History
The community of White Oak took its name many years ago from the spring bubbling from beneath a huge White Oak tree near the intersection of Pine Breeze Road and White Oak Road. The spring had washed away all dirt from the root system of the tree, but it was held up and kept alive by its roots growing back into the soil on the slope of Pine Breeze hill. Old maps still show these two roads and have printed on them “White Oak Springs.”
In the 1800s residents of the area hiked through the woods to White Oak Springs for picnicking and to dip the delicious water from the spring. The old path or wagon road they used became known as White Oak Road.
The cool spring water flowed into the duck pond located in front of White Oak Cemetery, which is now known as Chattanooga Memorial Park, and White Oak Road has been renamed Memorial Drive.
In 1932 at the intersection of Dayton Pike and Memorial Drive the White Oak Barber Shop opened its doors for business. The shop’s first owner was Jim Blevins. After WWII, Jim was joined in the business by John Vandergriff. John, who had been a ship’s barber in the Navy, cut hair at White Oak Barber Shop until his death in 1997. At that time, Bill Presley took over the shop and served the community’s grooming needs until his retirement at the end of 2005. Although Bill is no longer the owner of the shop, he still stops in to shoot the breeze with the current owner, Merritt Potter.
Merritt moved to Chattanooga from Naples, Florida, where he owned two successful hair businesses. Like Mr. Vandergriff, Merritt also began his career as a ship’s barber in the Navy. Merritt has been in the hair business all of his adult life. As both a barber and a cosmetologist, he has worked in many aspects of the business, but says it’s great to be back in a barbershop again.
If you’re from this area, chances are your father, grandfather, or even great-grandfather got their hair cut at the White Oak Barber Shop. One recent customer, who admits to being 85 years young, told Merritt that he remembers getting his first hair cut at this very same shop when he was a small child.
Although the White Oak Barber Shop has been remodeled, it still has that old-time feel. Merritt believes that quality is a part of history, and -- like Jim, John and Bill before him, who serviced their customers with meticulous detail -- he is determined to give each and every customer the best haircut in town.
The White Oak Barber Shop is located at 2244 Dayton Blvd., across from Taco Bell. Just look for the barber pole, which only licensed barbers can display.
