St.
Louis Memories 2010
David A.
Lossos
To
return to the "Genealogy in St. Louis" Web Site click here.
Send your
memories to Dave
Lossos
Note: If your name and/or e-mail address appears WITHIN the body of
your E-Mail, I will include them in your posting. If not, the post will
be attributed to "Anonymous".
This website has gotten so big I've had to divide it into pieces.
Submissions that I received from 2001 through 2003 are posted at
Memories
2001-2003, those I received in
2004 are posted at
Memories
2004,
those I received in 2005 are posted at
Memories
2005, those I received in 2006
are posted at
Memories
2006, those I received in 2007
are posted at
Memories
2007, those I received in 2008
are posted at
Memories
2008, those I received in 2009
being posted at
Memories
2009
and current memories are
being posted at
Memories
2010
For all you former "Altar Boys": "Ad
deum qui laetificat juventutem meam."
(Missouri Sales Tax Tokens, commonly referred to as "mils". Red ones
were worth 1/10 of a penny, green ones worth 1/2 a penny)(Images
courtesy of Bob Doerr)
This twenty-five cents would get you a double feature and a bunch of
cartoons to boot.
On April 4,
2001, I posted a few memories I had of growing up in St. Louis. I
received so many great replies that I thought I'd post some of them
here.
Original
Post from Dave Lossos
I
remember when my phone number was Mohawk 2343
I remember going to see a double feature at the Ritz Theater for 25
cents.
I remember coming into the movie in the middle and eventually saying to
the person I was with "This is where we came in".
I remember the way to get your friend to come out to play was to stand
in front of their house and yell their name (was this a St. Louis
thing?).
I remember the first time I had the nerve to wear "bermuda shorts".
I remember getting all the news I needed from a St. Louis publication
called "Prom Magazine".
I remember (as a ten year old) being sent to the corner tavern to get
my grandma a pail of draft beer.
I remember riding the Grand Avenue electric street cars.
I remember riding my bike in Tower Grove Park (even after dark!).
Post
Post from Cus (1/1/2010)
Old Store near Rock Road...
I think was called Grants...... My mom worked there as a teenager.
A prize I recieved for selling x-mas seals was a blue and white plastic Virgin Mary statue.
I think there was a Village Inn Resteraunt/Cusumano's on Belefountaine and Chambers Road that made that great pizza. The crust was light and bubbly. The cheese slightly browned...just the way perfect pizza is.
On another tangent.... In the old Arbor Terrace/North Woods, I remember a neighbor surname Cusamano. Don't know if related to yours. I remember they had a little pomeranian dog.
What else... Let me think...
Mom knows the jingle for Melrose Pizza.
Warmest,
You Friendly Neighborhood Pizza-Fanatic...
Post from Selma Harris nee Ruch (1/5/2010)
I remember so many of the things posted on your web site. I was born in So. St, Louis in 1934 but now reside in California. If anyone went to Scruggs grade School from 1940 to 1948 and then to Cleveland High School, I would love to hear from you. My name is Selma Harris nee Ruch. e-mail me at sidekick2@earthlink.net.
Post from Floyd McFarland (1/7/2010)
I attended the Adams Elementary School on Tower Grove during the latter 1930's and early 1940's. I am writing a journal of my life and have encluded my memories of that time and place in my life. Most of my childhood friends from that era have died but they live on in my memories. There was Muggy and Buddy Maness, Richard and Robert Wilkerson, Jack and Bob Ball, Betty England, Lloyd England, Bob Isreal, and my best girl, Betty Essman. I have photos of many of these people but none of Betty Essman. I would dearly love to have a photo of her. I even have a photo taken in 1940 of a few classmates in the west school yard.
We attended the Manchester movie theater, spent many summer days in Tower Grove Park and Shaw's Garden. We planted Victory Gardens and participated in the School Scrap drive during the war.
I have many memories I would love to share. I can be reach at my name @ hotmail.
Post from no name (1/7/2010)
Does anyone remember a restaurant/tavern called "House of Sullivan" in north St. Louis? I am trying to find information on the owners of this establishment.
Post from no name (1/7/2010)
I cannot get enough of this site! I have checked the Nostalgia book so may time that I am going to get my own. I have moved to Maryville, IL and I have red all of Bill Nunes books.
One of my oldest memories is going to Mass with my Grandparents at St. Mary Magdalens Church in Brentwood. After Mass I was allowed to ride the pony in the lot across Manchester. There is a luxury car dealer there now.
Post from Beverly Gibson (1/8/2010)
I do not have a memory of this but my mother brought up yesterday that in 1940 she had been entered in a baby contest by her mother and won. My Aunt told her that my moms picture was posted in the St.Louis Dispatch. Is there any way we could find out how to get the article? It would mean so much to my mother.
Post from Floyd McFarland (1/13/2010)
This is an enjoyable site. Thank you Dave, for providing it. I think everyone considers their childhood period was the best of times. We resided in the Manchester, Tower Grove neighborhood from 1936 to the summer of 1943 when we moved to a small town in St. Francois County named Elvins.
My Father was a quiet man who never shared his thoughts and experiences with me and I felt I never really got to know him. Because of this, I decided to write my memoirs so my children and grandchildren would know who I am. As I reminisced about those times, I was surprised how much came back to me. It has been a joy reliving those days with the old gang. There was my best friend, Muggy Maness. Muggy lived in an upstairs flat at the corner of Norfolk and Boyle. He had a large fenced in back yard where we replayed those movies that we had seen at the Manchester Theater. I think it cost a dime to get in and we were treated to a double feature. The show change every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, I think. Though we lived several blocks from the movie, we walked to and from it with never a threat of harm. (Sure couldn’t do that today. Huh?).
I was only a young boy but I had a girlfriend whom I met at the show and sat besides with my arm around her shoulders. Her name was Betty Jean Essman and she resided in a large multi unit building at the corner of Vandeventer and Boyle. I need a photograph of Betty for my book. If anyone can help me here, it would be appreciated and I will pay for such a picture. I think she graduated from Adams in either 1945 or 1946. There may be a graduating photo from that period with Betty in it.
The war broke out and we formed a Victory Club. We had a shed and that was our club-house. I was a terrible baseball player but the big guys wanted to form a baseball team. There was not enough big guys to complete the team so a few of us little guys were allowed to join. Richard Wilkerson was our pitcher and Jack Ball our catcher. Muggy was a good player and was put on second base, My brother Ted played the outfield and Bob Ball and Bob Wilkerson were also members. Bob Isreal and Billy Cooley and Borden Gann, just to mention a few. The Big guys needed a name for our team. That was in the days of Enos Slaughter, Terry Moore, Joe Medwick, Mort and Walker Cooper, Stan Musial, Marty Marion, Max Lanier, Johnny Hopp, Pepper Martin to name a few. All our heroes. Well, we wanted to call our team the Cardinals but decided on the “Tower Grove Blue Birds” instead. I didn’t get to play but it was an honor to just be accepted by the Big Guys.
Yeah! We went to the Forest Park Highlands for our school vacation. We rode on the upper level of a two story bus. I enjoyed free lemon aid with Betty Essman and even road the boats with her.
I remember going to Tower Grove Park and Shaw’s Garden.
I belong to Classmates but have not been able to connect with any of the Adams School people of that age. I really don’t remember many of them but I would like to hear from my forgotten friends of yesteryear. And Mainly, I would really like to have a photograph of Betty for my book.
I have many more Tower Grove stories but won’t bore you now. It you would like to share that period with me, contact me at floydmcfarland@hotmail.com
Post from Jan Vitale (1/15/2010)
I am in search of information on an amusement park back in the late 40's & 50's.It was located on St.Charles Rock Road and north side corner by Hwy 270. It was called West Lake Amusement Park would you post or do you have any information on this park.It was my favoriate when I was in grade school.
Post from Fred Robinson (1/17/2010)
I was living on Bermuda road in Normandy and graduated from Normandy high in 1970. I became a musician after leaving high school and moved to Los Angeles in 1977. Live in New York now.
I played bass with Herman Grime’s and the Spectors from 69 to 71 and played at Club Imperial a lot. After that I played with Bob Kuban from 1970 to 73. If anyone has any pictures of either of those bands, please let me know. I can’t seem to find anywhere and Bob claims he doesn’t have any. We used to play every month at Starlight Ballroom on Rock Rd. and of course all the clubs and youth dances. I wish I had kept some of the pictures. Bob had his own club out on North Florissant road where we played every Saturday. I still was under age so the older guys would get me a beer and I had to hide it.
I remember sneaking out my bedroom window after my parents were asleep and going to Hall street with a buddy to drag race until 4am, Going to Steak and Shake to find money races and pick fights – ours was in Pine Lawn, and – to correct an earlier post, it was Bloemkers drugs at the corner of Bermuda and Florissant road, and they had the best chocolate chip ice cream ever.
I miss the peace and quiet of the summer evenings, sitting on lawn chairs and watching cars drive by. Walking around and around the track at the football games holding hands with my first girlfriend – that was so exciting.
Practicing louie louie with my first band, the Loose Ends, and trying to decipher the lyrics, which we knew were bad, but everyone heard them a little differently. Also performing at the battle of the bands in the gym at Normandy. Loading our equipment into my Mother’s car but trying to be cool anyway. There must be other musicians out there from so many other basement beginner-bands.
Post from Gloria (1/17/2010)
I attended All Saints Catholic Grade School our school picnics where held at West Lake
Amusement Park. We had a parade around the school area and the students got on rented buses and it seemed it took forever to get to the Park. That is after we all attended morning Mass and Father Ryan gave a lecture about not riding the roller coaster.
We usually got to the park before our parents so we would go and save a table looking down on the swimming pool. I love going there, I never went down the big slide in the fun house I walked up those steps but turned around with my itchy burlap sack and walked down all and I mean all of those steps.
I can't recall right now, but know of a sight that has information on the park. Then on the way home we stopped at Grandpa Pigeons .
Post from Anonymous (1/24/2010)
Does anyone recall when the Cards fans started wearing more and more red to Busch Stadium? Because as a kid going to the Browns and Cardinal games, most people just went to the games in regular clothing. I think it may have been in either the 70’s or 80’s but I’m not sure. Also I wonder what the driving force was behind the change!
Post from Lynn in Michigan (1/26/2010)
This is to the person who shared his memories of his musical days with Herman Grimes and the Spectors. So wonderful to read that! I met Herman Grimes one Saturday when we went Downtown to watch Steven B. Stevens broadcast KXOK from either Stix or Famous. I can’t recall which now. We went every Saturday. Well, that particular Saturday Herman Grimes was there. He was meeting people, signing autographs and being just an all around nice guy. When I went up to meet him, I told him I didn’t want just his autograph on a simple slip of paper, but something more special. I was 15 and very cute with the typical 60’s long hair and short, short skirts. Herman took off his tie, signed it and gave it to me. I was the belle of the ball! Everyone wanted to see it and touch it. It hung on the mirror in my bedroom for years until I packed it away when I got married. It sat in a box in my Mother’s basement for years and when she moved, she threw it away. Through the years I’d tell people about it and no one ever seemed to know the name Herman Grimes. It reached a point where I even began to wonder if I had the name wrong. What a delight to read that he truly did exist! How I wish I had that tie to send to the poster wanting old pictures and such of those days. You also mention the Drag Racing on Hall Street. I was down there every Friday and Saturday night. It was a veritable boy smorgasbord! Of course, the muscle cars of that era are unlike any other. There will never be a time like the 60’s again. Great cars and great music. Garage Bands everywhere. We attended so many Battle of the Bands that I’ve lost track. I can remember there were so many garage bands back then that it was not at all unusual to be out walking and hear music coming from a garage and just walk up and stand and listen and dance. Oh, the 60’s in St. Louis were great. Thanks for bringing back some really GREAT memories!
Post from ??????? (2/3/2010)
How about the St. Louis Braves Hockey team at the late-lamented Checkerdome.... or was that the Arena?
BTW, as a kid I worked at Holiday Hill Amusement Park. Anybody remember the train there ..... I was the engineer.
Post from Vicki (2/3/2010)
To Sandy who posted on 2/11/09 about her family owning Lakehill Speedway; I would so interested in knowing anything about the Speedway, espically some of the driver's in the early 50's. I would dearly love to find some photo's of my dad racing or playing music. His name is Harvey Nichols, born in North St. Louis, played music on North Broadway with a guy named Billy Cook in the early fifties, in the later sixties he played at the Red Haven with Gib Brown. He also raced at local racetracks in and around St. Louis with a man named Webb Spaulding. They raced at Lakehill, St.Charles, Godfrey and a few others. He raced the Fender-Bender Class and was known as Big Daddy Harvey Nichols, his car number was 6 (for the 6 kids he had). He was married to Helen Mossberger who lived on Sacramento St.
My dad later in the sixities opened his own Bar on Vandervilt & Chouteau called Harvey's Bar. We lived over the bar.
I am Vicki and I had two sisters, Pat and Nancy, and three brothers, Harvey Jr., Mike and Stan. Mike Nichols was the father of the current country singer Joe Nichols.
I remember some of our friends, the Maness family, Whitaker family, I went to school at Roosevelt High School in 1968. We moved to Eureka Mo in 1968, then to Arkansas. Anyone who may remember us or our mom and dad please contact me at grandmaorus@gmail.com.
Thanks to St. Louis for a great raising and memories of the greatest city ever.
Post from ??????? (2/5/2010)
What a great web-site !!!!!!!
I grew up near the area of Minnesota and Chippewa in South St. Louis.
As a young kid I remember going to the Melvin Theatre, walking to Cherokee St. to shop at stores with my sisters. The stores I remember most would be JC Penney, Thom McCann Shoes, Proper Shoes, Woolworth, Kendall Sporting Goods, and of course Western Auto.
I remember the old St. Anthony’s Hospital at Grand/Chippewa, Sears, Ben Franklin, and Du-Bowl Bowling Lanes on Gravois (before it burned down) around the corner from Pizza-A-Go-Go when it was on the west side of Grand. The old Steak N Egg on Grand by Charlie’s Chevrolet.
I remember things like Western Bowl, Red Bird Lanes, Bailey Farm Dairy on both Keokuk/Meramec and on Delor just west of Virginia, The Ritz Theatre, The Avalon Theatre, The Granada Theatre, all of the drive-ins like South Twin, 66 Drive-in, the Ronnie’s Drive-in, the original Al Smith’s Restaurant at S. Grand/Meramec, the VFW hall on S. Broadway across from Miniwood Park with the BBQ stand. Crusoe’s Restaurant at Compton/Osceola, which use to be Knolls Market.
I remember at the corner of Chippewa and Minnesota Cumming’s Confectionary and Russ Watterson’s Tavern, Ron Barr Auto parts at Chippewa/Compton, Dad’s Cookies, Marquette Park (pool) and recreation center.
I still live in the St. Louis Area and the list could go on and on
Post from ??????? (2/11/2010)
Do any of your posters remember the name of the rock club on Airport Road in Berkeley? Many of our local groups played there from the mid 60’s through the 70’s….and even opened for some early big names.
Post from ??????? (2/12/2010)
It was called Aerospace.
Post from Jim Longo jlongo_98@yahoo.com (2/13/2010)
The club on Airport Rd in Berkely was also called Castaways. Michael McDonald and his bands, Blue and Mike and the Majestics used to play there, along with The Good Feelin' and many other local groups.
Post from ??????? (2/14/2010)
From the post of 2/11/10 regarding the rock club on Airport Rd. in Berkley, that was the Castaways Club. It was in the basement of the Lamias grocery store. Previous to being a club it was a bowling alley if memory serves me correctly. It also was the site if a slot car track at one time.
The Aerospace lounge was up closer to Brown Rd., I`m sure they had music also.
Post from ??????? (2/23/2010)
Regarding Herman Grimes, I remember when he called himself “Little Mojo”. This was probably about 1960. My best friend was Paula Nickl. He recorded a song for her named Paula. I still have it. I was told at the time that the part of the song that went something like “Pau, Pau, Paula!” was Tina Turner.
I, also, fondly remember the Starlight Ballroom and the drag races on Hall Street.
This is a great site!
Post from Connie (2/23/2010)
Hello there. Great website! Do you know or happen to know if there was a name to the giant slide in South City, on Liberty's parking lot on Chippewa? There was Liberty's grocery store, a giant slide, we slid down on burlap bags, a putt putt and batting cage?
(Note from Dave Lossos: "Hi Lands Miniature Golf" was located at 7011 Chippewa)
Post from Kris Will (2/23/2010)
Does anyone remember the KXOK funfairs in the 60's? Does anyone know who
played there in 1969? I think they were at Kiel.
Post from Barbara (2/23/2010)
No one has mentioned Kipp's Candy on South Broadway, they are still n business in Affton, Mo. and possibly one more store. My daughter worked for them during high school.
Post from Margo from League City, Texas (2/28/2010)
Growing up in Frostwood, a part of Berkeley in the 1950's and 60's brings back so many memories
Even though I graduated from McCluer in '72, my memories are of Frostwood:
Jackson telephone exchange. My parents still have the same number they've had since 1952, but now live in Ferguson
Frostfield Elementary - school picnics at Holiday Hill after a parade down Midwood
Berkeley Jr. High - school picnic at Chain of Rocks
Saturday night Social Club at BJH
Food fights in school cafeteria at BHJ
Savoy Movie Theater, then Grandview Theater
KXOK Radio
Movies at St. Barts every Friday night - my favorite "The Invisible Man"
Frostwood Pool - couldn't wait to go every day, without parents, on my bike
Painting the windows with Halloween scenes down in the IGA shopping center
Catching fireflies for money for some research program
Emma Ogle School of Dance
Playing as long as we could outside until dark
Free Cardinal baseball tickets for Straight A students
Riding the bus from Northland to the Cardinal games with my best friend
Flaming Pit gave 25 cents for each "A" if you brought in your report card
In high school cruising between Natural Bridge Steak 'n Shake and Lindbergh Steak 'n Shake and hoping for a parking spot
Skating on Ferguson Pond on cold winter nights
Famous Barr at Northland had a candy counter and the Pick Wick restaurant in the basement
Riding my turquois bike everywhere
Boy Scout Fish Fry Friday nights in the IGA parking lot
Northwest Plaza opening up. It was the place to go!
Going to the airport to park and watch planes take off and land
Post from joe williams (2/28/2010)
A lot of people are talking about KXOK radio and movie theatres & drive-in theatres, on Facebook there is two fan pages - St.Louis Flashback Movie & Drive-In Theatres, and another Facebook site called St.Louis Flashback KXOK 630am The 60s,
Post from Gary Palozola (2/28/2010)
I remember when my phone number was Sterling 12665 and we played outside all day and half the night long with the use of cell phones or internet. You could go to Mc Donalds and get a hamburger, fries and a coke and give them a dollar and get change back. I remember when they were building the Arch (my intials are in the concrete on the north leg). I remember when gas was .14 cents a gallon and if they had a gas war it went down to .12 Cents. I remember when you could get your hair cut for .50 cents. I remember "Hill Days". I remember Katz drug store and Neissners and Woolworth, virgin cokes (cherry). I remember pea shooters. Nichol cokes out of a machine. White Castles were a dime each and for a dollar you could get more than you could eat. I remember when my dad made $200.00 a week and all my friends thought I was a rich kid. I remember when the only dope there was was a stupid kid at school.
I was born in South St. Louis on St. Vincent St. in the house we lived in in 1947, Moved to Mapewood when I was three years old. 7606 Marion Ct. Sterling 12665. I went to Valley elementry school ,Maplwood Jr. High and High school. My grandma lived on the corner of Tam and Oakland and we used to go to the zoo alot. I loved going to the art museum and watchin the horses on the bridle trail. My friends and I used to walk from Maplewood to my grandmas almost every week. We used to walk down the east lanes of Hwy.40 when they were in the process of making it four lane from two. I moved to Creve Coeur when I was thirteen, it was country then. Eventually as I grew older I became a Maplewood Police Officer.
I remember the street cars down town and going to see the Christmas windows in the winter at the big department stores downtown. I remember goin to the drive in almost every weekend. Goin down to the river front and on the Admiral...sometimes we`d go down the road to where the Armory used to be and find old bullet shells of the 50 cal. size. I remeber wearing Bass Wejun penny loafers (still do) and St.Louis Threadneedles from Boyds. I remember nichol cokes and ten cent White Castles and fifteen cent burgers at Mc Donalds. A place called Tumble Town on Manchester just into Brentwood where ya could go and bounce on trampolines almost all day for a buck. Dairy Queen malts with real fruit in them (banana yummm). When I got old enough to drive I remember cruisein through Steak N Shake, Parkmoor and Chuck a Burger on fridaynights. Or goin to the drivein theater...The Manchester, The Four Screen in St. Ann, The Holiday.
I remember Creve Coeur lake and the hydroplane races, the Trolly that ran from one end of the park to the other. In winter, guys would drive cars on the lake and play car tag.
I remember when they built the Arch ( my initials are in the concrete of the north leg). I remember when they built Hwy.40 into 4 lanes, St. Charles rock Rd into 4 lanes, Heck I remeber when all the roads were two lane and some didn`t exist. When thet put in Hwy 270 it was the best drag strip around. There are so many more memories, I could write all day...thanks for puttin up this site...it is great !!!
To Lynn in Michigan....I am almost certain that spoolies were a type of hair curler for women that ere rubber and folded back over themselves.
Does any one remember St. Louis Hop and Charlotte Peters on TV ?
For the Maplewood crowd...does anyone remember Miss Soden the kindergarten teacher at Valley School and the fire escape tube on the side of the old school ? How bout Katz, Niesners, Woolworth,Shitez Hardware, The trophy room at JB Smith funeral Home, Orange Julius with a real egg in each one, Bettendorfs, Harpers drug store, Greenwood Tavern
Does anyone know what happened to Punky and Jaybird, two beautiful sisters (Louise and Kathleen Jathro) that moved from Maplewood to Webster in the late 50`s or early 60`s ???
Post from Judith Fumagalli (3/2/2010)
Does anyone remember a movie theatre in Pine Lawn on Natural Bridge in the late 50 or early sixties
It was next to Hill Brothers Shoes between Jennings Station Road and Lucas Hunt across from Spica’s Tavern
(Note from Dave Lossos: It was called "Studio Theatre" with a Velvet Freeze right next door, then Hill Brothers.)
Post from Pete A. (3/7/2010)
St. Louis… I grew up there for 35 years before a move to California.. Corpus Christi high School in Jennings.. 1960-1964.. Raced on Hall Street.. Alton Drag way, Mid America Raceway.. Wise Speed Shop, County Speed Shop. Went to Radissons, Club 88, Blue Note, many that I don’t remember the name of. Played music for 4 years.. A Garage band that actually worked.. We were playing a gig at the Croatian Hall, 12th and Russell on New Years Eve the night that Radissons got raided. If we had not been playing we would have been there. Knew Bob Cuban, Larry Cuban, JD Parran (sax Player) Nick Silver, So Many good things in St. Louis, Baseball, Football, Hockey, Basketball, Art Museum, Ted Drews, Steak and Shake, O’Connels, Blueberry Hill, Katz drugs, the Showboats down on the river, the Admiral, Arena, Forest Park, Shaw’s Garden, Sportsman Park, Public School Stadium, Laclede Cab, Mayor Al Cervantes, The Spanish Pavilion, Central West End, Balaban's, Left Bank Books, Chase Park Plaza, Q King Bar-B-Q, (Kingshighway and Martin Luther) What ever happened to Q King? Great ribtip sandwiches and bullet holes in the wall and ceiling. White Castle, Slays Steaks, Amighettis Bakery/Sandwiches, Volpi Salami, Vivianos Store, Watermelon Sams (Sam Zimmerman) at Natural Bridge and Goodfellow, Kiel Auditorium, Great concerts there, Club Imperial, saw many stars there in the 60s. There are just so many great memories of my youth in St. Louis I could go on for hours. Thank you St. Louis.
Post from Patricia Coleman (3/7/2010)
I remember the pony rides that used to be up off of Hampton. And the Equestrian center across from Forest park, with the tunnel going under hwy40 so you could ride in the park.
And VELVET FREEZE!
Post from Frank Turley - Santa Fe (3/7/2010)
I was brought up near north Hanley in University City where I attended Hawthorne Grade School and Hanley Junior High. Our shopping area was a fat-wheeled bike ride to the area of Olive Street Road and North & South intersection. We had Widmer's Drugstore, Canfield tire Vulcanizing, Lipcin's Dry Goods, the Beverly Theatre (12 cents; Friday night was Rodeo nite). There was a Kroger and A&P across the street from each other, and not to forget Henry' Barber shop where no matter what you requested, you would get the same haircut...no sideburns! Sometimes, we would go a little farther to Houser's Market where you could purchase his home sugar cured hams. The first black man of my young acquaintance worked out back and was in charge of killing and plucking the chickens. There was also Greenlea's Ice Cream Store which had quite a few flavors to offer. One of our favorites was peppermint stick. In those days, U City had a fair Jewish population, so the schools allowed us to have the Jewish holidays off. Those were the days of streetcars where it seemed the farther they traveled into the county, the more electrical breakdowns they would suffer. We loved putting a penny on the streetcar track to see it run over and forged into an elongated shape.
Our milk was delivered, horse drawn, by Peveley Dairy. We would beg pieces of ice to suck on in the hot summer days. If mom gave us a nickel, we could buy a little bottle of chocolate milk. The horses appeared to be mostly sorrel Belgians or Belgian-crosses. They were kept in tie stalls, at a stable which I used to visit on my bike. I wondered that they never lay down, and I found out later that horses had a "check ligament" which allowed them to sleep standing up. Those horses would stop and go by habit; the milk man did not need to touch the lines unless he was training the horse to stop for a new customer.
The movie, "A Christmas Story" starring Darren McGavin must've been put together by people of genius. Bob Clark was the director. The film captured the 1940's era in every nuance, as seen from a child's point of view.
Post from Lynn
Michigan(3/12/2010)
Thanks for the info on the “Spoolies.” Yes, you are right. They were curlers. I never knew much about curlers being a teen girl of the late 60’s. Our goal was long straight hair. Thankfully, mine fit the bill, but my poor sister used to sleep on rollers the size of soup cans to straighten her naturally curly hair. Now, I’d gladly trade places to have her curly hair.
I see so many people mentioning KXOK and Hall Street. Both are near and dear to my heart. My radio was never off. I fell asleep every night to KXOK and woke to the same. I spent countless Summer nights on Hall Street watching the drag races. Cars lined up forever. You raced whoever was next to you. It was unreal. How I regret never getting pictures. We always think it will last forever, don’t we?
Music was everywhere. To this day certain songs bring back certain areas. “Good Lovin” will forever be Hall Street to me. “Born to be Wild” takes me back to my days at Roosevelt. Let me hear “Hey Jude” and I am back in Tower Grove Park and my first date with a boy named Skip. We fell in love that night.
Such sweet, sweet memories.
Post from Mike N Oklahoma (3/12/2010)
Fond memories of Saint Louis”
Beaumont H.S.( Blue Jackets)
Ashland Grade School
Velvet Freeze Ice Cream (Newstead & Lee)
Ed’s White Front B.B.Q (Natural Bridge)
Chain of Rocks Amusement Park
The Highlands Amusement Park
Cora and Natural Bridge (where I grew up)
The neighborhood Bakeries( Fresh bread)
The Hill ( Great Food)
Playing Indian Ball on weekends
Cork Ball Games
Sand Lot Football Games O’Fallon, Fairgrounds, Penrose Parks
Visiting the neighborhood Fire station and just hanging out - Margareta Ave.)
Going to the Delicatessen for Penny Candy
Mavrakos Candies “Heavenly Hash”
The Fox Theater
Holy Rosary
The Parkmoor and Steak & Shake Drive ins
Cruising the Streets
Wesley House Dances (Lee Ave. & Taylor)
Hoc Soc
The Corner Grocery Store ( Zurhiede’s) Family’s actually carried a “tab”
Walking everywhere we went ( until age 16)
KMOX & KXOK
The Admiral
No Air Conditioning on Summer nights- We made it somehow regardless.
Pope’s Cafeteria – Good eats
The Trolley on Grand Ave.
Sportsman’s Park( “ Knot Hole Gang”)
“Sliders” White Castle
Public Schools Stadium on Kingshighway
Missouri Bottoms- Parties and good times
Post from Phylis (phylishp@yahoo.com) (3/14/2010)
Memories from Phylis. Too many of course to name them all. Grew up in U.City & went to Blackberry Lane Elementary School, Brittany Jr. High & U. City High. My dad owned McCausland Super Market on McCausland & Plateau & I worked there every weekend from the time I was in kindergarten. Loved the area & our customers. Closed teh store when my dad passed away. Heman Park in the summers, the Loop, Beverly Theater, Frank & Helen's Restaurant, Talayna's, Steak N Shake & Chuck A Burger on Olive St. Rd. Shopping at Famous Barr in Clayton & Stix at Westroads. Still have friends from school & reunions & Facebook have kept so many of us connected & re-connected others. A wonderful place to grow up.
Parkmoor on Clayton Rd. (dinners on Sunday nights there) Too many St. Louis Cardinals games to even begin to count w/my dad & after he passed away w/friends.
