TURNING THE CORNER

As I continue my walkabout, bear with me, I have only one more entry after this one to go, I'll replicate my memories of the south side of the square. Across the street from the Jeff Co Court House.

Mitchells, later Steffy Furniture store occupied the corner across from Rexall Drugs. Both owners provided quality furniture for the King City as MTV was dubbed. Next to the furniture store was Jackson's Jewelers, one of three jewelry stores in downtown. This store was my fave failing only to entice me to buy my wife-to-be's rings there. But over the years, she made up to Jackson's for that one oversight.

Next to it was Murphy's, a department store that carried various and sundry items as the cliche goes. Roasted nuts and popcorn was their forte. A huge, too much to eat bag of popcorn for a dime. And the aroma forced buyers to drop a thin before leaving.

The Mammoth stood proudly on the southeast corner. A great clothing store that had the first pneumatic tubes that banks later adopted at their drive-throughs that took your money and poof! sent it traveling to a cashier. Like the banker on the Deal or No Deal tv show, some mysterious person took the money and sent the cylinder back to the clerk along with some Green Stamps that were good for $10 after a couple of hundred or so had been spent there. It was a great store that even handled Boy Scout unis and apparel.

For some reason standing outside The Mammoth was the ideal spot for watching parades. At least back then. Now parade watchers ad judging stands have moved to the west corner of the square in front of where our son's law firm is housed on the top of the budding whose name has changed so much, I don't even know its current vernacular. His firm is not actually on top of the building: it's on the 6th and top floor, though after some heavy rains, he was afraid that he might have a convertible office.

The biggest parade these days besides Santa Claus' arrival is The Sweet Corn and Watermelon Festival, though come to think of it, that is passe. It's now The Fall Festival. Somehow city fathers decided that the last weekend in August was a little stifling for the Summer parade and so they tolled the bell on that one.

One more to go, then you'll be well versed in the way it was.