Remembering Mobile from the 60s-80s (Montgomery, York: appointed, home, dollar movie)

[PortCity]

Originally Posted by Keeper

I saw Elvis at the State fair in the late 50s. I got a dog from that pet store back in the 60s. She was the best dog.

We use to go skating at the rink off of DPI. We always went to the Loop on Sat to the movies. Remember when you had to go to the causeway to get a beer on Sunday with dinner?

I agree Oscotto.. When I go back to some of the old haunts I wonder what happened? Even downtown seemed so seedy even with all the new lofts going in there.

Are they still painting the cannon on Gov't street?

I think they are finish with the cannon Keeper. I would love to see retail downtown like it once was before. This is what I think the problem is or somewhat a contributor:I been reading the posts in this thread and all of the past hot spots and other stuff was in the urban/core/city proper. Westward expansions and Baldwin county flight may be a contributor.Retail vanished downtown and went straight to the malls and strip malls out west. Keeper a skating rink in the loop ?? I can`t even imagine !! From what I`ve heard the city limits ended at the loop at one time. skating rinks were always out west.Movie theater downtown,east, and midtown huh ???? they were and still is out west. The city has forgotten all abbout the urban core !! Well that is just my opinion.
Davis/MLK Avenue: I`ve seen pictures of that strip and it was the place to be back in the day.Artist such as Ella Fitsgerald, Louie Armstrong,Duke Ellington, and a whole list of others use to frequent these areas(Davis Avenue) while passing through Mobile. The core became rotten that`s what happend.

[Azalea City Man]

Funny how cores change and things expand. The house we will be buying off Azalea Rd used to be "on the very outskirts of West Mobile" according to my grandparents lol. I cannot imagine Mobile that packed in considering I grew up for a few years in the current "outskirts of West Mobile" (SchillengerRd/Dawes Rd). Must have been neat for you old timers.

[Keeper]

Originally Posted by oscottscotto

Funny how cores change and things expand. The house we will be buying off Azalea Rd used to be "on the very outskirts of West Mobile" according to my grandparents lol. I cannot imagine Mobile that packed in considering I grew up for a few years in the current "outskirts of West Mobile" (SchillengerRd/Dawes Rd). Must have been neat for you old timers.

Hey.. who you calling old?

The skating rink was on Halls Mill Road. Heck I remember when there was a pony ride on Holcombe Ave and Pleasant Valley road. There was also a farmer's market not too far from there.

You are right Oscott, I will never forget when I came back home after being gone for years everything had changed. They moved the hospitals too.

Great memories of living in Mobile. It was a great time.

[WAYNEYPOOH]

There was a skating ring at the loop. Now it's an antique shop, on the corner of Williams and Airport.

Now can you remember the bowling alley downtown, on Government Street? Or the Princess House? How about the Downtown Theater?

Did you ever notice the blind man that sold pencils on the street across the street from the square? Did you ever see him riding his bicycle to and from work??

Keeper, do you remember when Elvis came to the fair in Mobile? It was on Blakley Island, sometime around 1956-57 I think. Just before he went on The Ed Sullivan Show and got real popular.
That's when he ate in the Blue Gill Resturant and Mrs. Johnston put his name on the booth: "Elvis Ate Here".

Can anyone remember all of the houses on Blakley Island? They were built for the ship yard workers during W.W.II.

[PortCity]

Originally Posted by WAYNEYPOOH

There was a skating ring at the loop. Now it's an antique shop, on the corner of Williams and Airport.

Now can you remember the bowling alley downtown, on Government Street? Or the Princess House? How about the Downtown Theater?

Did you ever notice the blind man that sold pencils on the street across the street from the square? Did you ever see him riding his bicycle to and from work??

Keeper, do you remember when Elvis came to the fair in Mobile? It was on Blakley Island, sometime around 1956-57 I think. Just before he went on The Ed Sullivan Show and got real popular.
That's when he ate in the Blue Gill Resturant and Mrs. Johnston put his name on the booth: "Elvis Ate Here".

Can anyone remember all of the houses on Blakley Island? They were built for the ship yard workers during W.W.II.

Wow so much post modern history from the old Port City. I love to hear interesting stories about old Mobile !!

[oldmobilian]

The title is a relative term because with a 250+ year history there will always be somebody who can remember an 'old Mobile'.

I remember being in a 250 year celebration in 1961 when I was in the 3rd grade.

Airport Blvd used to be called Grant Street, and it was a 2 lane concrete street barely wide enough for two cars. It went past Wragg Swamp, which was drained to build the Springdale Plaza (the forerunner of the Springdale Mall). There was nothing out there then. Grant street went to the airport (if you can call it that).

I lived in Westlawn during the '50s and '60s, used to walk to Westlawn School every day. My mother had a sister who lived along the way. My father used to love Fletcher's BBQ, but we all ate BBQ at Ossie's. He used to take me to Arrmed Forces Day at Brookley AFB, I remember getting to fire a machine gun there one year. Scared me.

I remember when the first Dauphin Island bridge was built; it was a toll bridge and George Wallace removed the toll when he became governor.

I remember when the Florida Bowl was built there at the block between Ralston and Emogene.

I remember Weinacker's grocery on Government St.

I remember Dauphin Way Baptist church on Dauphin at Ann street. Going to Pollman's bakery on the way home on Sunday night and their brownies.

Many more...

[Azalea City Man]

I wish I had the opportunity to live in Mobile back when I-65 would have been far West Mobile. But alas, I was born in 1980. To me, West Mobile does not begin until University Blvd ... and far West Mobile would be Dawes or Leroy Stevens.

[PortCity]

Originally Posted by oldmobilian

The title is a relative term because with a 250+ year history there will always be somebody who can remember an 'old Mobile'.

I remember being in a 250 year celebration in 1961 when I was in the 3rd grade.


I remember Weinacker's grocery on Government St.

Wow you just answered a question for me my friend.Theough Weinacker`s grocery no longer exist but the Weinecker`s shopping plaza still does on Govt.I always wondered where than name come from and now I know thanks to you. Winn Dixie and some other new retail store now occupy Weinacker`s shopping plaza.And Mobile is an old city !! 250 years in 1961 ? Wow ,lol. I believe the city made it’s tercentennial or 300th birthday in 2002,old Fort De La Mobile is actually 308 years old now wow.
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[Keeper]

Originally Posted by WAYNEYPOOH

There was a skating ring at the loop. Now it's an antique shop, on the corner of Williams and Airport.

Now can you remember the bowling alley downtown, on Government Street? Or the Princess House? How about the Downtown Theater?

Did you ever notice the blind man that sold pencils on the street across the street from the square? Did you ever see him riding his bicycle to and from work??

Keeper, do you remember when Elvis came to the fair in Mobile? It was on Blakley Island, sometime around 1956-57 I think. Just before he went on The Ed Sullivan Show and got real popular.
That's when he ate in the Blue Gill Resturant and Mrs. Johnston put his name on the booth: "Elvis Ate Here".

Can anyone remember all of the houses on Blakley Island? They were built for the ship yard workers during W.W.II.

Oh Lordy.. I do remember seeing Elvis at the fair and then seeing him on TV I told my Mother that he was the one we saw at the fair. IIRC.. he also said he would never come back to Mobile because not many ppl showed up to see him. I know he did come back but not until many many years later.

I remember Weinackers, we use to go there to eat ice cream sundaes, milk shakes and banana splits. We use to go to Pullman's bakery on Sundays too. We would get the Pullman rolls and have sandwiches for supper plus sweets for deserts. Back in those days you had your big Sunday meal for lunch. Ahh the memories.

I do remember the downtown theater. Anyone remember the peanut store downtown? What about the candy store where they made pulled taffy. I had a crush on a boy who's mother ran a bar on gov't street. There weren't many of those in Mobile.

I remember before there was an interstate. Springdale Plaza was as far as we ever went imagine my surprise when I came back after 20 years and saw Airport blvd.. What were the gardens that were way out and kind of stair steps anyone remember that?

I use to ride the city bus home from Barton JRHS. It was so safe back then.

My LXH was related to the Fletchers, but my family use to eat at Ossie's when I was growing up. I also loved Morrison's custard pie.

[julieparnis]

I remember the mini mall! I bought my prom dress in a store there in 1983. (I'm a little older than you guys...)