Main Street Before Redevelopment, Part3

Hurley Grant, Footbridge, Curran's Terry's

Main Street, South Side Part 3


Sweeney Stationery, where we bought our school supplies, Smith-Keon Jewelers and Windham Pharmacy were in the next building. Upstairs there were many offices: Southwind Real Estate, Mustard Insurance, Healy Insurance,(where I once worked) Atwood Hypertrichcholy and Family Finance (that was managed by a very nice man who loaned me money to buy a bicycle when I was sixteen years old. I had a running account even though the company changed hands and names over the years for forty one years.(I could always count on them.)

The next building housed Ben's Eagle Shoe Store and Frank's Sundial Shoes and this was a family affair and I am still friends with the young Prague people, Ben and Jay. Next is the Franklin Building .   Singer Sewing Machine  is on the ground floor and law offices above. Then The Arnold Building (Know later as the Tin Sin Building, ed) with The Willimantic Camara Center, Arnold Insurance, Travelers Insurance, Charlie Shell Plumbing and Windham Under Price Clothing Store. Still on the South side of Main Street, (Now known as as the Meehan Building. ed) there were lawyers, accountants, insurance offices, Social Security, Selective Service, Adult Probation, another finance company and Western Auto, Dr Basden who use to make house calls and Beller's Package Store.  

Next was The YMCA where we went swimming and later took exercise classes. The Gem Theater, one of three movie houses in town, Colonial Studio Photos and Evelyn's School of Dance. In the Kimball Block was the Department of Motor Vehicles where I took my drivers test and got my first driver licence. T.V. Sales and Service, The Hartford Courant, a real estate office, a chiropractor and Hyde's Magazine Shop. Then A & B Poultry Market and Jim's Coffee Spot which was s very, very favorite spot for hot dogs and grinders each with there special Jim's sauce.  People are still nostalgic for that sauce. 

Next was the Air Force Recruiting office and Star Furniture Store. Sam was a true friend, one day my mother and I wanted to move but couldn't afford to pay $50.00 a room for movers.  We had four rooms of furniture.  I was walking by Star Furniture and Jesus' words came to me: Sell all that you have and come follow me." So I went into the store and made a deal with Sam. He took all of our furniture and gave me credit and brought all our old furniture to his store and delivered new furniture to our new apartment. (No carrying charges) and all I had to do was make a small monthly payment to him. He said he usually wrote numbers under second hand furniture but he wrote, "Claire" under mine.

Brett's Drugs, Jim's Coffee Spot

Main Street, South Side, Part 4

The next building housed The Lucky Strike Bowling Alleys, Haggerty Insurance, Bus Terminal, Luncheonette Travel Agency,  Grayhound Bus Lines, New England Transportation, Arrow Line and Blue Line Bus companies.. ( We had many ways to go to Norwich, Hartford and Providence) ,.The next building had offices and a labatory on the first floor and Toney's Hair Stylist on the second floor where I went to get my haircut. Fox's Sportswear was in the Capitol Theater Building along with Caron's Beauty shop and The Bottle Shop, Horn's Clothing Store and of course the marque and entrance to the best theater in town. (My friend Patty and I use to go to the Capitol on Sunday afternoon, go to eat at the Lucky Strike lunch counter and then go bowling. That made for a nice afternoon.) Upstairs there was a insurance office where I worked for years, a doctor, a dentist, Dr Mason (where I had all my teeth taken out), a lawyer (who had me be a witness whenever he needed one), The textile Workers of america, local #460 and The Council of Eastern Connecticut.

Lizee Jewlry

Arnold (Tin Sin) and Meehen Building

The Italian Garden came next.  It has been there since the late 1880's, in the same family.  I worked there as a waitress for many years. The Capitol Dinner was next door to Italian Garden. We called the diner Sputniks because the people that owned it had a last name like that. I used to stop there for coffee in the mourning. There was a shoe repair shop next to that and then The Metropolitan Life Building.

That was Main Steeet in the 1950,s and 1960's Someone in Willimantic decided that Willimantic needed an overhauling and they went through a large portion of the city knocking down building after building and calling it revitilization. They drew up a map showing what the restoration would look like but this did not come to pass and left a blank area called "the parcel." that once had nine streets, dozens of business and hundreds of families that call Willimantic home.

And now I ask: Where did all the people go?

Saturday, September 15, 2012

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