And good morning. Guess who's here? Carol.
June 14 and Jim Messier. We're talking about the history of
our scene today. It's part three and with Plaza. We'll be
talking about the asphalt and the parking lines in Elwood
Plaza today. That's what we're down to and the driveway and
how it's changed over the past 100 years. Come on down. You
know what hold on. There we go. That's my fault. Okay, now go
ahead, Jim. You can talk. Okay. So, so this is part three
and this is the final part of Elwood Plaza. Yes. Well, you
know, it's really strange. Elwood Plaza tried to put downtown
out of it. Didn't try to, but that's, you know, we're going
to put downtown out of business. They didn't downtown
thrive. Then the mall came and when the mall is going to
put Elwood Plaza out of business and the mall's gone and
Elwood Plaza is still around still surviving. Yep. And that's
not just the Asian buffet where people are. I think so. Yeah, I
know. There's always a jam of cars in front of the Asian
buffet. I have to go back there. I'm hungry now. All right, so
let's talk about part three of Elwood Plaza. And let's kick
it off with Jim. Thank you, Don. We always love to share our
memories of growing up in Racine, as you know. Now, we didn't
think we'd need three programs for the Elwood Plaza, but with
his grand opening back in 56, followed by 25, hey, day
years, and with 33 stores, we just cover, we couldn't cover
them all in, in two broadcasts. So here we are for our final
one. We think it's final, Jim. Oh, it better. I think you
mentioned 26. You're expecting 26 installments of this.
Yes. Yeah. The person we're going to talk about the asphalt
on the roof, the roof sealer has changed over the years.
Really exciting. We have not done a three-parter for three
months, ever. But you see, Elwood Plaza, it had, in its
hey, day, 33 stores, as you mentioned, Jim. And so when we
had our part one, we had to get delve into that opening, the
grand opening and how thrilling and 2000 spaces for free
parking. That was our first month. Last month, we began
shopping. And last month, we shopped for women's clothes. We
went to Vegas and pennies and gold blasts. We bought knee
socks and pleated skirts. Jim, you went to Richmond's for
peg pants. What a peg pants. I'm afraid to ask real tight pants
really. He told us he got demerets at singhands in high school
for wearing peg pants. Are they called skinny jeans today?
Amazing. And we gals for last month. We went to Totsin
Teens. Famous for poodle skirts. Red Cross drug was part of
recene. And right there at Elwood from the very beginning,
perfumes, hairsprays, guys for hair tonics. And then shopping
for shoes last month, go-go boots had come in. And then we
were both men and women wearing loafers. Wait a minute, go back
to go-go boots. Did you wear go-go boots? They were white
short boots for women. Actually, actually, I was more the
sales saddle shoe type. Very boring. Okay, I'll tell you my
go-go boot story. My brother used to play with a lot of big
groups of the 60s, like the Shangri-La's, the Sherales,
Rooming the Romantic, Benny King. And he was doing a show with
the Shangri-La's. Now, if you remember, the Shangri-La's
walking in the sand, a leader of the pack, they had a lot of
big hits, a couple of big hits. Anyway, and the late singer,
she was a blonde girl. And there were two brunette twins
be back in her up. They were there. That was the Shangri-La's
and they were in go-go boots. And one of the twins, her boots
were hurting her. My mother was there in the dressing room. And
she noticed my mother's boots. She's kind of tried those on. I
can't. These things are just hurting my feet today. So they
switch go-go boots. And they never switched back. So in the
attic, my mother had the Shangri-La's go-go boots. And are they
bronzed on your mantle today? I see through them. I see
throughout my high school. I know she did that. She's not
everything out. I would have saved the go-go boots. Yeah.
Imagine. Imagine. They would be worth $4.75 today. Is that
what you're willing to pay? I'll go find them. Put them on
eBay. So those were the go-go blue white short boots that
women wore in the 1960s. Yes. Yes. Yes. Big time. Well, of
course, not today, we're going to venture into so many of the
stars again and then close it up. But our two anchors, gold
blacks, of course, was right out of Chicago. And we were all
excited about that. So Jim, walk us through gold blacks. That
was a plaza's most popular store and probably the biggest.
Their lower level contained a lunch counter and a clearance
department. Now, they sold everything there. They had a
garden center. They sold furniture appliances. They had a pet
department. They had a beauty salon, candy department. They
sold houseware sporting goods, cameras. You name it. They
sold it. They also sold Christmas trees, of course, during
the season. But my favorite story was about that minor bird.
Some kids taught it some nasty words, shall we say? They
always did that. He was brought up by my house. They taught the
minor bird some other parrot about a nasty word. Yeah. So I
don't know where all of a sudden this barrage of swear words
comes out of this bird and much to the amazement of clerks
and shoppers. Your mother wears your mother wears combat
boots, bra. That's right. So Carol has some prices. She's
going to share with us from the old days of gold blacks.
Well, what is fun is through the years, people will ask, Jim,
do you want this? Do you want that knowing that he's a
collector? So he's got a treasure of recene journal times
newspapers from 50s and 60s. And boy, is that fun to look for
the ads? And did gold blacks ever have a lot of ads? So just
picking out some, they were in one of them, they were just
reminding us of all the houseware brands that they had,
Revereware, Sunbeam, Pyrex, Hamilton Beach. Now, I never heard
of Desco, and I didn't look it up. Well, they were probably
selling Desco. We'd better look that up. But they had, for
instance, a sale on view master sets. Do you remember the view
master where you put the car? The three day, the three day
all over the view master slides from all over the world. And you
get to see the old ancient ruins three day. Yeah, they were
good. Well, and I had one that was my favorite, which was
Washington DC at Cherry blossom time. So I was enthralled with
the view master Washington, Washington DC. That cost you a
whole dollar 75 at gold flats. Slide projectors, though,
were surprisingly expensive. Do you remember how popular
slide projectors were? Sure. Everyone took sites. That was
$85. So that was really something. Norge upright freezers.
Yeah, dollar 196 196 dollars couch slip covers just six
dollars. So gold flats apparently, you know, in their ads,
they were ready to serve you with everything pennies was the
other major anchor. Last month, we did a lot of clothes
shopping at pennies on our program. But pennies was also known
for household linens. Now, where were they located pennies?
Well, where were they Jim Wright? That was east of gold
flats. Yeah, yeah, east of gold flats. Well, gold flats was
a big store. Yeah, right. No, they weren't as big. They had
two levels as well. Okay. Yeah. Jim lived right by Elma Plaza.
So he's our expert on all locations things because he hung
around there his neighborhood. Oh, yeah, his black leather jacket.
His peg his peg pants in larger shirt. That's that's how you
could spot him. But pennies, the household goods towels,
curtains and things. So having the fun of looking at those old
papers, the newspapers, they didn't just say throw rugs for
sale. They called their rugs scatter rugs scatter rugs. All
the time, they were advertised $4.44 a valence for your
curtains, a dollar bed spread $5. But they also in one
head featured Samsonite luggage, five sizes, probably a light
blue color. But every woman who had a set of luggage had a
thing called a train case. Did your mother done have a train
case? No, my mother didn't have much luggage. We didn't go
anywhere. Classic bags. Well, a train case was kind of like a
square box with a handle on top. So a completely different
shape than your regular luggage. But the train case was for your
makeup. It had a mirror. It had your curlers. It had your hair
spray. That was the train case. And that Samsonite at pennies
was only $15 for each item. Candy counter. We all remember
that from downtown as well pennies. And it's wonderful. Glass
and closed candy counter. One great thing about pennies and
maybe some of the other stores, they were well known for their
layaway plan. And so we gals, if we were babysitting, they
have our money for clothes. Well, maybe an hour before your
wide dance, you could go to pennies and retrieve your dream
about outfit that you put in a layaway. And Don, what are you
doing now? So what you call it the box? A train case. Look at
this. I wish everyone could see this now. That's a tackle
box. Now what it is is it's a makeup box. And years ago back
in the 90s, I bought it to bring equipment in here, wires and
so forth with us where we went. And I bought it at some store
and it was a was a makeup box. And they said you get this for
your wife is numb getting it for work. I need to go. This is
too much. This is a very elaborate train case with different
apartments. Yeah. So that's what you're talking about. Yes,
somebody here found it laying in some corner of the building.
And I just really that is exactly a train case. But you're
name on it. Too bad this is an on television. When are we
going on TV? I think it does have my name on it. When are we
going on TV? You want to? Yeah, we don't want to. We don't
want to. Well, anyway, now Jim, another standard was
creskies. Yep, yep. Walk us through creskies. Oh, boy, if
you were a young boy, that was your favorite store, any
time store was the ones downtown. But if you live on a
south side, you went to creskies or Snyder's on Taylor. But
there you could buy your your model planes, your plastic
toy soldiers and other army stuff. They sold live turtles.
Merlot turtles. Yeah, I used to get those all the time. Yeah,
we didn't stop them because they were giving some disease.
That's right. Yeah, but I'm not a little baby turtle. You got a
little plastic thing with a plastic palm tree. Yeah. Oh, my
turtles. Yeah, yeah, for about 19 cents. So whatever you can
bring on the turtle. Yeah, lots of cheap toys there.
Cap guns. Of course, every boy had to have a cap gun, you know,
for protection or whatever I don't know. And of course, toy
cars and trucks. But that was the place where you would get
your comic books. And of course, that was my number one
destination for Mad Magazine because that's where I picked up
my local Mad Magazine. Want me worried? Yeah, that's right.
So, Carol, what were some of the things that the girls
bought there? Well, I don't think we were buying Mad Magazine.
Maybe maybe maybe some of my friends were, but we bought things
like, you know, makeup and our mother's aprons, nylons,
boring stuff. But yeah, yes, but games. Oh, do you remember
Kootie? That just that name. Sure. Kootie. Yeah, it'll
place the thingy's stuck the arms and legs into their
cookies. And Mr. Potato Head and so forth. But, you know,
when you mention turtles, I don't know if this is even
turtles. Were they were they mistreated, guys? No, no, my
house, they weren't. I mean, in the star, I hope. No, no, no,
they were just plastic containers. Yeah, they put them
in a jacket like an aquarium and walked in and you picked
a turtle at your own home. They were tiny things. Yeah, did
you have a coming home party for them? Well, anyway,
my friends had parakeets. Jackie Olson had a parakeet. My
friend Maria had a parakeet. My husband's distant cousins,
the Gen 40s had had a parakeet and Jim, you had a parakeet.
Well, we had two of them. Sure. Yeah. We had parakeets
about two, three years ago. We still had parakeets. Really?
Well, I thought it was sensational at the time, but still,
well, anyway, in those newspapers of gyms, you could buy a
parakeet at Cresquis, $1.57, and you owned a parakeet.
We love their parakeets. We never lost a motor in the day.
They love it. They love it. They used to sit on a roof of the
cave. Exactly. Fly around the roof and then land on the roof.
We had a dog. One day, he landed on the dog's back.
The dog just let him stand there. He didn't care. Well, what's so
funny is, you know, being 77 years old, Jackie Olson, my
neighbor with the parakeet. Would you believe I called her up
in Florida a couple of years ago and I said, Jackie,
was your parakeet named Rosco? And she said, yes, that was
Roscoe. So we remember they had their parakeet.
Everybody's hurrying to goldlats for good old-fashioned
savings. It's goldlats fabulous one day only
sailed tomorrow, Thursday. Goldlats create low prices on
brand new items, values in every department with extra late
shopping hours to help you save even more. Look at these great
values. Save $7.00 and Oster 10 speed blender only
1999. Colgate toothpaste with an MFP only 89 cents each.
Hurry to goldlats one day only sailed tomorrow and bring a friend.
There you go, goldlats. That's it. The big anchor store and they
had the big phone. Well, you was that big fire. They had the
82, I think it was. Yeah, 81 early 80s. Yeah, early 80s.
So just say early 80s. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That'll cover us.
I don't want fights breaking out. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Carol Jean 14 Jimba series here. We're doing point three in the
final part of them with Plaza. Unless you guys have any more
of them with Plaza. We're thinking we're going to walk the
waste paper baskets around the air. Plaza. That's the exciting.
Yeah. So, okay. So let's talk now. You're still at. We're still at
Crescus. Crescus came out. Crescus. Yeah. Because just think of
when we were teens as baby boomers how independently felt.
We could go to Crescus, sit at that lunch counter for a dollar,
hamburger fries and a coke. If we were old, we could have a turkey dinner
at Crescus lunch counter. 99 cents. With prune juice.
Yeah. I heard one. And goldlats, they had the
Adelica test and snack bar in that lower level.
But again, Jim, you being an element a lot from your neighborhood.
Where else did you go for? Oh boy. They had a Lindstrom
bakery there. They were famous for their cakes. They also had a couple
other locations in town. Fanny Farmer, Candy was there next to
Goldblast. Our favorite was something called Fairy Food,
which was square, but with a chocolate cover.
Golden Mellow Carmel Corn was located on the east end. They had the best caramel
corn. And of course, everybody remembers.
Tomkins velvet freeze ice cream. You could go for
25 cent Sundays. They had malls. They were famous for their
fried chicken, also burgers and fish. They just simply had just great
food over there. We also had some music stores over there, Carol.
Yes, we even had a couple places for music. Now,
would you believe in the 1950s? Many mothers and grandmothers,
what did they want? They wanted a Hammond Horde
organ. And the number of my friends in their living room
was a Hammond Horde organ. And I think what happened with that
at the Hammond organ store. They sold a lot of them, but people I think found out
that it was a lot harder to play. And you're taking
piano lessons done, so you know it gets harder and harder.
If I practice more, I'd be able to play, but we're getting there.
Well, anyway, so I think a lot of the Hammond Horde
organs did end up in a state sales and rubber sales, but they
had the store. Yeah, they were cheap, a little plastic.
They weren't big. No, they were because I looked it up.
The ones we're speaking of, they were living room furniture.
One thousand five hundred dollars was the average price.
I know the Hammond beef, beef free organs. They were huge,
but I didn't know about that. Now, if you go to church, you see the big Hammond
organs, they have there. Well, these were living room size. Wow, okay.
But the dream come true from many mothers.
Jim, about how the records records plaza record store was located on the
east end. That was a family run store owned by the Niesen family.
And originally it was located in the basement before they moved upstairs to the
east end near velvet freeze, actually. And you could buy your latest Beatles
records there, Elvis, all your British invasion groups.
And they even had a punch cards where if you bought 1245s,
you get the next one free. And like I mentioned, the entire family
worked there. And if you didn't know the name of a song,
Humm a few bars, and the owner, June would identify it for you.
He also had what plaza also had a sewing center for
the ladies, right? Why would say 99 and 910s for women?
Yeah. And that was the era where still
clothes, very, very maybe intricate clothes were sewn.
I had friends whose mothers would make them outfits,
but the problem with those outfits, even though they were beautiful,
they were usually not ready until five minutes before a white dance.
So the gals would be waiting and to put on your new outfit.
But the plaza sewing center, one thing that they had then was
banks and banks of furniture holding all the patterns,
the simplicity patterns for the sewing. And I think you've said,
Jim, your mother and sister covered the dining room table all the time.
All the time. What patterns. Yeah.
Right. Well, and it was so important and received.
And this is really pretty fantastic. But again, business for the plaza
sewing center at Washington, Jr. High, when I was in
Jr. High early 60s, we had everybody,
boys and girls had to have one quarter of a year with sewing class.
And so we made like girls made skirts and we made
aprons. And my apron was so special. It not only had a pocket,
but guess what? It had a towel attached to the pocket.
So you could wipe your hands under towel.
So that is how important sewing was in the era of the 50s and 60s.
Kind of sad that I think quilting has greatly taken its place
for sewing, but I don't think. Well, sewing stores are still there.
A different one, but yes, it's very popular.
So insane. So insane. And very, very popular in our community.
Okay. And then you hung around Jim a lot. So tell us more about where you were.
Oh, yeah, there was actually a miniature golf course.
They're located on the west side. I think a little behind
Walgreens, 18 holes. And I remember the last hole.
If you got the ball in the clown's mouth, you got a free game.
Oh, there was also Spencer's bowling lanes there.
24 lanes. We go every Saturday morning with neighbors and friends and
bowl, maybe six or seven games. A lot of fun.
We sort of taught each other how to play.
And those were the days where you kept your own score.
And another one. Were you ever on bowling with the champs?
Oh, yeah, every week.
Another place we would go there would be in the late spring about now.
I would be the carnival that would be set up there near where the Walgreens is right now.
That's where you go with your friends. And the best part was you'd meet girls there.
Members of the opposite sex.
Yes, that's right.
Well, continuing on with our hard day of shopping.
Have you ever got out of Jim Street gang days?
This hard shopping venture.
Jewelry. There was Mortensen's Jewelry star.
And what were we looking for in those days?
Well, birthstones. We gals. We knew our birthstone.
We wanted birthstone necklaces or rings.
We wanted crosses.
But this was also the peak of the charm bracelet years.
In my deep research, I found out that the 50s were a big peak on charm bracelets and 60s.
Circle pins, broaches, earrings were a lot of rhinestones and watches.
Watches still are popular, of course, but Spidell and the watch band, a lot of everything.
I remember those from the quiz shows. They used to get you win a Spideell watch.
I forgot all about that Spideell.
Well, and here it was right at Mortensen's for you.
Timex, John Cameron Swazie for the brands.
It keeps on ticking when it gets even with the legs.
It makes a lick in and keeps on ticking.
That's right.
And Boulevard.
And then in 1948, this phrase was started by Debeer's Diamonds in the World.
A diamond is forever.
And so in the 50s, that was a big seller at Mortensen's.
Now, another jewelry store stayed on for years.
Yes.
And tell us.
As a jewelry store, they were originally located in the lower level.
And then, of course, moved up to the main level.
They closed last years, a matter of fact, after being there for decades.
Another favorite store for guys would be Western Tyre,
which was located more on the eastern side.
There you could buy parts for customizing your cars.
Remember, white walls, done, white walls?
Yeah, snow tires.
Did they make white walls anymore?
I don't know.
I don't see them anymore.
Snow tires were popular.
You could even buy dice there.
Remember the tires with the,
one of those little metal studs?
Stuts?
Stuts?
Oh, yeah.
They took the tires that wrecked them.
They were all out.
Tearing the roads apart.
Right.
Yeah, yeah.
We also had a grocery store there.
Crambles.
They were located on the far east end,
facing Durand.
And their mascot was an elephant of all things.
Well, again, this very detailed research that I attempt to do,
laughing at that.
Crambles was there at the opening of Elmo Plaza,
as a lot of these stores were.
And then, of course, it got 33 stores and all.
But that Elmo opened in 1956.
Now, I found out that in 1955,
the year before,
Crambles, who had been part of a 25 store,
Wisconsin chain,
was bought by Kroger.
So how funny that Crambles did exist on its own,
but became bought by Kroger,
and they sound the same.
But, Diane, you're smiling here.
Only because it's so funny that I'm Crambles.
The name is funny, isn't it?
It is, and I'll tell you,
and they went to commercials on why I think it's funny.
All right, our last set, Carol's still talking.
Our last segment.
And that's supposed to talk some time.
I don't know, a warning.
Our last segment,
and we're going to wrap it up on part three of Elmo Plaza.
Take it away, guys.
Okay, so Crambles,
now we all went to Crambles.
And this was the era of a lot of new and interesting food.
We had instant things,
instant pudding.
We had jello.
We had cake mixes.
We had TV dinners.
Can soup of all kinds of varieties.
And also, we had ice cream now in more flavors.
We had neopolitan.
We had fudge royal.
Those were seal tests.
Lady Borden.
Crambles, we had potato chips.
Jays, red dot.
The breads at Crambles.
Guys, what would you say was the most popular bread?
Wonderbread.
Because it built bodies 12 ways,
strong muscles 12 ways.
Yeah, we started out with seven,
and it went to 12.
That's right.
Yeah, no doubt about it with Wonderbread.
It still goes wrappers with that.
They still make Wonderbread?
Yes.
And it still has those red dots on it.
The balloons.
The balloons.
The balloons.
Okay.
But we had Mrs. Carl's.
We had butternut bread.
And probably capis bread.
Made in racing.
Because it was, we had it's own big bakery,
but that was at Cramble too.
We had recipes that our mothers still though made by hand,
you know, are put together.
Tuna casserole was listed in some of my research.
As the number one to casserole of the 50s,
pineapple upside down cake, chicken,
ala king, seven layer jello.
And then this is a story that I had.
Welsh rare bit.
Low and behold.
I just had that recently.
My wife made it.
And the reason she made it was,
we heard about it.
Then I watched the Gomer pile episode.
Yeah.
We're going to go over who's having nightmares
from having Welsh rare bit.
Yeah.
And so my wife made it very rich.
It's great.
It's just cheese is all it is.
And it's delicious.
But Dan, I thought you would remember
because you are so nice about the one book I read
when I went to my friends and re-richersons house.
And it was such a big deal at lunch from Lincoln School.
Her mother all dressed up, served us Welsh rare bit.
Rabbit.
And I had never had such a thing.
And I was, you know, being a good guest
and I eat every bit.
You like it?
And I had the longest afternoon
and third grade feeling very sick.
Oh, really?
It was rich.
It's just for me, you see.
Yeah.
But Welsh rare bit closed down in my life
is a tough afternoon.
Welsh rabbit.
Jim, how about you and Crambo?
Well, I remember the cereals that they used to sell.
They're everything began with sugar.
If you remember sugar smacks,
sugar frosted flakes, sugar corn pops, sugar crisp.
And they wonder why all the kids were hyper.
Yeah, yeah, that's all gone now.
And there were other food stores there as well.
Libanau sausage was there for your homemade sausage.
My mother was born in Czechoslovakia
so she made her own sausage.
It was a family thing.
It was also the plaza liquor store.
If you consider that a food, no, it's a liquor, right?
OK.
You could buy brands such as
pap slitch, slitch and blatz,
gentlemen, Adam Milwaukee,
Braummeister, Adam Milwaukee.
WRJN.
