Utah in the 50s; Salt Lake City

That. 1950s was a time of innocence and optimism the joy of the ERA was personified by Salt Lake City's mayor Earl J. Glade who walked down Main Street offering his hat to the ladies or touching his hat with two fingers for the man. And waving his arm. It's a sort of hello and a blessing. It seemed a blessing time. Local production of Utah in the 50s Salt Lake City is made possible in part by the Georges and Dolores story Eckels Foundation. And the contributing members of KQED. Memories. They say may not always truly reflect the way things were bought. When I think of life in the 1950s here in Salt Lake City my beloved hometown my Salt Lake span's. Following the Korean War. This was generally a time of peace. With friends and

classmates. I discussed Plato and Socrates Eisenhower and McCarthy hope for dates on weekends. I graduated from college got my first full time job earned enough to buy a car. It was a used one dance at the Rainbow lagoon Saltaire oles and looked forward to marriage. And I hope the penny uranium stock I bought would go to a dollar. It didn't. There were no shopping malls there was no West Valley City and Murray Sandy West Jordan South Jordan Taylorsville Draper and even Sugarhouse seem far from town and downtown was where the action was. Main Street of course fifties. Prior to the fifties were that we went to shop. It wasn't as big as it is now. It seemed to go from South Pole to third south maybe to. 16th place. And it went from me to state. It was there and that was about all.

The foot traffic. Was much like you still see in Europe. It was just a hobby. Mostly Saturdays. Oh. Main street was crowded. The sidewalks were crowded. Going in the store itself was crowded. The sidewalks were a lot wider than they are now. I mean it was kind of like a concert sort of atmosphere where we didn't have those kinds of concerts. There is a lot going on and people running around getting on and off the buses which were the main means of transportation for people to. Go. To and come from. Saturdays. Downtown is just the place to go and the place to be. You had. Cresses. At the Woolworth. Never really five to 10 so that was your first down.

We get off the bus said second south and Maine go down into Woolworth's. And now we go perhaps into the grand store and then into cresses. These were the five and dime stores and you could go through cresses on Main Street and then come out on third's third south. I'm sure the other people have spoken with tears in their eyes about cresses. Now cresses for a young person growing up. Was to me just like. You could Andrew from 3rd south by your paper dolls and go out on Main Street and pick up a hot dog. I remember buying gold fish at cresses. Little teeny tubes of tangy lipstick. Little heart shaped bottles of Evening in Paris perfume for my mother who appreciated it although it was awful perfume and a marvelous place to buy makeup wasn't anything yet nylons fix that or you wouldn't know that now. But in the olden days. It was

expensive to buy nylon and they had many vendors there who can fix that retinues in your digresses. Oh did that. There is a huge Walgreens drug store. On second south of Main Street on Main and south temple. They were beautiful jewelry stores. There was leason Piersol on Main Street. That was how Islamic. There was McCain Jewelers on Main Street. Their wives of course shoe box shoe boxes around the corner the south and me and that great. Oh J.C. candy store. That was on the. Southwest. Corner. And. Heard. Many stories. There's the war. There's. Main Street. There's the Sears. Down south street. There are all kinds of wonderful places to go. Your money.

Caesium my Zion's Co-operative mercantile institution operated here. For nearly a hundred and fifty years. Brigham Young wanted the Saints to shop here. Most did and so did many others. And. It's hard to believe it's gone now. But in the 1950s it was said we're going up because the say is my favorite here. You may not believe it by looking at me now was ground up in the face of my non fattening characters. It was called and it was delicious. And women all love ZC my Especially the tip from Europe. I love. The. Sea. Yeah. That was. That was my story. Well I love D.C.M. I stiffener around. The Tiffin round and VCM I. Made. A. Marshmallow Man salt that was to die for. And. I had that wonderful food. I

remember the Tuffin them. By the Tiffin room was a great big long pants that people could sit on as they came in the store and. We used to call it. I think the community used to call that Peacock Alley. Because all of the grand dorm's of the city would come and place themselves on this bench as the population paraded past. I was such a fun place that was another place that you could enter from South temple cut past the Tiffin room. Go into the china department and app in the lunchroom. And there was a grocery store and there was sort of a deli and it was where you would stand at a counter and have one of those wonderful caesium my hot dogs. And of course what made it so wonderful was the relish and mustard sauce that you put on it. Or you can see in my heart anymore. That's another smell that used to be able to detect when they. Yeah know their smell was May. What Nobby's

fresh flowers. Went down the ramp. Beneath the ramp was May was the first floor. And that whiff was just that was worth the entrance fee and disease. But they did have elevators and the elevators manned by pretty women and they would call out the floor and tell what is available on those flowers you know second floor ladies laundry and so forth things like that. And they had to hit the floor. Just right so that people didn't stumble. You know if you had to step down it was difficult. If you got to step up it was it was impossible. So you had to get just right. And this was a question of skill among the elevator operator. That's a little if they didn't get it just right. That's a step up. Yes.

I think the thing is as special as my or many the things that we don't see today. I mean I remember going into the semi and as a young kid. Going down there the food area and seeing this enormous. Kodiak bear standing up like this in a glass cage. And in my mind he was 10 feet tall. I don't know how tall it was maybe it was eight feet tall but standing with its arms outstretched and that mesmerized me walking past that bear I mean what he was doing in the food department at zoos. My I have never really figured out. Everybody came to the scene I was this guy mad. I also remember a big. Gold color scale but the patrons could weigh themselves lot huge maybe seven feet tall with a great big smile across the face. I remember standing in front of a semi with the cars

angle parked up parallel park. And they had wonderful department specialty departments. The CMI was the first department store in the country Zusi was an institution. I had been brought up to believe that there were three or four department stores in the world that were of no R.H. Macy's. John Wanamaker Marshall Fields maybe Harrods in London and CCNY in Salt Lake City. They were Chicago Philadelphia and New York and Salt Lake City was sissy. Since there were no malls like this one in the 50s ladies. And I suppose some other men began their shopping sprees a self and state. Work the way to solve temple.

Shopping was really exciting. There was wonderful shopping all up and down Main Street there was incredible shopping along Third south from state to me beginning with our backs our Auerbach's which was called the Big Friendly store with the big friendly group. And that was a beautiful big store on Third south and State Street. I think our box was the first place and found the escalator. So that you could get on it right all the way up to three. And it was. The capacious place just full. And it was it was my very first. Course then there were cops. That was really let go. Suddenly the staircase is really very lovely and it's always a part of the store. My gosh when it was here yes it was. This building was remodeled by John fact and the architect and this would probably not feature in the store.

Models would come down the staircase models would come down a staircase would be photographed on. They were on Main Street when it originally started was founded and moved to South temple. And with that simple location in a building none of them out of Clark building until 1958. And then they moved to the left here and stayed here until 1978 at the time of its quote They pay a little $25. Now they will pick it up may come down downtown. Oh I love may cost in that they were famous for their furs. They had beautiful models. It was it was a beautiful store. It had a very dark hole window it was beautiful. It was round. I used my hands. Ground and then trailed off to a square. And they they had the ultimate fashion clothes. And. A big

stair staircase that led up the second floor. The fitting rooms. And sitting rooms actually in all the stores as I recall. Were very large very large fitting rooms because they had seamstresses. There was the beauty salon and the room and I employ you. What did you serve. Well we were famous for a chicken salad a chicken enchilada. And our famous day at which people still call occasionally and ask me for the reference. I really remember Pembroke's for Pembroke's was a great place for stationery when down by that was in Paris. The Paris department store. Was another very lovely place. And in the middle of Paris there was like an atrium covered with this beautiful colored glass dome. And that's where the rooms the young girls department was.

Down the street from the Paris company. Was a strange little store called Mood day. And I don't think I ever went in there was just a spooky little strange store. There was another small store which was across the street which was a bit smaller but it was also a lovely store. It was the most divine place to walk past because they had Adam Reiser's the big shoe. Curfew's. Into the air and they had wonderful jewelry that. That we could afford. So we bought a lot of jewelry and had a wonderful perfume. They have extremely beautiful clothing quality clothing. And the way the merchandise it was so clever. Mother with AIDS and the whole world was older women older women that. They had. Marvelous hands. We high school girls would go in well high school girls didn't wear hats.

We didn't wear hats but we like to look at our shows and hats. We couldn't afford. It. KEITH O'BRIEN The Bon marché. Salt Lake and they had the most beautiful knit suits on the main floor but on the lower level they have Lanz dress. I remember those days vividly with my girlfriend. Shopping was the big deal. Well in the 50s there was not music to accompany shopping at least none that I can remember. If shopping was important to women. Man. What's there. Well fashion was shall we say much more significant for the ladies. I once dated a girl named Joyce and I'll bet you although I doubt it I even noticed that she wore shoes named after her. And. A sweater named after someone I didn't know whose name was. Janice.

And I remember that during the 50s my mother would never have considered going into town without this very nice dress. Or a handbag and claps. Every place that you you class. You just really had to have the right stuff and all of the mothers. Had to wear white gloves to town. You had to wear hats you have to wear hats in high school. We always had the poodle skirts. We caught her even with those awful girls skirts. They were all full circle and they were most of them felt and they have little poodles. On this side and you have little teeny tiny waist. In those days we would wear two and three petticoats underneath them starched the petticoats with my agrah starch. And we used to start trap petticoats with sugar water and hang them out on the line to dry. You could pull those things off the clothesline bring it back to the stand

and our legs would just be scratched up the air by the end of the night. And of course we want to hear this big rustle and you were really in a few more choice shoes and jams and sweaters. Joy's shoes and Jansons radical's Jansons sweaters only joy shoes only if you didn't have that skirt and that's sweaters joist shoes to match your outfit. She was no but they were called. Spoonbills and it was a little off point. Back when you were with fighting Calzaghe had to pearl buttons on it. I remember when my mother liked shoes because she thought they were a problem was she refused to buy Jansons better and the people next door knew of buying mother's. Feelings. And so one year for Christmas. Christine was sweating. And I'll never forget it. It was a coral coloured sweater I asked if I

were penny loafers and that was later. No penny loafers were another time. They had no no real significance. Not like the Joyce chants issue. Thank you Mr Stringham the Utah woolen mills the oldest men's and women's store in the Salt Lake Valley in the fifties I bought a couple of suits here have bought a couple since I had a lot of friends who wore suits all the time some older man some clothes horses if you will. But I found them as now that women know more about how men looked than the men themselves. I don't think the boys ever dressed as good as the girls that boys wore the tail. You know even down here that no one here I'm there for a hairstyle. And before you remember that gray flannel shirt the gray flannel Wowsers. And then the. Pink. Shirt you know with short hair flat top. And the buttoned down

collar and khaki pants with the buckle in the back and a brown belt for shine shoes. We had seven inch pig pants. And. Knee was about this so you went with it. Yeah it was. It wasn't a zoot suit but it came awful close. When you buy a new pair of slacks you had tapered. You didn't have tapered slacks you were with them you weren't And no not at all. No you had to be we wouldn't even talk. You had to have your game. Sure. And. You know and the pull tab that were on the back of your pants. You had to have your floor shoes shoes of course. Well the main thing was shoe. Shoes at Florsheim. See my floor sounds great nice. Some people remember you at al Homans Florsheim shoes and saw like you shined shoes. That's right. I actually went in to buy a pair of shoes just before closing. There was a customer there. What shoes are wanted. Trying to get married right.

And I'll apologize. He did have a shoeshine boy. And I thought well I'm not sure about his weight. Are you sure you know for sure it worked for the Greek Street. Gosh I really don't remember about. Him. MR. GIBBS Yes yes I do remember. When we had our two Frank. Well you know what. Clothing has hardly ever changed for men. Women can talk about how different clothes were. Right. Over the years when we were in the 50s we were wearing suits and ties. You know in those days you had two suits. Period. Now you had 20 and you don't wear any. That's correct. It is you know you get born. Have hats and gloves choices and Janssens were the name of life's game for the ladies forwards Fordson Shabbas shrine and letted were to be cherished and loved by men and boys. My first such love was 1953. MJ

T.T. sat in by my little brother Danny bought years after graduation in the mid 50s for 1000 hard earned box the ladies Well they did like flashy convertibles like this one. For many man love of cars has not faded with the years. Really. When they brought her out in the 50s. It was a big deal. There were spotlight stuck in the sky. Oh it was. The new models were really something and. I remember. When the 55 shoes came out. That was when I was a sophomore. And it was really a hot car and I was really popular. They would keep it secret. They'd cover the windows wouldn't they. It was yeah it was. There was a lot of mystery surrounding those announcements. And

now the new models come out in. March of next year. What's this one. This is 15:1 mercury. It's the one with all of the color customizing tricks that everybody wanted. You can't take your eyes for that. No no no no that would not be granted. I was like What is that. This this car here this this little mercury would have been a car that somebody could have could have owned this 53 mercury and there were cars like this one. Driving around Grand High School all by word on this world. Know they used to drive up and down the street. And I wanted one so badly. This is in the 50s. This next car is a 50s car. Put Packard tail lights in the family. Oh yes so this is a nice little four door hard top louver could head up the Appleton's spots which everybody had to have those lower had the flasher hubcaps. It's got the white naugahyde upholstery which everybody had to

have. Yeah and you or anybody. Yeah. Why not. All right. And it's got the typical things. This one's got ghost flames on it and the pain which basically they're hidden until the sun shines on them and then they really show up. This was really typical of the Salt Lake scene in the 50s and all the guys who had the great cars used to drive by granite pick up all the cute girls. Well what about the neckers knobbed is that what they call them. They some of them some some kids that have. I didn't have them. But I knew what it was for Randy a 1953 Corvette the first year they were built. That's right. Yes. And there were only 300 of these built by your I'm told. Not very many. Yeah. So it's a very unique car. I had a car with a real good curb pickup. It was a 1950 Plymouth convertible totally leather with no chrome on it. Smooth as glass. What color is it black. So it was black. And so it was good. For a day. Oh yeah.

Oh definitely. And it seems to me a lot of people had convertibles and what was the advantage of having a convertible in drag. Well you could see that or got the top and see everybody going up and down the street. We were lucky enough to be friends. With someone who owned a. Beautiful. Buick. Convertible. You know the expense of four holes on the side. Were you one who would drive man stay home. Everybody did. You know up and down. You had to do it just nobody did it first day. I understand that's outlawed now. That we make full use of State Street in those days. I mean girls did it as well. Yes. Yes. Why. You know. When you think of picking up boy that really wasn't our intention we just thought we were really hot stuff. Even that green convertible and you just had a good time. Well he is speeding. We never say never.

But you weren't afraid ever getting unified or having Well back then back in those days. No I don't remember that was ever a problem. Things were pretty nice pretty quiet. We used to go up to Don Carlos. And everyone who was anyone went to downtown. I'm trying to think of the favorite thing that they had the great mall. I don't remember the social aspect because that was the greatest part. It was on the corner. And. Found. On stilts. And they. Bought french fries and the best shape in the entire world. And the car ops would come out and this is just a wonderful wonderful place. And I thought they were the ones that fry sauce first. Oh yes. They invented. The recipe of the fry sauce was ketchup. On my nose and I believe they

had a little bit of buttermilk. Not sure about the buttermilk. It was wonderful. We used to run up the Arctic Circle on 21st 28 feast and have a foot long hotdog or hamburgers. And I think hamburgers are 12 cents or 15 cents of the time. And have fries and fry sauce. That was the best. The Hot Shots which was a drive in. That was a West Side main street just below 6 self-id. It had kind of a friendly quite shuttered house looked to it and they had car hops and you would roll your window up just so they could put a tray onto your window. And then you hand in these big Slurpee shakes or hamburgers or whatever it was your hand. Chad said right. Here. Oh. That was. Paris.

It was Casey brownie with ice cream on top. But. Now that you mention it I remember it well. And then when we really wanted to go out on the town for it it was on. I think it was on State Street probably seventh day. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. And you couldn't quite often you just couldn't get in. I mean it was so crowded on particularly Friday and Saturday night you couldn't get a place to park. Your life depended on it. That's right. And they had of course had the car hopping and everybody was gone speed. The cops were well and they all wore uniforms and I can't remember exactly what it was. I really don't. How come no I can't say they had a relatively short skirt. I do too. Nothing like they good day.

I always wear swimsuits. N.W.. Beer I think can be a.. He was a big tough guy and he came over to my. Car one night when I was sitting with my girlfriend. And I tried to make out with my girlfriend and my girlfriend to a and a beer in his face. And I thought Oh good bye bye bye bye old. The old hotel Utah was the crown jewel of the city one of the nation's elite old hotels. The hotel Utahns lobby was large and beautiful and was a perfect place for meeting family or friends. The coffee shop where I worked as a busboy was one of the places for business lunches. And the roof gardens view and splendid decor could provide a romantic evening of fine dining and dancing.

The Hotel Utah was the ultimate. It was so beautiful. In fact I saw Gloria Swanson there once the Hotel Utah was very important. My growing up years. My older sister had a boyfriend that worked there. And he was one of the bellhops. And. Hidden away in the Hotel Utah of. Found. That right now we going to the side. The east entrance into our hotel Utah. That's where the soda fountain was. And that was a delight in my mind. I love the hotel. A lot of people don't. Care how great you are. I love the hotel and there's no trip. Right. The coffee shop. Remember it book kind of like a Rotto had green tiles everywhere have this enormous fish tank which to a young person is just asking what my children were little.

We go there every Sunday and they would look at the fish. What I really and truly love for the hotel you know by Chef Gerard never the road. The roads were road to the hotel. And the worst that borscht would have a big dollop of sour cream and on top of that would be great. I don't think I've ever tasted. It was marvelous because we had our wedding dinner in the oven and it was lovely. And a bit earlier. And. Then. The roof garden. Was. Miles. There is. Nothing. To compare with the hotel you got. It was gorgeous. It was romantic. The food was

magnificent dancing the live orchestra. The idea this is. All very nice. I mean. There'll never be. Any real place. For it. Right. This brings it to my brother. I was worth a new house hotel. And I was a night Bill my wife going to high school during the summer and it was a very beautiful hotel. It was an elegant. Elegant hotel. Why the. Sweeping staircase. In the center of the lobby. And a beautiful marble marble stair. Case. At the center that. Went off. As you go in. They had red carpet going up the mezzanine it just flowed right up each side. There was a wonderful coffee shop the Royal Room was a very nice restaurant at the time.

They were Eugene silastic and. He was always a gracious man always. Busy seemed like he was on the sly all the time and he used to come get me to help people all the time. And he had to take up the officers and that. I liked if he's always going to get a 50 cent piece. That was the best experience of my whole life. You met a lot of people from all over the country and I just loved it. There were no movie theaters with a dozen or more screens under one roof from the 50s Salt Lake still had big beautiful theater. In fact some of you could reserve your seats in advance. The 50s brought a cinema scope and stereo and the villa here was Utah's first theater to have been. In those days going to the movies was a big deal. There were Sher's no cell phones no talking during the movies and you dressed up quite well because the movie theaters were

policies. All the theaters had these marquees and they stretched out over the sidewalk to the curb. It became against the law to do that. At some point. And so the theaters at the Uptown had a really fancy flashing display and they had them on the real though and you know they say are I a LG flash flash and then that was a little Leons would run up and down them. You know that sort of thing. I think my favorite was the center with the three panels going right around the corner there on third sousing and Broadway. Center here. What's the point. Hello I. Love that. Why. Why would you like that so much. It was sad. It was beautiful. The ambience you go in felt like you were going into. Something that was elegant.

It didn't feel trash. My wife worked at the center. Did she really get to have the same feeling that she was going to tell us about it. The lobby was absolutely beautiful. Across from the candy counter was a big. Mirrored section. And there were sofas all on the walls so that patrons could sit and wait for the movie to start. And on either side of the big mirror. There were. Pictures depicting crickets and the seagulls the rescue of the pioneers. Anyway they were wonderful that you have to wear a uniform as a candy girl. I did. What did it look like. It was just a little tan cotton deal with a little apron and what candies you saw were most popular. Flicks. There was the Utah theater which was him-I on Main Street. I loved.

The you tap water. You remember all that marble and the huge balcony. And the stage that dark for the curtain to come down. It was those theaters even the Uptown. It was a lot. You go down state street and where the promised family play Playhouse is now was a lyric theater which when I started out still had vaudeville going on down there was a place called the Empire which was a really poverty row for you. They didn't even advertise. It was a nice theater. Sometimes they had first run pictures sometimes the. Second big week. From the. Studio theater that studio theater had great big seats. I think they were probably warming up half of these and they went bad. They didn't they were like reclining chairs practically the jam stuff would have been at the center of the Uptown which were the showplace. 40 seconds. Later. Jam.

The Avalon and Murray. The first movie in town was called the iris. Yeah. And then the Murray theatre came along it's called the movie theatre. The Iris was so old that they play old old movies. Scary stuff. I remember going to see a movie called the Isle of the dead. And that's what the movie theater was pretty popular spot. The town theater was a completely different experience. The town theater was for sophisticates and intellectuals. Anyway they showed French movies shot to fall in their lobby instead of selling pop and popcorn. They sold coffee and the little teeny cookies and it seemed to me the people were always smoking. At the tower you know standing in the lobby smoking waiting for the movie to began or standing in front of the theater smoking. And indeed how about all of you that. We would be escorted to our seats by ushers dressed in

uniforms. They were looking pretty tabun pretty trim and you got to stand on the far aisle and hold your flashlight. And if anyone came over there you took them to see. How far down plays. You see. Halfway down in the center place that that was my favorite place that was everybody wanted to say. And then they had flashlights and they would guide you into the movie at any point. It wasn't like you had to go at the beginning. I couldn't imagine what people would come in the middle of the movie. Yes they did that all the time. Yeah but we did it all the time. I mean. I think I was about 12 before I ever saw a movie from the first time if you did. It was purely an accident you just happened in there and people came to the movies in heels. I mean you wouldn't think of going to the movies. In. Flats. Or a suit you wouldn't think of going to a movie. Levi maybe 20 matinee Lamb's cafe is still here.

Not many from the 50s are left and this is where the power brokers met in the 50s as they do now. Fast food had not quite had the city. And keeping with the times most shoppers in the 50s downtown workers easily found good food good service and relaxation. There are wonderful places to eat. Most of your activities on days centered around going downtown. Yeah. And and you know there were eating places down there remember the old keester downtown one of the great little places. Remember the feelings change right. Yeah yeah. Right next door to it. That was another fun place to you just go in for a very reasonable amount. Have a nice lunch. You walked in and there was kind of a little candy counter in the front. And you had to go down three steps to go to the restroom. It was just it was charming. The truck I say was across the street from the uptown on the west side street.

It was a fairly elegant you know not fairly elegant was quite you know it crossed the street. There was a place called the GRABBE material. I have a theory of rap interior where we go in and they've have the newspapers on the wall for the first time ever seen. And this was a place where. You stood up. And you could get a terrific meat pie for maybe 20 cents made mother meat pies mother with sauerkraut on it if you wanted a lot of the business man would go there. A lot of college kids would go there as kind of a gathering spot in the city. So that was it. That was so great. That was great. And also what was the name of the place. Where they had this starched flight table. Cl.. Is there today. A Lamb's Lamb's grill. It was a great place to go get Buckwheat pancakes. So I like. The Mayflower. The Mayflower used to walk here and there people with benches on both sides. I remember that.

Yeah. And of course you couldn't go anywhere after the Senate. Because. Oh it was so I still had the best salad and I had all this all along. She's on top. They had pizza or wonderful pizza with a very new thing. It was very very special. They swear you could have spaghetti tied around your back in front of me and that and it was kind of funny. First it was embarrassing and it was funny to have to take it home. Pictures on the walls and movie stars. All being greeted by Eugene Lisnek who come by Seredin they played a flight of the with and you would he would come over and he'd say Would you like to hear something.

And you would look at your date and you're not your head and then he'd play the hot canary. Now the hot Canary was or was it was a violin piece though when somebody picked up the order today. BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG. Believe it. I mean what a wonderful that. Dancing cheek to cheek was in as well. Oh yes. Those who could did Jitterbug. And by the end of the decade Elvis seemed to change the world. But early on it was unforgettable. King Cole sang at Jerry Jones his rainbow rendezvous and for sure it would say See when Louis Armstrong attracted thousands of young and old to Lagune in the

50s and Stan Canton and June Christy filled the mammoth dance hall at Saltaire with music echo clear to envelope on. When I first started dating you could catch the. Electric train downtown and go out to Saltaire on the open train. To one of the big bands that was coming through on tour out and saw their pavilion and come home that was a great day especially coming home. You know you're tired from dancing. A little cold you had to snuggle a little. Yeah that was a great day. Saltaire had a great. Dance for you. It was. It was. You. Can't come to Salt Lake. I saw that one. Did you really. Yeah. We did. We had a dark ceiling and little light that would flicker on and off it looked like stars it was very romantic.

And. And where did you take your day. Yeah yeah. That was the way yeah. Oh we went to the terrace ballroom only believe it was the rainbow. Wonderful. I guess it was originally billed as an upstairs garage to park for cubbies and it still looks like a garage. Bands who plays the dance floor. And then the tables and chairs around and you could get hundreds of people and it really really crowded. So when the band was playing if you were sitting at your seat you are a long ways away from a band. That's so true. I worked there. The main attraction there was Jerry Jones culture. And when the main band went there he was there at the Avalon dance hall was in there. Well no it was south of here always. It was a pretty popular spot. Dancing at the Avalon is probably my greatest memory. Al said the man.

In the middle 50s I guess there. There was a dance called The Salt Lake drag that we did and that was just a slow dance for the girls but instead of putting him on the back they kind of have a question that kind of put them together. I don't know does it do. It was a little bit funny. I think it was called at that time it was a lot of fun. What kind of music did you'd like in those days. Oh I like that soft music that we had in that era of music that you can listen to enjoy. Somebody love. You. Know. In the 50s it wasn't anything like now. I mean you could hear the lyrics.

They were love songs. Nat King Cole had a tree. Wonderful. That's right Tony Bennett. You know Frank and. I'm having a senior moment. It's our fourth for everything and for for us from Elvis Elvis Bill Haley and the commerce any of the others that came through. Oh my goodness. Well I loved the platters. Do you remember Johnny Ray. Oh sure. We really are. Oh yeah I loved that. Yeah you have good bye. Those were wonderful wonderful times. Drive in movies became all the rage in the 50s. They were relatively inexpensive made even more so by use of the truck. It was cool here. Usually they play double features. And if you had a day where you could if it got too cool or if the movie was psycho like take comfort in each

other's arms if you had young children well they could sleep in the back seat. Oh my gosh. Dry hands drive ins were so much fun. They were so much fun. Everyone went to Dr.. You can take your whole family. Take the pillows and blankets whatever little. You are a young girl in the 50s and you spent some time at the. Yes I did. What did you do there. Well I enjoyed it a lot. Just kind of general audience movies along with my brothers and my parents haha. Did you spend a lot of time. Well we I can remember two summers there and. Two or three summers also at the Drive-In in the middle area and easy to recognize the approach to the entrance there is a. Very large red neon arrowhead that showed the way to drive in. And we went there very

frequently. I can also remember going to the woodland drive in theater the evening. Had just began to cool off as we would drive in and we would get there like about. 30 minutes before the sun would set. Yeah. Then in the case of the most of you we could watch the sun going down over the lake. Before the movie began. And then when it was dark enough that the majority of the people there felt it was time for the movie to start. They would all try to encourage the projectionist and get that spot on the screen. Now they had doubleheaders often very troughing and it was easier to stay awake when there's a full moon and there's a double feature. They have an intermission and devotion time time for that you've been watching. I mean I would say now it's time to come to the refreshment stand. Time to take your pick from that scrumptious array of tasty treats waiting for you at the snack bar.

And they would say what's fair. They had tasty tempting hot dogs munching soft drinks fresh crunchy popcorn. There's a little clock up on the screen. It would take off at. Five to ten minutes. That's right. We laughed saying and then hopefully you Dury back when you had a retracement So that second movie could begin sir. It was sometimes it was not a entirely satisfying experience. The speakers sometimes didn't work at all or they just would have horrible sound or they would be fine. Two thirds of the way to the movie and. You know in act three the speaker would go out and you'd have to get rid of the speaker and drive around and try to find another spot. It could be. I remember. One night. He thinks that was fooled our phones only had enough for to do the movie. So I had to crawl into the truck year by day. I've been here day by day. Was On the one side of the spare tire and I was

on the other side of the spare tire. But I can remember just a feeling of. A sense of community with the other people who were there and it was just. A feeling that it was one big family kind of out of doors watching. A movie together. Is very very nice. Over a hundred years ago Brigham Young stood at the mouth of Emigration Canyon and said This is the place. One hundred plus years later I'm told many young saw Laker's found that this was the place. To. Live. Like. A place where you would take him to view the city. Right. Right. It was just behind the Capitol and it was true. People would drive up there and park and look over the city. And I could hug and kiss him if you really did have a magnificent view if he wanted to

look. Like a smart car. I remember the first television I inside in really early 50s. It was 8 a.m.. And we went over. For. His house. And we were about 20 of us huddled around trying to see the TV screen. While most people would stand out in front on main street in front of a furniture store window and there'd be a TV show and it looked through the glass if this TV set marveled at the fact that ear's radio features in the 1950s a giant satellite dish like this could only have been imagined in a science fiction novel or a movie. Very few Utahns had television sets until well into the decade and then in glorious black and white for hours on end we got to see the test pattern. Among the early favorites. Children were a romper room and firemen from. The night through and form but

really mostly to entertain their words well-being and Jane. It was April of forty eight that experimental station W6 excite us TV. Exciting things are happening at TV channel 4 is just one. But you're caught it feeling like you've never seen before. Exciting things are happening. I remember we would sign on at 6 o'clock and sign off at 8:00 and we'd play great films that they had available like how to use a ball peen hammer. Maisie goes to Washington Rock cutters of the Honduras. I swear to god those are. They would get any films I could get their hands on just to play something you see they went on the air in April and I joined in that following fall. In September of 48. Flunky. I did everything I have I'll tell you what he was. When I came there in the

spring of the following year I was still a sophomore at the University of Utah but he was a very clean story. Yeah dad was a boy. No I was a chief Herald. Well. Let's get this mix up story. Is one of the first live shows on the air. And she had a lovely full skirt and she'd float into the set. Little kids say story princess. You have legs or do you float. But this was the first television in Utah in Salt Lake City and we were the first guys that they saw on television and we were fun to be with. And they kind of we were part of the family. I don't know about that. You get more demanding every day. Plus virgin. Hi welcome to adventures in gardening. And Bob when did you become the world's greatest weatherman. Well it was sort of interesting one day Danny Ranger the program director said. Who knows anything about the weather. I do I do. What do you know. Well I was a pilot in the Navy and I got a good weather training. OK you're a TV weather man. I said Why does a

TV weatherman do I never see one. He says I don't know your TV weatherman. That's how I got to see. Do you ever get it figured out. Well I well we'll get a big map from some laws on it. We didn't have any of the stuff we have now. The satellite the upper area any Let's find out why we didn't even have any news then. I mean the news is the biggest money maker that any of the local stations have. And when we were there the news was a slide where I sat in the little booth and it says the news and I would read I would read 15 minutes of coffee from the United Press and over this slide that says the late news I would read the news and they would come in and set my news on fire because nobody can see me and then turn off the lights and pour water over my head because nobody was listening to the news. I rang you were going. To the supermarket near you. Now I did. Roy Gibson was the anchorman. And he had a voice said he always remember you with the new You're

going to get this or IGDA a star in you is symbolic of the broad coverage that the viewer can expect each evening at 10:00. You can make it all right. Well James especially we're caught up with time. He always has something for somebody to say to each other. And it was really amusing and funny always. While there were no rules for television. So Bob and I just started kidding each other and we just had a good time and they had more fun. I'd say he was a C. I gave an award every year after year after the Academy Awards as the best athletic supporter of the year. Let's see some more. He said that you said that my folks name me Bob because they couldn't spell yock. And I think. His folks would let him play in the sandpile prefer the casket covered him up. We had to hope we kept going like that for. I was a sportscaster and I knew nothing about television. I knew nothing about

sports very very little about sports and so it was all kind of new and exciting and the fun part of it was just kind of feeling your way in and making up your own rules and seeing what new things we could invent. Oh it was a wonderful time. I didn't know it at the time. I didn't realize what Pioneers we were I didn't you're breaking all this ground. I had no idea that television would become this. Huge thing that it has how it's affected our lives. Pop Goes the Weasel and the Jack in the box jumped out of his house and that means it's time for the Romper Room. You get to all of her nose Miss Nancy. That's right. For how long did it. Here. Two. Jackie was moving away from Salt Lake. And dad had try outs and kind of as a lark. I tried out for him for Miss

Nancy. And so when I took over from Jackie They let me use my own name is Barbara. And this is my favorite thing. Hello to all of the girls here in the locker room. And through all of our friends at home it began a half hour hour and it was all live. So anything that went on in those first years is was scary sometimes because you could never take it back. So I went on doing my thing and kinda didn't stretch. As you recall that's where it starts. There it goes. COOPER Well as I said there goes Jupiter. There weren't stock there were hardly. Well Dr. Bell learned that for. One camera was on this part. The other was down there. Why. I don't know. Well yes you know. Oh sure. Right. How many kids did you have. It would be six. You have nine Foster today.

And look at how were they chosen. Oh it was a waiting list. That was one of the biggest problems people would literally put their children's name on the waiting list before they were born. And if you're ready meetha would you please tell Mr. music. And think your song when you get home. Made me go. And. I. Had my back. Yes I. My head down. We literally in the station had to set up. Our. Seating because mothers who brought their children stayed after the broadcast so they would not miss as the world turns very important to Mr. Duby. Always remember good habits like we've talked about Ruster Duby always taught the children the right things to do. Mr. Darby You know the example of what not to do. So we had the board on the romper room

sat here doing do beer the don't be for the day and you had a song. How did it go. We always do what's right we never do anything wrong. When the Romper Room Booby's the Doobies all day long. Did you have to sing it every day. Yes and I am not a singer. And the kids sang with you. Yes. And they loved it. Now Bonneville this was your home course when you were a kid and this is where I learned to play golf right here on this golf course. And it was really it was really a tough course that was brand new. It was kind of a newer I don't know exactly when it was built but as the newest of the city courses. And right up here where we were is where the clubhouse. Yeah there was a lovely little clubhouse there with the porch and we used to sit out there and look out. You could watch people finishing their finish on the. And the nightfall. It was a great clubhouse and it never really was functional. It was

great when I first came here. Stucco all very rich St. Louis. We didn't have a central heating system at that time so we had when we closed a house in the winter time we had to board up the doors and the windows to turn off all the water and drain them close with. Freezing possible. And then we came in with. A kind of a salmon color and it still looks good in the 50s we had a cubicle on the east side. Of the press and trees. There was a two story building we were built by the WPA the third day. They had to walk anyway because of the danger of getting in and out that they were the owner of the cubicle and left the main entry building. But it was kind of a different feel. It was beautiful. Yeah it's beautiful. Now I remember sitting there with here in 1950 two or three or something or brewpub.

And we parked about our futures. And we were not out of college. And we were going to settle on a dollar amount. Do you remember that. I do I remember very clearly. I think I think we said if we could make was it 300 dollars I think 350 350 a month for the rest of our lives settle for right. That would sell for right then and now look at you you're now in a bad off world. But but you lost a lot of golf balls on the tape which started out with about two or three golf balls. And there were a number of times when I go over here to number three I had lost three golf balls. And so we had to stop and we go down in the gully there and we'd search golf balls and then we continue on when we found a ball for me to play with. How much were the greens fees in the 50s. Fifty cents. Then he jumped to 75 and then 90 and then do a

quarter as the years pass on of course expenses went up for the Greenpeace one that you have now compared to that for most of us getting to the city's largest swimming pool was a bit of a drive but it was worth it. Wasatch plunge could and did accommodate hundreds who wanted to cool off an exercise in the heat of summer or warm to natural spring waters in the winter. Cathy what was it like swimming in the Wasatch plunge no 50s. Wow it was noisy. Noisy. It was great though. There were just a lot of kids sometimes who would come with a reward. I was at church and it was just it was just something that we looked forward to all year. What was the water like. Chlorine and sulphur and tend to this day when I smelled chlorine. I think of this home. So I said you know I couldn't I stayed way down

there on that on the short end and pretend if I could there's a place where there's a balcony area that the parents or whoever brought you could sit up and watch and yell at you and tell you not to go in the deep end because you try and call to go in. Now there is no water here. Right. But even with the water even with the water there was. People came from all over the city all over the world. They were. And we had some also some black neighbors that couldn't swim here unless it was toward the end of the season. That same time they would let them in the pool. But we played. We had a good time. While Ice skating was sometimes possible at Liberty Park. The place was high-G the ice in Sugarhouse. You could brave enough rent skates and give it a go. And many did. I saw. So. Many wonderful hours that high-G eyes. And you know from my house we could

actually walk there. And so we did it we do have ice skates around on and off we would go and they would play them all that you know round and round and round. It was such a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon. We used to go down on the weekend in the wintertime and ice skate actually down there in the summertime. Tuesdays we had a lot downstairs and we used to go get ice make ice cream. And at night but at night sometimes classes would go over there from high school just to great heights and you remove the bell ring. So when in Sugar Hill boy the bowling alley right. Right. And so we'd go over there in the wintertime when it was just miserable outside and there wasn't a lot for us to do. We found a lot of things that these beautiful gardens are lovely but they are not that desperate. Jim this is where the desert Jim was in the 50s.

This is where I came as a kid to John to play basketball and just swim. It was one thing in the south risky even even in the Netherlands as far as I can see in those days. East and West High had gymnasiums that had tracks around them so you can practice basketball there. And so we we got on the bus every day and what's a basketball practice around the desert for me is tight. And West I did the same thing on the road back. To you. Maybe a little gossip in the locker room. When they went swimming in the desert. Jim you had the shower everybody. Everybody had to shower and there was a kind of a cop there. They wasn't a cop but it was one of the workers that watched to make sure guys showers and then you had you as you went into the swimming or

you step into a little pond. There was a little pool and I guess it has this it would have disinfectant smelled strong. Yeah it did. Oh yes. It was like looking at the body in the south to see which swim was as far as I. Remember in those days the boys were in the swim suit. I don't remember if you just got to tell them that we were a little afraid of going swimming. Sometimes we were. I think most everyone learns to swim in those days boys. I don't think all girls know what the boys did. Why. I don't know Charlie Welch was the instructor of the desert and most everyone in Salt Lake that learned how to swim. Charlie taught him how to swim. Hold your time. Know you had no pockets once you're in there. Would say you had a little key that you know I don't know what. I don't know what we to go on at the time. That's right. It's

kind of a scary thing for young people to get right down to everything OFF. And will it be even scarier now the they really are. Obviously this is going to. Be scary. The look when we released the morning is all. The sweetest spot in town my part of town was Sugarhouse. I could walk to school at Irving junior high and 15 minutes or on a Saturday to the movies. At the southeast or the Marlow. It was comfortable here. It was my part of town. There was a bowling alley just up the street here on Twenty-First south you and I worked. Yeah we got seven cents a line for setting pins by hand by hand quarter if you said three things. So.

I was thinking I'm here for a job but I was like the man across the street from the bowling alley and from Frank Hauser's jewelers was in the square. I remember this well. Well there was a service station here originally I think was that you thought oil service station and there was a pall. Spire that went up and looked like an antenna. I'm not sure what it was had a light on anyway in the 50s which was the early 50s was a transitional time for Sugarhouse because some of the old places like the bowling alley was the service station came down and Keith Bryant's department store was built right here and the prison came down in Cape Town. Yeah. And Larsen's. Eyes came back there was wonderful and all peace Scaggs was next to the open air open air market coffee Scaggs Yes. And there was parking and there was an L-shaped parking no one around town so you could go to a. Single drug and then go to the movie.

Now down the street was the southeast fater and southeast St. It was 14 cents. I think I remember southeast which is primarily you'd go there for the movie in the afternoon. Then you walk home in the evening you'd be home by four o'clock or so in the afternoon Warnell theater was right here. That's right. And this was the place you would come on Saturday morning to see the serials. With the kids and him. But for now you play it right. You know he could come here in the morning and then cross the street and go up the street about a half a block or so here. Se. Yeah go to that show. You know it depended on how well you play. Talking to the tune. All right good. So two movies and one and now they're chasing penny it was right here next. Jason Kennedy was right next door to the model and you could walk inside and guarantee.

Cash registers going up stairs. The cashier was up stairs on the balcony. The salespeople downstairs would put their receipts and money on a little clip and pull a handle and shoot it up the wire to the cashier. You pay him money and they put it right the air. And then also here he is waiting for your chains to come down and sometimes. It would get stuck halfway inbetween and they'd have to get a pole out. Push it back down and pull the handle again. But back up to cashier and of course and then send it back down to the salesperson a young kid that was fast now and we were just fascinated with that. If you played it right sometimes it let you put you up on the counter and you pull the handle up here. So those were some of the so really on a Saturday you could go to the monologue. At 10:00 a.m. yes go to J.C. Penney's for half an hour an hour and then to the south these theater to see that second movie.

Right. And if they threw you out of pennies because they didn't want to hanging around did go down to Walgreens drug on one corner single drug. You could go to walgreens Walgreens drug store right there. Sit at the counter. There's a story about Paul K-Tel. We had a friend I know his name and they. Went in Walgreen's to have some treats after a dance. And his day started to order. And he said quote For heaven's sake slow down I only have four bets. That's right. And I remember that story. One of the hot spots. Are in the 50s was he's driving. That was their first drive in these drive and opened up about 750 East and Twenty-First south on the north side there. And you could walk over there and get a 10 cent hamburger and a 50 cent drink you know for a quarter you got it. If you had a car. Haha. No no no it was it was all takeout window. Yeah. And they had vanilla

shakes. That was new thing their food it shakes it would come if the windows were soft. Versus. Hard With. The. Answer. Is no no. No. No no no not quite as good as has tripled. Malts that it's still growing at the counter so you could get the key and get that extra glass. That out of the county. OK. Wind with the mall with malls you've got a lot more if you want a candidate because then you can just empty it was all in the top of the Candlewick. Lap. No. One. Life. There is nothing like a Snelgrove mouth. And they had. The requirement to muck his mouth which she had to be 80 years old and in real slow of the finest ice cream milkshake malted milk Sunday's. Place for him anywhere we thought.

You know. You Chris for. They had every. Place. In the world and you'd always top five the new Chris popcorn store on your way to the movie that we used to go to at the Southeast theater. On Saturdays it comes with. Blocks and we got over that watchmaker's fact not that it was really quite interesting to watch a clip of me turn and drip the frosting over them and they puff up really really high. They were just wonderful. And then. Dixie barbecue. That was owned by Royce called. That's right. And. Roy said that was Royce's beginning to the restaurant business on this corner right here was persons hardware. Down there was the music store. But then. You have of furniture now. So the furniture down the street down there. Now the granite furniture is still here the leather furniture stores still are well Rockwells. It

was in that building. The three brothers ran the furniture store see Clarence Ross let loose on and window and they got along great. Wendell all you want to do is drive the truck. I do remember John McCain's shoe back there a little way. And. You remember something about Tom. Well Tom McCants had a floor a skull. Yeah. It was a machine that you could put your feet in the floor stop and see your toes the bones in your toes to see if the shoes fit. What they didn't know was that those machines and of radiation were banned. But anyway Tompkins was a great player. Maybe that's what's wrong with our feet. I remember that mistake but. Really did. It was amazing. Fermont park's large duck filled ponded swimming pool and baseball fields were to Sugarhouse what liberty park was to the central part of the city.

Fermont was relatively small lovely but did have a scary place. The witches tree was a real. Witches trail was on the east side of the duck pond and it was just a little trail through the weeds and bushes and that behind the ponds there was a scary place where you could run through the witches traveling come out the other end. You were really somebody that I thought that that was really something special up at the top of this hill was the prison in the early fifties. The prison was the focal point of a lot of things. It was anachronistic in a way it looked like a medieval castle. With its tourists. And the warden had a son. Robert Harris Durenberger. I remember the name and he was a buddy of mine we used to go in there just for our friends. He beat us in baseball. What's going on. Yes he did. Yeah he did. Garfield you go to your room. Yeah.

So I was a paper boy for the Deseret News. And they used to have circulation promotions and if you could get subscriptions you get prizes. Yeah. And Robert said the guy that preceded you used to come to the prison and sell papers to the inmates and always had more subscription subscriptions. So I tried it. And interestingly enough they didn't pay for the subscriptions and what can you do with an already in print. But anyway the prison was old and rundown and prisoners were escaping all the time. Tell that story. And after a week or saw of several escapes when someone erected a sign just this side of the prison that said slow down prisoners escape in. One of the important things in your life at Christmas time right here. It did.

Here in the plaza Santa Claus came. In. He had his little gazebo little spandex. He sat down in this little house but his dad and you'd go in and Suzanne sit on his lap. We would stand outside in the cold here between the two streets and I've been waiting to get in to see Santa Claus. And see him. Then once we were through a Santa Claus. Walk a block south I got to. Se furniture. And they give them most marvelous gold and they did Windows and that was just it. Was. Something. Strange to have the best. And they always had. And everybody went down there and it just plays and there were just. You look at the movie A Christmas Story. Now it. Brings back memories of those days going down the Celtics. And we're looking and standing firm. Until you said you know by the end c'mon we've got to go. I just. Want to stay a little bit longer.

That was a fun place. Christmas. As you think back on the 50s the decade of the 50s. What are your feelings what impressions do you have. In your. Soul. Well. The thing that I feel bad about. I've never told you this maybe I have thought about the 50s was that we were not into. The. Two issues that we should have been. For example racism. When I went to try. Just at the end of the 40s and then we had African-American students and no one knew him. No one paid attention to him. I've often thought. How sad that is that we didn't. Pay attention to those things but the 50s was a wonderful time. I enjoyed a lot of wonderful memories. The main thing I think about those days is. Being post-World War Two

time and the economy was expanding. There was a lot of excitement about things going on. Everybody was trying to get married and have a house and a car and things like that and was going pretty good for everybody and it was pretty genteel time actually. Well to be honest with you I think it was the best of times. Optimism and opportunity fun. We all like. And we sort of thought the world was our oyster. It was a safe time. You didn't have to worry about it. You could just be good you could be free to have fun together. Fishing is the best part of my life. I think our hearts and souls stay. I think it. Was. A time. When it was easier. That there weren't. There wasn't so much hustle. It was hustle and bustle.

It was fun. It was just a fun time. The kids of today don't know what fun is that what we do. I think it's probably a favorite. Decade. Of land. There was. Sweetness. And then. But. You didn't see. That. Well then they tried to tell us we're too young. And now we're not. But our memories the fabric of lives will be forever young. For me and I hope for many of you. The decade of the 1950s. Was the best of times the memories of which like the mountains in which we live. Be everlasting. Local production of Utah in the 50s Salt Lake City is made possible in part

by the Georges and Dolores story Eckels Foundation and the contributing members of KQED