The Horton of My Childhood
01-23-14

The Horton of origin was a fantastic, exciting place.  I think Horton is still a great place.   And, with some effort and cooperation, it sounds like we could be on the road to being fantastic once again.

This time I am going to reminisce about the Horton of my childhood.  I just turned 54, so you do the math. Shopping downtown covered everything from apples to wingnuts and just about everything in between.  The shop keepers were always there.  You knew their shops by their names,  and everyone knew the other from school and church.

If we needed groceries, we went to Doug’s IGA or Wilma’s Grocery, or Gockel’s, and we got meat from Fishy at the locker plant.

The latest model cars were on the lots at Foster Ford and Coder Chevrolet.  When we needed gas for the car, we went to Randall’s Station, Snyder Oil, or Tollefson’s Station.  Randall’s also had the coldest pop, and I could almost always talk Dad into buying a candy bar with Mr. Tollefson’s help.  When the car needed to be fixed, Shippy’s Body Shop and Statler’s Auto Repair took care of that.  While Clark’s Tire and Chapman’s Service Station could keep good rubber on the ground for you.

All of your utility bills could be paid downtown.  Electricity and water at City Hall, phone at the telephone office, and your gas bill at the Gas Co. office.  The Gas Co. was my favorite stop on bill paying day.  Mr. Kallos called me cream puff!

There was no lack of places to get the stuff you needed to fix the stuff you already had.  The lumber yard, Chappy’s Hardware, Western Auto, and Hanson’s Hardware and Appliance seemed to have an endless supply of anything you could ever want.  They all had more than just nuts and bolts too - I bought my first full size guitar from Western Auto!  When your appliances or TV quit, Andy Hanson or Ray Barton could get them going again for you.  Or you could buy new from them as well.

Many Saturdays saw my allowance disappear at Duckwall’s on Barbie paraphernalia and puzzle books and the Newsstand on comic books.  The old dusty treasures at Booth’s Trading Post always pulled me in.  And a soda or a Green River at Lou’s Drugstore was the best.

You could outfit yourself with clothes and shoes from Hamel’s Department Store, Eck’s Dress Shop, and Jamison’s Shoe Store.  Keeping those clothes clean was easy at the laundry mat, or Jamison’s Famous Cleaners.

Everything you needed for sewing, knitting, crocheting, and embroidery could be found at Hamel’s and Duckwall’s.

English Leather Shop had boots for dad, and tack for the ponies.  Did you know that combs for pony manes work quite well for girls with long, thick hair too?


You could wet your whistle (or so I am told) at the Pool Hall, and Edge Town.  The best root beer in a glass mug was at the B & R Bar and Grill.  Bill and Rosie let me sit on the counter to drink mine.

You could see the doctor and get your prescriptions filled downtown.

You could rent a room or an apartment at the Grande Hotel. My Grandpa lived there!

I sang often at the Masonic Hall accompanied by Mrs. Chapman, and spent countless hours at the Ceramic Shop with Margaret.

It seemed like every woman in town worked at - or had worked at the Garment Factory.  And who could ever forget the aroma that engulfed the town from the Cheese Factory?

The men got haircuts at Winchell’s or Schecher’s Barber Shops, and the ladies could go see Wilma at her Beauty Shop, or Veda at The Hairport, or Janice at the Beauty Boutique.

My first pair of 14 ct. gold earrings came from Ubelaker’s Jewelry.  I still have them.

The best fried chicken (besides mom’s of course) was served up by Georgia, Grethel and Doris at the Cottage Inn.  The best fries with gravy were made by Grace at the Huddle, and The Town Café seemed to be the place for breakfast and the coffee crowd.

Most of my entertainment growing up was provided by the library , the swimming pool, and the Liberty Theatre.

Times change, towns change, people change.  It’s good to remember the past, and develop a vision of the future.

I have by no means listed, much less remembered,  all the places in Horton in the 60's and 70's. Thanks to my mom, and Donna Hallauer for their help with a few names.  What do you remember?  Let me know at tapestry@rainbowtel.net.