"Retracing Steps Along the Famous Strip, Part 1" - Time Out #65

I'm not really sure when Our Town's famous South Washington Street " The Strip" was named, but it was a pretty neat place to frequently visit on my 20" bike in the 1950's. It was certainly alive and well then, and only a few blocks ride east for me along 4th Avenue in our Norman Rockwell type, small town America. I don't necessarily think I made the mile long round trip ride on a daily basis, but I guided my wonderful mode of transportation down there lots of days. If I didn't go there, I did make it to destination #2, Powell's Grocery, just a block north of our rented home, and Tower Park, with it's classic,metal water tower across the street from the local, neighborhood mom-and-pop grocery. You see back then, mom and pop ownership and operation of all businesses were the norm in our less-populated US of A.

Before I digress more, back to the Strip of yesteryear.

What was it that drew a young lad like me to this collection of lots of mom and pop retail establishments?

Variety for my young mind and eyes to view, and, occasionally, spend my hard-earned empty, returned soda pop bottle money at a few assorted locations along The Strip.

Once again, for you real experts out there in reader land.

I might accidently overlook a few of our favorite haunts, but let me assure you, I am trying desperately not to omit any business; so please forgive me?

From then 2-lane, and after school released in May, 1959, to widened 4-lane Sixth Avenue north on South Washington Street were the following long-ago businesses. West side of the street, (Virgil) Simpson Pontiac, with it's service entrance on the south side, facing 6th, and its new, 1-car showroom facing South Washington Street. I remember when I would gaze through the large plate glass front at a new Super Chief sedan with all its elaborate rear fins, so popular in models back then. Not to mention Virgil's middle son, Chris, was a classmate of mine, and his father sponsored our Pontiac Chief little league baseball team back in the day.

Moving north next door was Kenny's (Flaming) IGA, a locally-owned larger, association type of grocery store. My father and owner, Kenny, were good friends, and we frequently shopped there for our family food needs. I always enjoyed it even more if my father, Col. Breedlove, would let me talk him into buying a half gallon of ice cream or a bag of crisp cookies, carefully placed in our shopping cart at Kenny's.

Crossing the street, there was Simack's Frozen Foods on the corner. What a unique business. It would store frozen foods for people who didn't have or didn't want to store frozen foods in their homes, and would rent individual family lockers there. The renters would then come down and withdraw whatever they wanted to eat that day or soon, and take the products home with them. If I remember correctly, Simack's also sold frozen foods and possibly some unfrozen foods to the public. Home refrigerators then had relatively small freezer sections, and larger, home individual freezer units were few and far between, creating a large demand for this very unusual business. Lots of great peer bonding on that team long ago.

Next in line going north was the famous Aggie Barbeque. This was truly a Stillwater legend.. It was primarily a drive-in type (with car hops) of business.It offered delicious, greasy foods, along with various drinks including lots of the alcohol variety. It was certainly a place to be seen in your rod; lots of local atmosphere for the time. Other brick and mortar structures along the street were Brock's Shoe repair shop with it's longtime, always friendly little cobbler owner on site, and RJ Cleaners. RJ's was named after Reuben Jay, who along with brother, Frank, and sister-in;law, Mary Frances, (and, eventually all the Jay youngsters helping, too) ran an absolutely first-class cleaning facility for many, many years. The entire family was really an asset in so many ways for Our Town for years. Frank Jr. was my little league basketball coach, among many of the Jay family volunteer activities they did for our community for several decades. Mary Frances was just simply a wonderful person.

Continuing north on the east side of Washington was another institution, Carp's Bowling Alley. Talk about colorful, Carp's was certainly that! Not only was it a bowling alley with all the bowling pins set by human hands in the back of each lane, but Carp's also offered food, drink (yes, alcohol, too) and those addictive pinball machines. Those electronic games captured many a youthful nickel each game. Yours truly greatly contributed to that pinball pastime during my youth, for many, many hours in the the dimly lit, cigarette-smoke filled air at Carp's. I think some of my relic clothes today still have that smokey odor on them?

A few years later, a business across the street from Carp's, The Cue, captured my older age time since it was loaded with snooker and pool tables, along with those enticing pinball machines.

As I write this installment, I wonder just how many times I told my father I was going to ride my bike to visit one of my many buddies, only to make a direct dash for The Strip since those extra nickels were burning a hole in my jean pockets? I guess as quick as I could put my money in those pinball machines and listen to their bells ring, lights shine and extra plays won, I thought I had truly captured magic!

Part 2 installment next Sunday will pick up from West 4th Avenue and South Washington Street location, and continue the trip down memory lane to the north, ending at West University Avenue.

I can't hardly wait to remember that section with you..........