bobh

Hi all. Yep I'm still a "youngster" at heart. I recall the bowling alley and the ice cream shop because they were new things to me. A neighbor when we lived on w43rd took my sister and I to the ice cream shop where we had our fist Sundaes. The bowling alley we went to once because my dad's cousin's wife wanted my mom to join the ladies league. My mom wasn't interested in bowling though. The grill in the Wiengartens was just to the left when you came in through the west side entrance. Matter fact that is right where the do-nut fryer was. I recall the Midgit Market a lot not only because of the soda chest and getting ice in the brown sacks but the guy that worked there (we called him Mac) had a cottontail rabbit in the back. Another item I just remembered is the area behind that row of stores. Up until I got out of first grade or began second there was a open ditch that went from behind the Oak Forest bank to maybe halfway to Althea. Ionly went up about as far as Lamonte and then cut through a backyard to get home. It was quite deep and always had water in it. I remember trying to scoop minnows out of it. My mom did not like me going down into it but it was more fun for a little kid to do that than walk along 43rd. Of course I can recall w43rd being two lanes. I recall the city limit sign at Shepherd and Pinemont. I could bring up Tiny Tim's Toys that used to be about where the HPD storefront is now. That's where I bought my Hot Wheels and some of my plastic model kits. Do y'all remember Oak Forest Elementary had an oyster shell parking area on the 43rd side of the building? It was enough to get the cars off of 43rd. How about when the brick pond in front of Oak Forest was not choked with weeds and still had gold fish in it? I don't know why I can remember these things about these places. Maybe it is because I did'nt have a care in the world way back then. I bet if I get a chance to kick back and relax and let my mind go back I can recall a few other things. Here's one I just remembered. On the corner of Oak Forest and 43rd where the bank is now. There used to be a Mobil gas station. Embedded in the curb at that corner was a brass surveyors mark. Speaking of gas stations there were four. The Mobil with a Gulf on the Theater Suburbia corner. On Ella where the Taxaco is there was a Sinclar station. The Exxon has always been there. If I remember right it was run by a guy named Whiddon. I could also say where the UTotem and the 7-11 used to be. Maybe it is because I was 5 when we moved to Garden Oaks and everything was new to me. Maybe it is how kids today relate to malls. This was where we shopped and spent a fair part of our lives. bob

I remember the old Weingartens. I liked the grill/diner that was on the west side of the store. While my folks would shop I would watch them make the donuts. For some reason I liked to watch them drop, fry as they floated in a circle, get flipped to do the other side and then scooped out to drain. We shopped the nursery everyspring that was on the corner of Oak Forest and 43rd. Most of the groceries came from the Minimax store that was where the Eckerds is now at. I can't remember the name of the little ice cream shop that was next door to the Minimax. It was directly on the right side of the Minimax where the sidewalk makes the 90 degree turn. Of course I was 5 or 6 then. For some reason I think the ame had "Village" in it. The biggest treat though was when we had some extra money. We would go to SS Kreske's across the street and get hamburgers to take home. There were quite a few businesses that called that center home. There was the Western Auto to the left of the Minimax, a bowling alley was there to the left (I believe) of where the Hallmark is now. It stayed vacant for quite a while and then the Gordon's jewelers took that space. Probably my favorite place though was the Midgit Market. It was between the Dominos and the Red Wing store on Ella and 43rd. We used to run to the big chest that they sold the drinks out of and jam our hands into the ice. Dr. Pepper was 10 cents a bottle with a 3 cent deposit. We bought ice there in brown paper bags that were filled while we waited. Ahhhhhh......i can almost see it all again.