Reflections on Milford by Arden Fowles

Found in the Hilltop Echo, February 11, 2011. Author is Ian ‘Jeep’ Spaulding a teacher at MHS.

 

DO YOU EVER JUST REMINISCE ABOUT THE GOOD OLD DAYS AND DON’T YOU REALLY THINK THAT YOU HAVE HAD THE BEST OF IT?

Here below are some rambling’s and question from a former MHS student and close to the wire graduate with a dubious memory. The period spans, for the most part the decades of the 40s & 50s. You will no doubt find some things amiss, but feel confident in reassembling the facts and adding your own remembrances and let friends and schoolmates hear your thoughts.

Long time gone by, as time passes, my images sometimes get in the way of the facts. I hope this is not a familiar trait in your lives. Please, if you remember something different than what you read here, make a comment and discussion may find the truth.

1)      What once famous Movie cowboy visited Milford for the 49ers celebration and rode down Main Street on a horse in the parade? Can you recall the famous singing sisters of yore (way yore) that accompanied him on that visit? Come on think.  Hoot Gibson and the Duncan Sisters. (The sisters started in vaudeville with a “little Eva/Topsy” routine). They were in the parade and did a tour at the High School Auditorium.

2)      Where were the major amounts of activity (games and concessions) downtown after the 49ers parade? How did you and your friends use the area on a regular basis?  There was a flat, grassy park area on the whole half block behind main street, from Schramm’s Standard (Chevron) station to the Corner Drug. The Jaycees/ Amer. Legion? later built an outdoor dance pavilion on the south end of the park behind the jail house.

3)      What gadget did Mr. I. Altman have in his store that he used to help get your shoes fitted correctly and you may have snuck to the back of the store to get a quick look? In the rear of the store Mr. Altman had a fluoroscope or pediscope machine. You would stand and put your feet in a slot at the bottom and look into a device on top and see an X-Ray of your foot (a green image).

4)      Where was “Dick’s Fountain” and who were the owner/operators and what was Dick’s occupation?  When I posed this question I had a 1950s shop in mind. It was run by LaPrele and Dick (the barber) Banks. Black Cows and Green Rivers were popular drinks. I have learned that there was an earlier one with the same name, probably 30′s or early 40′s. Anyone remember that one?

5)      Where was Al Kirk’s ‘5 & Dime’? Can you picture the building and the interior? (I would love to see a photo, what a place). He later had his used car lot there. Can you remember what was immediately south of the 5 & Dime?  Al’s 5 & dime was at the far north end of Jefferson’s Merc. block. I recall the old wooden floors that were wavy and loose, the table top bins where much of the goodies were displayed. I could go in the back door & out the main street door on my way to town from company row.  Don’t think he really minded the little kid traffic.

6)      If you remember the building from question #5, what then was directly across Main Street from them? Remember Reddy Killowatt the Mountain States Teluride and Telegraph logo. The power companies office was there.

7)      Where was the Post Office in those days? What was your box number, and did you ever dream about the combination to open it, or is that just silly? Who was the Postmaster? What was the building  just south of the post office? Just north? C’mon quick. Prior to the post office moving I remember Rue Nielson was the Postmaster. Cross the street going north from the Teluride was the Telephone office, then the Post Office, Eddie Anderson’s Auto Shop, the apartment residence of Dave, Dorothy and Randy Morris, then the Mortuary and next a vacant lot.

8)      Think hard now, Where were traveling Carnivals held downtown on Main Street at times up to the late 40’s? What was built in that space in the late 40? Before the Tri-State lumber and hardware was built in the late 40′s there was a 1/2 block deep vacant lot and I can recall one maybe two years a carnival set up there, right in front of the house I lived in on company row. I still remember my sis Lois Jean and one of her girl friends (probably LaDean Whittaker) rocking the ferris wheel basket, oh yeah, scary.

9)      What can you recall about the Firmage’s Café? Where was it? Did you have a favorite Seeburg Jukebox number/letter combination (song selections)? So, how cool was this place in the 50′s. Opened in the building just north of the theater, remember they opened the wall between the shop and the showhouse, so you could order from either place. I think I remember a lot of hanging out in this place. I’m sure there are more memories of it out there, right?

10)   What did the initials B&M refer to on Main Street? What businesses were attached to those initials and where were they located? Bob & Marge Schramm, the standard (now Chevron) station, along with Buick & Studebaker sales with the large auto repair across the street north behind (west) of the Milford State Bank.

11)   What were the initial L&B attached to and who did they originally belong to? Can you picture the building and where it may have been located? Can you rearrange Main Street as it is today and make that building fit as it was? Lorin & Bert?? The “L&B Dairy & Lunch”?? It was in the flat iron building and the far south end had a window and table that looked toward the railroad crossing. You entered either west or east with counter space running north and south, both sides. Later just “The L&B” under Bob & Gloria Slinkerd .

12)   Where was the Roller Rink and what other things can you recall about the building? What organization used the upper level of this building for a while? The Arion (Arian)?? Hall. The American Legion once had their meeting rooms upstairs. Many dances were held there.

13)   What do you recall about the Mountain States Telephone building? What was your telephone number and can you remember your ringing code or who may have been on your party line? Who were the operators (look around, some of them may be here today)? How on earth did you get by with taking your phone to school?  155M  was our 1st number and I’m sure it was 2 longs and a short. at least 4 parties on that line (can only recall one family).

14)   Can you remember the “Wooden Nickles” from at least one 49er celebration and what they were good for? Good for free swims at the (then)new Pool??

15)   I know you remember the fancy upscale jailhouse that sat behind Lamar Outzen’s Drug Store. What was built on the south end of the park behind or west of the jailhouse? Who was your date at the events there? Remember the outdoor dance pavilion was built there by the Jaycee’s (junior chamber of commerce) I believe.

16)   I say there were actually two (2) bowling alleys (duck or ten pins) in Milford, where were they kinda (sic), more or less located? I personally only remember one it was near where the post office sits now, probably in the north portion of the building, the other I am told was on the east side of main. comment please if your memories are clearer.

17)   Ain’t this fun??

18)   Where do you remember Milford’s Christmas Tree being placed? Wasn’t it great when it was in the very center of downtown?

19)   There were several apartments/buildings right down town, can you recall where and maybe old family friends or school mates that lived in some of them?

20)   Where exactly was Why Not Service? What was it and why was it called Why Not and did Bert and Alice know about it? This has been answered elsewhere by other people, but Bert Wynaught (why not) operated the service station for years, on the the south flatiron block behind the depot.

Alright, so much for the questions, how about my attempting to get you thinking and talking about different things by association.

It seems that Milford in those day was rife with wonderful, colorful and interesting people and characters. Maybe name are not appropriate, but you can add your own recollections. I recall the dandy Walt Estep (can you see his many handmade cowboy boots) and his friend Georgia Easton and the very colorful U.P. Telegrapher Hazel Moore. How about Orrin Goodwin and Bert James who resided in a sheep camp (trailer) across the tracks and made a ritual morning trek to Wynaughts for a treat and (cracker barrel) type company and visit.

Do the names Jake Schow, Bill Kirk, Lamar Morris, Zeke, Jim and Hub Hickman, Vance Fisher and others from time to time (I can’t recall all) invoke good memories of dancing and how about Bill Baker the old guy who danced at least 9/10s of the ladies feet off them at every dance.

Can you take the hand of the person in front and back of you to do the snake down the street and through business’s at the pep rallies?

How many very scary Midnight Shows at the Firmage Theater can you recall?

The Ice Pond and the huge bon fires to de-ice your frozen toes, nose and fingers. Rubber Guns, Kick the Can, Run Sheepie Run, Annie I Over, etc.etc.

Morning Milk deliveries (Jones Dairy & others?) and the cream forcing the cap off when it froze in the winter time.

The crossing guard at the U.P. with his guard shack (I remember Ernie McDowell).Stock yards, round house, ice house, depot and the beanery, swimming pool/s, race track, hospital, various doctors, teachers, neighbors and friends, company row, section houses, Markshellfle manor, potato pits, yellow banks, rock corral, ranch canyon, bearskin, honeyboy, upper peckerneck, on and on and on.

Thanks to some kind soul who stuffed my front door with some info which I have added to, that you may recall as downtown businesses over the years. Gambles’ Store, Why Not Service, MJ Christiansen Jewelers, Progressive Clothing (Altman’s) Lula Peterson’s Rooming House, Molly’s Coffee Shop, Milford Electric (Rummler’s), Milford Shoe and Saddle Shop, Baxter’s Café, Service Electric (O.W. Stoker), Hal’s Photo Studio, Milfor Café, Whitbeck’s Recreation Parlor, Walker’s Café, Milford Bowling Alley, Alberta’s Beauty Shop, Milford News, Whitbeck’s Barber shop, Eldridge Jewelry Store, Jefferson’s Merc., The White Market, LaTienda (Music, Clothing and Jewelry), Anderson’s Milford Garage, The Sportsman’s Club. Shay’s, The B&J, The Pub, Firmage Theater, Kirk Realty, O.O. Paul Texaco, R.C. Recreation Parlor, Milford Hotel Club, George Litchfield’s Barbershop (&Julian Arnold)  Dick’s Barber Shop, J.C. Penney’s, L&B Dairy & Lunch, Hong Kong Café, Pools (Milt Pool), Chamberlains Dry Cleaners, Tait’s Laundry & Dry Cleaners, O.F. Hubble’s Drugstore, Corner Drug, Hughes Style Shop, Tomsik’s Service Garage and Pontiac Dealership, D&M (Bob and Marge Schram) Buick & Studebaker Dealership, Standard Gas Station and Auto Repair Shop, Clyde Turner Sinclair, etc., etc.

I certainly hope this has caused some reflection on good and fond memories of a great time and a great place to have grown up in. Again I say that I truly believe that we have had and seen the very best of it and guess what, despite the changes and the other worlds we now live in, Milford is still a very special place with very special people. Sorry for thing and names I may have missed, wasn’t intentional.

Arden Fowles