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| Photo made at Northland's Vincent Price Studio Jim, Me, Jane 1964 (?) |
First, my brother Jim:
OK where do I start....
Oh and driving just down West Florissant to have Jason Pancakes (where I worked) or......a little bit further to Peaches Records (where I spent a boat load of money filling my Peaches Crate with records)..... and little bit further to Tipton Appliance ( where I worked) PS - I got my "turtles" (caramel -pecan clusters) at Famous Barr at often 2 for 1 prices because my Dad was the store Electrician!!
- Eating onion soup in the Pickwick located in the basement of Famous Barr.
- Working in the stock room of Famous Barr.
- Mom taking me to the men's department every year to buy me 5 shirts, 5 pairs of pants, 5 pairs of socks, 5 pairs of underwear and one year an orange Nehru Jacket ( not sure I ever wore out the house)
- Buying (Joe Namath style) Dingo boots
- Buying my 74 class ring at Wehmueller Jewlers. ($38 and way cooler than the catalog rings hawked at the high school)
- Buying my James Bond novels and Peanuts books in SS Kresge.
- Going out for luxury dinner at Popes Cafeteria
- Every summer when the Carnival arrived on the upper lot....The carneys swindling me out of $20 bucks with 25 cent chances at winning stuffed toy on the quarter plate toss.
- Watching the fireworks on the hill above the Cinema.
- Getting my Senior yearbook class pictures taken at Boyd's
- Watching Bonnie & Clyde at the Cinema with Dada...and being really embarrassed when the opening seen was a naked Faye Dunaway
Speaking of carnivals at Northland, my friend Terry confesses:
One summer (I was maybe 17) when summer work was hard to get, I worked briefly at one of those traveling carnivals that was set up in the Northland parking lot. Not an especially good job, eventually I got a position working at the Ponticello's on Goodfellows.Carol recalls: Loved the Mavrakos Candy store! And Famous had a great candy counter, too---bought nonpareils there!
My brother-in-law Tom:
Jaci, you can put a couple of my memories in there:-Mavrakos Candy store: Dad would buy chocolates at their downtown store on rare occasions, but I don't think he dared take any of us into the Northland store.-Thom McAnn shoes: Dad took me once and simply told the male clerk he wanted "service shoes" for me. I had never heard the term before, but the clerk knew exactly what he meant----black, plain-toe oxfords. When I got my first issue of uniforms, boots and shoes in basic training 20 years later, I was able to put that shoe-shopping trip and Dad's brief statement to the clerk into a much larger context: I guess most men in the late 1950's had had some connection with military duty, and understood common military uniform terminology.
It amazes me how many people remember the candy and food. My friend Jane recalled:
Margie responded to Jane's memories:
- I had forgotten about the candles on the roof at Christmas. I loved the Heavenly Hash and Bridge Mix from the candy counter. Also loved the French Onion Soup with croutons and wonderful cheese on top.
- Bob and I walked to Northland and back before he had a car.
- I also remember painting the windows at Northland around Halloween
Yes, Jane. The Heavenly Hash was out of this world. I think on certain days they had it for half price per pound. I remember on paydays going to Northland, depositing my pay check and then treating myself to Heavenly Hash. All good memories.My sister, Jane summed up our feelings:
When you lose the historical sites you keep the memories, but you can't say, that is where I bought my prom dress, that is where I bought my wedding dress, you can't look at the candy counter and say this is where my dad would get his sweet fix, or climb up on a stool at the dime store and say to your grandchildren, "I used to always get hot fudge sundaes here. When I was a teen I would shop for my shoes at this store." Let's just say Target doesn't always hit the target.
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