To the editor:

Growing up in McLeansboro during the 1940s and ’50s imprinted upon me the value of friends and keeping alive the memories of times and places now a part of McLeansboro’s history. 

Many of those friends I made are still friends today, but most, if not all, of the places I remember as being in McLeansboro then are no longer in business today.

My parents were “Nick” and Bernice Nicholson, and we lived on North Mulberry Street in a small house behind a large brick house originally built by George Tyler, when he was the owner of the Ford dealership on South Washington Street. 

In 1958, I graduated from McLeansboro Township High School, which today I would imagine is called “the old high school.” 

During my high school years, many of us gathered daily — before and after school — at the Bee Hive, located at the southwest corner of Washington and Main streets. We drank Coca-Cola by the gallons and listened to the jukebox (maybe 10 cents a selection) to hear Elvis and Fats Domino, among others.

Also during my high school years, I was the projectionist at the now long-gone Capitol Theatre, located on Market Street across the street from the courthouse. Lucille McDonald was the manager, and I worked there until it closed in 1957.

My first job was as a carhop at Ronnie’s Twirly Top, owned by Ted Satterfield, on the Mt. Vernon highway.

Going shopping then was a trip around the square. This was long before shopping malls.

Families could buy clothes at the Illinois Brokerage on Washington Street, managed by Danny King, and women had a special treat in shopping at the Shop Nook or at the shop owned by Madeline Echols, located on the south side of the square.

The south side of the square was where we teens would gather in the evenings and catch up on the latest news, or gossip, listen to music and joke around with each other. No drugs then, nor alcohol; well, maybe a bit after Piopolis Township became “wet,” but that was never a big deal.

We’d buy our groceries at Bracy’s on the south side of the square; at one time in the 1940s, there was a second Bracy’s, I believe, on the west side of the square. Bracy’s later was bought by Kroger. 

At one time in the 1940s, the Goodrich family owned a grocery store on the east side of the square. There were several small neighborhood grocery stores. Mrs. Manning owned one on East Main Street. The Nelson family’s store was located on North Hancock Street, and Carl and Aurelia Mauck owned one on East Broadway, across the street from a house where we once lived.  Brown’s Store was located on West Randolph Street. There were some others, especially in the west part of town, but unfortunately I have forgotten their names.

We had two choices of banks then — Hamilton County Bank on the corner of Washington and Market streets and the Peoples Bank on the west side of the square. I particularly remember Tom English being an officer at Hamilton County Bank, and Byron Lasswell at Peoples Bank. 

For insurance, there was Ralph Prince’s agency. Ralph Prince was the father of Bob Prince, who taught me how to drive. What patience Bob must have had then; ha!

During those times, the square offered all we might have needed.

The McLean Theatre was the center of our social lives as kids. Run by Byron and “Pete” Lasswell, Richard Lasswell’s parents, each Saturday afternoon for 14 cents we watched a cartoon, a serial, the news and a double feature, usually featuring one western starring either Gene Autry or Roy Rogers. 

After the “show,” it would be off to the dime store, owned by several families during those times, though I remember at one time it was owned or managed by the Teffertiller family and possibly the Montgomery family. 

The pharmacies then were Robinson’s on the west side of the square, Lockwood’s on the north side of the square, and Cline’s on the south side of the square. 

The Stephenson family owned the Log Cabin restaurant at the intersection of Washington and Randolph streets, while the Rex Café was downtown on the south side of the square.

The Ventress restaurant was on the Mt. Vernon highway. There was another restaurant on South Washington Street, just south of the Bee Hive, though its name escapes me now. Randall Lowry’s mother worked there. Randall and I were classmates at MTHS.

As kids at East Side School, we could eat lunch at the Hilltop Café, across the street on Randolph Street.

If by chance some food stained our clothes from dining out, we could have them dry-cleaned at Rabbit’s (owned by “Rabbit” Wicks)  on the east side of the square; for some time, Rabbit offered pickup and delivery.

We could also have those clothes cleaned at Campbell’s at the intersection of Main and Jackson streets, just west of Taylor’s Chevrolet dealership.

Ah, cars! Back then, we had the choice of Fords from Tyler’s, Chevys from Taylor’s or Chrysler autos from Keaton’s, I believe, on North Jackson Street. 

I still remember the unveiling of the 1949 Chevrolets at Taylor’s.  That was a big deal then, and the showroom was packed with people who’d come to admire the new design of those Chevrolets. 

For a time, Glen Shehorn was the owner of the Studebaker dealership. This was located in the west part of town; can’t remember the name of the street.

For a while, my father was office manger of Shehorn’s, in the late 1940s.

We’d end life’s journey at Gholson Funeral Home on West Market Street or Donelson’s on North Washington Street. 

I remember the first funeral I attended. It was for our much- loved third-grade teacher, Dorothy Goodrich, held at Donelson’s. Ruby Nicholson, my grandmother, also had her funeral at Donelson’s, in 1951.

These are just some of my “rememberings” of a time long ago. Since moving away from McLeansboro in 1958, my memories of the town are frozen at that year. Many changes have taken place since then. I should imagine that most of the places I’ve mentioned are now long gone.

David Nicholson

Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada