Keeping up with past and present happenings in a remarkable small town.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Christmas in the '60s
Photo: Jonathan Cooper
13 comments:
Anonymous
said...
What a great picture! Color photography in it's infancy. I remember how excited I was as a child when those garland lights went up over top Main Street; it was always a sign, a symbol that Christmas was coming. There is a certain nostalgia in me when I see pictures like this--I'm a Baby Boomer, born in the 50's--that I don't care to soil with ruminations of how Butler is or isn't today. It's the one time and place where I want to firmly remain in denial, simply because I can and because there is no harm in it for me or my family since we are all gone from there. Selfish? Maybe.
If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you will notice the policemen directing traffic. One is at the Cunningham St. crossing and the other at Jefferson St. Another interesting thing is the holiday display which is barely visible on the Troutman's overhang.
We are so glad to be old enough to remember when downtown Butler used to look like this. It was great shopping there and always saw many friends. It seems to us that people smiled more back in those days. Great to see those beautiful old Christmas decorations. Also, great to see Woolworth's building again. Thank God for happy memories.
Oh, does anyone else remember the store doors would be open and the fragrance of cashews and peanuts roasting (Murphy's 5and dime. Everyone scurrying in their boots and slosh---great memories. Armco used the Penn Theater to host the children and all received a netted socking filled with goodies. That was all back in the 50's when things weren't so busy. Thanks for sharing the holiday picture.
What a fantastic photo of a cherished part of my childhood. Born in Butler in 1954 and moved away in '66, this photo is of my favorite time of the year. I remember those side to side street decorations and how festive the entire Main Street area always seemed to be from Thanksgiving on. Does anyone recall the fish tank in Troutman's basement during the holidays where kids could "fish" for prizes? Or how about the show about the North Pole, Santa, and the elves that Horne's had on KDKA at Christmas? All these years later, those times in Butler were some of my favorite, what a great place to grow up.
What a beautiful photo of Main Street, it sure brings back great memories of Butler. As a teenager, I worked for Troutman's in the early 1960's in just about every department. It was so much fun. I looked at the street in the picture for my boyfriend's Red T-Bird parked waiting for me to come out after my shift. I moved away from Butler in the 1960's but my mind drifts back to the wonderful times and friends of those years. It is amazing what a photo can do! Thanks for sharing it.
Graduated from BHS in 1961 and worked part time at the Hub clothing store for a few years. Eli Schrieberg was a wonderful employer. Loved to see the Christmas decorations there. Al Harmon, former Butlerite.
I loved going to the big city of Butler in the 60's, and as a kid coming up from Sarver that's just what it was to me. The Christmas decorations in all the stores. The bells from the street corners ringing. The Salvation Army folks ringing for donations. Decorations and Christmas music in the stores. And that special 26 inch red and white Schwinn boy's bike complete with tanks, rear carrier, and an electric horn sitting right there in Western Auto. And just like Ralphie, but instead of the Red Ryder BB gun, I got that bike for Christmas. And dang if it wasn't one of those winters where the snow stuck around until late March. I was going crazy wanting to ride that bike. I remember being with my parents in Troutmans one Christmas season and just absorbed the enjoyment of the Christmas decoration and the atmosphere in there. I wish I could go back to that time to enjoy it again. Thanks for the great pic of downtown and for the opportunity to share my memories. I'm in NV now but my heart will always be in Butler County.
Sandra, I'm just curious if you remember a single "down" escalator in troutmans. I think I remember it in the half of the store toward the courthouse (as opposed to the half of the store toward Cunningham street) and I think it was either between the 4th and 3rd floor or 3rd and 2nd floor. Also, weren't there 5 floors total? Thanks. G
Guess I'm getting old as could look at this shot for hours, it brings back so many happy memories of a time long gone. Just the store signs make me think of childhood days shopping with my mother,father, or grandmother as we'd go through Troutman's, Woolworth's, Grant's, Crawford's Jewelry, Tony Monday's Shoes, J.C. Penny's, then stop for a burger and coconut pie at the Burger Hut, or ice cream at Cummings. Christmas meant the pink boxes of Cumming's Candy out for company to enjoy. My father, and before him, grandfather's store is on the right down there toward the back of the photo,
13 comments:
What a great picture! Color photography in it's infancy. I remember how excited I was as a child when those garland lights went up over top Main Street; it was always a sign, a symbol that Christmas was coming. There is a certain nostalgia in me when I see pictures like this--I'm a Baby Boomer, born in the 50's--that I don't care to soil with ruminations of how Butler is or isn't today. It's the one time and place where I want to firmly remain in denial, simply because I can and because there is no harm in it for me or my family since we are all gone from there. Selfish? Maybe.
Beautiful picture! This is how I remember Butler during my childhood. Such a bustle of activity during those evening Christmas shopping times.
Walking around town shopping was so much more fun than traipsing around in a mall! Good memories of better times in Butler.
If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you will notice the policemen directing traffic. One is at the Cunningham St. crossing and the other at Jefferson St. Another interesting thing is the holiday display which is barely visible on the Troutman's overhang.
We are so glad to be old enough to remember when downtown Butler used to look like this. It was great shopping there and always saw many friends. It seems to us that people smiled more back in those days. Great to see those beautiful old Christmas decorations. Also, great to see Woolworth's building again. Thank God for happy memories.
Oh, does anyone else remember the store doors would be open and the fragrance of cashews and peanuts roasting (Murphy's 5and dime. Everyone scurrying in their boots and slosh---great memories. Armco used the Penn Theater to host the children and all received a netted socking filled with goodies. That was all back in the 50's when things weren't so busy. Thanks for sharing the holiday picture.
What a fantastic photo of a cherished part of my childhood. Born in Butler in 1954 and moved away in '66, this photo is of my favorite time of the year. I remember those side to side street decorations and how festive the entire Main Street area always seemed to be from Thanksgiving on. Does anyone recall the fish tank in Troutman's basement during the holidays where kids could "fish" for prizes? Or how about the show about the North Pole, Santa, and the elves that Horne's had on KDKA at Christmas? All these years later, those times in Butler were some of my favorite, what a great place to grow up.
I always remember the reindeer and sleigh on top of Troutman's entrance.
What a beautiful photo of Main Street, it sure brings back great memories of Butler. As a teenager, I worked for Troutman's in the early 1960's in just about every department. It was so much fun. I looked at the street in the picture for my boyfriend's Red T-Bird parked waiting for me to come out after my shift. I moved away from Butler in the 1960's but my mind drifts back to the wonderful times and friends of those years. It is amazing what a photo can do! Thanks for sharing it.
Graduated from BHS in 1961 and worked part time at the Hub clothing store for a few years. Eli Schrieberg was a wonderful employer. Loved to see the Christmas decorations there.
Al Harmon, former Butlerite.
I loved going to the big city of Butler in the 60's, and as a kid coming up from Sarver that's just what it was to me. The Christmas decorations in all the stores. The bells from the street corners ringing. The Salvation Army folks ringing for donations. Decorations and Christmas music in the stores. And that special 26 inch red and white Schwinn boy's bike complete with tanks, rear carrier, and an electric horn sitting right there in Western Auto. And just like Ralphie, but instead of the Red Ryder BB gun, I got that bike for Christmas. And dang if it wasn't one of those winters where the snow stuck around until late March. I was going crazy wanting to ride that bike. I remember being with my parents in Troutmans one Christmas season and just absorbed the enjoyment of the Christmas decoration and the atmosphere in there. I wish I could go back to that time to enjoy it again. Thanks for the great pic of downtown and for the opportunity to share my memories. I'm in NV now but my heart will always be in Butler County.
Sandra, I'm just curious if you remember a single "down" escalator in troutmans. I think I remember it in the half of the store toward the courthouse (as opposed to the half of the store toward Cunningham street) and I think it was either between the 4th and 3rd floor or 3rd and 2nd floor. Also, weren't there 5 floors total? Thanks. G
Guess I'm getting old as could look at this shot for hours, it brings back so many happy memories of a time long gone. Just the store signs make me think of childhood days shopping with my mother,father, or grandmother as we'd go through Troutman's, Woolworth's, Grant's, Crawford's Jewelry, Tony Monday's Shoes, J.C. Penny's, then stop for a burger and coconut pie at the Burger Hut, or ice cream at Cummings. Christmas meant the pink boxes of Cumming's Candy out for company to enjoy. My father, and before him, grandfather's store is on the right down there toward the back of the photo,
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