighter Allen McCord, Jan. 15, 1978, began much like any other Sunday morning shift except the air was bitterly cold and carried the scent of natural gas. The water, it wouldnt freeze immediately, but it was icy because of the water we were using.". I heard that a dentist had his office on the upper floorthat they found his diploma in his mother's yard, two miles away. I've heard rumors it's already sold. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. It remains one of Charlotte's most famous unsolved murders. Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! Dick Kapala, bartender and co-owner of Cappys Copper Kettle, left, with customer Daniel Correa of Lowell, right. Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. Who actually made the catch remains a mystery, Richard Kapala said with a laugh. On Sunday, October 28, 2018, Terri Stacy and Mel McMahon chat with Leigh Langkable, owner of Kopper Kettle Inn Restaurant in Morristown, Indiana. Ells have been added, porches attached, stairways built, and patios and gardens laid out. After the dust settled, concerned for the well-being of the church congregation, Patterson made his way through the rubble to St. Dunstans. The familiar greasy spoon that once stood on the corner of Gay Street and Magnolia Avenue did not make a return, but it will forever be remembered by Auburn students and residents. "My office will aggressively pursue businesspeople who operate in such an illegal manner," McSwain said. LOWELL It may soon be last call at Cappys Copper Kettle. Everyone in the community really came together that day. Where I am standing is no more than 40 feet from the blast site and you can see the stacks of plates that are unharmed! They were hooking up hand lines from other sections of the town, different fireplugs.". It BLEW UP!" God Bless and War Eagle! There was a dentists office along with an attorneys office on the second floor over the Kopper Kettle.. Much to everyones relief, not a single person was killed that day and no life-threatening injuries were sustained. Morris, who says cooking is one of her favorite pastimes, will sometimes whip something up in the kitchen to make a snack for herself, and twice now those snacks have landed on the menu. That old 68 Nova shook pretty hard! Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. Since you viewed this item previously you can read it again. Frank DeGraffenreid w/ hat. We actually got there prior to fire/police. For example, theres Rum and Coke Jim, Laurel said. and au jus (!!). "The alarms went off in the station," McCord said. 13,909 were here. A birds-eye-view picture of the restaurant and the land around it that was taken in 1971 hangs on the wall near the cash register today, and it shows just how isolated the Kopper Kettle was three residential trailers are all that can be seen nearby. The Battle of Campaldino was a battle between the Guelphs and Ghibellines on 11 June 1289. Copyright Indiana Owned 2023. Hopefully something better goes in there. Mike Moore and I never heard the explosion but coming out we saw the smoke and walked down to see what had happened I remember paper everywhere things like sheets out of receipt pads. Y'know that place downtown, the Kopper Kettle? They are down to two prospective buyers, both of whom plan to run a bar in the space. 765-763-6767. It rocked us! Her second creation is for those with a sweeter tooth: French toast biscuits. About 40 frames later must be a young Andy Gentry in center w/ glasses w/ the fire Chief. FEASTERVILLE, PA One of the owners of the Kopper Kettle bar and restaurant in Feasterville has pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion charges. In the 90s, after Morris had her first child, George decided to close for dinner, and today it remains only a breakfast and lunch eatery, with no liquor or beer on the menu. Lunch is salads and sandwiches, including Kopper Kettles own version of a Philly cheesesteak, with tender chunks of pot roast under a blanket of melted provolone and a side of au jus. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Required fields are marked *, Like this story? While the devastation to downtown Auburn shocking, that no one died or suffered a serious injury from the explosion was the most remarkable thing about that day. Its Pronounced Jordan: Time to rebrand the Auburn-Georgia rivalry? Would you be interested in looking at it? Use the 'Report' link on First the lights flickered. I was home from Texas visiting my parents for the weekend. 82. And so, man, the whole thing was on fire there. Rock and roll bands would play on weekend nights while customers danced. The Kopper Kettle made national headlines that night as word spread about the freak accident in a small Alabama town. My dads dental office was above the Kopper Kettle (Dr. James L. Carroll)! We went running downtown and were just amazed at the damage at so many businesses. Charles Britt of Auburn United Methodist Church barely made it through the red light at the corner of Magnolia and Gay before the blast. I went and viewed the carnage that Sunday Morning. The owners of the Kopper Kettle Tavern, in Feasterville, are facing federal tax. He comes here and he drinks coffee and he eats, and thats part of the reason that I decided to stay, because that is priceless to me, she says. 2 Player of the Year, Lowell boys basketball team tops Malden in Division 1 prelim, High school roundup: Vinny D'Urso, Lowell Catholic blank Haverhill, 1-0, MVC boys basketball: Tewksbury's Ryan Cuvier named Div. The Copper Kettle opened as a bar in the late 1930s. Cool. Richard and Laurel Kapala both work about seven days per week. An Irish band plays from 2 to 8 p.m., but some regulars arrive early in the morning to claim their tables. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. More than 70 businesses in the immediate vicinity were damaged . Be Proactive. "From north Auburn, you could see the plume of smoke on the horizon in that high spot, so I had an idea that there was something big going on," he said. It was an attorney's office, not a dentist. Richard Kapala was discharged from the air force that year, and took over his fathers share of the bar. If everyone in the world would stop and listen, she says, it would be a better place.. The couple knows most customers by name, or in some cases, their drink orders. Upon reconstruction, windows were added, which was the first step in changing the vibe inside. He got an idea of the severity of the incident as he headed into help after he turned off Highway 280 onto Highway 147 and rose to the top of the first hill. "I just heard the explosion," McCord said. For Morris, its a precious chance to savor her dads company. Shes got a whole sheaf of notes in a drawer by the cash register with things her father, now 84, tells her. "Criminals like Eckler chip away at the integrity of the system, which has a ripple effect on everyone in the community. I came here with the idea that it was going to be temporary, she says, like I would try to wrap my head around the business and maybe sell it or whatever. My mom drove through the intersection 20-30 minutes prior, on her way to the Baptist Church a block away. Add a photo Ratings and reviews 3.0 2 reviews #46 of 51 Restaurants in Beaumont Karol Cappy Kapala had been a bartender for years, and even had what Richard described as a local following.. I get emotional just talking about it, Morris admits. At breakfast, I remember my mother saying there was a really big Boom ! On Sunday morning, January 15, 1978, several businesses on East Magnolia Ave in downtown Auburn were destroyed in an explosion caused by a natural gas leak beneath the restaurant. When her dad, George Karnezis, had a stroke in 2014, she stepped in to run her parents restaurant, Raise a Glass Ceiling: Inside Craft Brewing's The Pink Boots Society, Where to Eat in Charlotte's South End: 2023, Curated For You: MyNewFloor.com Makes Flooring Easy, The Making of Childrens Theatre of Charlottes Production of The Night Diary, How Being on Summer Camp Staff Impacted My Life, Oh, Rats! Hurricane Hugo hit Charlotte hard in 1989 and did serious damage to the restaurants north-facing wall. The dentist was, and still is, my dentist. Her first creation, the Smash Pot, features a large serving of grilled potatoes, peppers, onions, tomatoes and bacon or sausage with two over-medium eggs placed on top though it comes fully customizable. A large part of the street was gone from the Kopper Kettle on down Magnolia, says Patterson. "There was a clothing store back there, and there were these mannequins. The Kopper Kettle used to serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That was the worst we had. "Somebody out there stepped on a nail and it punctured his foot. The explosion, which originated in the basement of Waldrop's, also damaged numerous other buildings in downtown Auburn. Then about five months in I was like, Theres no way I can sell it. 0. The most comprehensive restaurant menus & dish reviews site - Zmenu Low 66F. "I thought somebody was beating the door, just messing with me on the bathroom doors.". - Pelican Parts Technical BBS, VIDEO: 1984 profile on Auburn basketball coach Sonny Smith, VIDEO: Aubies hot tub harem and other behind-the-scenes highlights from 1987-88, First-class bloodbathThat time Pat Dye maybe made Auburn play two A-Day games, Heres eight minutes of Tiger Walk for the 1990 Florida State game. This laughing with customers is what the couple says they will miss the most. In fact, shortly after the Kopper Kettles demise, an Auburn student wrote and recorded the local radio hit The Kettles Gone, a take-off on the country hit The King is Gone. Commemorative T-shirts were printed and sold, and Auburn graduates still recall exactly where they were the day of the Kopper Kettle explosion.. At that time, Auburn was a sleepy little village still on the cusp of the economic boom it would see years later. the manager and supposedly the owner, and being told they couldn't give a discount, we received a 3% discount. In her time running the Kettle, Morris has brought it into the digital age, creating profiles on Google, Yelp, Facebook and, most recently, Instagram. When the apartment started getting cold, I got up to find that all of our gas heaters had gone out (I guess the city had cut off all of the gas lines) and the door on the side facing the Kettle had been blown open. Not sorry they got caught. He threatened to tell the owner, she recalled with a chuckle. Can you help us put names to faces? We serve anything from wings. The explosion made national news that night in 1978. Students were away from their apartments, cars were halted at just the right stoplight, and churchgoers, like Patterson, were just beginning to emerge. A taxidermy fish hanging above the counter also dates back to Cappys early days. I had to park my Patrol Unit on West Magnolia one block away from Gay Street. Many of her regulars are police officers and firefighters. The Kopper Kettle used to serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We were all so grateful that there were no fatalities, Patterson says. You have permission to edit this article. Were not going anywhere, Laurel said. He was there on the infamous night in February 1967 when Speros Kokenes, who owned The Open Kitchen with his brother, Steve, was carjacked and murdered in what was believed to be a botched armed robbery. I remember people showing up at our house with charts and billing statements to give my parents, and other things they found in their yards! Join the conversation on our Discord! Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Cloudy. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, Oh, and now we have video.). Find out what works well at Kopper Kettle from the people who know best. Rod Sinclair at the Episcopal College Center were recently recognized and read into the Congressional Record by Rep. Mike Rogers. FEASTERVILLE, PA One of the owners of the Kopper Kettle bar and restaurant in Feasterville has pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion charges. I was just 3 years old when this happened but believe it or not ive got a good memory of it happening because i recall listening to my mom and dad have conversations with their friends about it . Editors note: Patterson is a retired diplomat with the U.S. Department of State and resides in Washington, D.C. 104. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. A friend of mine, Richard W. said he had walked down to Toomer's Corner for a paper about 30 minutes before the blast. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. And it got up to like 27 degrees that day," he recalls. But wasnt it more of a fancy type deal? His office blew up and The Gentry Building replaced/filled the hole. Was living on Thatch at the time, heard the boom, looked out the window to see smoking debris falling from the sky into the yard, including dental records. The Kapalas hosted road races to raise money for the fund. On Sunday morning, January 15, 1978, half a block of businesses on East Magnolia Avenue in downtown Auburn blew the hell up (kapow, boom, war-zone), chief am. Deceptive and after the fact additional costs not disclosed on menu. I was downtown that morning delivering newspapers about 30 minutes before the explosion. 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