Gone but not forgotten in Indianapolis (Gary, Bloomington: camping, cost, mall)

[maxwell2323]

Okay and now for something not completely different......

Folks from Indiana who went to Purdue, IU, Ball State, similar Indiana colleges a few decades ago might remember this. And I doubt that this is still going on now but perhaps it might have lasted perhaps into the '80s? 90s?

When you were in your dorm room at Purdue (and possibly the other colleges mentioned above), and you picked up the phone and dialed the number 8, most likely you would get a busy signal. This goes for the phone bank in the dorm lobby - or phones in other rooms in various campus buildings - many phones easily accessible to anyone. (Not talking payphones here) But somebody somewhere would dial 8 and get a dial tone. And if you did, you hit the JACKPOT. Well close to it.

THE SUVON LINE !!

Now you were able to make lengthy long distance calls for FREE !

Okay they had to be within the state. And the city you were calling in supposedly had to be near a state supported college. But still - this was nice. Heck you would try any phone number in Indiana anyway - you either got thru or you didn't, and it seemed that everyone (who knew about this) did. Many did not have a clue - no Facebook back then.

About a month after I started college, my roommate mentions to me - "Did you ever notice lately that when you walk past the front desk - just before the elevator where the phones are (on the guys side of the dorm) - that there seems to be a lot of people just hanging around - like a lot" And I said "Yeah - what's that about?" He said "The 3rd phone from the left - is a phone with a SUVON line. People are waiting in line to use that phone. You dial 8 and get a dial tone, then you dial your regular long distance phone number of your parents or your friends back home (within Indiana), and it's all free!"

This lasted for many months until somehow the busy signal came back after dialing the 8, and the crowds near the lobby phones dwindled. But I was able to find other ones in empty rooms throughout the campus. I didn't find out until a year or two later what the SUVON lines were for. I guess a lot of teachers and administrative folks had this on their phones for business reasons. How the functionality ended up on dorm lobby phones or even in some dorm rooms - I don't know.

Anyone else experienced this?

[goingdeer]

a couple more things not mentioned Troy's restaurant (my Mom worked there for years!!) on the corner of Penn st & Market st, there was a nut shop and a candy store (boxed candy like Fannie May maybe??) that where connected via a walk through, but each store also had it's own street entrance on Penn st before you got to the Roselyn Bakery at the corner of Penn st and E Washington st. Another favorite memory was the huge slide at Willard park on E Washington st just past State st.!!!! Loved that slide-I think they took it down in the mid 70's because some kids got hurt falling from the top- it was sorta like a jungle gym type slide.

[goingdeer]

I grew up 6 blocks from the circle and went to school #2 from 1972-1979

[kpl1228]

WTTV at 3490 Bluff Road.....and all the old shows from the 70's.

[D'Artagnan48]

Originally Posted by goingdeer

a couple more things not mentioned Troy's restaurant (my Mom worked there for years!!) on the corner of Penn st & Market st, there was a nut shop and a candy store (boxed candy like Fannie May maybe??) that where connected via a walk through, but each store also had it's own street entrance on Penn st before you got to the Roselyn Bakery at the corner of Penn st and E Washington st. Another favorite memory was the huge slide at Willard park on E Washington st just past State st.!!!! Loved that slide-I think they took it down in the mid 70's because some kids got hurt falling from the top- it was sorta like a jungle gym type slide.

There was a White Castle just east of Willard Park on the south side of Washington St. and a small neighborhood bakery across Washington St.

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by kpl1228

WTTV at 3490 Bluff Road.....and all the old shows from the 70's.

Cowboy Bob and Janie!

I lived within sight of WTTV. I was always surprised at what a dinky place it was...

RM

[Eire1916]

Originally Posted by MortonR

Cowboy Bob and Janie!

I lived within sight of WTTV. I was always surprised at what a dinky place it was...

RM

Since today is the 51st anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy, it got me to thinking about "that day".

I remember being home sick from school and watching whatever was on Channel 4 (WTTV) when Chuck Marlowe [remember him"? He also announced wrestling matches with Sam Mennacher (spelling may not be correct)]. Anyway, he interrupts the programming to tell us that somebody in Dallas had thrown firecrackers at President Kennedy's motorcade. Then, minutes later, he comes back and informs us: "Oh, my God! President Kennedy has been shot and is being taken to the hospital!". Even later, of course, he returns with the solemn news that President Kennedy had died.

[Chicago76]

Originally Posted by MortonR

Cowboy Bob and Janie!

I lived within sight of WTTV. I was always surprised at what a dinky place it was...

RM

You brought back some old memories. I remember sledding down the hill at the cemetery across the street from WTTV. That and the jarring image of seeing Cowboy Bob naked as a little kid at the Baxter Y. From the perspective of a 5 year old kid, it's just really weird to see a TV hero in his birthday suit in the locker room after working out. Nice guy though. I ran off somewhere in the building one day and he and a couple of employees helped my mother track me down.

[kpl1228]

Originally Posted by Chicago76

You brought back some old memories. I remember sledding down the hill at the cemetery across the street from WTTV. That and the jarring image of seeing Cowboy Bob naked as a little kid at the Baxter Y. From the perspective of a 5 year old kid, it's just really weird to see a TV hero in his birthday suit in the locker room after working out. Nice guy though. I ran off somewhere in the building one day and he and a couple of employees helped my mother track me down.

HILARIOUS.
(Too bad it wasn't Janie)
Getting ready for a whole bunch of "Cowboy Bob naked" puns and quips. "Be good to your mom, don't forget to take your nap, and if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all. Now where's my pants?"

I saw Cowboy Bob at a Burger Chef grand opening in Indy somewhere. He rode in on his horse, carrying a brown paper grocery bag. It was cucumbers and tomatoes from his garden and he gave them out as door prizes. Figured he had a bunch of them and since he had a Burger Chef opening, he'd just give them out there. So down to earth----also hilarious.

Also had his Christmas album he did with Janie. What I wouldn't give to spend a day watching WTTV television shows, circa 1973, once again.

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by Chicago76

You brought back some old memories. I remember sledding down the hill at the cemetery across the street from WTTV. That and the jarring image of seeing Cowboy Bob naked as a little kid at the Baxter Y. From the perspective of a 5 year old kid, it's just really weird to see a TV hero in his birthday suit in the locker room after working out. Nice guy though. I ran off somewhere in the building one day and he and a couple of employees helped my mother track me down.

I grew up in that immediate area (Roberts Road, two blocks north of Thompson on the west side of Meridian) and spent a lot of time wandering around in that area as teenager.

I can remember I-465 being built and playing in the big drainage ditch they built underneath it between US 31 and Bluff Road. On of my best friends in high school was a Peaper, of Peaper Brothers Turnips, who had their big family farm immediately north of I-465 on Bluff Road. We used to work in the greenhouses in the summer and play basketball in their packing plant, since it was always about 40 degrees to preserve the turnips.

I'm amazed that the area has changed very little since that time. Still looks pretty much the same, just the trees are bigger....

RM