Days Gone By

[Jacob Petersheim]

Stories, videos, photos, there are a lot of fading mementos from within the living memories of members. You can post them here unless you want a separate thread for a longer discussion of a specific case.

In the US and Eastern Canada we had a large retail, mostly grocery, chain known simply as "A&P" in its latter days. It eventually became the juggernaut of the grocery market. In some ways it was the Walmart of its day without the predatory outsourcing, though volume buying helped it edge smaller chains and independent stores out of many communities.

What REALLY Happened to A&P? (A&P History)

 

[Marie Mallory]

 

[Marie Mallory]

I had a job at the Woolworths 5 and 10 cent store at 12, bought my first pack of cigs with first check, as did both my friends work, all our first jobs were dish washing in cafes aka diner, we made 4$ a night all were done by hand ,no dishwashers that I know of then, just 3 large sinks.

 

[Axel Slingerland]

In my little corner of the massive northern Illinois cornfield, Woolworths was known as the Five and Dime. I bought my first pack of smokes there too, the same brand as my parents smoked, Raleigh Cigarettes. They were 25¢ and I was 10 years old at the time. And nobody questioned that 10 year olds smoked or were able to buy cigarettes until many years later. There weren't even any "These damn things will kill you" warnings on the packs back then.

I liked my parents price for a pack of smokes much better. "Hey Dad, can I have some smokes?" "Yeah, here you go." By the times I was 14, he was bringing me a carton on payday. I asked him many years later why he did that. He said "We kind of forced you to start smoking, it was the least I could do." I didn't quit for 40 years, but at least I did eventually.

My Doc was listening to my lungs and she asked me when I started smoking in 2006, and I said in 1966 when I was 10. I asked her why she wanted to know. She said "Because you have the beginning sounds of Emphysema in your lungs."

I quit the same day. But it was worse than she made it sound. I have a bad case of COPD with Emphysema. That why when I got Covid in 2022, it almost killed me. There were many other problems, which each of them by themselves were bad. But all at once? That was really over the top. I was really shocked by everything that happened. And you could say it all started long before I bought that first pack of smokes in 1966.

 

[Marie Mallory]

In my little corner of the massive northern Illinois cornfield, Woolworths was known as the Five and Dime. I bought my first pack of smokes there too, the same brand as my parents smoked, Raleigh Cigarettes. They were 25¢ and I was 10 years old at the time. And nobody questioned that 10 year olds smoked or were able to buy cigarettes until many years later. There weren't even any "These damn things will kill you" warnings on the packs back then.

I liked my parents price for a pack of smokes much better. "Hey Dad, can I have some smokes?" "Yeah, here you go." By the times I was 14, he was bringing me a carton on payday. I asked him many years later why he did that. He said "We kind of forced you to start smoking, it was the least I could do." I didn't quit for 40 years, but at least I did eventually.

My Doc was listening to my lungs and she asked me when I started smoking in 2006, and I said in 1966 when I was 10. I asked her why she wanted to know. She said "Because you have the beginning sounds of Emphysema in your lungs."

I quit the same day. But it was worse than she made it sound. I have a bad case of COPD with Emphysema. That why when I got Covid in 2022, it almost killed me. There were many other problems, which each of them by themselves were bad. But all at once? That was really over the top. I was really shocked by everything that happened. And you could say it all started long before I bought that first pack of smokes in 1966.

Very bad habit.
Yes it was Five and Dime. So you started in 1966 and I started in 1962.

And they were widely advertised back then too,and they started pushing them on women,

 

[Jacob Petersheim]

In my little corner of the massive northern Illinois cornfield, Woolworths was known as the Five and Dime

In my corner of the world Woolworths was a semi-fancy place right down town that I had never seen until it was on its last legs around 1973. There was a similar (already dead) store next door (W. T. Grants?) and beyond that on the other corner of the block a seen better days Kresges store.

Way out on the suburban fringe where I was small, the five and dime was a Ben Franklin store. Loved that place: so much to gawk at as I counted my pocket change over and over. I bought my first little pen knife there, and I still imagine that shade of slightly-bluish green opalescent celluloid handle coating.

None of that remains today, in either area. That downtown block was razed long ago and turned into a monument "park" for a Civil Rights figure not even from the area.

 

[Sheryl]

 

[Jacob Petersheim]

Slightly off topic, but you might not be aware this option exists.

Nine minute video:

 

[Jacob Petersheim]

If you enjoyed that, here are a few more minutes on the topic:

 

[Marie Mallory]

I had a job at the Woolworths 5 and 10 cent store at 12, bought my first pack of cigs with first check, as did both my friends work, all our first jobs were dish washing in cafes aka diner, we made 4$ a night all were done by hand ,no dishwashers that I know of then, just 3 large sinks.

@Yvonne Smith , click to 6.31 in video and notice the mules in the mine.
You know why they used mules? Because horse would not work in mines. smart,huh?

 

[Jacob Petersheim]

I can remember when we had a milk box near the back door when I was young. It was maybe aluminum or more likely galvanized steel with a lining made of the same thing as asbestos shingles (as far as I can recall). I was curious about it and recall flipping the top open and peering inside, and it had a unique odor that I can almost recall today. Perhaps something added to help overcome any sort of "dairy" smells? Or cleaning product residue?

I'm sure I can't recall ever seeing milk arrive there, it must have come very early. I don't remember being asked to put empty bottles out there either, but though I was the oldest kid I was still pretty young when milk home delivery still took place.

The company didn't have branding on the milk box, but we'd seen the trucks. So we knew the name "Joppe's Dairy" (JOP-peez). The city I grew up in had a significantly Dutch and Frisian population.


They operated at least one ice cream shop, but I was never in one.



By the early 1960s I think most of this was gone as dairies joined co-ops and then got bought up by bigger outfits.

 

[Marie Mallory]

View attachment 745

One of my aunts lived in a shack like that, in Red Oak ,Georgia. We called it 'the shack'.

 

[Marie Mallory]

I can remember when we had a milk box near the back door when I was young. It was maybe aluminum or more likely galvanized steel with a lining made of the same thing as asbestos shingles (as far as I can recall). I was curious about it and recall flipping the top open and peering inside, and it had a unique odor that I can almost recall today. Perhaps something added to help overcome any sort of "dairy" smells? Or cleaning product residue?

I'm sure I can't recall ever seeing milk arrive there, it must have come very early. I don't remember being asked to put empty bottles out there either, but though I was the oldest kid I was still pretty young when milk home delivery still took place.

The company didn't have branding on the milk box, but we'd seen the trucks. So we knew the name "Joppe's Dairy" (JOP-peez). The city I grew up in had a significantly Dutch and Frisian population.

View attachment 759
They operated at least one ice cream shop, but I was never in one.

View attachment 760

By the early 1960s I think most of this was gone as dairies joined co-ops and then got bought up by bigger outfits.

I remember the candy store on the corner. Many towns had a little candy store.
The had taffy pulling in the show windows.

 

[Marie Mallory]

Stories, videos, photos, there are a lot of fading mementos from within the living memories of members. You can post them here unless you want a separate thread for a longer discussion of a specific case.

In the US and Eastern Canada we had a large retail, mostly grocery, chain known simple as "A&P" in its latter days. It eventually became the juggernaut of the grocery market. In some ways it was the Walmart of its day without the predatory outsourcing, though volume buying helped it edge smaller chains and independent stores out of many communities.

What REALLY Happened to A&P? (A&P History)

If memory serves me, WalMart started out with a American patriot named Sam Walton? I think.
Once his kids got hold of it, it went Wall Street radical.

 

[Axel Slingerland]

I often wonder how Sam Walton would react to the Walmart of today. I know the company is no longer is in line with his beliefs.

 

[Jacob Petersheim]

Rebecca Latimer Felton, first woman to serve in the United States Senate, sits on the front steps of her plantation home, describing her experiences and philosophy of life. This film was shot by a Fox Movietone cameraman in Georgia on April 9, 1929. Born 1838 I believe.

Woman Born in 1878 Talks About Her Childhood in Los Angeles, California in the 1880s

 

[Don Alaska]

View attachment 745

Your childhood home @Sheryl ?

 

[Joe Riley]

Stories, videos, photos, there are a lot of fading mementos from within the living memories of members. You can post them here unless you want a separate thread for a longer discussion of a specific case.

In the US and Eastern Canada we had a large retail, mostly grocery, chain known simple as "A&P" in its latter days. It eventually became the juggernaut of the grocery market. In some ways it was the Walmart of its day without the predatory outsourcing, though volume buying helped it edge smaller chains and independent stores out of many communities.

What REALLY Happened to A&P? (A&P History)

"Atlantic & Pacific"

 

[Jacob Petersheim]

"Atlantic & Pacific"

As far as I can recall ad images online the signs just said A&P toward the end. Sure, we all know it started as Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company.

 

[Mary Stetler]

In my corner of the world Woolworths was a semi-fancy place right down town that I had never seen until it was on its last legs around 1973. There was a similar (already dead) store next door (W. T. Grants?) and beyond that on the other corner of the block a seen better days Kresges store.

Way out on the suburban fringe where I was small, the five and dime was a Ben Franklin store. Loved that place: so much to gawk at as I counted my pocket change over and over. I bought my first little pen knife there, and I still imagine that shade of slightly-bluish green opalescent celluloid handle coating.

None of that remains today, in either area. That downtown block was razed long ago and turned into a monument "park" for a Civil Rights figure not even from the area.

One of my first jobs was in Grants.