Open Writing

There used to be busy little small towns or villages within just a few miles of most residents who lived in rural areas. The people who lived in or near these communities got most of their supplies from within these small towns.

The few other things that they needed were usually found in the next largest town, normally the county seat, which was not too far away. Most of these towns were laid out with the courthouse in the middle of the town square that was surrounded by a park-like area with a few park benches here and there. At any rate, over the years, it became a tradition to many folks to go downtown on a Saturday night.

Although people came to town to do business, it was an enjoyable time when folks looked forward to just seeing who was in town, visiting, and hearing all the local news.

Farmers and ranchers came to town on Saturdays to do business with the feed stores and stockyards while others came because it was a day off from work when they could pick up supplies. It was the only day that usually the whole family came along to town. Later in the afternoon or evening, even more folks showed up in town after their chores were all through.

Our family was no exception and we all looked forward to the trip to Edina on many Saturdays. My brother and I would often do extra errands and chores to save up money for those trips to town.

We bought most necessities from our local stores in Baring so the things we purchased in Edina were usually items or services that weren’t available in Baring. Young people today would probably think it strange to keep their frozen foods away from home but that is exactly what we did. Like many folks, we only had a tiny freezer in our refrigerator that held very little so we paid locker rent to keep our frozen meat there. The locker plant was especially nice on a hot summer’s day because we would walk inside a large room that was like a quick visit to the North Pole and pick up some frozen foods before we left for home.

The trip to town usually included something that was fun for us kids. We might get a new pair of shoes from Sandknops or P.N. Hirsch or something new to wear. We didn’t always have money to spend in town so sometimes we did what Momma called, “Window shopping”. That simply meant that we were looking through the store window at things and dreaming. Perhaps someday there would be money for that doll or bicycle.

My brother and I had our favorite places to visit. He would sometimes go to Gambles or Western Auto but my favorite place to go was to the Ben Franklin Store or what we called, “The Dime Store”. There were so many things to look at there but before I left the store, I would usually go by the candy counter where glass bins held all the different kinds of candy. You could buy candy there by weight that was scooped into a brown bag and placed on a scale.

I would usually ask for a dime’s worth of M&Ms and my brother and I would split them between us. When I got older, it was the cosmetic counter that drew my attention where there were perfumes for sale. I remember Blue Waltz and Ben Hur perfumes but my very favorite fragrance was Evening In Paris in that distinctive cobalt blue bottle.

Another fun place to go was the drug store. There was the choice of either the Southside Drug or McKay’s Pharmacy. They each had a soda fountain where you could get a lot of wonderful treats. My favorites were a cherry root beer or a Helen Special. There’s a story behind the Helen’s Special. As I recall, there was a lady named Helen who asked for certain toppings on her sundae and everyone liked her concoction so much that it became a regular item on the menu. It consisted of vanilla ice cream covered with marshmallow cream, chocolate sauce, nuts, and topped off with whipped cream and a cherry if you desired.

Being downtown on Saturday night was good anytime but I remember summertime the most. I think it was because people would stand around and visit outside of the stores or sit on benches and visit. The town would be crowded with hardly a place to park and there was usually a pickup or two that would park sideways along the curb to sell vegetables or fresh fish from the back of a truck.

There were also special things that went on during the summer months on Saturday nights. We might get to see a movie at Lindina Theater where there was usually a double feature or sometimes there was a live band and a street would be blocked off for a dance. Many times during the summer Toby and Susie came to town and set up a big tent to perform their theater show. Daddy would usually buy us Cracker Jacks from a vendor who passed through the aisles of the tent. We loved the Cracker Jacks but we had the added treat of the toy that came inside the box.

At one time, all the little towns around this part of the country were busy, thriving communities. It was rare to see any storefront buildings vacant or abandoned like we see in our small towns these days. Many small towns, have few businesses left that haven’t been boarded up or torn down and they struggle to keep what little is left. Rural areas that are primarily agricultural are working hard to survive and yet it seems unfair and ironic that without agriculture people could not survive.

Our area is often referred to as “The Breadbasket”. We should remember where our food comes from, it’s not from the grocery store, it comes from the harvest of the fields across our great land. As one bumper sticker I saw says, “Eat today? Thank a farmer!”

Some small towns, like mine, were once booming railroad towns where many trains stopped to take on passengers, produce, and stock from the farmers. Now there are fewer trains going through and they don’t stop anymore. Yet, we still hear that lonesome train whistle blow in the distance. Perhaps it reminds us not to forget of another place and time.

It was a time when folks got together, pulled up a bench, and talked about how their crops were doing and if they thought it would rain or not. People talked about births, community events, weddings, and how sad it was about the newest grave at the cemetery.

That’s how it was in our small town. That’s how it was downtown on a Saturday night.

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Pam lives in Missouri with her husband, Michael. She enjoys composing music and writing stories. She writes "Pam's Corner" for her local newspaper, The Edina Sentinel. Pam and her husband are active in their church where she plays piano and he is music leader. They have a CD available called, "I'll Walk You Home". The title song is about her lifelong friend who died of cancer. You can hear this song on her website: http://blaines.us/PamyPlace.htm

Several of her stories have been published on the internet as well as in books such as The Miracle Of Sons, 2The Heart/People Who Make A Difference, and A Tribute To Moms. Her goal is to write to encourage others and to write stories for her children and grandchildren so that stories and family history will be preserved.

e-mail: pamyblaine@blaines.us

"Security is not the absence of danger,
but the presence of God"