Salisbury Memories

Do you remember Salisbury when?

Do you remember swimming in the park? The Christmas parades on Main Street and the old swag lights that hung across Main Street and Route 13? You knew Christmas was getting close when White & Leonard's opened its toy store on the second floor. Johnny's and Sammy's on Wednesday nights for chicken and dumplings and Gino's on Friday nights after Wi-Hi football games.

Then there was "Party Line" on the radio with Bill Phillips, and the great dj of country music, CR Hook at WICO -- and of course there was Jolly Jack during the WBOC news with John B. Greenberger and Roland Twigg reminding us to "tell 'em RT sent you.".

The S & H Green Stamp store was down by Carroll's. Use to get good prizes for collecting these stamps from grocery stores. Giant used to be more than just groceries. You also got your groceries from the Colonial Store on South Salisbury Boulevard

Remember the Wicomico Theater, the Boulevard Theater or the the Oaks Drive-In?

People would go to downtown Salisbury to Benjamin's or Hess Apparel or The Fashion Shop. Salespeople were friendly, mature and knowledgeable. And we actually dressed up for it. Hungry? There was also the Saddle Club or either go downstairs to Reads Drugstore lunchroom on your way out the back door to the parking lot or sit at the lunch counter in Woolworths. Read's Drug Store was the only place to pass through when other stores closed at 5 p.m. on Saturdays on the way to the Shore Madeice cream parlor then later on the new parking lot. Woolworth's had the long counter upstairs. Remember kids popping the balloons at the Woolworth's counter to see the discount? McCrorys on Rt 13 also had a lunch counter but they had a deal where if you ordered a banana split you could pick a balloon to see how much you paid for it.
They said there was a balloon with a penny. As for the Benjamin family. They made sure that customers were treated with respect. That is what customer service was all about. Stores like that just don't exist anymore.

Does anyone remember how Watson's Smoke House stamped the date on a record when you bought it? Watson Smoke House was cool for not only 5 cent cigars but for the latest 45 record. An older gentleman by the name of Howard Riggins ran it, and was so very nice to kids. He would let you listen to recordings he had for sale, knowing we probably didn't have money to buy one. There was a soda fountain in the store, as well as a very hip magazine rack. We would often read it standing there. He never
bothered us about reading and not buying, and whenever we had some money, we really would buy the magazine -- and even an album once in a while. Bob Evans ( class of 60 Wi Hi ) managed Waltson`s.

Do you want fresh vegetables? Go to any farmers stand and buying whatever was fresh-picked that day, and putting the right money in a mason jar.

Remember Polar Bar ice cream?, It tasted like home made. And Oh those doughnuts, the best around.

What I really miss about the old Salisbury is being able to go places without being accosted by thugs. And feeling safe . .. . and a sense of class in the businesses.

Salisbury was one of the last small towns (at the time) where everything would be closed on Sundays. No shopping or anything. It was sorta like they forced you to take a deserved day off. Remember the Sabbath dayand keep it HOLY. I guess we forgot that one, plus other`s.

They were, our better days, we had plenty to eat, a roof over our family.A dog, a picket fence and a station wagon wasn`t such a lonely deal, really.And we knew our extended families and friends, with trust. Most folks wereto poor to paint and to proud to white wash. But we were loved and knew it.

Mostly, they were better times; faith, honesty, and trust were the rules of life.
Something about, " Do unto other`s as you would have them do unto you",

Did I mention, respect for other`s ran high. To bad life has changed so.