As a youngster growing up in the city, it was common (wherever you were from)
that each side of town had a different name. It was a name for that area of
town. As cities expanded, there were neighborhoods that were formed - each
having it's own nucleus - and little stores would pop up. It was a way for folks
to avoid driving, or taki ng the bus, or taxi downtown to do simple shopping of
everyday needs. What kinds of stores? you ask. Well, a dry cleaners, a fruit
market, maybe a drug store. These were really handy and used by all who lived in
the area.
They were refered to as "Mom & Pop" stores. All towns had them. Being born and
raised in Indianapolis Indiana, we had areas or town that had special names
also, and the one in our area was called "Fountain Square" Being generally
populated in the early days around a real water fountain where several streets
came together by Germans, Italians, Irish,Blacks
and folks from Kentucky and Tennessee who had migrated north looking for work. I
was very fortunate being born at a time when "Fountain Square" was starting to
happen big time. We had it all. Grocery stores, dry cleaners, meat
markets, 5 and dime stores, hardwares, shoe repair shops, shoe stores, clothing
stores, furniture, auto supply, gas stations, doctors, lawyers, real estate,
movie theaters, candy stores, ice cream parlors,a post office,fire station
churches, and taverns. It was almost like living in a small town.For those who
lived a few blocks away and drove- parking was a headache. There were no parking
lots.So, you were forced to wait on a parking space near the store where you
entended to shop. Our family lived just one city block away, so we always
walked. It was always a Friday night and all day Saturday thing to "walk up to
the "Fountain" Sometimes just to see and be seen. There was hardly room to get
around on Saturday as a pedestrian. Mom would write things down during the week
that we (or she) needed and together we would (as a family) walk up to the
"Fountain" on Saturday to do the weeks shopping. There was always a balloon man
standing on one corner selling gas ballons on Saturday.. Across the street on
the other corner about once a month you could buy an assortment of hand made
brooms from a blind man. These stores, would sometimes run accounts for the
local folks. For instance, you could buy up to so much and pay only 2.00 a week
on it. If you bought a little more, it would place you in a higher bracket and
you'd pay 4.00 a week. That was cool! Had it not been for credit, most folks
would have done without. It was also common for those neighborhoods to have milk
trucks deliver milk products to your door. On every porch was a "milk box" to
keep it cool in case you were out shopping or visiting someone and not at home.
Again, large families would run a bill with the milk man. It was done very
sucessfully on something called "Trust" Hmmmmmmm!
Most people were buying their house (be it ever so humble) and would be there
next week when the milk man came by again. Not like today when some folks have a
different address every week. Just about anything you would ever need was within
walking distance of your house. Oh maybe twice or three times a year we would
drive to the "Sears Roebuck" store downtown for those things you couldn't get at
the Mom & Pop stores. You know, like vacume cleaners, paint, a new suit or back
to school clothes for kids. Getting back to "Fountain Square", you NEVER went
shopping on the weekend without getting all dressed up. In fact it got to be a
competitive thing with the ladies. They knew that there would be men at those
stores, some of which were shopping not for shoes, or groceries, but a "good
woman". Hmmmmmmm! Better get dressed up and put on a little make up. You know.
Brush your hair, maybe a little perfume etc. I can remember man a time I would
walk up to "Fountain Square" to just kind of "hang out" as a teenager, hoping to
see a friend from school.(girl types - you know)Maybe we'd go to a movie or hit
the ice cream shop. That is if we had mowed enough yards or had a newspaper
route and could afford it. Money just flat burned a hole in both my pockets back
then. If nothing else- the "5 and dime" ( G.C.Murphy's") would have model car
and airplain kits you could buy to keep you out of trouble at home. Now
remember, we had no TV sets yet to occupy our time. At best there was the family
radio we would listen to. Of course that was back when radio was worth listening
to.We had the hit songs, or news and weather all day long.People left their
radios on all the time. In fact a lot of times it was the last thing to be shut
off before going to bed.
Then as so called "progress" came along, we began to see strip malls and
shopping centers in the outlying areas that you had to drive to. Little by
little these neighborhood shops would disappear through the years. Then came
Drive Inn Movies, Fast Food places and the like which would relace the
neighborhood shops. Sad it was to see these old friends closing their doors and
going out of business because they could no longer compete with the shopping
centers.
This left sometimes whole areas of vacant buildings for weeds and bums. Thus -
the getto was born.
I don't know about you, but I really miss the neighborhood shopping areas and
all that went with them. It promoted good feelings about your neighborhood -
neighbors and relatives. You were constantly seeing them at the store, or on
your way to and from. If you didn't see someone for awhile you would inquire
about them and their well being. Lots of times people would call on old Miss
so-in-so just to make sure she was alright.
Sure- "we've come a long way baby" and no one wants to go back to those days I
guess. I miss them big time and wish somehow they were still here. A lost time -
never to be recovered.
It's sad that there are so many folks today who don't remember those days. They
sure missed out on a very special time in our history.
