The Way It Was

Christmas 1937

Most dogs howled at a train going by---Fritzy did---he also howled when I played the saxophone.  What a duet!!!

 

Coke came in an 8 oz bottle---then Pepsi came in a 12 oz bottle, and that's a lot.

 

Cookies were 13 in a dozen!!!

 

A pocket watch was a dollar---it kept good time if you only had one timepiece.

 

The Ronson, silver plated cigarette lighter---cost $12.  A Zippo was $1.  The Zippo was more dependable and worked in the wind.

 

Drug stores sold mostly drugs, cosmetics, aspirin, etc.  Each and every one had a soda fountain.  Some sold food and had a daily blue-plate special.

 

Canvas shoes were sneakers---mostly one brand---Keds.

 

On a radio program---Jack Armstrong, The All American Boy--- touted Wheaties--- the Breakfast of Champions. A 97 lb weakling got sand kicked in his face, until Charles Atlas came along!!!

 

Music was soft and sweet---with many instruments---the big band sound (needs to come back!!!)

 

Rock and Roll was what a boat did in heavy seas.  Hard Rock---bigger waves.  Punk Rock---boat sinks!

 

Lucky Strike green went to War and never returned.  Prince Albert tobacco cans went to War and never returned.  The Great Depression went to War and became Prosperity.  Millions of young men and women went to War and Blue Stars changed to Gold Stars. 

 

A small flag hanging in the front window of a home had a special meaning.  The flag was red with a white border---a blue star in the center of the flag---meant that the family had a soldier gone to War.  If the star was gold---the soldier was killed in action.

 

Bank savings accounts earned 3% interest---now it's 2.8%.

 

In the late 40's, an auto loan was for a maximum of 24 months and it was hard to make that payment each month.  Now it can be for 60 months and it is much harder to make that payment each month.

 

Medical doctors made house calls for around $7.

 

Castor Oil was good for any illness that came along.

 

Gasoline was 19 cents a gallon---I don't know where the .9 came from.  The prices of most things now end in 9 or 99, or 9.99, 99.99 etc.

 

On a frozen stream---it's much harder to skate upstream than downstream. Trouble rode a fast horse---but arrived by bicycle from Western Union.

 

The downtown streets of Sheridan were paved with wooden blocks---each about the size of a brick, but thicker. 

 

Big Goose Creek flooded---the streets left town! In later years, the new asphalt streets were washed down each morning, very early, by a water truck, spraying the streets clean. Merchants, along Main Street, washed down the sidewalks in front of their stores with a hose.  Walking to High School each morning, down Main Street, was a nice way to start the day---it looked clean and it smelled so clean---that "rain" smell.

 

Everywhere you looked it was Mickey Rooney and Andy Hardy.  Shirley Temple shook her curls, stamped her feet and pouted. Fred Astair and Ginger Rogers danced and danced.  Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy sang and sang.  Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour logged the miles, traveling roads.

 

Shave and a hair cut. . .6 bits!  The cut was 50 cents and the shave was 25 cents. Getting your hair cut was easy---one style for all.

 

Cracker Jacks---a box of caramel corn, had a wonderful prize and 2 peanuts---all for a nickel.

 

Burma Shave had signs along the highways.  Popular Burma Shave Slogans of the Day:"If daisies are your--favorite flower--keep pushin' up--those miles-per-hour!"

"Unless your face--is stinger free--you'd better let--your honey be!"

"She put a bullet--through his hat--but he's had closer--shaves than that!"

"Angels who guard you--when you drive--usually retire--at sixty-five!"

"Past school houses--take it slow--let the little--shavers grow!"

 

There were many write-in contests that went like this: In 25 words or less, finish this sentence: 

"I like Captain Bly's Pickled Herring because . . . " or,

"I like Soupy Doodles because . . . " or,

"I use Ax-el grease on my hair because . . . "

 

I Have a Contest For You!!!  In 25 words or Less, Finish This Sentence:

The Things I Liked Best About the Way it Was in . . .  

(The 30's/The 40's/The 50's/The 60's---you fill-in-the-blank) 

Email Us Here and We'll Add Your Memories to Mine!!!

Lisa's Stories About the 60's

I actually rode the first version of the skateboard--- a wooden plank with metal roller skate wheels.  I wore metal roller skates which were put on your shoes and tightened with a metal key!

 

I saw "Love Story" and "Psycho" at the movie theater!

 

I was in 4th grade, the room was dark, we had been resting with our heads on our desks when our class learned that President Kennedy had been shot.

 

When watching tv, we had to get up out of our chairs to change channels---remotes had not been invented!  And, everything was in black and white (no color tv's)

 

We actually read books---I read the whole "Wizard of Oz" series.  There were no computers, no cell phones, no WII, no Nintendo, no Game Boys, no video games and TV was only interesting for Saturday morning cartoons (Quick Draw McGraw, Atom Ant, & Yogi Bear were big favorites!), Saturday night "Bonanza" and afternoons with "The Mickey Mouse Club."

 

Groovy was actually a cool word to use.  So was "far out!"

 

Colors were bright---psychedelic (neon) colors and long straight hair was "groovy."  False eyelashes & black eyeliner was the rage for anyone who wanted to be "cool, man."  And don't forget those long, tall boots! 

 

When skirts went mini, pantyhose had to be invented because the garters showed!