"The Gathering Spot of Long Ago" - Time Out #75

Every generation everywhere has at least one of these places in their town.

It has many names; the gathering spot, the 'in" spot, the place to be regularly seen, the hangout, etc.

I'm sure Our Town had more than one place that qualified with the above-mentioned criteria, but my absolute winner during my formative, 1950's years, was McCaffree's Drug Store. It was located on the southeast corner of West 4th Avenue & South Washington Street, where today, that space is occupied by the Wooden Nickel Clothing Store.

Dear readers, I told you, during previous installments, I would re-visit The Strip of yesteryear, and specifically talk about this iconic drug store.

That revisit time has arrived today!

It was about a half mile to pedal my 20" Colson bicycle, traveling east down tree-lined West 4th Avenue from our rented home at 1521 West 4th Avenue. I probably made it to McCaffree's in only a few minutes. I was highly motivated because I knew when I arrived at my frequently visited destination, I could relax and begin making that day's careful observations. Even as a young child, I had a very curious mind, and asked lots of questions. This genetic trait has my father's imprint all over it!

You see, this popular building was sort of the "general store" of the time, a true mom-and-pop business, as were most brick and mortar places in those simpler and gentler times. Our Town people would enter either the north or west facing doors, with a multitude of choices on how to spend their hard-earned money inside McCaffree's. The most obvious reasons were the friendly pharmacists that virtually everyone knew, and the many sick patients or their family members who would bring their hand-written physician's prescriptions in to be filled. This main function, of course, would help the sick quickly get on their path to recovery. The public would also regularly supplement their heath care needs by purchasing over-the-counter medical products that were always available on the shelves. If you weren't sure what to buy to help your health problem, you could always get a free medical consult and advice from a pharmacist or a nice, helpful store employee.

So, I did spend lots of time merely looking at the medication/health needs merchandise, being a curious subteen, and frequently engaged in friendly conversation with the pharmacy folks. However, my real love of the establishment was on the other side of the store. That beloved area housed the restaurant facilities!

Yes, McCaffree's had some of the best food EVER I thought then, and even now, my mouth waters thinking about those hamburgers,fries,malts,ice cream, and the best of all, the plastic jumbo tumbler-size cold root beer with ice for a nickel. For no additional charge, you could also add flavoring to your soda, such as cherry, vanilla, lime, etc. It was pure enjoyment, putting their big waxed paper straw into the huge tumbler and sucking down the cold, bubbling drink on a hot summer day! No worries about excess weight back then, folks.

Store patrons had the choice of either sitting on metal, vinyl-covered stools along a counter and looking directly at the kitchen staff, or choosing a booth, and being able to stretch out a little bit to further enjoy the dining atmosphere. Because of the smaller size of the eating area compared with today's modern restaurants, McCaffree's had a "down home" feeling about it. It was common to strike up conversations with fellow diners while you were enjoying your order. It was a relaxation location, too, with local business people coming in throughout the day to enjoy their coffee, tea, dessert, etc.,while catching up on what was going on in Our Town and the rest of planet earth. I cemented many,many friendships in that little corner of the world.

As I mentioned earlier, if McCaffree's didn't have the product you wanted at the time, chances are you really didn't need it. It was the catch-all place with various hardware items and parts, small appliances and parts, practically anything you might need to run a home then from the inside or the outside. I always thought if I had been trapped inside the store for a month or so due to a natural or man-made disaster, I could have survived on McCaffree's inventory!

Yes, there are some businesses today that appear to have everything. However, as I reflect back when I look at the whole package of a friendly,honest staff, fair prices for the time,

and truly one-stop shopping, I have to say this store has no equal in my mind's eye.

Simply put, McCaffree's, you ruled!!!