06-02-2010
( Reply#: 5638 ) |
S C Jones |
I remember THIS IS IT! The place also had an auction--my brother worked for the man who owned the place--1955 or 1956.
There was a roller rink out in Black Oak, too, in the mid 1950's. The kids in my neighborhood could get a father to drive us there when they wouldn't take us to the Roller Dome downtown.
When you think of Black Oak as it was back then, it was almost like a street in a Western movie with a line of stores--though they were shabbier than most Westerns. |
06-02-2010
( Reply#: 5639 ) |
BobK |
Are you thinking of the one on State St, S C? The Roller Dome is on Gostlin St on the north side. |
06-03-2010
( Reply#: 5644 ) |
Roger D |
The roller rink in the Black Oak area was "The Beacon". It was owned/ran by Gene Winders who also owned/ran the Hessville School Bus Service. His two oldest kids were Ron and Karen. Anybody remember them?
This Is It was adifferent place to shop, some junk but also some good buys. The R&L Department Store was a nice place. If you took your baby there for their first hard sole shoes they would give you the shoes and put your baby's picture on the wall. |
06-03-2010
( Reply#: 5648 ) |
tom w |
Wasn't the name of the other store Bradys?
I just talked to my sister up north. She said she called her childhood friend that she hasn't seen in years. Does anyone remember Leo P. Konerzer (sp)? We lived a couple of houses from his daughter on Monroe St. Another of her neighborhood pals' mom and dad were the owners of the Patio Drive-in. Tom W |
06-03-2010
( Reply#: 5650 ) |
BobK |
I bought my 67 Cutlass from Konerzer. My wife's uncle's brother-in-law was the service manager. |
06-04-2010
( Reply#: 5661 ) |
S C Jones |
BobK--to answer your question, see Roger D's post.
quote:
Originally posted by BobK
Are you thinking of the one on State St, S C? The Roller Dome is on Gostlin St on the north side.
Grand Park Subdivision 1940-1961 Boondocks of Hessville! |
07-03-2010
( Reply#: 5798 ) |
Thomas Semesky |
I grew up in Black Oak, on 25th Avenue. "Brady's" THIS IS IT was just over a block to the east. There were two buildings that THIS IS IT occupied at that time, and I believe still do.
The R & L Department store was also on 25th but to the west a few blocks. The IGA grocery store was right next to R & L, along with Harvey's Barber Shop, Bennett's Drug Store, the Black Oak Hardware and Scheidt's Gas Station. |
07-04-2010
( Reply#: 5799 ) |
Roger D |
Welcome aboard Thomas, always good to have new people with new thoughts. I don't know your age but do you remember the Walden girls?
They lived on 23rd or 24th. (I can't remember which) They were just west of the RR tracks, two blocks east of Cline Ave.
|
07-24-2010
( Reply#: 5908 ) |
Highway66 |
quote:
Originally posted by Thawk9632
Does any one remember the two stores in Black Oak called This is it,what a cool place,also when Ridge Road drive in had swap meets or Garage sales,the good old days of route 30 drag strip,if a lot of our kids really new what we did as kids,my son and daughter ask me once in a while!!!!
I would love to see a picture of the old Ridge Road Drive-In if anyone has one! I have many fond memories of that place. I went there many times with my girlfriend in the mid and late '60's. You also mentioned the U.S. 30 Dragstrip. I also took my girl there many times in the '60's too. I live in Alabama now but I have family still in the Region and when I was there last year I went to the old
dragstip site. It's pretty depressing because you can still see the old dragstip but it's all overgrown now. You can also still see the "AHRA" sign painted in the concrete where the christmas tree stood. If you got to www.bing.com/maps and search near Clay Street and U.S. 30 (Merrillville) you will see a great view of the old dragstrip as it appears today (use the "birdseye" view to get the satellite photo). |
07-24-2011
( Reply#: 6712 ) |
tommy51 |
quote:
I grew up in Black Oak, on 25th Avenue. "Brady's" THIS IS IT was just over a block to the east.
I used to pass it when going East to my Grandma's (4800 block of 23rd). Wasn't it on Colfax? I remember when 25th was called Black Oak Rd, then Orchard Dr, I think.
Tommy |
07-25-2011
( Reply#: 6716 ) |
Roger D |
Orchard Dr. /Black Oak Rd. were the same streets. 25th in Gary (Black Oak) became 177th in Hessville' !77th intersected Orchard Dr./Black Oak Rd./New Hampshire Ave about two blocks into Hessville to make a triple intersection New Hampshire and 177th were stop streets while Orchard Dr./Black Oak Rd. had the right of way.
I know because I lived on New Hampshire, one half block north of the intersection. Sixgun lived one half block north of me, Dave Van Alstein just nort of Sixgun and Frank Yates was my neighbor (his dad was the manager of the A&P in Hessville), first on Kennedy Ave then on 165th between Alexander St. and McCook St.
Over the years in lived also on 176th. Pl., Carolina St., California St., and finally on Alexander St. |
07-26-2011
( Reply#: 6728 ) |
S C Jones |
Lots of changes in the street connection took place with the Cline Ave. corridor they built--now some of those have been barricaded, from what I have read from you
guys. |
08-18-2011
( Reply#: 6872 ) |
Mrs Bears |
I remember going to This Is It. I thought that was a great name for that store. If they didn't have the item they sure had something else to entice a purchase. I think we went to the auctions also. My Dad and husband unpacked 3 or 4 years ago some stuff my Dad acquired at an auction pre 1983. Dad had never looked at the boxes of stuff. He sometimes helped at the auctions and one auctioneer would give Dad a $1.00 to take the box. No wonder it is taking my husband and I so long to get rid of all of the stuff my parents accumulated in 65 years of marriage. |
08-22-2011
( Reply#: 6875 ) |
Sunshine |
Hey, Mrs. Bears, I knew you and your family enjoyed going to "This Is It" but didn't know your Dad worked at the auctions. I only remember going there a few times. Yes, there was a lot of "stuff" there. |
08-22-2011
( Reply#: 6876 ) |
Mrs Bears |
I don't know if he worked the auctions in Black Oak, but I know he sometimes helped out at autions. I can't remember the auctioneer's name, but I know he moved to FL. I didn't pay much attention to where we were going at a young age unless it involved a map. |
10-26-2011
( Reply#: 7232 ) |
TestPattern |
quote:
I would love to see a picture of the old Ridge Road Drive-In if anyone has one!
Here's a link to a photo of the Ridge Road Drive-In, (not my photo so I'm posting a link.)
http://www.drive-ins.com/pictures/intridg003.jpg
It the back of the screen that served as their sign facing south to Ridge Road as I remember. |
10-27-2011
( Reply#: 7234 ) |
seejay2 |
EXCELLENT!! |
10-27-2011
( Reply#: 7235 ) |
BobK |
[IMG]http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab70/BobK1942/Misc/RidgeRoadDrive-in2.jpg[/IMG]
Ridge Road Drive-in 1972
Bob
|
10-28-2011
( Reply#: 7257 ) |
TestPattern |
Bob - great aerial shot. Does anyone remember the adjacent businesses to the east of the drive-in on the north side of Ridge Road that show in the aerial photo?
Here's a link to one of the old drive-in ads: http://www.drive-ins.com/pictures/intridg002.jpg
A summary of internet info shows the Ridge Road Drive-In was opened in the early 1950s by General Cinema. GC closed it in 1976, and sold it to an independent operator who reopened it in 1977 and operated it for one season. The drive-in closed in October 1977, and the property was sold. The drive-in was demolished and construction on a shopping center followed in 1978, and the center opened in 1979.
I believe Griffith Park Plaza shopping center was developed by Melvin Simon Property Group from Indianapolis. Simon was an early pioneer in suburban shopping center development, was the developer of the Mall of America, owned the Indiana Pacers and was also a Hollywood movie producer. I had worked for a company that partnered on some ventures with Simon Properties.
There was a restaurant on the northeast corner of Ridge and Cline, built as part of the shopping center. If my recollection is correct, the original business was Sambo's. I believe it was only in business a few years before another restaurant chain took it over, maybe Denny's. Does anyone else remember Sambo's being there?
|
10-28-2011
( Reply#: 7260 ) |
BobK |
I don't remember what the businesses to the east were but I do remember Sambo's. I don't remember what it was after Sambo's other than Jedi Garden.
Bob
|
10-28-2011
( Reply#: 7261 ) |
HassoBenSoba |
READ MORE info and memories re: the Ridge Road Drive-In
on Sheptalk thread "I KNOW IT'S HIGHLAND, BUT..." |
