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Post by David Sechrest on May 11, 2005 1:19:39 GMT -5
The 1960's were a great time to grow up in Columbus. While I remember some of the 1950's, the 1960's are where most of my memories lie. Sometimes it seems they do an excellent job of lying around and not wanting to be disturbed. They're like trying to get a little kid out of bed after staying up late the night before. Although the latter part of the 1960's was the "beginning of the end" of crowded downtown streets and shoppers galore, I still have many fond memories of Saturday mornings and afternoons spent wandering through all the shops and businesses along Washington Street. My favorite place to spend time (whether I had any money or not) was G C Murphys 5 & 10. Murphys had two sets of wood and glass double doors at either end of the building. Murphy's didn't have "electronic eyes" or automatic door openers, but that didn't seem to hurt their business, and I would venture that on any given Saturday, Murphy's was as crowded as Wal-Mart is today. Once you walked through the front doors, you were on the first floor. The cash registers were located in the front of the store, and there was a small food counter on the left hand side. They served typical meals as most restaurants in the 1960's. In the middle of the store was a stairway that led up to the second floor. If I remember correctly, mainly clothes and sewing supplies were located upstairs. I didn't spend too much time in this area, as clothes were the last thing on my mind at the ages of 10, or 12. I wouldn't become fashion conscious until I got into high school. To the left of the stairway and to the right of the eating area was that wonderful candy area so many of you will remember. Loose candy of all sorts, shapes, and sizes, filled the bins inside the display cases. The display cases were wood with glass fronts, and they were put together in such a way that they formed a rectangle. Chocolate covered peanuts, chocolate clusters, cinnamon balls, orange slices, cashews, spanish peanuts, and chocolate covered raisins were only a few of the offerings. The candy was sold by the pound, so that's how you ordered it. The person behind the counter grabbed up a dipper and filled up those small white paper bags, then weighed the bag on a hanging scale. The peanuts and cashews were heated with heat lamps, and were nice and warm while being eaten by the handfull. To this day, I can close my eyes and see that counter and smell the hot roasted nuts! Albums and 45's were displayed in the middle of the store when I was pre-teen. They moved them later on against the south wall on the first floor by the time I was in high school. This was another place I was drawn to. If I bought any records while a pre-teen, my purchases were always 45's (albums were too expensive). This was before cassettes, and even predated 8-track tapes by a few years. For Christmas one year, mom and dad surprised me with a tape recorder. It played 3 inch reels of tape. The tape recorder had a microphone that plugged into the front, and I spent hours recording music from radio stations like WIFE out of Indy, WAKY (Wonderful Wacky Radio!) out of Louisville, or WLS out of Chicago, using my trusty Arvin 9 volt transistor radio. Blank reels of tape were also sold close to the records. This was the time of "lay-away," and even kids could buy things using this installment plan. I bought a Monopoly game from Murphys on their law-away plan. I paid 50 cents a week until it was all paid off, and felt pretty happy that Saturday afternoon I walked out of the store with that game under my arm. I don't recall walking into Murphys through the doors on the south side very often. I always used the doors on the north side because it was closest to the stairway that led down to the basement. This was where all the toys, games, and bicycles were kept. Lionel train sets, Aurora slot cars and tracks, monster models, superballs, hula-hoops, and many other toys could easily take an hour of time away from the day. One of the more popular toy companies during the 1960's was Mattel (You can tell it's Mattel, it's swell!). But, Aurora, Lionel, Parker Brothers, Milton Bradley, Tonka, and Marx were tough competitors as well. In the early 1960's most of my downtown time was spent in the basement at Murphys, either trying to decide what toy to buy, or dreaming of what toy I'd buy if I had money. As time passed, and I grew older, more places to shop started popping up along 25th Street, and along National Road. Strip Malls, as they were called back then, took some business away from downtown. Some of the downtown businesses opened up new locations in these strip malls, as well as keeping their businesses downtown. I can't recall what year Danner's opened it doors. It was located in close proximity to where Big Lots is today. Murphys held it's own throughout the 1970's. I don't know when Murphy's finally closed its doors, but I do remember that, for some time, the old building was turned into an antique mall. By this time, I lived in Indianapolis, and would visit the place on trips down to see mom and dad. I liked to shop there when I was in town, mainly because of all the memories I had of the place from my childhood. Today, Murphy's is home to Siho. There's nothing that would ever lead one to believe that, during the 1960's, it was one of the busiest stores in downtown Columbus.
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Post by David Sechrest on Jul 5, 2005 11:54:43 GMT -5
It's summertime and time for a special memory of summer. While I'm sure that this particular memory would serve purpose in other folders, I'm sticking it here as it's part of my childhood growing up in the 1960's.
Making homemade ice cream. This was always a treat, and I can't think of any kid in the neighborhood (or in the US of A) that didn't enjoy that frozen home made delicacy. These days, if you want to buy a bag of ice, you drive to the grocery store or just about any gas station. Back in the 1960's however, making home made ice cream always called for a trip to the Ice Plant on the corner of Lafayette and Third. The Ice Plant had the coolest shade in all of Columbus. Clumps of melting ice were scattered here and there on the loading dock, and to stand on that dock on a hot and humid July or August Saturday afternoon was always so refreshing. Ice was packed in paper bags back in those days. If I remember correctly, they also sold rock salt in smaller paper bags. The ice cream maker was a wooden bucket with a galvanized container, wooden paddles and a crank. The ice cream was mixed up, poured into the container, paddles inserted, top placed on, crank attached to the container and locked on the bucket, and taken outside. Ice was packed inside the wooden bucket around the container with handfuls of salt thrown in. Then, it was up to the magic of science and hands turning the crank. Every now and then while dad turned the handle, I'd reached into the bucket and pulled out a chunk of salty ice and pop it in my mouth. Once the mixture was firm, the salt water and ice were drained out, and fresh ice packed inside the bucket. Towels were put on top, and the bucket sat in the shade until after dinner. This dessert was anticipated the remainder of the day, and once dinner was finished, it was dipped into bowls and eaten s l o w l y. Eating it too fast would cause brain freeze. It's funny how something so simple could mean so much, and bring so much pleasure. Sometimes the simple things in life are the ones best remembered...
I still make homemade ice cream to this day. I hope my kids grow up with same fond memories as I still hold. I have used many types of ice cream makers. The plastic ones aren't as good as the wooden ones, and doesn't make the ice cream as fast. The whole secret to making ice cream is rock salt. If you don't add enough, you'll be cranking too long. I would recommend a cup of salt to every 8 cups of ice. And, for those of you who would like to know my recipe, here it is: 6 eggs, 2 1/4 cups of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 quart of half and half, and whole milk. Oh, and vanilla. 6 teaspoons of vanilla. I mix the eggs, salt, and vanilla in with an electric mixer, add part of the half and half, and add the sugar slowly. Once it's mixed up really good, I add the rest of the half and half, and continue mixing. When it has a soupy consistency, I pour it into the container and add approximately a quart of whole milk (you can adjust this according to your own taste). If you have a really good ice cream maker (a wooden one), it should only take about 15 minutes of cranking before it gets firm. Drain out the salt water and ice and repack it with just plain old ice. Cover the top with a couple of towels and let it sit...
I hope your kids enjoy as much as I did (and still do)...
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Post by David Sechrest on Jul 6, 2005 1:13:52 GMT -5
Writing about homeade ice cream got me to thinking about things mom cooked when I was a kid. Some of this may have been talked about in another folder.
I don't ever recall mom buying a cake mix. All the cakes she made were made from scratch, as well as any icing that went on top. The same went for cookies. I distinctly remember when Pillsbury came out with their slice and bake cookie mix, but we never bought any of it.
The cookies I remember mom making the most were what she called refrigerator cookies. I don't know what the ingredients were, but she chilled the dough after rolling it (using wax paper), then she'd slice the dough and bake the cookies. I prefered the burnt ones, so she always made it a point to "burn" at least one sheet just for me.
Breakfasts were a big to-do, and associated with Sundays only. Homeade bisquits and gravy, bacon and sausage, eggs of all kinds, fresh cooked apples and homeade strawberry jam filled up the kitchen table, as well as our bellies. On many Sunday mornings, after a couple of plates, my eyes still said yes, but my belly said no...
Even though we didn't live on a farm at this time, mom still canned alot of things. Tomatoes, green beans, pickles, corn, strawberry and blackberry jams were part of summertime. Do people still have to boil those mason jars these days?
A couple of summers, dad rented a meat locker where the car wash is today (2nd Street, close to State Street). He'd buy a half or whole calf, and I remember the hamburger tasting so different because it didn't have all that preservative crap in it.
Sundays were also a time for big suppers, and most of the time, they were served early in the daytime. Nothing came from cans or frozen bags for these meals. After eating Campbell's tomato or chicken noodle soup all week long, those Sunday meals were something I looked forward to.
I don't know if anyone has mentioned this before, but remember cake walks? And the fish fries that the fire houses had every year?
It wasn't unusual for people from my grandparents time to have large families. Since my grandpa skipped out on my grandma, she raised 9 kids on her own. Mom told me one time that when her and dad got married, they both worked, but she told my dad that any money she made went to help support grandma.
All of mom's family were real close, and I can't think of too many weekends that weren't spent at grandma's house. All of mom's brothers and sisters and their families were there too. As you can imagine, on any given weekend, there would be about 35-40 of us inside grandma's house. All of the grownups always sat in the kitchen. Not the living room. Not outside in the back yard. It was the same way if we went to any of my aunts and uncles homes as well. Kitchens were the place to visit, laugh, and share problems with one another.
Many times during the summer, the entire family got together and had pitch-in dinners. Talk about a treat to a kid of 10! Each aunt had her own specialty, and I looked forward to each pitch-in dinner for one thing in particular: my Aunt's homeade banana cake with walnuts. I always made sure I saved room for it.
Well, now I am definitely hungry. Time to raid the frig!
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Post by David Sechrest on Sept 20, 2005 17:12:19 GMT -5
The school year has just begun, for all practical purposes. I remember back when I was an attendee at State Street Elementary that the school year officially started after Labor Day. Over the course of the years, it seems that our "normal" school year wasn't enough time to squeeze in all the learnin' that is required of kids today. For awhile when my kids were younger, they attended school year round. In all actuality, they spent the same number of days in school as the other kids; they just didn't enjoy that long summer break.
One of the fun parts of beginning a new school year was shopping for new school clothes. At some point in my younger life, mom made our clothes for school. She bought patterns and spent summer days cutting out cloth using patterns, sewing, and stitching the pieces together. I don't know if any of her ideas came from McCall's, a popular magazine, but I remember my sister and I cutting out the dolls and clothes from that magazine and gluing them to pieces of cardboard.
New shoes and clothes always meant a Saturday trip downtown. The store that sticks out the most now is the old Sears store for pants and shirts, and Tovey's for new shoes. We always got a "free" Poll Parrot clicker with every purchase of a pair of shoes. Do they still make clickers?
I wasn't very fashion conscious during those days at State Street. Mom bought the clothes without asking me what I particularly liked and I wore what she bought. Once I was in high school, any fashion statement I wished to make was decided upon by me.
The big rage in in the 10th grade was white bluejeans. I searched all over the city of Columbus for a pair that would fit me, but needing 28 x 32, either that was a very popular size, or stores didn't stock them because of popularity. I could never find a pair that would fit me and had to wear just plain old bluejeans.
Looking at an ad paper from this morning's paper got me to thinking about all this stuff. I bleary-eyed stumbled upon an ad for jeans. All the jeans featured looked as if they were as old as me. Faded...holes in the knees...all stitched up...pockets ripped halfway off...
Boy...
It used to be special to buy just a plain old pair of bluejeans. They were always stiff as cardboard and always took a few washings and wearings to get them to where you didn't walk like Frankenstein through the school halls when you wore them.
Part of the fun of getting a new pair of jeans was the actual "breaking in" of the new pants. Many memories accompanied pairs of Levi's, and without noticing, they slowly transformed from that brand new look to a mutated mess of fades and fads. It took years to get a pair of Levi's just like you wanted them.
Today, in this State of Immediate Gratification in which we live, you no longer need to wait for your jeans to look old. You can buy them that way right off the rack. But ask any of those kids how that back pocket got ripped off, or that stitch on the front leg happened, and all you'll get is a blank stare.
...Blue Jeans With No Memories...
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Post by richard on Oct 31, 2005 10:12:36 GMT -5
This ad appeared in a June 1961 newspaper.
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Margo CHS Class of 55
HCI Forum Board Member
Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind; it doesn't matter.
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Post by Margo CHS Class of 55 on Oct 31, 2005 23:11:43 GMT -5
One of my very favorite Characters!! Charlie was so witty, and yet his stage presence was concentrated on his being a little slow, especially while talking! The people of this generation surely missed a great performer !! Thanks so much for sharing, and bringing up good, clean memories !! Blessings, Margo
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Post by richard on Nov 15, 2005 12:39:10 GMT -5
Do you remember Jerry’s?
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marksix
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Post by marksix on Nov 15, 2005 21:46:45 GMT -5
Oh sure.We used to play a couple rounds at the Putt Putt then go over to Jerry's.I pretty much always had a tenderloin sandwich (I note on the menu they say "Breaded Pork Cutlet" but I never heard anybody call it that.) And the Strawberry pie was memorable in season. Where I live now,there are no pork tenderloin sandwiches.I really liked the ones at the defunct Nick's restaurant,which was kitty-corner from where the Hill's shopping center was built.It was a tiny place at that triangular intersection where we often dined after church.There was another place,maybe around 8th street,I think called Ted's,with a very good tenderloin.I didnt care for the tenderloins at the Columbus Bar,though many say they were the best in town.I thought even Frisch's were better. Pardon if my memory is not exactly right,its been 40 years since I was in Columbus.I sure do enjoy the webpage.
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Rhonda
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Post by Rhonda on Nov 17, 2005 8:37:59 GMT -5
My husband just had lunch at "Shorty's" yesterday for the first time since we moved here 5 1/2 years ago. He said they have good tenderloin sandwiches....better than Columbus Bar. From everything I've ever heard or read, Indiana is the "home" of breaded tenderloin sandwiches. There was even an article on "Across Indiana" just this past weekend about it.
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RER
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"Democracy & Freedom"
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Post by RER on Nov 17, 2005 15:46:12 GMT -5
I was raised in Columbus but live elsewhere in the South now. Indiana is the Capital of breaded tenderloins as far as I am concerned. When I return to Columbus about every couple years or so I go to the place called "Fish" on East 17th up from the Columbus hospital. They have the best lunch sandwiches which includes great fish and breaded tenderloins. Also, as the previous poster said Shorty's over near Cummins old main office near Union Street is great. Shorty's has been putting out tenderloins well over 50 years I guess. The Columbus bar had good tenderloins in the past, but the change of hands may have changed the tenderloins. If the "Fish" lunch on 17th across from part of old Arvin is still around, it is worth the noon time attempt. It amazes me that breaded tenderloins haven't caught on in the fast food industry nationwide. In the South we have pork barbecue as a big draw. In the West they have more of the beef barbecue. Many places spell barbecue with a "Q" such as barbeque in the South and West. However, in good "Ole Hoosier Indiana" they have breaded pork tenderloins. They don't need to spell anything, but good.
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nancs
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Post by nancs on Nov 18, 2005 9:27:12 GMT -5
Hi to all, and am laughing and giggling that pork tenderloin sandwiches should come up-------here in Southern California------a pork tenderloin sandwich will only generate a questioning look and a comment---What? Little do these people know!!! Am always checking the meat section for a pork tenderloin so that I can make our own sandwiches!!!!! Found some just a couple of weeks ago, and probably have 6 pounds in the freezer ready to go!!!!! Not counting several meals already consumed. ;D This 'go round' I tried breading them in 'Corn Flake Crumbs' and think this has made our 'feasting adventure' close to what you can get in Indiana. For a long time I thought frying them in Crisco made a fair duplicate, but think these crumbs make them even better. Plus, a lot has to do with the availability of a 'good' pork tenderloin. Happy feasting. AND perserve these eating memories!!! Nanc
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Post by Ricky_Berkey on Nov 19, 2005 12:47:10 GMT -5
Shame on you Rhonda for never having stopped at Shortys for a Tenderloin! It's a highlite of my Columbus tour, our tour bus goes right by it. It also goes by the "Fish Sandwich" place (Ye Old Fish House) down by the hospital. Local flavors and favorites always fascinate our visitors.
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Rhonda
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Post by Rhonda on Nov 19, 2005 21:10:54 GMT -5
Ricky, I realize the tour bus goes right by but I've never taken time to eat there. Also........I try to avoid deep fried. I have a tenderloin sandwich about once every........two years?? I will say the tenderloins at Gnaw Bone Food & Fuel are great!
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Post by richard on Dec 21, 2005 22:13:47 GMT -5
This ad ran in 1963
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Rhonda
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Posts: 279
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Post by Rhonda on Dec 22, 2005 10:06:43 GMT -5
Was just by the Fish place yesterday. They have a new sign out front on the building! I think is says "Ye Old Fish Shop" or "Fish House" ..........something like that. It's all in blue and white and has a cutle little "Nemo" type fish on the sign.
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Post by richard on Dec 23, 2005 9:26:49 GMT -5
Another ad that ran June 24, 1961. Notice to compete with downtown business, *Free Parking* was used in the ad.
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Post by David Sechrest on Dec 23, 2005 14:22:48 GMT -5
Great ads, Richard. And speaking of Grant's, there's a picture of it in the More Columbus Indiana pages. I remember when the old traffic meters were once a part of the downtown area. I can't remember what it cost to park. Wasn't the max time limit 2 hours?
Maybe next year, I'd love to do nothing but an entire section on old Christmas ads.
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Post by David Sechrest on Dec 28, 2005 11:20:30 GMT -5
Looking at the ads Richard posted got my mind thinking of things, and this thought occurred to me this morning. Each time I go downtown, I always take the time to remember the places of my youth. GC Murphy's...Carpenter's Drugs...Cummins Bookstore..and so many other places, scattered throughout Columbus and East Columbus. This morning, I woke up with the thought "what will today's kids ages 8 to 18 remember most about Columbus when they're all grown up and have families of their own? The first thing that came to mind was Wal-Mart, but I quickly had to rule that one out, and then I asked myself, "Why are you ruling Wal-Mart out?" As much time as is spent there by the youngsters with their families, it's probably a sure-fire "memory maker" all of its own. There's probably not alot of sure fire memory makers located in the downtown area today, with the exception of two places: Zaharako's and the playground in the Commons Mall. Mill Race Park and Donner Park will surely have their fair-share of memories. I doubt if many railroad track memories will play into many kid/adult minds in the future, as many tracks have been ripped out. But, I'm sure that those same tracks I played on back in my youth will hold some future memories for kids today (that is, if they can ever rip theirselves away from their playstations and x-boxes). The 4-H fairgrounds will most likely be recalled and looked back upon with some nostalgic glint in the eye. As far as restaurant type places, one comes to mind very strong: Taco Bell. The one located next to Columbus North, and I'm most certain that the Taco Bell will serve the same types of memories as Becker's A & W, Frisch's, and Jerry's did for us. To tie in with this food memory, I'm sure that the A & W will rekindle some future remembrances, as well as Musilami's, the two places that were part of our childhood and teen years as well. The local video stores like Blockbuster and Hollywood Video seem to be good candidates for waxing nostalgic. Between renting movies and games for their Playstations and such, there will most likely be stories passed down regarding these places. I thought of another one while reading the paper this morning: Granny Bea's. I've been in Granny's a few times and wandered around, and when the ad says they have over 20,000 movies in stock, I'd hate to be the one to count them to argue the point. Memories are what they are. And future memories of children today will stand equal with my own personal memories of the Columbus of my youth.
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Post by David Sechrest on Dec 28, 2005 11:28:27 GMT -5
Anyone possibly reading these folders that are under the age of 18, it would be interesting to see what places I left out.
Will kids today have such fond memories of Ye Olde Fish House, as we did of Horn's and Carmichael's?
That's one I'd like to know. I've never seen many kids in the place.
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Post by richard on Dec 29, 2005 9:50:43 GMT -5
This ad ran in 1963.
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