Kern's Food Hall wants a piece of its history: the Kern's Bakery carousel

The owners of Kern's Food Hall have been searching for one special piece of the building's history, with hopes of reinstating it as part of the new development.

Kern's Food Hall, soon to be home to 20+ vendors and businesses, aims to open April 13, but Kern's history in Knoxville dates back much further.

The original Kern's Bakery opened in 1864 on Main Avenue. After many years and two more locations, the bakery was sold in 1925. The new owners elected to construct an improved building, and in 1931, began plans for the South Knoxville site that more than 90 years later would house Kern's Food Hall.

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Upon moving to South Knoxville, Kern's Bakery would double its production to bake 60,000 to 75,000 loaves of bread daily, the News Sentinel reported in May 1931, prior to the plant's opening in January 1932.

'That fascinating Kern's carousel'

In November 1954, Kern's Bakery introduced a feature that became a cornerstone of a childhood in Knoxville. "That fascinating Kern's carousel," as it was described by a News Sentinel reporter in 1963, was a fixture of the community for nearly four decades. It offered free rides outside Kern's Bakery and at children's birthday parties, but the portable carousel traveled as far as Blount County to be present for gatherings ranging from promotional events to church bake sales to charity fundraisers.

For years, the merry-go-round was operated by Corum Collins, who brought the carousel to as many as seven parties a day, according to a 1972 issue of the News Sentinel. Collins' fame as the "merry-go-round man" was described as equivalent to that of Santa or the Easter Bunny.

After Collins' retirement, the carousel operator's legacy was handed down to Terry Parton, a man who had dreamed of fulfilling this duty. "I wanted that job so bad. I prayed and prayed that I would get it," Parton told the News Sentinel in 1990.

The carousel stopped offering rides on behalf of the bakery in 1993, but the merry-go-round continued to be loved by children and adults alike thanks to Dave Moore, who purchased the ride in 1995. He renamed the carousel "Moore's," but in homage to the bakery, planned to continue sharing the carousel's joy free of charge, the News Sentinel reported.

Now, the developers at Kern's Food Hall are working to bring this piece of Kern's history home.

Kern's carousel comes home

Kern's Food Hall had identified the location of the carousel ahead of the planned April 13 opening, but hadn't had the opportunity to retrieve it as of April 5, said Suzanne Young, owner of Kern's Food Hall's marketing agency, Vella Crew.

The carousel - of which there are actually 2, Young told Knox News - has remained in Knoxville and is currently in the Powell area. The location of the second carousel, believed to be the larger of the two, is still unknown.

Returning the carousel to its original location would provide folks in Knoxville and beyond access to its playfulness and joy once again. “It’s really for the community, because the older generation grew up with this carousel, and they have very core memories of this," Young added.

Young confirmed that the ride will continue to be completely free for all who wish to enjoy it.

Even as efforts to restore the carousel continue, Kern's Food Hall's respect for the location's storied past and enthusiasm for preserving local history suggest South Knoxville's newest shopping and dining hub will be sure to elicit customer's nostalgia and delight.

Hayden Dunbar is the storyteller reporter. Email hayden.dunbar@knoxnews.com.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Kern's Food Hall wants Kern's Bakery carousel back in South Knoxville