Archived Topics
Area soda fountains
Posted By: William Brainard <p020188b@pb.seflin.org>
Date: Sunday, 13 May 2001, at 9:48 a.m.
In Coventry we had Hill's Pharmacy which in the '50s and early '60s was located in the Seibert block where the Risley dance studio and Coventry Bookshop are today. In '61 they moved to Coventry Corners shopping center. One could get a hamburg or cheeseburg there in the luncheonette and delicious sundaes. I seem to remember it was run by Mrs. Jan Going. By 1970, Hill's discontinued the soda fountain. Today it's a memory.
Posted By: michael sledjeski
Date: Friday, 18 May 2001, at 11:07 p.m.
In Response To: Area soda fountains (William Brainard)
I was born and raised in Willi (43-60) and honestly had little interest in the town until I passed through two weeks ago and showed my gal around - a great nostalgiatour. This website is a hoot. Anyway, soda fountains: I recall Mike's down on the corner of Railroad St., Joe Osso's on Jackson St. across from St. Joe's School (wasn't Louie Osso a character?), The Campus Shop - first stop on the way home from high school and great spot to cozy up to girls in a booth, but my favorite was the little shop on Thread Mill Square - don't recall the name, but I remember the thick glass Cherry Smash syrup jar, the nickel bags of State Line potato chips, the comic books spread out in the front window. I suppose it was basic training in consumerism, but the place was a little palace of delights. Hey, what was that drink with vanilla syrup, milk, and soda water called? It was a specialty at Mike's. >>>>> Happy days, weren't they?
Posted By: amccarthy
Date: Wednesday, 23 May 2001, at 2:56 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Area soda fountains (michael sledjeski)
HICKEY'S DRUG STORE AT THE CORNER OF JACKSON AND UNION STREETS HAD A SODA FOUNTAIN! DIDN'T HALLOCK'S ALSO ON MAIN OPPOSITE NORTH STREET! HALLOCK'S ICE CREAM WAS MADE ON JACKSON STREET AT THE FOOT OF BOLIVIA STREET!
Posted By: Ada Kerachsky Albright <aa19@cornell.edu>
Date: Friday, 25 May 2001, at 5:05 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Area soda fountains (amccarthy)
I remember the soda fountain at Hickey's Drug Store and also remember the Hallock's establishment a few doors up from Curran's Drug Store. There was another soda fountain a short distance up Main Street from there, I believe very close to Sweeney's stationery store. They had a good apple-cinnamon flavor of ice cream. The establishment on Railroad St. made good root beer floats and "brown cows." Actually, the pool hall on Union St. (next to my Dad's store) had a soda fountain in the front part. An ice cream cone was a nickel and for an addition penny you could get "chocolate shot" (called sprinkles now) on it!
Posted By: Ed Gervais <gervais@moxicom.com>
Date: Monday, 4 June 2001, at 1:48 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Area soda fountains (Ada Kerachsky Albright)
That was Wood's Smoke Shoppe. I remember, because whenever I appeared on the street across from there while on my way up to Dr. Girouard's office for a treatment for a "carbuncle" with silver nitrate, the guys who always stood outside would go into the smoke shoppe so they wouldn't have to hear my tortured screams, coming very loudly, from the good doctor's office. I was very young, but I remember it well.
Posted By: Nancy <kellyn@easternct.edu>
Date: Friday, 25 May 2001, at 9:13 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Area soda fountains (michael sledjeski)
Michael, i printed your message and brought it home to a guy who would love to drop you a line - please reply to me email address.
The thread mill square candy shop was Casey's, or Caisses...5 cent ice cream cones! River Rats loved to stop there on their way home from school.
Posted By: RD <lancva@crosslink.net>
Date: Monday, 28 May 2001, at 11:17 a.m.
In Response To: Area soda fountains (William Brainard)
There was a drug store between the First National Store and Welch's on Main st. across from the Capital theater but can't remember the name. All the high school part-timers would go there on Sat afternoon for their break. Also, there was Butler's Dairy where we would get drinks and ice cream at the window when swimming at Gile Fylnn's.
Posted By: Ada Kerachsky Albright <aa19@cornell.edu>
Date: Monday, 28 May 2001, at 12:00 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Area soda fountains (RD)
Would that have been Brett's Pharmacy?
Posted By: Virginia Bradford Darrow <vadaro@cs.com>
Date: Saturday, 11 August 2001, at 10:08 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Area soda fountains (Ada Kerachsky Albright)
Flynn's Pharmacy on Main Street next to the First National on the northeast corner of Main and North Street was THE PLACE to go after high school in the middle 1940's. It had a couple of booths in the back of the store just beyond the soda fountain.
Posted By: Scorpio <Scorpio@ThreadCity.com>
Date: Sunday, 12 August 2001, at 4:03 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Area soda fountains (Virginia Bradford Darrow)
I used to go there with my aunt to learn the latest gyrations of the true jitterbug craze. She would pick me up at home when she finished her school day at Windham High and we would all meet at the pharmacy, at the back of the store. We sat on wire chairs and leaned our elbows on the small round marble top tables. I was about 6 years old and danced with all of the bobby-soxers. My aunt's name was Lucille (Billie) LaPalme.