Archived Topics

"convenience stores"

Posted By: a
Date: Friday, 19 July 2002, at 7:57 a.m.

What might have been called "convenience stores" but didn't sell gasoline back then: Bridge at Pleasant; West Park Street; Summit between Chestnut & Walnut; two at Prospect and Jackson neighborhood(maybe three, actually); at Birch on Valley; High & Valley; Ash and Jackson; Main across from Memorial Park; Main & Ash; Main across from tennis courts; AND, the tiny place on Lewiston just above Oak St, might have sold only ice cream and canned soup! 

Posted By: Shemp
Date: Saturday, 20 July 2002, at 12:29 a.m.

In Response To: "convenience stores" (a)

I recall a number of the neighborhood stores -- like the one you speak of -- "Carters" on Summit between Walnut and Chesnut - run by Mr. Carter who lived on High St., just above Lewiston. Before it was called "Bradley's" -- because the Bradley family owned it...they sold wonder bread and moxie and donuts from mandels bakery. they had a coke machine in there that kept the sodie pop chilled via cold water. we used to get our raspberry kool-ade in there every summer.

Shemp

Posted By: Mel B. <dkielbas@aol.com>
Date: Thursday, 25 July 2002, at 6:25 a.m.

In Response To: Re: "convenience stores" (rd)

DO you remember the candy kitchen on union street Strand Theatre 12 cents, Syvelsters pool room, Flaums Bakery on union.

Posted By: Ada Kerachsky Albright
Date: Thursday, 25 July 2002, at 10:15 a.m.

In Response To: Ice Cream (Mel B.)

The Candy Kitchen was on Main St., very close to the beginning of Union St. I would love to know whether anyone has pictures of the inside--it was a real showpiece and would be a tourist attraction today! Flaum's was more of a deli that also sold baked goods (possibly from the Colchester Bakery?). The Flaums bought my grandmother's business. By the time I went to the Strand's Saturday afternoon matinees, it was a quarter--but you got at least two westerns (Roy Rodgers, Hopalong Cassidy), the three stooges, lots of cartoons, etc. 

Posted By: rd <lancva@crosslink.net>
Date: Thursday, 25 July 2002, at 11:43 a.m.

In Response To: Re: Ice Cream (Ada Kerachsky Albright)

I remember the Strand when it was 12 cents and it offered dinner plates to adults I guess for an additional price. The one thing about the movie theaters in those days was the continous showing that started when the doors opened in early afternoon and ran through the last showing to about 11 pm. You could stay in theater for 8 to 10 hours and watch the same movies over and over. 

Posted By: Shemp
Date: Saturday, 20 July 2002, at 8:56 p.m.

In Response To: Re: "convenience stores" (Shemp)

Mr Adams was a very nice man, like someone who should have been in a Norman Rockwell painting if he ever did one in Willimantic. I remember he had all those built-in refrigerated food storage lockers -- trimmed in fine wood -- at the rear of his store. They were filled with cold cuts and cheeses of all kinds and description. Rev. Teed the Rev at the 1st Congo down the street -- used to buy Limburger in there with Nabisco saltines. His son, Phil and I used to hang out together and we used to pick up his order sometimes.

That was a neaet little place alright....dream on folks.

S

Posted By: rd <artattic@crosslink.net>
Date: Saturday, 20 July 2002, at 7:35 a.m.

In Response To: "convenience stores" (a)

The one on Lewiston above Oak St was called Swansons and the wife ran the store. I grew up on Oak St next to the Lutheran Church. All the kids in the neighborhood use go to Swansons for soda. They had glass case cooler just to the left when you walked in the door. I think all the soda was from Hosmer Mtn. My favorite was Birch Beer--now I like it without the birch. The other store I went to was the one on Summit st--Carters. It was much bigger and carried a variety of foods, meats. I remember one Xmas, Cott soda, "If it Cotts, it cott to be good," ran a special on Xmas glasses. You had to buy x number of bottles and then you get a free glass with a like grandma moses scene on it. There was anothe one down on Valley st across from the Park Center or thereabouts. I think it was called Adams. 

Posted By: Pete
Date: Saturday, 20 July 2002, at 1:11 p.m.

In Response To: Re: "convenience stores" (rd)

The store on Summit St. between Chestnut and Walnut was run by Carter Williams 

Posted By: scorpio
Date: Saturday, 20 July 2002, at 4:42 p.m.

In Response To: Re: "convenience stores" (rd)

Mr. Adams, a butcher by trade, operated a small market on Valley Street, perpendicular to the end of Bank Street, which became a gravel alley that ran through to the next street parrallel to Valley on the north. There was also a big gravel lot back there that was used for parking all kinds of neighborhood vehicles. Mr. Adams was a man with a bald crown and a big smile for everyone. He was wrapped in a white apron that was always fresh and clean but stained with signs of his trade. He gave penny-candy of waxed images filled with colored sweet-water, Squirrel candies wrapped in waxed paper, licorice, chocolate malted milk balls free to kids who stopped by to say hello on the way home from school. The smell of his smoking pipe, full of Prince Albert, gave me a feeling that I had reached a way-station on the seemingly long trip home. He was like the grandpa that many kids didn't have in their lives. I remember him leaving his store and helping people across the deep torrents of winter's freezing water and ice the often overflowed through the streets and sidewalks in that area of Valley, Pearl, Bank, and North streets. That was away beyond the job of being a local convenience store operator.