My father was a thirty-year Air Force veteran, so my early years were spent on military bases. When he retired, my parents moved us from northern Maine to Macomb, Illinois. Why? My mother’s family lived here. That was in 1959, and I was seven years old that year. I found the square in Macomb to be quite interesting. There were stores and not a BX or Commissary as there had been on the base. Buildings seemed so very large, and the lights at night, especially at Christmas, cast shadows on the square, turning it into a magical place. Stores stayed open until 9 p.m. on Friday nights as well as on all of the week nights just before Christmas. Santa rang the bells, carols resounded everywhere, while stores, windows, and street lamps were decorated for the season. There was something to be found for everyone on your list, at every price, and the stores gift-wrapped at no charge.
Montgomery Ward had three floors of merchandise, just like a department store, and three entrances. You could spend the whole afternoon there. It would become the place where my school shoes were purchased every year. If you didn’t find what it was you were looking for in the store, they had an automotive center on West Jackson Street. J.C. Penney was also a family store. Children’s wear, and the bathrooms, were on the mezzanine, while clothes for ladies and men were on the main floor, along with shoes. The basement contained fabrics, yarn, curtains, blankets, towels, and the catalog desk. There was a time when Montgomery Ward, Penney’s and Sears all had a catalog desk. You were able to order almost anything. Up until 1942 you could even order a house from Sears. Picking up the order was like opening a Cracker Jack prize, for as you were never quite sure what would come out.
There were the upscale shops like Henkle’s, Scripps Reno, and Ring’s. My mother would purchase her “good purse” at Henkle’s as they were real leather. Ring’s had merchandise for ladies, children, and the home. Scripps Reno had elegant dresses, coats, and gloves, with special items stored behind glass, in acrylic boxes. They sold everything for Girl Scouts, from Brownies on up.
Nelson’s was the place for Boy Scouts-and that was perfect for my father and brother. Both Nelson’s and Herbert’s had “better” men’s clothing, and they did tailoring. Clothing for men was purchased there and not issued as it had been in the military.
Arrasmith was the jewelry store on the north side of the square. Mr. Lutz wore a jeweler’s loop and Mrs. Lutz offered a smile and helpful suggestions to the customers. Stocker Jewelry was on the south side of the square. The clock outside of their store was a landmark for years. Gumbart’s was a place of dream.They carried Samsonite luggage that would take you anywhere you wanted to go.
Rost and Parsons helped Mom and I pick out prints and frames for our home. Sherwin Williams was the place for paint and varnish. Mr. Humes was the perpetually friendly and helpful manager. He had the answer for any of your questions. There was also a hardware store on the east side of the square, although I can’t for the life of me remember the name. The store was not very wide, but it contained more items in that small space than one could possibly imagine. I bought a waffle iron there in the late 60’s and it still works. There was also True Value on East Jackson Street. You could find every nut, bolt, or thing–a-ma-jig you needed because the staff usually knew exactly what you were talking about.
Fabric was also a draw to the downtown for many of us. Montgomery Ward, as well as J. C. Penney, had everyday fabric and notions available, as did J. J. Newberry. You could also order fabric from Wards or Penney’s. Wolfsies, however, was the place for fabric if you could afford it. They had everything from cotton to velvet and sequins. Their fabrics stirred the imagination.
J. J. Newberry on the north and Woolworth 5 & 10 on the east, were made for fun. Affordable everyday items, as well as hankies, socks, cologne, coloring books, colored pencils, parakeets, and goldfish could be found at Woolworths. I wonder how many goldfish left that store in a white takeout box and actually survived? Newberry’s had much of the same merchandise but they also carried clothing. For my first day of school my grandmother bought me three dresses and a full slip. I felt like a princess.
Our taste buds were never forgotten. In 1959 I went into my first butcher shop with my grandmother. There was every cut imaginable, and if they did not have it, they would cut it for you and wrap it in paper. A & P Grocery was on the south side. They had promotions to draw customers. One year you could pick up a piece of violet-inspired melamine each week. Those dishes remained in my family and are quite an oddity today. Ray’s IGA was on the east side of the square and was a full-service grocery, from the meat counter in the back to the produce and the candy in the front. Galloway Bakery was just off the square on West Jackson Street. The glass lined cases displayed fresh cookies, breads, rolls, pies, and cakes, in abundance. For special occasions you could place an order in advance.
Macomb Dairy was on South Lafayette and was the favorite stop for a cone. Ford Hopkins lunch counter was great for a shake, malt, cherry cola, or a loose meat sandwich. There was also the Maid Rite shop on East Jackson, which survived for many years despite no running water. For an affordable hot lunch there was Derry’s Café. They had wonderful hot beef sandwiches with gravy, green beans, and applesauce. If you still had room left, there was pie, too. Newberry’s had a lunch counter that was usually full and had customers line up for a stool. Sandwiches, pies, and fountain drinks were popular items on the menu.
We had two movie theatres downtown, the Illinois on Lafayette and the Lark on South Randolph. It was a special treat to catch a Disney movie with the family or, as you grew older, a new release with friends. Movies from our era, like Cinderella or To Kill a Mockingbird, would become classics.
Tickets then were 35 or 50 cents, and popcorn was 10 cents. Is my age showing? As a young child the best movie of the year for me was the free Saturday morning showing at the Illinois, just before Christmas.
There were so many other stores downtown. It would be fun to look at a directory from those times. The remainder of the storefronts were filled by shoe stores, furniture and appliance stores, drug stores, and stationery shops. Dunsworth’s sat on the northwest corner, with pens, pencils, paper, and typewriter ribbons. There were also drug stores, including Scotts, with colorful lipsticks and nail polishes. The ladies at the counters were always available to tell you just how to apply the concoctions. It seemed that there was nothing that could not be found “on the square”.
When my siblings and I were growing up, I think the best part of the square was the freedom. We were allowed more opportunities to visit the downtown as we got older and could walk there with a friend, have lunch with Mom, or go Christmas shopping. We had a freedom that comes with wide-eyed innocence, as we rode bikes, walked to the library, or went to get ice cream. I wish I could share the Macomb of fifty years ago with my grandchildren today and watch their delighted faces. Thank you, Macomb!
