As automobile transportation expanded across the U.S. in the early 1900s, auto repair shops evolved into an essential industry. Visitors will learn about Black owned automobile service and repair shops throughout Asheville's Southside.
Truck drivers [19]
After Henry Ford developed the mass-produced Model T car in 1908, automobile transportation expanded across the United States. As automobile ownership became common, auto repair shops evolved into an essential industry.
From the 1920s to the 1960s, dealerships and repair shops such as McMorris Amoco Service Station, Robertson and Fitzgerald Auto Repair, and Williams Service Station filled this area. As urban renewal projects from 1949 to 1980 thrust most Black Ashevillians into poverty, Robert McMorris could be counted on to provide reliable honest service for discounted rates. The community respected and relied on McMorris from 1955 through 1976, when urban renewal deconstructed the neighborhood.
Asheville native Wendell Charles Blair, Sr. was affectionately known as Tank. He became a pillar in the community for his work and volunteering. He opened Tank’s Automotive and Detailing in 1987. Tank passed in 2022. He is honored on a mural on Hilliard Avenue.
