The Western Auto Store in Duncan, Arizona hold lots of memories for me. I don't even know if that building is still there, but back in the late 1950's and early 60's it was the greatest place to be. Mom and Dad ran the Store for Grandpa and Grandma McGrath. It was an old building and had lots of exciting places to explore for two little girls. Karen and me, Laura were about 5 and 7 years of age, give or take, and we loved to go down "to work" with Mom and Dad. We used to roam all over the store and look at all the screws, bolts, nuts, small appliances and toys. I remember one spinning rack that held lots of the little packaged toys. It was fun to look at. Also, at that time television sets were a novelty. In the front of the Western Auto there were 2 or 3 models for the customers to choose. Sometimes after school Dad would turn on the Mickey Mouse Club and Karen and I and several neighborhood kids would sit in the window display and watch Sharon, Bobby, Lonnie, Tommy, Annette, Darlene, Cubby, Karen, Doreen and host Jimmie do their Mickey Mouse Club antics in living black and white! It was wonderful.
Another wonderful thing about that old store was the upstairs. There were just enough creaks and groans and cobwebs and mysterious rooms to be a little exciting to two little kids.
Mom fixed up the room at the top of the stairs for us. She cleaned it up a little and put a cot and some toys and a record player for us. Someone supplied some 45 records for us to listen to. I am not sure if it was Mom or if it was the big teenage boy who worked there once in a while, Milton Jensen. Who ever it was introduced me to rock and roll. There was Big Bopper singing Chantilly Lace and Frankie Avalon and Venus. Also Lavender Blue and Purple People Eater. These songs I remember most and associate them with the top room of the Duncan Western Auto Store. Ahhh, good times.
And now it's time to say good-bye to you and all our friends
M-I-C-see ya real soon, KEY, why, because we like you: M-O-U-S-E
Mickey Mouse.
14 July, 2008
Duncan Western Auto as Remembered By Laura McGrath Humphreys
Posted by Anonymous at 16:02
Labels: 1958, Karen McGrath Nay, Laura McGrath Humphreys
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4 comments:
I RECALL WE DROPPED ORANGE PEELS AND POMEGRANATE PEELS ON PEOPLE FROM THE 2ND STORY WINDOW!
MOM HAD ME LISTEN TO SOME PHONICS RECORDS TO HELP ME LEARN TO READ EASIER. THEY MAY HAVE BEEN SRA BRAND?
ONE DAY I GUESS I HAD HAIR HANGING IN MY EYES, SO LAURA HELPED ME OUT BY GIVING ME A TRIM! MOM DIDN'T SEEM IMPRESSED BY HER HAIRDRESSER SKILL HOWEVER. I DON'T RECALL THE FINISHED JOB, OTHER THAN THERE WAS NO HAIR HANGING IN MY EYES.
I LOVED THE PERFUME SAMPLES THAT WERE GIVEN OUT. THEY WERE TINY LITTLE GLASS TUBES WITH POINTED ENDS. THE ENDS WERE MEANT TO BE BROKEN OFF TO USE THE PERFUME. THEY WERE SO TINY, CUTE, FANCY AND SMELLED GOOD! JUST WHAT LITTLE GIRLS ENJOY!
Also at the store customers received a gold pencil with the words WESTERN AUTO printed on it. I still have one of those pencils.
Laura
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