Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Do You Remember Salisbury When?

There have been several good comments on this post so I brought it back to the top. Thanks to all for adding memories.

I borrowed this from " The Shores of Delmarva" blog.
I remember all of the things he mentions here.
Click on the title of this post to be taken to that site a see more about the shore.

Do you remember Salisbury when?

Do you remember?
Do you remember swimming in the park?
The Christmas parades on Main Street and the old swag lights that hung across Main Street and Route 13?
You knew Christmas was getting close when White & Leonard's opened its toy store on the second floor. Johnny's and Sammy's on Wednesday nights for chicken and dumplings and Gino's on Friday nights after Wi-Hi football games.Then there was "Party Line" on the radio with Bill Phillips, and the great dj of country music, CR Hook at WICO -- and of course there was Jolly Jack during the WBOC news with John B. Greenberger and Roland Twigg reminding us to "tell 'em RT sent you.".
The S & H Green Stamp store was down by Carroll's.
Use to get good prizes for collecting these stamps from grocery stores.
Giant used to be more than just groceries. You also got your groceries from the Colonial Store on South Salisbury Boulevard.
Remember the Wicomico Theater, the Boulevard Theater or the the Oaks Drive-In?
People would go to downtown Salisbury to Benjamin's or Hess Apparel or The Fashion Shop. Salespeople were friendly, mature and knowledgeable. And we actually dressed up for it.
Hungry? There was also the Saddle Club or either go downstairs to Reads Drugstore lunchroom on your way out the back door to the parking lot or sit at the lunch counter in Woolworths. Read's Drug Store was the only place to pass through when other stores closed at 5 p.m. on Saturdays on the way to the new parking lot. Woolworth's had the long counter upstairs.

Remember kids popping th balloons at the Woolworth's counter to see the discount?
McCrorys on Rt 13 also had a lunch counter but they had a deal where if you ordered a banana split you could pick a balloon to see how much you paid for it. They said there was a balloon with a penny.

As for the Benjamin family. They made sure that customers were treated with respect. That is what customer service was all about. Stores like that just don't exist anymore.
Does anyone remember how Watson's Smoke House stamped the date on a record when you bought it? Watson Smoke House was cool for not only 5 cent cigars but for the latest 45 record. An older gentleman by the name of Howard Riggins ran it, and was so very nice to kids. He would let you listen to recordings he had for sale, knowing we probably didn't have money to buy one. There was a soda fountain in the store, as well as a very hip magazine rack. We would often read it standing there. He never bothered u about reading and not buying, and whenever we had some money, we really would buy the magazine -- and even an album once in a while.Do you want fresh vegetables? Go to any farmers stand and buying whatever was fresh-picked that day, and putting the right money in a mason jar.

Remember Polar Bar ice cream?, It tasted like home made.

What I really miss about the old Salisbury is being able to go places without being accosted by thugs. And feeling safe . .. . and a sense of class in the businesses. Salisbury was one of the last small towns (at the time) where everything would be closed on Sundays. No shopping or anything. It was sorta like they forced you to take a deserved day off.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I remeber!! Those were the days of my childhood and growing up in Salisbury since 1958, and living in Salisbury now, I'm afraid it is just memories.

Anonymous said...

I'm to young to remember anything on your list but "partyline". As a youngster I loved to listen to Bill Phillips.

Anonymous said...

I remember a lot of this Cap!! Easier times for sure...I was much younger but this was a great stroll down memory lane. I didnt get it all though!! Rat

Anonymous said...

Used to love to go to Burger Chef...or Carrolls/Champs for a good hamburger. What about Gary's Sports Scene, Eastern Shore Sporting Goods and Bacarach Raisin? Thrashers Fries on the corner of Eastern Shore Drive and College Avenue. Barnes TV with the RCA Dog on the roof. JC Penney on the Plaza. A grilled cheese and a coke at McCrory's in the Old Mall. Lee's Sports Scene. Nichols and Ames. Mr. Donut.

Anonymous said...

I worked at Lee's Outdoor/Sports in the Mall!! And worked for Gary Taylor at Gary's Sports Scene for years!! RIP Gary!!

Rat

Anonymous said...

Here's some more. Remember the Oliphant Chevrolet neon sign with the Eliphant or the Sunbeam Bread sign with the slices always pouring out? That was a much better way of life.

Anonymous said...

How about getting shoes at Smalls Bootery! Anybody remeber Danny's on the corner of Civic Avenue and 50? Where Burger King sits now?

TomCat said...

I remember walking downtown, to the mall, the bowling alley...it was safe. Felt like a hot shot smoking cigarettes downstairs at the Saddle Club.

Anonymous said...

Remember when the resturant across from Benedicts was actually BARR international?

We always shopped at Vernon Powell's, STILL DO out of repect if not price.

I remember the old RC Cola bottling plant on Snowhill road and when they use to bottle Coke up by the railroad tracks on what use to be the "north end of town". Not anymore.

Remember where Salisbury actually ended a quarter mile before Fruitland started. haaa no more.

Hess apparel, Kuhn's and Watson's smoke house! A lot of good people now displaced by WalMart, Target and other huge, non-caring companies.

I remember Gunby's hardware, they had any little nut bolt or whatever you needed. I can't remember the name of the old fellow that always knew where EVERYTHING was. He rode a bicycle to work every day.

Heck they opened the Bypass in 74 and it was pretty much a deserted stretch of road for 10 years.

The Browns had the Tasty Freeze or was it a Dairy Queen about where Vinnie's LaRoma now sits. We couldn't wait for it to open in the summers.

Lots of memories Lots of good times.

Soapbox said...

anon 4:21

The Browns had a Dairy Queen and it was located near La Rome where the Taco Bell now sits. There also used to be a "Burger Chef" in the same area.

I remeber when Salsibury ended at the English Grill (Walgreens now) and the next point of interest to the south was "The Oaks" drive-in. Rt 13 & Kay Ave.

The older man @ L.W. Gunby Hardware (later C&P Hardware) was Mr. Norris, and you are right---he knew where everything was in that store and if he said they didn't have it you best look elswhere.

Anonymous said...

I remember all of these. I also went to the Experimental (later Caruthers) Elementary School at the State Teachers College at Salisbury. There was nothing but open space next to Route 13. What a great place to go to elementary school! Captain Focht, a retired Coast Guard Cutter Captain who was one of the first to go under the North Pole on a submarine was the 6th grade teacher. In 3rd grade Mrs. Seabreaze, who scared us to death but later we found out had a big heart. This list goes on and on. Good job walking us down memory lane!

Anonymous said...

I also remember the Ulman Theater in Salisbury and how about the Sinclair gas station that operated accross from the ole Wicomico Theater? As a child i got hit by a car crossing the street there after seeing a Jerry Lewis movie.Oh and how about Cris Chambers dry cleaning and shoe repair shop? i used to sit up high in the chair as the boy popped that shoe shine rag! Thanks for the memories.