How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (Mesa: fruit, plastic)

[SluggoF16]

Originally Posted by desertskies

Cowboys!!! Yeah I remember a night there in 1982. I have a pic of myself and a ladyfriend from the evening. I dated the pic and put it away (no, I will not post it). Occasionally, I will take it out and look at it. The memories from that night come back.

Cowboys? Oh yeah, I remember Cowboys .

Yep, went there a couple times in 1980 after "Urban Cowboy" made country cool again. Wasn't it a converted supermarket or similar business.

[kgb1956]

Originally Posted by SluggoF16

Yep, went there a couple times in 1980 after "Urban Cowboy" made country cool again. Wasn't it a converted supermarket or similar business.

yeh i seem to remember a smiths grocery afterwards too. and on the westside was Tooley's...another country bar

[locolobo13]

Originally Posted by kgb1956

yeh i seem to remember a smiths grocery afterwards too. and on the westside was Tooley's...another country bar

If that was the Tooley's at 43rd & Thomas I think it was in an old Safeway. At least that was what was in that shopping center in the 60s.

[jukebox47]

Some years ago I purchased an old advertising clock. The seller believed it was a downtown Phoenix original,
Rogers Jewelers - 31 E Monroe. I like old Phoenix stuff. I could not find the store on my 1959 phone book but this style of clock is quite a bit before 1959. I hope someone has a memory or information on the business. It could be from another City since these street names are often used in many cities. The picture link is to a Photobucket album.

I have a slave clock from Phoenix Union High in the attic. Slave clock were driven electrically by a master clock in a central location such as Administration. That way every clock in an entire complex always had the same time. The hands moved once every minute. I believe it came from Building 5 or Building 8. When it cools off a bit more I will see if I can find it and post a picture. As students we all stared at those slave clocks wishing the incremental hands would just move a bit faster. Now the hands of time move too fast.
Thanks Everyone!

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/...f/MVC-500S.jpg

[roosevelt]

Originally Posted by jukebox47

Some years ago I purchased an old advertising clock. The seller believed it was a downtown Phoenix original,
Rogers Jewelers - 31 E Monroe. I like old Phoenix stuff. I could not find the store on my 1959 phone book but this style of clock is quite a bit before 1959. I hope someone has a memory or information on the business. It could be from another City since these street names are often used in many cities. The picture link is to a Photobucket album.


http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/...f/MVC-500S.jpg

Rogers Jewelers moved around a lot, in the 40's he was at 29 E. Adams, then on Monroe, then over to 117 E. Washington which would be in the Fox Theater building.

I see the Mustang motorcycle sign on the wall; lots of guys I knew in the 50's had one; some almost killed in accidents because it was on the small side and but went up to 65 miles an hour; of course that was not as bad as the tiny Doodlebug scooter.

[jukebox47]

Originally Posted by roosevelt

Rogers Jewelers moved around a lot, in the 40's he was at 29 E. Adams, then on Monroe, then over to 117 E. Washington which would be in the Fox Theater building.

I see the Mustang motorcycle sign on the wall; lots of guys I knew in the 50's had one; some almost killed in accidents because it was on the small side and but went up to 65 miles an hour; of course that was not as bad as the tiny Doodlebug scooter.

Thanks Roosevelt! I am happy to get the clock confirmed as a Phoenix clock.

I'll get a picture of the Mustang Motorcycle sign/poster. They were very fast and as you say many were injured and killed on them. They were a lot more expensive than the Cushman scooters. Mustangs had rather poor brakes and a good sized engine coupled to a English made Burman transmission of 3 or 4 speed design. Later and more costly Mustangs were available with chrome spoked wheels from Italy with decent internal expanding brakes. I wanted one very badly but I had used Cushmans and Allstates until a crash on Central Avenue ended my foolish and youthful two wheel days.

[roosevelt]

Originally Posted by jukebox47

Thanks Roosevelt! I am happy to get the clock confirmed as a Phoenix clock.

I'll get a picture of the Mustang Motorcycle sign/poster. They were very fast and as you say many were injured and killed on them. They were a lot more expensive than the Cushman scooters. Mustangs had rather poor brakes and a good sized engine coupled to a English made Burman transmission of 3 or 4 speed design. Later and more costly Mustangs were available with chrome spoked wheels from Italy with decent internal expanding brakes. I wanted one very badly but I had used Cushmans and Allstates until a crash on Central Avenue ended my foolish and youthful two wheel days.

Rogers was an old time jeweler in Phoenix, probably around since late 30's when there were only about 12 jewelers in all of Phoenix. Funk and Rosenzweig were the other two old timers.

This city thread is approaching 700,000; best in the nation. People who live or have lived here have fond memories.

[papergypsy]

Just found this forum and thought I would add my memories. I was raised in the 20th Street and Missouri area, and graduated from Camelback in the mid-60s. We would walk home from school, and I remember that the area between 24th and 22nd, from Camelback Rd to Highland was all open field. We also prided ourselves on having cute dress with shoes and purses to match. No Levi's, Nike's and backpacks. I was very surprised to find out that if I lived in that same house today, I would be attending North High.

When Town and Country was first being built, they had an area that contained lots of old things like buggies and furniture. It was never put into a formal viewing space like a museum, it was just all piled together and fenced off in the walkway. There was a neat food court down in the area where Trade Joe's is today. I remember getting "haystack sandwich" - a submarine roll stuffed with cold cuts, lettuce and tomatoes - and seeing tanks full of lobsters and crabs. Tang's Imports went into that space after the the food court moved to the other side of the center (where Bookstar was located).

Behind Town and Country was a small 9 hole golf course called Milky Way Golf Course. I remember huge nets that kept balls from flying onto 20th Street and into the elementary school at 20th and Campbell. Across the street from the school was Dick Smith Swim Gym, and it is where I learned to swim in 1956. Dick Smith went on to become the coach of the US Olympic women's diving team in 1964 and the coach of the men's team in 1968.

I spent 3 winters working at Phoenix Star Theater (now known as Celebrity Theater) in '65, '66 and '67. It was a great way to see a musical starring the likes of Betsy Palmer, Jan Murray, John Raitt or Howard Keel. Vegas-worthy shows also appeared there - George Carlin with John Davidson, Wayne Newton, The King Family and Liberace. Tickets ranged from $2.50 to $3.00. The show casts and headliners stayed across the parking lot in the Hiway House motel. They had a miniature train that ran around the pool and through the gardens.

Week-ends were meant for dancing and partying (different connotation of partying that what is used today), and we danced at Stage 7 on 7th Street near Indian School. We would go out to the armory by Papago for dances if we could find someone to drive us. Of course that someone would never be a parent, because most of our parents heard stories about the armory dances and well, you know.

Left Phoenix in the 70's, but still go back to visit my brother and his family. What shocks me the most is that I see lots of desert friendly landscaping and very little green grass in the yards. Looks like constant winter, when nobody irrigated and their bermuda grass and it turned brown until the first irrigation of spring.

[jukebox47]

Originally Posted by roosevelt

Rogers Jewelers moved around a lot, in the 40's he was at 29 E. Adams, then on Monroe, then over to 117 E. Washington which would be in the Fox Theater building.

I see the Mustang motorcycle sign on the wall; lots of guys I knew in the 50's had one; some almost killed in accidents because it was on the small side and but went up to 65 miles an hour; of course that was not as bad as the tiny Doodlebug scooter.

Here is a Pic of the Mustang Motorcycles Poster.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/...f/MVC-541S.jpg

[jukebox47]

Originally Posted by papergypsy

Just found this forum and thought I would add my memories. I was raised in the 20th Street and Missouri area, and graduated from Camelback in the mid-60s. We would walk home from school, and I remember that the area between 24th and 22nd, from Camelback Rd to Highland was all open field. We also prided ourselves on having cute dress with shoes and purses to match. No Levi's, Nike's and backpacks. I was very surprised to find out that if I lived in that same house today, I would be attending North High.

When Town and Country was first being built, they had an area that contained lots of old things like buggies and furniture. It was never put into a formal viewing space like a museum, it was just all piled together and fenced off in the walkway. There was a neat food court down in the area where Trade Joe's is today. I remember getting "haystack sandwich" - a submarine roll stuffed with cold cuts, lettuce and tomatoes - and seeing tanks full of lobsters and crabs. Tang's Imports went into that space after the the food court moved to the other side of the center (where Bookstar was located).

Behind Town and Country was a small 9 hole golf course called Milky Way Golf Course. I remember huge nets that kept balls from flying onto 20th Street and into the elementary school at 20th and Campbell. Across the street from the school was Dick Smith Swim Gym, and it is where I learned to swim in 1956. Dick Smith went on to become the coach of the US Olympic women's diving team in 1964 and the coach of the men's team in 1968.

I spent 3 winters working at Phoenix Star Theater (now known as Celebrity Theater) in '65, '66 and '67. It was a great way to see a musical starring the likes of Betsy Palmer, Jan Murray, John Raitt or Howard Keel. Vegas-worthy shows also appeared there - George Carlin with John Davidson, Wayne Newton, The King Family and Liberace. Tickets ranged from $2.50 to $3.00. The show casts and headliners stayed across the parking lot in the Hiway House motel. They had a miniature train that ran around the pool and through the gardens.

Week-ends were meant for dancing and partying (different connotation of partying that what is used today), and we danced at Stage 7 on 7th Street near Indian School. We would go out to the armory by Papago for dances if we could find someone to drive us. Of course that someone would never be a parent, because most of our parents heard stories about the armory dances and well, you know.

Left Phoenix in the 70's, but still go back to visit my brother and his family. What shocks me the most is that I see lots of desert friendly landscaping and very little green grass in the yards. Looks like constant winter, when nobody irrigated and their bermuda grass and it turned brown until the first irrigation of spring.

Great memories! I had forgotten many of the things you mentioned. Thank You! I do remember hearing about dances at the armory. I suppose that was on 52nd St and South of Mcdowell. I spent a lot of time with the National Guard there. Do you remember Arizona Bandstand? I think it was short lived but my sister went there once or twice. I'll have to see what she can remember.

There has been a big push to dump grass and go with xeriscape (desert) for water conservation. We did in front but just got to have grass in the back. Cities often reward $$ people who install water saving features and devices. My parent's water bill in the 1950's was always $2.40/month. Lucky it was because we had a water hungry evaporative cooler.