Archived Topics
Question for old-timers
Posted By: William Brainard <wbrainard@juno.com>
Date: Tuesday, 23 July 2002, at 6:34 p.m.
What year was the present Dairy Queen built and who built it? One of my earliest recollections of it was ca.1959 when we went there in our 1950 Plymouth for ice cream after seeing the Disney film "The Shaggy Dog" at the Mansfield Drive-In.
Posted By: Lenny <kappsin@yahoo.com>
Date: Friday, 26 July 2002, at 3:23 p.m.
In Response To: Question for old-timers (William Brainard)
dairy queen, Are you talkiung about where Uncle Kens is Now on Lower main? Its been there since the late 50's for sure :)
Posted By: Ron D
Date: Friday, 26 July 2002, at 6:48 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Question for old-timers (Lenny)
Prior to the name of Uncle Ken's near the tennis courts at REC PARK, the local business went the name of TASTY FREEZE. I always felt that was a fine name for that type of soft serve business.
I vaguely remember a neon light shaped like an ice-cream cone. It was rather large and protruded out perpendicular from the building. It may still be there now. I'm not always as observant as I could be.
Maybe I'll look for that neon cone next time I drive by. Maybe I'll get myself a cone too.
Chocolate!
Posted By: William Brainard <wbrainard@juno.com>
Date: Saturday, 27 July 2002, at 7:45 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Question for old-timers (Ron D)
Yeah I remember Tastee Freeze pre Uncle Ken's but I meant the Dairy Queen on Main Street at the corner of Windham Street across from Benny's. BTW, in going through a 1954 Coventry "Broadcaster", Benny's was known as Benny's Auto Store. Wasn't it in a building down by the post office near where the old First National Store used to be across from the Capital Theatre? I vaguely recall pre-1963 Wmtc. and Benny's was not at its present location. It used to have a neon sign with arrows blinking inward towards the store.
Posted By: Shemp
Date: Sunday, 28 July 2002, at 12:05 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Question for old-timers (William Brainard)
mr brainard
i will try to set the record straight on DAIRY QUEEN and BENNYS -- since i am an 'ole timer' alright. in fact , for you young 'whiipersnappers' - - i can recall the world war i parade in willi in 1918.
the DAIRY QUEEN opened in march, 1950 and one of the partners was Al saba who ran the cleaners on high st. too. small cones were 10 cents and shake was 25 cents. i ate me lots.
where BENNYS is today was once the home of young motors -- a chrysler and dodge dealer. dick young was a "hot" salesman there in the 1950s, we bought 2 cars there -- a big dodge 'royal lancer' with huge fins...what a machine that was..i used to get her up to 90 going up spring hill in storrs, of course a 6-pk helped.
BENNYS first was located just a few steps past bank st on main, between that ole bank on the corner of bank -- and the surplus center. a few feet below that going toward north st was brown's dept store ( next to grants; any of you folks recall that place??...always a deal in there but you had to look out for ole man brown and his 'deals' -- once we bought a tv in there and when it was delivered it was a differnet set and it did not work).
shemp
Posted By: William Brainard <wbrainard@juno.com>
Date: Sunday, 28 July 2002, at 3:35 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Question for old-timers (Shemp)
Thanks Shemp. So the Wmtc. Dairy Queen had its 50th anniversary in 2000. I talked with the man who runs it now and he said he took it over in 1976. He was so young then and now he is graying like all of us. LOL! BTW, does anyone know the guy who drives that old black Studebaker around town? He's had it since I was a freshman at Eastern in 1972. I remember it because I had my first car at the time; a red '62 VW Bug with a sunroof. I think the Stude is somewhere between a 1963-1966.
Posted By: j
Date: Sunday, 28 July 2002, at 11:47 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Question for old-timers (Shemp)
How about pre-1950? Wasn't there a diner on that spot? And a house where Benny's parking lot is now? Anyone remember the Windham St. neighborhood?
Posted By: Shemp
Date: Sunday, 28 July 2002, at 11:25 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Question for old-timers (j)
J:
i do not recall what was there before DQ. i as too young. can tell you there was a gas station (gulf) where the 'doubt they're donuts'( phew ...bad donuts)is now , next to bennys. we used to cut down off the play ground at windham st school ( before it was f r noble school) and go to remy's for 15 cent grinders and a coke at lunch time. the grub was so awful at the school i could not eat it most days. the dietician -- mrs. griffin -- was a nice lady and she felt sorry for me when they served creamed chipped beef ( i wont call it the more vernacular name) cuz she made me p'nut and jelly sandwiches and i ate them in the kitchen, she had a son named dick griffin. any of you folks go to windham st school??...lots of good teachers -- ms hare, ms lewis, ms sugrue (could be crabby) and mrs seakamp and gallotte and elwell.
i always liked the monkey bars on the playground.
shemp.
Posted By: a
Date: Monday, 29 July 2002, at 6:58 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Question for old-timers (j)
there was a house on Windham between Jordan Dodge and Noble School! knew one of families that lived there!
Posted By: Lenny <kappsin@yahoo.com>
Date: Saturday, 27 July 2002, at 4:00 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Question for old-timers (Ron D)
Thats right it was tasty freeze, not dairy queen. I do remeber it well though, would go there after watching twilight baseball at erc park. Also the grinders at Boudrous (SP) market were superb, right next door.
LL
Posted By: jimmyb <jbarre44@earthlink.com>
Date: Wednesday, 14 August 2002, at 4:45 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Question for old-timers (William Brainard)
the dairy queen was owned by the saba or saber family .. his first name was al.. he also owned the clearners on high st just up from main st...
Posted By: ROBERT THOMPSON <THOMPSON.ROBERT@TUCSON.VA.GOV>
Date: Thursday, 15 August 2002, at 10:42 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Question for old-timers (jimmyb)
It was Al Saba. His oldest son was in my high school class.