This is an excellent photo! That bon aire shopping center sign was still there in the 70's or 80's correct? Because I remember it, and I wasn't around in the 60's.
1960 The Colonel's hard work on the road begins to pay off and there are 190 KFC franchisees and 400 franchise units in the U.S. and Canada. Where exactly was this one located don't remember one on Rt 8.
I'm not sure what year it opened or what year it closed, but for many area youth it was the hang out of choice. Many an interesting encounter started there.
Went by here every day of my life as a child. My mom would bribe me with a cheeseburger from Morgan's if I had a good piano lesson. Haven't been back to Butler in about 25 years and haven't touched a piano even longer. lol Thanks for bringing back some memories.
Right now there are a closed up CoGo's and a closed up BP station on the site. Michael's Craft Store is in the closest building in the shopping center. I believe this was Butler's very first shopping center.
Morgan's Diner must have moved further north on Route 8 sometime after this photo was taken. In the late 60s and 70 it resided closer to and on the same side of the street as St. Andrew's Catholic Church, if memory serves.
I met my husband here in 1957.I was in nurses training & went there after a basketball game.The car next to us had a fellow H.S. classmate I knew & we were talking back & forth.My future husband then asked me out & the rest is history.We were married in 1958,had 4 children,9 grandchildren & now 5 G-Grandchildren.Sadly my husband passed away in 2002 after many yrs. of bad health prob. Thank you so much 4 these memories.
Morgans was the place to hang out and watch the cool cars that went round and round in the parking lot. I had at that time a new '64 Impala SS vert that could hit the top of north main street hill at 100 mph. At the time you had a runner if you could accomplish that feat. Some guys had 409s that caused me to do some drooling. Sure miss that place.
It was a great place to hang out as a teenager, drive around and around, eventually pull up to the speaker post, park and order, girl car hops would bring your order out and attach it to the car door and window. Great wonder boy hamburgers and slim jims (hot ham, swiss cheese, lettuce and special sauce). Makin me hungry just thinking about it. First shopping center was the Point Shopping Center West Rt 422 & 68 not Bon-Aire
From "Butler's Past Comes Alive" by Ralph Goldinger, he stated that Bill Morgan after purchasing "Dight's Diner in 1953 built the Wonder Boy Drive-in at the top of North Main Street Hill in Bon Aire. It had the first teletray curb service in the state. Also in 1955 Bill Morgan became the 5th Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise holder in the USA. The restaurant chain was sold in 1970.
I certainly remember the Bon Aire shopping center. Mr. Heck, a neighbor, was manager of the Thorofare supermarket. A couple of guys robbed the store and pistol whipped Mr. Heck. Great excitement and that proves there was crime in the 50's. Built the drive in just north of the shopping center and it was a prime hang out for anyone with a car.
My family visited it after the drive in. I was about 10 or 12 years old. We had just bought a 1955 DeSota (it was 1965. I went inside to use the restroom and when I came out I forgot we had the new old car. I thought my parents had left me there. Talk about trauma...they had left me behind. lol
The restrooms were entered from the outside in the rear of the building facing the parking lot. A couple of pranksters (who will remain anonymous) got a couple skinned sheep's heads from the packing house and placed them in the urinals. No matter how much of a hurry a guy was in to enter, he was in a bigger hurry to leave.
Back in the '60s before the big shopping centers opened. 
23 comments:
more bon aire photos please!!!
anybody
This is an excellent photo! That bon aire shopping center sign was still there in the 70's or 80's correct? Because I remember it, and I wasn't around in the 60's.
There was an ESSO station close by run by a Mr. Black. He was always very friendly and had a great business there.
1960
The Colonel's hard work on the road begins to pay off and there are 190 KFC franchisees and 400 franchise units in the U.S. and Canada. Where exactly was this one located don't remember one on Rt 8.
I'm not sure what year it opened or what year it closed, but for
many area youth it was the hang out
of choice. Many an interesting encounter started there.
OK I enlarged the photo, I see now that a diner named Morgans served KFC. This must be right about where Michaels is (was).
it looks like it sits on where the former Boron/BP service station was before it was torn down last year.
Isn't this where we used to drive round and round AND round on weekends? THE spot to check everyone out and see who was with who.
Went by here every day of my life as a child. My mom would bribe me with a cheeseburger from Morgan's if I had a good piano lesson. Haven't been back to Butler in about 25 years and haven't touched a piano even longer. lol Thanks for bringing back some memories.
Right now there are a closed up CoGo's and a closed up BP station on the site. Michael's Craft Store
is in the closest building in the
shopping center. I believe this was Butler's very first shopping
center.
Morgan's Diner must have moved further north on Route 8 sometime after this photo was taken. In the late 60s and 70 it resided closer to and on the same side of the street as St. Andrew's Catholic Church, if memory serves.
yes it is now the location of a chinese restaurant, China Gourmet I believe.
I met my husband here in 1957.I was in nurses training & went there after a basketball game.The car next to us had a fellow H.S. classmate I knew & we were talking back & forth.My future husband then asked me out & the rest is history.We were married in 1958,had 4 children,9 grandchildren & now 5 G-Grandchildren.Sadly my husband passed away in 2002 after many yrs. of bad health prob. Thank you so much 4 these memories.
Morgans was the place to hang out and watch the cool cars that went round and round in the parking lot. I had at that time a new '64 Impala SS vert that could hit the top of north main street hill at 100 mph. At the time you had a runner if you could accomplish that feat. Some guys had 409s that caused me to do some drooling. Sure miss that place.
Where do Butler kids hang out today?
I wonder how many people that scum Morgan screwed over there.
It was a great place to hang out as a teenager, drive around and around, eventually pull up to the speaker post, park and order, girl car hops would bring your order out and attach it to the car door and window. Great wonder boy hamburgers and slim jims (hot ham, swiss cheese, lettuce and special sauce). Makin me hungry just thinking about it. First shopping center was the Point Shopping Center West Rt 422 & 68 not Bon-Aire
From "Butler's Past Comes Alive" by Ralph Goldinger, he stated that Bill Morgan after purchasing "Dight's Diner in 1953 built the Wonder Boy Drive-in at the top of North Main Street Hill in Bon Aire. It had the first teletray curb service in the state. Also in 1955 Bill Morgan became the 5th Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise holder in the USA. The restaurant chain was sold in 1970.
I certainly remember the Bon Aire shopping center. Mr. Heck, a neighbor, was manager of the Thorofare supermarket. A couple of guys robbed the store and pistol whipped Mr. Heck. Great excitement and that proves there was crime in the 50's. Built the drive in just north of the shopping center and it was a prime hang out for anyone with a car.
The special sauce on the "Wonderboy" burgers was
ketchup, relish, and mayonaise
(almost like thousand island dressing. A relative worked there.
My family visited it after the drive in. I was about 10 or 12 years old. We had just bought a 1955 DeSota (it was 1965. I went inside to use the restroom and when I came out I forgot we had the new old car. I thought my parents had left me there. Talk about trauma...they had left me behind. lol
The restrooms were entered from the outside in the rear of the building facing the parking lot.
A couple of pranksters (who will remain anonymous) got a couple skinned sheep's heads from the packing house and placed them in the urinals. No matter how much of a hurry a guy was in to enter, he was in a bigger hurry to leave.
Oh yes fond memories for sure
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