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Alexandria
was expanding, and the next stage to surburbia was the Bolton Avenue
strip.
Everyone was moving there: Rapides Bank, Guaranty Bank, Sears, Borden's,
Gravel's Drugs, Joseph's Wallpaper, the Don Theater, Morgan & Lindsey,
C&F Sporting Goods, and lots more. And some of our favorite eateries and hangouts were there, like Fuzzy's!
And what was with that
bold new domed service station at the south end of Bolton? It seemed every
business was in search of more space, and wanted to be closer to their
westward-moving
customer base.
The
Bolton commercial corridor included many smaller businesses, such as
Mr.
Kearns' service station (and coin shop) across from the new Sears. This
particular block even included a Packard car dealership at this location.
And nearby were the offices of Dr. Hamilton, that noted Alexandria dermatologist.
We
all had to eat, and buy groceries. We did business at A&P on Bolton
Avenue. It seemed large at the time, and the pleasant smell from the coffee
grinder sticks with me today. There were no scanners, only friendly people
operating those huge cash registers with the big colorful keys. In 1955,
we usually parked on the side, at an angle, just as patrons of Super Saver
do today.
Those
that didn't shop at A&P probably did so at this modern marvel, Piggly
Wiggly, "the expensive alternative down the street." It even featured
a conveyor belt to take your groceries to your waiting car under the covered
portico. How convenient! But it was an idea that never caught on...maybe
Albertson's will give this a try next!
And
while at Piggly Wiggly, you might walk across the street to check out the
Trailways place, transformed from its original life as Holsum Bakery. Not
to witness the business in the sleek building, but the busses parked in
the lot in the back. It was like a who's-who in transportation ... why you
might even see one of those articulated double-jointed Golden Eagles in
town for maintenance!
And
once you were finished shopping, you might want to catch the latest picture
show at the Don. Or maybe you would just ride your bike a few blocks, and
leave it out front, unlocked. Sure, it had only one screen, not 16 like
those giant new mega-theaters do. But what a pack of fun we had there!
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