From an article on AL.com a while back....

In my Odd Travels, in both literal and virtual worlds, I have come across photos of places I once frequented as a student at Auburn University. They always make me nostalgic. Anyone who's ever had an ice cream from Sani-Freeze ("The Flush") or danced at The Hungry Hunter will understand.

So I gathered photos to represent five Auburn landmarks lost to time. They are from different eras of Auburn's history, although I could not find start and end dates for all of them. Add your memories of these places in the comments section or emailkkazek@al.com , especially if you have photos or info to add. Or suggest other lost landmarks.

 

Click here to see 5 of Alabama's lost landmarks.

5 of Auburn's lost landmarks

The Blocked Punt

This bar opened downtown in the early to mid-1970s and was named for the famous 1972 Iron Bowl nicknamed the "Punt, Bama, Punt" game, according to TheWarEagleReader.com .

As one of the first downtown bars, The Blocked Punt billed itself as "the original student lounge." It also offered pool, video games and disco dancing. Closing date unknown.

Darnell's

Darnell's was a cafe and bar opened in the 1980s by Billy Brown and Marcia Darnell. It was located on Magnolia, where SkyBar is now, and featured live bands on weekends. It closed in the 1990s.

The Hungry Hunter

The Hungry Hunter was a nice, sit-down restaurant with an attached bar called Tally-Ho Tavern. Steve Strother opened The Hunter at 1400 Opelika Road in 1978. The dance floor in the tavern was popular because there weren't many places for couples to dance at the time. It reached its heyday in the 1980s when it was a popular hangout for the football team. Closing date unknown.

Sani-Freeze, aka "The Flush" 
(Formerly The Doll House)

The Doll House was a tiny sandwich shop opened by Red and Luckie Meagher in 1937 or 1938, according to grandson Mark Meagher (pronounced mee-ger ) in the book "Hidden History of Auburn." The shop on East Glenn was popular with students. In 1952, the Meaghers rented the building to Bennie Hunt, who modified it to serve as a dairy bar called The Sani-Freeze, serving ice cream, hot dogs and burgers. At about that time, a toilet-bowl cleaner called Sani-Flush came on the market. Due to its shabby appearance, the beloved ice cream stand was nicknamed "Sani-Flush," or "The Flush."

Despite a student-led "Save the Flush" campaign, the land was sold to a bank in 1993 and the Sani-Freeze moved to a strip mall. Without the charm of the little house, it closed in 2000. 

The Kopper Kettle

The Kopper Kettle opened on Magnolia Street in downtown Auburn in the 1960s and quickly became a hub of student activity. Students not only loved the 10-cent Kettleburgers but liked the fact that breakfast was served all day. The diner also stayed open late enough to be an after-party go-to spot. It became affectionately known as the Kopper Kommode.

At 8 a.m. Jan. 15, 1978, the Kettle's great run came to an end when it suddenly exploded, along with numerous downtown buildings. A gas leak led to the horrific blast. Fortunately, it was a cold, Sunday morning and the streets were deserted, so no one was injured in the blast. The relief that no one was hurt and the sadness over the much-loved Kettle's demise led two fraternity brothers, Chuck McDowell and Chuck Staub, to create and sell "I survived the Kopper Kettle explosion" T-shirts. Then McDowell decided to write a song commemorating the event. "The Kettle's Gone" was written to the tune of Ronnie McDowell's Elvis tribute: "The King is Gone." McDowell had 45-rpm records made and sold them on campus.

You can listen to the song on YouTube below:

 
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Join al.com reporter Kelly Kazek on her weekly journey through Alabama to record the region's quirky history, strange roadside attractions and tales of colorful characters. Find her on Facebook or follow her Odd Travels and Real Alabama boards on Pinterest.