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Saturday Nights that Were |
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The Rolfe Arrow — February 17, 1977 The central block of Rolfe’s Main Street has had quite a few parked cars recently giving evidence to the traffic in Jerry’s new place. It’s been quite a while since Main Street has been crowded except for special events. In the Twenties, Saturday night was always crowded. Main Street visiting was the community event of the week. Some town people brought the car up and parked it in the afternoon so they could have a place to sit and observe the crowds in the evening. The problems with the country people were to get the chores done, get the kids scrubbed, and get to town in time to find a good place to park. Often it took skill and nerve to negotiate the mud roads on the way in. Saturday night was the target for everyone. All of the stores were open — veterinary offices, implement shops, you name it. In the warmth of summer there would be many groups of three or four or a half dozen chatting and gossiping here and there, some in family autos, some in stores, many just standing on the sidewalks. The men talked about cattle and feeding or crops, the women about their kids, other people’s kids, or about the various clubs and church organizations. Young people didn’t have cars to drive around town. They frequently attended the movie and then strolled around Main Street. This country boy had a music lesson (what a pain, I thought) on Saturday night. It had to be then because that was the one planned trip to town for the week, except church, of course. After the music lesson I’d cut across all the gardens in a desperate run to the movie house to see the latest western. After the show there would be enough allowance left over for one treat. Don Eikenberry had a popcorn stand in front of his dad’s store and Uncle Art Lighter had one for 20 years or more just south of the theater. Webb’s had a soda fountain, usually crowded, and for a while a stairway down to the "Subway." There were chairs and tables for ice cream sodas and what have you. The floor was tiled with a few Mexican dollars imbedded. Up the street where the Uptown Café was recently, Mr. Cook had a confectionery store and a similar soda parlor called "Cook’s Nook." My Mother might on occasion take me into Cook’s Nook. She would have a chocolate soda with quite a feeling of extravagance because it cost 25¢. Webb’s had a couple of gimmicks, good ones. A chocolate covered dipper of ice cream on a stick was 5¢. "Pinky" Webb made about every 30th one of strawberry ice cream. You bit into one with a little gambling fever, because if yours turned out to be pink, you got another one free. Also Webb’s was famous for root beer — all you could drink for a nickel. It came in a big glass and was advertised as "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Jealous." When asked what was in the root beer, Charlie Webb is supposed to have said, "A heck of a lot of profit." Saturday afternoon and night might find some of the farmers loading cattle or hogs at one of the railroad livestock yards in Rolfe. Livestock, especially cattle, were sent to Chicago for the Monday or Tuesday market. The stores closed about midnight. Main Street would still be crowded with parked cars until about 11 p.m. When the Plamor Ballroom was going strong there would be a lot of cars parked at the south end until 1 a.m. or so, especially if Lawrence Welk was playing. |
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It always seemed so ridiculous to go home when a lot of friends might still be chatting on the street, but that didn’t happen too often. Dad would be talking farming with a bunch of men. When he got about ready to go Mother would be visiting with somebody. Then perhaps Dad would note the lineup at the barbershop dwindling, so he’d slip in for a shave — maybe at 11 p.m.! But soon we’d be returning to the completely dark countryside. Perhaps I’d have in mind that next week Tom Mix, the top drawing cowboy star, would be appearing at the Scenic (later the Ritz).
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Photo
of DCG circa 1928 at the Gunderson farm.