Jefferson Iowa News is currently running a story titled "Jefferson's 15 Most-Missed Businesses". Most of those listed greatly impacted the city and its quality of lifestyle. What places did we leave out?
For me...born in early 70's. G&M Grocery Store (Gorsuch & McCollum) Back then we had 3 grocery stores to choose from, we had variety, better hours, and could bargain shop without having to calculate extra gas cost driving to Carroll/Boone. Lane Sporting Goods--Tom Lane owned this and you could get athletic support and shoes for most any sport. Coast to Coast--owned by Harry 7 Vi Hoffman. Dons had a monopoly after Hoffmans closed up shop. Fountains for Men--Tried to have a portion of what Durlams offered after they closed. Dennis Fountain rans a great store. Business to casual clothing. I am guessing the elder generations certainly miss not having Parker Shoe Store or Blaess Shoes. The business I miss most was touched on in your article. Jim's Super Valu. It employed a lot of us kids, had huge selection, had the only class A liqour license in town. Had a nice deli too.Open holidays, as well as 24/7 throughout the week. Tom Schleisman told me once the biggest days of the year were the 4th of July and Thanksgiving day. Sunday was biggest sales volume of the week. Now we are stuck with nothing on those days. Again i say the motto for this town should be...Jefferson the Farlin of Tomorrow.
One of the most missed businesses by far has to be the trailer court on North Cedar. When Carl's closed for the night, it was wrapped in one giant ball of what-the-f#%kery. It is nearly empty now, growing weeds that cast a pale shadow to those once found at McGregor's pit or on the trails at the city and county parks. It is indeed a sad reminder of days, when looking back, only fleeting memories exist.
Lefty's Cigar Store was a great place to mhang out, play pool, smoke, and read magazines. You could skip school, head down to Lefty's, and find out who else had skipped that day. It was located on the corner of North Wilson and State Street, in the building that currently houses the Teagarden. Later, Lefty moved to a smaller building next to the Iowa (later Sierra) Theater.
Nobody on this web site ever talks about the bowling alley when it was located on Highway 4 south of town. They had plenty of lanes, pool tables, foosball, pinball machines, a restaurant, and a bar. Fun for the whole family. As I recall, it was all lost in a fire. Does anyone know when that would have been?
Just a few business left off your list that easily could have been included are: Bordenaro's Market, Mid-Iowa Concrete, Jefferson Diversified Industries, and JC Penney's.
Franey's bowling alley was lost in the summer of the great tire burnings. Years of discarded tires warehoused in ravines and abandoned gravel pits by McAtee Tire were set ablaze by unknown arsonists. Hundreds of thousands of tires burned for weeks. The fiery glow could be seen for miles. Attached to Franey's bowling alley was a discarded tire storage area. When those tires went up, so did his business. Police theories as to the arsonist abounded, but at that point in time, the police couldn't theorize the location of their ass using both hands. The crimes remain unsolved.
I remember buying my letter jacket from Lyon's Camera and Sports Shop. He didn't carry a lot of inventory, but he would order about anything. I also bought my first 8-track player there when I was in junior high. By the time I was a junior in high school, I needed to replace it. Lyons' said they could no longer order one - I had to buy it in Fort Dodge. Boy, those things went out of style fast.
Does anyone out there remember the Totem Acres zoo? Jefferson actually had a zoo that featured a buffalo, a peacock or two, and goats and maybr a llama or two. I'm not sure what all was there anymore, but it was located about a half-mile northeast of the bowling alley you guys are talking about. I have no idea when it folded.
Around 1970 I believe a bear got loose from the zoo and went downtown. Does anyone know what they did to the bear? I assume the Daubendieks pulled the plug because of risk.
That is typical Jefferson. Lots of towns have zoos. Many are famous just for their zoo. Only in a place like Jefferson would people view it as completely normal to close your zoo because it is just too risky. Better to not take any risks. We don't need anything like that.
That line of thinking partially explains things like business closings and businesses refusing to upgrade. Better to just sit idly by and complain about the demise of small towns than to take the risks involved with innovations, new ideas, and things that would attract people to your community - like a zoo.
Believe it or not, several years ago my Dad bought a brand new 8-Track player at some store in Ames. It was the late nineties at the earliest. He hooked it up to his stereo system and still listens happily to 8-Tracks whenever he wishes. His only complaint is that it is getting harder to find matchbooks to make it track correctly.
I think the late Wes Finch shot the bear. I think the phone company employees actually fed the animals and cleaned the cages etc. The monkey cage still is there, although mostly overgrown in trees. They had fallow deer, monkey, bear, and peacocks. Not sure what other critters. And Big Nasty...the trailer court is still there and as large as ever. Pretty sure Christmas and Easter are no longer residents there. I agree on the bowling alley arson and other tire fires. Not sure those guys coulda caught a cold.
I remember Crowley's dime store fondly. It was chock full of merchandise and had really narrow aisles. It felt more like a flea market and wasn't laid out like any other store.
The lady there was always gruff and had a military bearing.
Does anyone else remember when the Jefferson State Bank put in their drive-thru windows? They had about four lanes - the one nearest the bank was just a drawer that the teller pushed out and you put your check or whatever in. The other lanes had pneumatic tubes that miraculously swooshed your money into the bank.
Here's what I remember about it. When I would go to deposit my check on Fridays, there would be a line a mile long for the drawer, and nobody was willing to use those "mysterious" tubes! Locals must have thought their money would get stuck or something! I always just drove up to an outside line, got waited on, and left while everyone just waited in line. Unbelievable.
i remember crowleys too and that lady that worked there me and my friend were just lil kids and we would go there and that lady would make you feel like a shoplifter, the reason the aisles were so thin made it easier for that lady to constantly turn around and "watch" you to make sure you didnt steal anything, i dont remember her name , anybody know?
Leftys place was definelty a cool place if you could stand the heavenly aroma of 70 yr old men smoking cigars, that place to this day has to still smell. As far as the jefferson bigfoot sightings i dont remember to many after the 1970s, but did talk to a former classmate recently and he was telling me about the house he grew up in town was haunted and would make the amityville house look tame in comparison, now i drive and dont look at it the same
The lady who worked at Crowley's was the late Darlene Mansfield, who lived in Herndon, IA. Remember the candy case filled with Brach's candies? Did you like the peanut clusters or what was your favorite candy?
the haunted house is the house the beck family lived on west state street the white one with a set off steps going up the back of the house to the upstairs, rumor was this used to be a brothel or gambling type of establishment , this might explain the red suede on the walls inside
The best Brach's candies were those little white, square-shaped nougats filled with different colored, fruity bits. Also those orange wedges are still a favorite. Usually sold by the pound.
No, the best Brach's candy were those little foil-wrapped things that came in different colors and flavors, like "butter rum" and so forth. Each flavor was a different color. We'd sit for hours and sort out our favorite ones :)
Butterscotch's were always my favorite. That's what my grandma had in her candy dish when we visited on Sunday. Butterscotch pudding is hard to beat also.
the house is right next door (east of the ron strawns) south side of the road i know strawns is 509 i believe. why is it haunted? i have no idea all i know is all the things he told me blew me away
Somebody at Jefferson Iowa News needs to get to the bottom of the haunted house story. How many past Jefferson residents were found murdered in that house? How about some photos?
Just curious - how is it that a "newer" home is haunted? Where are these places? For JIN to do any type of story on this, we would need some additional information. Lots of places are said to be haunted. What kind of things are going on there? How do we know this?
by newer i meant built in the 1970s and im going by stories that the people that lived there told me open the thread and ill type the stuff that i was told by the people that lived there, i hope they dont mind me doing this
I remember the state liquor store on North Wilson. You'd go up to the counter, tell the clerk what you wanted, and they'd go back in the stacks and bring it out. Later, they moved to North Elm somewhere north of the tracks, and you could shop for spirits on your own.
When the laws in Iowa changed, grocery stores were permitted to carry booze and most of them had an aisle for that. I'm not sure where you can buy wine and spirits in Jefferson these days. Could it be that Fareway carries some? Most Fareways don't. You may actually have to travel to Perry or Carroll to buy liquor.
Rick we have a small liquor store where Carrol White had his laundry mat on E Harrison. It has the basics as far as booze, but limited hours. Fareway does not carry booze. Only warm beer. Another reason to miss Jims Super Valu
I stopped at that liquor store once to buy cigarettes, and they didn't sell them. I do remember when Wet Goods had a drive-thru liquor service in the alley next to the bar.
I think that Jefferson really misses the chain stores and franchises it used to attract. Restaurants such as Pizza Hut, Hardee's, A and W, and Maid Rite all were located in town.
JC Penney, Sears, and Montgomery Ward were represented. When so many national chains pull out, you know they will probably not be replaced.
In defense of Jefferson, most of those chain outlets Phil mentions were the victims of corporate downsizing. Montgomery Ward, Hardee's, Maid Rite, and A&W all fall into that category. We have has almost no success with national chains here in Jtown.
Dairy Queen, Radio Shack, Medicap, Subway, HyVee Drug, and Pamida are probably the closest we have now, and they form the backbone of our retail base. I'm sure if these guys can make it, others could as well. The Chamber should be actively looking for more.
The only people "scooping the loop" in downtown Jefferson these days are old farts who are hopelessly lost and have been driving in circles all day, getting in everybody's way. Eventually they either wreck or run out of gas.
Does anyone know whether or not the roller skating rink is still open in Jefferson? When I was in high school it was called the Maranatha Skating Rink, and was lots of fun. I worked there my senior year.
43 comments:
For me...born in early 70's.
G&M Grocery Store (Gorsuch & McCollum) Back then we had 3 grocery stores to choose from, we had variety, better hours, and could bargain shop without having to calculate extra gas cost driving to Carroll/Boone.
Lane Sporting Goods--Tom Lane owned this and you could get athletic support and shoes for most any sport.
Coast to Coast--owned by Harry 7 Vi Hoffman. Dons had a monopoly after Hoffmans closed up shop.
Fountains for Men--Tried to have a portion of what Durlams offered after they closed. Dennis Fountain rans a great store. Business to casual clothing.
I am guessing the elder generations certainly miss not having Parker Shoe Store or Blaess Shoes.
The business I miss most was touched on in your article. Jim's Super Valu. It employed a lot of us kids, had huge selection, had the only class A liqour license in town. Had a nice deli too.Open holidays, as well as 24/7 throughout the week. Tom Schleisman told me once the biggest days of the year were the 4th of July and Thanksgiving day. Sunday was biggest sales volume of the week. Now we are stuck with nothing on those days. Again i say the motto for this town should be...Jefferson the Farlin of Tomorrow.
One of the most missed businesses by far has to be the trailer court on North Cedar. When Carl's closed for the night, it was wrapped in one giant ball of what-the-f#%kery. It is nearly empty now, growing weeds that cast a pale shadow to those once found at McGregor's pit or on the trails at the city and county parks. It is indeed a sad reminder of days, when looking back, only fleeting memories exist.
I have other businesses I will address in future postings.
Lefty's Cigar Store was a great place to mhang out, play pool, smoke, and read magazines. You could skip school, head down to Lefty's, and find out who else had skipped that day. It was located on the corner of North Wilson and State Street, in the building that currently houses the Teagarden. Later, Lefty moved to a smaller building next to the Iowa (later Sierra) Theater.
Nobody on this web site ever talks about the bowling alley when it was located on Highway 4 south of town. They had plenty of lanes, pool tables, foosball, pinball machines, a restaurant, and a bar.
Fun for the whole family. As I recall, it was all lost in a fire. Does anyone know when that would have been?
Just a few business left off your list that easily could have been included are: Bordenaro's Market, Mid-Iowa Concrete, Jefferson Diversified Industries, and JC Penney's.
Franey's bowling alley was lost in the summer of the great tire burnings. Years of discarded tires warehoused in ravines and abandoned gravel pits by McAtee Tire were set ablaze by unknown arsonists. Hundreds of thousands of tires burned for weeks. The fiery glow could be seen for miles. Attached to Franey's bowling alley was a discarded tire storage area. When those tires went up, so did his business. Police theories as to the arsonist abounded, but at that point in time, the police couldn't theorize the location of their ass using both hands. The crimes remain unsolved.
I remember buying my letter jacket from Lyon's Camera and Sports Shop. He didn't carry a lot of inventory, but he would order about anything. I also bought my first 8-track player there when I was in junior high. By the time I was a junior in high school, I needed to replace it. Lyons' said they could no longer order one - I had to buy it in Fort Dodge. Boy, those things went out of style fast.
Does anyone out there remember the Totem Acres zoo? Jefferson actually had a zoo that featured a buffalo, a peacock or two, and goats and maybr a llama or two. I'm not sure what all was there anymore, but it was located about a half-mile northeast of the bowling alley you guys are talking about. I have no idea when it folded.
Around 1970 I believe a bear got loose from the zoo and went downtown. Does anyone know what they did to the bear? I assume the Daubendieks pulled the plug because of risk.
Perhaps that was the start of all the Bigfoot sightings Jefferson seems to be famous for.
"Pulled the plug because of risk" -
That is typical Jefferson. Lots of towns have zoos. Many are famous just for their zoo. Only in a place like Jefferson would people view it as completely normal to close your zoo because it is just too risky. Better to not take any risks. We don't need anything like that.
That line of thinking partially explains things like business closings and businesses refusing to upgrade. Better to just sit idly by and complain about the demise of small towns than to take the risks involved with innovations, new ideas, and things that would attract people to your community - like a zoo.
On the 8-Track posting -
Believe it or not, several years ago my Dad bought a brand new 8-Track player at some store in Ames. It was the late nineties at the earliest. He hooked it up to his stereo system and still listens happily to 8-Tracks whenever he wishes. His only complaint is that it is getting harder to find matchbooks to make it track correctly.
I think the late Wes Finch shot the bear. I think the phone company employees actually fed the animals and cleaned the cages etc. The monkey cage still is there, although mostly overgrown in trees. They had fallow deer, monkey, bear, and peacocks. Not sure what other critters.
And Big Nasty...the trailer court is still there and as large as ever. Pretty sure Christmas and Easter are no longer residents there.
I agree on the bowling alley arson and other tire fires. Not sure those guys coulda caught a cold.
I remember Crowley's dime store fondly. It was chock full of merchandise and had really narrow aisles. It felt more like a flea market and wasn't laid out like any other store.
The lady there was always gruff and had a military bearing.
Does anyone else remember when the Jefferson State Bank put in their drive-thru windows? They had about four lanes - the one nearest the bank was just a drawer that the teller pushed out and you put your check or whatever in. The other lanes had pneumatic tubes that miraculously swooshed your money into the bank.
Here's what I remember about it. When I would go to deposit my check on Fridays, there would be a line a mile long for the drawer, and nobody was willing to use those "mysterious" tubes! Locals must have thought their money would get stuck or something! I always just drove up to an outside line, got waited on, and left while everyone just waited in line. Unbelievable.
i remember crowleys too and that lady that worked there me and my friend were just lil kids and we would go there and that lady would make you feel like a shoplifter, the reason the aisles were so thin made it easier for that lady to constantly turn around and "watch" you to make sure you didnt steal anything, i dont remember her name , anybody know?
Leftys place was definelty a cool place if you could stand the heavenly aroma of 70 yr old men smoking cigars, that place to this day has to still smell. As far as the jefferson bigfoot sightings i dont remember to many after the 1970s, but did talk to a former classmate recently and he was telling me about the house he grew up in town was haunted and would make the amityville house look tame in comparison, now i drive and dont look at it the same
Tell me what house that is - the haunted one.
The lady who worked at Crowley's was the late Darlene Mansfield, who lived in Herndon, IA. Remember the candy case filled with Brach's candies? Did you like the peanut clusters or what was your favorite candy?
Braxton Hicks
the haunted house is the house the beck family lived on west state street the white one with a set off steps going up the back of the house to the upstairs, rumor was this used to be a brothel or gambling type of establishment , this might explain the red suede on the walls inside
The best Brach's candies were those little white, square-shaped nougats filled with different colored, fruity bits. Also those orange wedges are still a favorite. Usually sold by the pound.
No, the best Brach's candy were those little foil-wrapped things that came in different colors and flavors, like "butter rum" and so forth. Each flavor was a different color. We'd sit for hours and sort out our favorite ones :)
Can anyone locally there in Jefferson tell me what is going on with the Jefferson Little League?
Butterscotch's were always my favorite. That's what my grandma had in her candy dish when we visited on Sunday. Butterscotch pudding is hard to beat also.
Chocolate covered peanuts rule.
I still can't place this haunted house. Which side of State Street is it on? What is the address? Does anyone know why it would be haunted?
We kind of miss the old Truck Haven Cafe. All-night breakfasts with wonderful sweet rolls. They drew crowds from miles around.
the house is right next door (east of the ron strawns) south side of the road i know strawns is 509 i believe. why is it haunted? i have no idea all i know is all the things he told me blew me away
Somebody at Jefferson Iowa News needs to get to the bottom of the haunted house story. How many past Jefferson residents were found murdered in that house? How about some photos?
i agree i think you should start a thread about jeffersons haunted houses i know of one in town and its a newer home
Just curious - how is it that a "newer" home is haunted? Where are these places? For JIN to do any type of story on this, we would need some additional information. Lots of places are said to be haunted. What kind of things are going on there? How do we know this?
by newer i meant built in the 1970s and im going by stories that the people that lived there told me open the thread and ill type the stuff that i was told by the people that lived there, i hope they dont mind me doing this
I remember the state liquor store on North Wilson. You'd go up to the counter, tell the clerk what you wanted, and they'd go back in the stacks and bring it out. Later, they moved to North Elm somewhere north of the tracks, and you could shop for spirits on your own.
When the laws in Iowa changed, grocery stores were permitted to carry booze and most of them had an aisle for that. I'm not sure where you can buy wine and spirits in Jefferson these days. Could it be that Fareway carries some? Most Fareways don't. You may actually have to travel to Perry or Carroll to buy liquor.
Rick we have a small liquor store where Carrol White had his laundry mat on E Harrison. It has the basics as far as booze, but limited hours. Fareway does not carry booze. Only warm beer. Another reason to miss Jims Super Valu
I stopped at that liquor store once to buy cigarettes, and they didn't sell them. I do remember when Wet Goods had a drive-thru liquor service in the alley next to the bar.
I think that Jefferson really misses the chain stores and franchises it used to attract. Restaurants such as Pizza Hut, Hardee's, A and W, and Maid Rite all were located in town.
JC Penney, Sears, and Montgomery Ward were represented. When so many national chains pull out, you know they will probably not be replaced.
In defense of Jefferson, most of those chain outlets Phil mentions were the victims of corporate downsizing. Montgomery Ward, Hardee's, Maid Rite, and A&W all fall into that category. We have has almost no success with national chains here in Jtown.
Dairy Queen, Radio Shack, Medicap, Subway, HyVee Drug, and Pamida are probably the closest we have now, and they form the backbone of our retail base. I'm sure if these guys can make it, others could as well. The Chamber should be actively looking for more.
Bring back those popcorn stands we had on the corners of the square downtown. When did they disappear, anyway?
I remember them in the very early 1970's. One was by where the Peony is.
by the way do kids still "scoop the loop " around the square on weekends? or did all those new stop signs up there kinda ruin that?
The only people "scooping the loop" in downtown Jefferson these days are old farts who are hopelessly lost and have been driving in circles all day, getting in everybody's way. Eventually they either wreck or run out of gas.
Does anyone know whether or not the roller skating rink is still open in Jefferson? When I was in high school it was called the Maranatha Skating Rink, and was lots of fun. I worked there my senior year.
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