Retro Racine of the '50's and '60's

Retro Racine, Wisconsin - Share the Memories

Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee Stn, West Racine

photo courtesy of Doug Iverson

Welcome to Retro Racine

Though we grew up and many of us moved away, Racine, Wisconsin of the '50's and '60's still exists in our memories. Why did Retro Racine make such an indelible impression on us? Perhaps because to live in Racine during that era was to experience American life - with a Southeastern Wisconsin flavor - to the full. This site probably does view life in Retro Racine through rose colored glasses. It certainly was not all rosy, but as we look back through the soft focus lens of time, we see that Racine was a pretty good place to grow up.

Despite many years, and a distance of many miles, Racine is still home. I often take a "tour of the heart" to Retro Racine of the '50's and '60's and discover places and memories I'd forgotten. Maybe you do the same. Whether you still live in Racine, or have been away for years, let's share our memories.

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your stay, and return to Retro Racine soon!

Nancy

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What's New

Have you read our guestbook (below) lately? You'll find many interesting comments and more great memories. Some of the guestbook entries include visitors looking for info on Retro Racine places or things - maybe you have the answer. The guestbook is also a place where one might re-connect with an old friend or neighbor - check it out!

Please join us in the Retro Racine Group on Facebook. Currently, there are over 80 members who like to remember Retro Racine by posting photos and sharing memories. To join the group, go to the Facebook site and type Retro Racine in the search box - the name Retro Racine Group should appear; request to join (pretty much a formality) and you're in.

Douglas Park Community Center, 1957

Future rocket scientists and space cadets

The Scientific Americans

Many of us remember a time when a fascination with science seemed to be shared by all Americans, from kindergarteners to housewives and grandparents. References to science were widely used throughout the media, and scientific knowledge was considered to be a key to "better living" that would unlock the future. This message was strongly conveyed to us through television, magazines, print ads and radio during the 1950's and '60's across America in communities like Retro Racine.

Given this prevailing social backdrop, its no wonder that the nursery school graduation held at Douglas Park community center in June, 1957, was a proud day for the parents of Racine's baby boomers - you and me. There was no telling what we might grow up to be - space travellers, inventors or futuristic homemakers who served dinner from push-button kitchens. On that day in 1957, we had just taken our tentative first steps towards learning, but as we grew during the 1950's and '60's, it wasn't long before our cultural and educational training shaped us also into scientific Americans.

How did this take place? To answer that question, we must look back to the early 1950's when television became a staple in most of the nation's homes. Some of my earliest recollections involve lying on the couch in front of the flickering tube, soaking up everything TV had to offer. When commercials came on, with a "word from our sponsor", often there would be a commanding voiceover which described the aerodynamic jet-inspired design of the latest model car. The health benefits of relaxation while smoking cigarettes were touted by actor/doctors, and animated diagrams illustrated how the newest and most effective pain-killer worked - everything from soup to nuts seemed to need a detailed scientific explanation.

Actually, we can look back to the years leading up to World War II when public interest in science started to take off - no pun intended. In Walt Disney's full-length feature, "Fantasia", one sequence portrayed pre-historic life and showed how dinosaurs became extinct; this was far from usual cartoon fare, but was reflective of its era, when it was considered important to instruct a youthful audience in current scientific thought.

The years following World War II were years of intense interest in atomic energy as the world and our nation struggled to comprehend the reality of atomic power and weaponry. Pre-occupation with atomic power so penetrated the nation's consciousness, that atomic imagery such as starbursts, ellipses, and orbiting atoms were incorporated into items seen in everyday life, such as emblems and logos for cars, appliances, kitchenware, furniture, fabric and even Christmas ornaments. I remember drawing orbiting atoms - a familiar symbol of atomic or nuclear power - on my school folders, and maybe you did too.

Despite assurances that atomic energy would become a positive force for the good of humanity, a deep sense of fear and angst remained, with good reason. This sense of anxiety and dread was a common theme of science fiction and horror movies of the 1950's and '60's as it tapped into society's intuitive knowledge that atomic energy gone wrong would have terrible consequences.

In an attempt to ease the fears of America's youth and to help us make a smooth transition into the atomic age, Disney studios released a short film during the 1950's, "Our Friend, the Atom", which was aired on Disney's Sunday night TV show and later shown in schools nationwide. It now seems ludicrous to personify an idea from science and make it something warm and friendly, but it probably did help us sleep better at night. We baby boomers faced a future that was simultaneously exhilerating and threatening, and though we learned to live within that tension, it was not always easy. We recall anxious times when nuclear confrontation seemed inevitable and there was an urgent need to prepare.

On one seemingly normal Sunday afternoon in 1959 or 1960, I attended an event with my parents held at Roosevelt School. It seemed strange to be there on a Sunday, but this was a special occasion - we were about to learn how to build and outfit our own family fallout shelter. At age 7 it all seemed like a big adventure and everyone seemed naively cheerful about the whole enterprise. Soon after that we began seeing fallout shelter signs at our school and at public buildings around town; my dad began work on our own fallout shelter, lining one of the basement storage rooms with thick layers of concrete. Whenever I think of this, a prayer of gratitude comes to mind that we never had the occasion to use this space, except as a cellar for fruit and canned goods.

Tensions continued to build up to the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, when some parents kept their kids home from school during the peak of hostilities. The fact that we were able to stumble through those fearful days and escape any disaster, intentional or inadvertant, is overwhelming proof in itself for the existence of a merciful God. I could delve further into the anxiety we experienced, but choose not to go there, as it might give us all a collective panic attack. It is enough to say that we are grateful to be around 50 years later to see our grandchildren.

On a lighter note, the friendly atom was not the first characterization of an energy source - during our childhood another familiar science-related fellow was Reddy Kilowatt, the electrical energy mascot. Reddy was cute and funny and was often seen in various guises, such as a fireman, promoting safety while using electrical devices. I have seen an electric company cookbook with Reddy dressed up as Santa Claus. Electricity was also seen as a means to achieve the modern way of life known as "better living", in fact, the slogan, "Live better electrically" was well known throughout the Retro Racine era.

I recall going with our church's girls' group to the Wisconsin Electric Company downtown on Main Street. (The utility actually may have been called the Wisconsin Gas and Electric Company.) We took a field trip there one Monday night during the 1960's to watch a cooking demonstration in their shiny new super-modern test kitchen. I don't recall what was on the menu, but my overall impression was of an ultra modern kitchen like those seen on TV, where the cook always looks calm and never frazzled while preparing dinner. A nice home economist showed us some handy tips using the latest electric range, and we went away determined to be the best future homemakers in town. (to be continued)

YMCA Baseball Fields - High Street unpaved

photo courtesy of Doug Iverson

Memories Triggered by Retro Racine

by Doug Iverson

I, too am a product of 1950's - 1960's Racine. I stumbled onto your website while trying to relive old memories on the web. I was visiting the Kewpee website and was wondering how they fared after I had to quit working there when my parents moved to Oregon in 1967. I found your link on the bottom of the page and was off on a trip down memory lane.

I was born in 1951, lived on the south side near my mother's parents, then moved to the north side just south of Horlick High before the Rapids Drive shopping center was built. We lived on the west end of High Street across the street from the YMCA baseball fields. High Street wasn't even paved then. I remember getting into big trouble playing "King of the Hill" on the piles of blacktop. High Street was blacktopped first, then paved some time later, because it was a main thoroughfare between Douglas Avenue and Northwestern Boulevard. Most of the side streets, Mount Pleasant, Polaris, were just slurried, which helped you learn how to balance on your bicycle as fast as you could.

Being the '50's, there were always kids around to play baseball in the summer and football in the fall. If we couldn't find enough kids, we could always play right field out, pitcher's hands or we would turn around and play into the backstop with second base as home plate. There was a small woods behind the fields where we played hide-n-seek, capture the flag, swung on a rope and got poison ivy. And behind that was Western Printing warehouse, the grain tower and Horlick's Malted Milk factory, all of which was serviced by a spur line of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway (C&NW). The whole world was a playground.

Some of the things I remember from High Street was the Spudnut delivery guy, raised donuts made from potato flour 90 cents a dozen, three wheeled kid-powered ice cream wagons - they used to hate coming up the hill at Carlisle Avenue - and exploring the old Horlick mansion and apple orchard. Most of everything west of Polaris Avenue all the way up to Northwestern was dumping ground for all the slag from the foundry. The neighborhood kids and I found a lot of neat stuff in that slag; the most prized find was a marble hill. When the sand used to make the molds for the foundry was filled with hot metal, it would turn into glass and sometimes the glass formed into marbles - quite a find for a youngster in that time.

Elmwood Plaza at that time, was the first suburban shopping center in Racine. That's where the Green Line changed to the Blue Line. I spent a lot of time on the bus lines in Racine. It was safe, inexpensive and it would get you there quickly. The first bus trip I remember was with my mom. I remember it vividly because we were waiting for the bus on the corner of Carlisle and Rapids Drive, and I got swatted for swallowing my bus fare. Seven cents was a lot of money back then. Before I got my bicycle, or should I say, before my older brother got his new Schwinn and I got the hand me down, I spent my life on the buses. Going to school, going to grandma's, going downtown to pay my paper bill when I was a paper boy, I got pretty familiar with the bus lines. I remember they were numbered and colored. I think they were as follows: 6 - Blue Line, 5 - Green Line, 4 - White Line, 3 - Orange Line, 2 - Yellow Line, and 1 - Red Line. I was most familiar with the Blue, Green and Yellow Lines. The other three I didn't ride much at all. The Green Line ran right past my house on High Street; the Green Line changed to the Blue Line at Elmwood Plaza which I took to my grandma's on 16th Street, and the Yellow Line went right past my school on Wisconsin Avenue. They all met at the bus transfer stop downtown on Main Street between Fifth and Fourth Avenue. You could get most anywhere in town in the late '50's for 12 cents. You could meet a lot of people on the bus because at that time, policemen, firemen and mailmen rode the bus for free. The mailmen rode the bus from the Post Office to their routes. They would take their first bunch of letters with them on the bus and then the rest of their mail was delivered to those brown mailbox looking containers on street corners throughout town.

WRJN radio station was also near Elmwood Plaza. My uncle was quite an electronic wiz back then, and he helped build that radio station from the ground up. I wonder if anyone at the radio station remembers him now-a-days.

My grandmother and two of her three sisters were all married in St. Patrick's Church. Being Irish, there was quite an established Irish community around the 1600 block of Douglas Avenue. There was also a German community in that neighborhood too.

The great food I remember in Racine was on the north side, and it was DeMark's fish fry on Fridays. Being Catholic, Friday was for fish. Fish fry Friday was not great cuisine, but it sure was something to look forward to. Friday, no school for the weekend, and the fun at DeMark's Bar and Grill. Red checkerboard table cloths, spicy Italian foods and great music.

Most of the churches in Racine were built around an ethnic group. St. Patrick's was Irish. Sacred Heart was Italian. I went to Sacred Heart School for the first two years - all the church fairs and get togethers for the church for fund raising events had a definite Italian theme. I thought I was Italian until I was about nine. I loved it, there is much to be said about the Italian lifestyle. I still have a soft spot in my heart for Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin and Louis Prima. And any place that says they are Italian and doesn't have spicy Italian sausage, Hello all you can eat soup, salad and bread sticks you know who you are, aren't truly Italian.

During the 1950's boom we moved to the north side, which I thought was a greatest thing in the world. The house my parents bought, which cost less than the first car I bought in 1975, was the biggest house I had ever imagined. It was the first place where I had my own room. I later found out that the house was only 900 square feet, but I guess when you are only five things look bigger than they really are. Even though the house was only 900 square feet, we had a 900 square ft. basement to go along with it. We had a ping pong table in the basement, and when the weather wasn't very nice, we could always roller skate down there, too. Life was great.

Horlick's Kiddieland was one the greatest memories I had. The best was the paddleboats just above the dam. It was great fun and helped you work up quite a thirst, which oddly enough could be easily fixed at the A&W root beer drive-in just across North Green Bay Road. Strangely enough, "Happy Days" and "American Graffiti" reminded me a lot of that A&W, although we didn't have indoor seating.

Oleo-margarine was taboo in Wisconsin in the 1950's. Wisconsin, being the dairy state, had passed laws making the production of colored oleo-margarine illegal. You could buy "oly" in Wisconsin, but it came in a one pound square, like four 1/4 lb oleo sticks, but it was uncut and white. There was a small food color packet in the package it came in, but it just turned the white oleo orange. I don't know which was more unappealing - white oleo, which looked like lard, or orange oleo. So each fall we went down to Zion, Illinois and bought a case of oleo. That would ensure you had enough oly for the fall and winter holidays. But that's not the most memorable part of the occasional trip to Zion. If you went to Zion to get oleo at the Kroger, the first store across the state line, when you got back to US-32 headed north, you just couldn't head north without a trip down to the waterfront to the cookie factory. You could get a pound of seconds - broken and chipped cookies for a nickel. Any type of cookie you could imagine, pinwheels, lemon-topped, ginger snaps and sandwich cookies - any type you could imagine. But then came the lesson in discipline, riding home with about 10 pounds of cookies in the back seat with you that you couldn't touch. All those cookies were in paper bags and those bags made too much noise when you tried to open them ARG!!

There were two trains that ran through Racine when I was a kid. The Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee, or as we called it, "The North Shore", and the Chicago & Northwestern. There were quite a few train stops for the North Shore in Racine, some of the train stops were just intersections with main roads. It was pretty much the average people's train, not the larger trains which usually only stopped at major stations in large towns. The main station was in West Racine right next to the Piggly Wiggly. Boy, that was a fast train, it seemed like you just got on and you were in Milwaukee already. Unfortunately, the North Shore quit running in 1963. Isn't it funny that want a fast train that runs to Chicago again.

The other train, the Chicago & Northwestern had its main station near State Street and North Memorial Drive. That train really confused me because it drove on the wrong side. Instead of driving on the right side of the two tracks, it drove like they drive in England on the left of the two tracks. I never could figure out why. The Northwestern had a spur line that delivered merchandise to the grain tower, the Western Printing warehouse, and Horlick's malted milk factory behind what is now Gilmore Middle School. Every afternoon the switcher would bring some box cars and hopper cars up the hill past Horlick Field, past the telephone pole storage area and the water tower and through the little woods to swap them with the box cars and hopper cars that were there waiting for pick up. Many times we drove the engineer and the brakeman nuts trying to catch a ride down the hill to jump off just after the train crossed Carlisle Avenue.

I sure do miss the fun of wandering around Racine with my boyfriends and discovering all the adventures that could be had by a bunch of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn wannabees.

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Elmwood Plaza - A Retrospective

It is important to recognize landmarks of Racine's past that are alive and well today, and the Elmwood Plaza shopping center certainly fits into that category. This shopping center has undergone its share of changes since opening in 1956, and like any 50 year old, has known good years, and years that could have been better. When we go to class reunions, we notice that people have changed, but in our heart's vision, we still see our classmates as they were back in school. It's the same thing with places like Elmwood Plaza; though we see them as they are today, we remember them as they were 40 or 50 years ago, and we have a few stories to tell.

The opening of Elmwood Plaza in 1956 was a major event in 1950's Racine and the surrounding area and even as the grand opening was celebrated, subtle changes in the lives of Racine residents were occuring - times were changing and the old town would never be the same. In fact, the changes were so far reaching and have become such a part of our lives, that it is sometimes difficult to remember what life was like before them.

In the years leading up to 1956, Retro Racine residents lived their lives close to home, generally speaking. Our most important frame of reference was our neighborhood, and in the larger context, we strongly identified with the area of town where we lived. I was a north-sider and my unique "world-view" was influenced by living on the north side of town. Years later, though I no longer live in Racine, at heart, I am still a north-sider, and in many respects, that world view is still part of me.

Neighborhoods were so important during the 1950's and '60's that the topic is worthy of an article on its own, hopefully forthcoming in the near future. The major areas of Racine that were familiar to most of us - downtown, uptown, west Racine, the northside, to name a few, were all neighborhood centers that included churches, stores, businesses such as banks and insurance companies, doctor's and dentist's offices, restaurants and lunch counters. Downtown was the primary venue, but the neighborhood centers typically might have a grocery store, a dime store, a drug store (hopefully with a soda fountain) a dress shop, a tailor or gentlemen's hat shop, a butcher and a bakery. Needless to say, in Racine the neighborhood bakeries were legendary, and still are to this day. The neighborhood centers had storefronts near the street, and were located along bus routes - bus stops were located mere steps away from storefront shopping. The sidewalks in the business districts often bustled with pedestrians; on the street corners of Retro Racine one might see friends and neighbors saying hello and catching up on the latest news.

In addition to the major neighborhood centers, there were numerous neighborhood enclaves that were located on or near busy intersections. For example, on the north side, Douglas Avenue had several mini-centers that consisted of groups of a few stores or businesses. Having local businesses in the heart of neighborhoods was an important aspect of life during the fifties and sixties, which added an unforgettable richness to our lives. Unforgettable, because decades later we vividly remember the places and personalities that we encountered daily in our Retro Racine neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, by the mid-1950's, baby boomers were starting school. As the most pampered and indulged generation in the nation's history, our parents, who wished us to have every advantage, eagerly enrolled us in piano, organ and accordion lessons, ballet, cub and brownie scouts, baton twirling classes, basketball and little league teams, among other after school pursuits. It became largely mom's responsibility to arrange transportation to and from these worthwhile activities. Despite the flurry of "woman driver" jokes told during the fifties and sixties, more housewives than ever were getting behind the wheel - a pretty new car in a pastel color was almost as important as the right fashion accessory. Despite the movieland threat of pea pod invaders snatching one's body, or little green men landing flying saucers in the backyard, it was car culture that captivated America, and there was no turning back. The 1950's automobile had reached its zenith of style and design as the decade's obsession with color paired with its fascination for space-age imagery. Cities like Retro Racine followed suit as life in and around American cities adapted to a newly-emerging car culture. As most families became more mobile, shopping and doing business was no longer confined to the neighborhood by reason of proximity. The door to new horizons had been flung open as the family car became the most common mode of transportation.

In Retro Racine, changes brought about by an automobile-based society were becoming evident in everyday life.

Due to the increased number of drivers and cars on the road, parking around the neighborhood centers and especially downtown became more difficult. Metered parking downtown - available in hour and half hour increments - was not long enough, and often left the downtown shoppers scurrying back to their cars to feed the meter. I have a distinct memory of running back to the car with my mother, who parked the car at a meter on the street behind J.C. Penney's.

Friday night was the premier night for shopping downtown, as stores stayed open until 9, and many families had a fresh flow of cash from dad's hard-earned weekly paycheck. As traffic became busier around Racine's hub during its mid-fifties golden age, finding a suitable parking space became more of a challenge.

These emerging retail issues did not go unnoticed by developers who were already planning an innovative solution that by 1955 was taking shape in Racine as well as other communities throughout North America. In a radical departure from anything seen before, a new concept was to plan a variety of storefronts in an open space, set back from the street, primarily accessible by car with ample space for free parking. In the "shopping center", as it was called, there would be no more frustrations trying to find a place to park, and no more worries about getting a parking ticket. In contrast to the neighborhood centers, which evolved over decades to meet the needs of the surrounding community, the shopping center was planned with the purpose of selling everything that customers from miles around might need in one convenient location.

In Racine, the wide open spaces of Durand Avenue near Lathrop was wisely chosen as the new site by those who figuratively had a finger on the pulse of the city, as Lathrop Avenue was already prime business property. The Durand-Lathrop area was known as "Elmwood" and the new shopping center, opening in 1956, was given a name that would endow Retro Racine with state-of-the-art retail elan and excitement - Elmwood Plaza.

Speaking of Goldblatt's...

The commotion caused by the opening of Elmwood Plaza was not only heard throughout Racine County, but reverberated through Southeastern Wisconsin, as crowds flocked to the grand opening of Elmwood Plaza. Someone who signed this site's guestbook recalled that ping-pong balls were dropped over the shopping center containing prize-winning numbers, and likely there were other publicity stunts and bright flood lights to attract curious shoppers. As a four year old in 1956, I remember going to a "grand opening" and pulling up in the Plaza parking lot one balmy evening. The breeze was soft as we got out of the car and I tripped along between my parents striding towards the new Goldblatt's store. That first visit to Goldblatt's made a terrific impression on us; in fact, in our house "Goldblatt's" was a short-hand way of referring to Elmwood Plaza. We hardly ever said, "we're going to Elmwood Plaza, we said, "we're going to Goldblatt's." We all know of situations where things that seemed so big and impressive when we were children seem small and not impressive at all as adults. After looking at the 1970's pictures of Goldblatt's on the "Stores Forever" blog, I found the Goldblatt's store more impressive than I had remembered. It's true that the pictures were taken twenty some years after the opening, but after seeing Goldblatt's again in these pictures, I had to conclude, using '50's terms, that Goldblatt's was one snazzy store.

Dare we assert that the Racine Goldblatt's was an architecturally or aesthetically pleasing building? I think we dare, as famous Chicago architect, Frank Lloyd Wright might have approved of the way the horizontal, low-lying Plaza emerged on the empty expanses of Durand Avenue - it had a certain sense of rightness, of inevitability. Viewing the Goldblatt's/Elmwood Plaza location today, the stores and businesses look up-to-date, but certain features of the buildings give evidence of their 1950's beginning. The remarkable Goldblatt's storefront featured immense eaves over the front entrance; these eaves had a lyrical up-tilt similar to tailfins seen on the 1960 Chevy Impala. Indeed, 1960 was in the air at the time Goldblatt's opened its doors - a year of huge significance in American culture, the culmination of a decade of space-age yearnings, when an era of "better living" would be at the fingertips of every American. The curved tower on top of the Goldblatt's building gave a striking vertical accent to a sleek, horizontal space. It's not hard to imagine that the Goldblatt's department store and Elmwood Plaza as a whole wowed the Southeastern Wisconsin community when it opened in 1956; the idea for Racine's first shopping center became, at last, a satisfying reality.

Though it was part of a Chicago-based chain of discount stores, Goldblatt's had enough pizazz to give the city of Racine - continually upstaged by Milwaukee and Chicago - a sense of big city style and flair. With a swanky looking store like Goldblatt's in town, there was less need to board the train at the West Racine station for a day's shopping trip to Milwaukee; perhaps Elmwood Plaza and other large discount stores that followed, sadly but inevitably contributed to the the 1960's demise of the North Shore Line.

It is important to remember that during the 1950's and 1960's, department stores (and stores in general) had a more formal air, and could be glamorous places to work and shop. Saleswomen wore elaborate hair-do's and make up, especially if they worked at the fashionable cosmetic or perfume counters; high heels and smart-looking daytime dresses or suits completed the ensemble. At Goldblatt's one could expect to see a spiffy suited gentleman floorwalker with a professional smile giving directions to customers. Well-groomed, suited gents were also the mainstay of the shoe department, where they juggled multiple boxes of shoes for seated customers. The buyer's feet were measured to ascertain correct size and width, then shoes were expertly fitted. In the TV and radio department, skilled salesmen demonstrated the latest in hi-fi record players with an exciting new innovation - stereophonic sound. Artistic window dressers created the ultimate Christmas dream and heralded Easter, spring, summer and back-to-school shopping. These routine retail activities were all in a day's work at Goldblatt's, Racine, Wisconsin, 1958.

Many Retro Raciners have their favorite memory of Goldblatt's; one guest book signer recalled that he went to Goldblatt's on Saturday afternoons to have his feet x-rayed in the shoe department. Another remembers often seeing parakeets that had escaped the pet counter's birdcage flying around the store. Goldblatt's appealed to nearly everyone, including a 5th grader who saved up sufficient allowance to buy Desert Flower for mom.

Elmwood Plaza - a Retrospective Part II

The next several years after the grand opening of Elmwood Plaza in 1956 were important years of growth which solidified this new concept of the "shopping center" in Retro Racine and its surrounding communities. Some local store owners hailed the suburban shopping center model as the way of the future, and seized the opportunity to move their store to the Plaza, or to open an additional store at the Durand Ave. location. Print ads from 1958 show that Feiges', a well-established women's wear store, was advertising stores in two convenient locations - the original downtown store on Sixth Street near Monument Square, and a second store at Elmwood Plaza, not far from Goldblatt's. Apparently Feiges' downtown fashion center carried women and men's clothing, and the new location at Elmwood Plaza featured only women's wear.

J.C. Penney's also opened a second store at Elmwood Plaza in addition to their large, multi-floored Main Street store, located in the heart of the downtown shopping district. I am not sure if the Plaza Penney's store was in business from the time the shopping center opened, but am quite sure it was open by the early 1960's. Sad to say, the opening of the the second Penney's store may have been the beginning of the end for the historic downtown Penney's, which was a place of happy childhood memories for many of us. It had elevators and also stairs which led up to the second floor, which was where the women's and children's clothing was located - menswear was found in the first floor. The cozy and comfortable downtown store with affordable, quality merchandise attracted customers from near and far; it was easy to reach by bus, because for years the buses lined up at a northbound transfer point virtually in front of the store - buses headed to the opposite side of town lined up directly across the street.

Though there were numerous other retail stars in the great decades of downtown Racine shopping, Penney's was the main draw which brought customers downtown, looking for good, solid value. When the second Penney's store opened around 1960, it seemed like it couldn't possibly be a threat to the downtown flagship store, but it was quite startling to discover, around 1965-66, that the downtown Penney's store had closed. I remember my mother telling me at the time it happened, and it was hard to believe that downtown would ever be the same.

Had the opening of the second Penney's store at Elmwood set off a domino effect? Shoppers diverted to Elmwood meant less customers for downtown, the old Penney's store was declared redundant and closed; less shoppers ventured downtown, and bus ridership declined. The old Racine buses were put out to pasture in 1969, mini-bus service began literally overnight, and the downtown transfer point was moved from its established location in front of the old Penney's store to Monument Square. The grand era of downtown shopping in Racine was coming to a close. For years, the old downtown Penney's store stood empty (scroll down to a video link titled, "Racine, WI 1989" to catch a quick glimpse of the vacant store), an abandoned tribute to the heyday of downtown shopping. Today, apartments have been built where the old Penney's building once stood.

The trend of merchants moving away from the downtown core to the wide-open suburbs took place not only in Racine, but throughout America. Sometimes we look back and wish that society had evolved in a different way, but at the time it seemed inevitable.

Meanwhile, back in 1965-66 when the old buses still trundled the streets of Retro Racine, my friends and I were entering high school. Back then, most of us teens got around by walking - sometimes considerable distances - or taking the bus. My best friend and I often caught the Yellow Line on Saturday afternoons, heading downtown to check out the stores with the cool clothes, records and other teenage must-haves. Occasionally, with our parents' permission, we were allowed to go farther afield to Elmwood Plaza, transferring to the Green Line, or Blue Line in front of Wiegand Bros. jewelers. It may have taken us close to 1 1/2 hours one way to reach our Durand Avenue destination, but we didn't care because we talked, talked and talked non-stop about boys, school, clothes, music, dances and parties, giggling in the back of the bus and driving the bus driver crazy.

When we finally arrived at Elmwood, our favorite place to shop was the S.S. Kresge's store near the end of the Plaza. For some reason, this store was popular with teenagers, even though there was a Kresge's store downtown, where three dime stores in a row - Woolworth's, Kresge's and Neisner's - were located. Kresge's at Elmwood had a good selection of the latest 45's, LP record albums, plus an array of inexpensive make up that we could afford. After our bus trek from the north side, my friend and I were starting to get hungry, but also wanted to buy records and make up, saving 15 cents or so for our return trip on the bus. Weighing our options, we arrived at a solution - the Kresge's store had a lunch counter, which featured a new item unknown in our neck of the woods, something we heard that they ate in New York City - the submarine sandwich. Out of financial necessity, we decided to split one of these new subs, and though neither of us had ever had tasted one before, we thought it was pretty good. Best of all, we still had money left over for bus fare.

St. Patrick's Church - An Architechural Gem

I knew there was something special about the beautiful church on Erie Street. As the Yellow Line bus made its way toward State Street, my eyes were always drawn to the spires of the Church of St. Patrick, visible to all the surrounding neighborhood. I thought it looked like a castle. Now I understand the reason for my attraction - beauty draws us to itself; this church was, and still is, a work of art.

Most of us who are familiar with Racine's history are aware of the city's connection with the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, through at least two of his most notable buildings. Far less is heard about one of Wright's Chicago area apprentices, Barry Byrne, who became an important 20th century American architect in his own right. Byrne is known for his stellar design of a number of Catholic churches which can only be described as stunning - and Racine's Church of St. Patrick (1924) is rightly included in this select company.

St. Patrick's was designed as the first square-shaped Catholic church, in a radical departure from the standard rectangular design. Byrne's intention was to focus the attention of the congregants towards the altar in a new and breathtaking way, and he succeeded beautifully. Much more information about St. Patrick's Church and other Byrne masterpieces can be found at turnerscross.com

Click here for more info about St.Patrick's Church and Barry Byrne,including a wonderful vintage photo

In response to the article on St. Patrick's Church, Racine County historian, Dennis Tully writes, "Just to share with all, I do have two old photos of St. Pat's Church and St. Pat's School on Douglas Ave. on my website in the Church and School section of early Racine postcards."

Click here to go to Dennis Tully's Racine County historical website.

Christy's West Racine

Ephemeral, but lasting

A West Racine Shopping Trip

One of my favorite pieces of Retro Racine ephemera is a small 9"x 6" paper bag from Christy's in West Racine. This small, innocuous token of every day life in my home town brings back happy memories of special shopping trips to West Racine - I say "special" because as a dyed-in-the-wool Racine Northsider, a shopping trip to West Racine was something out of the ordinary.

Once in a while, my mother would decide she needed something from one of the West Racine stores that were appreciated by women - two come to mind, Racine Dry Goods and Christy's. Racine Dry Goods Co. apparently was located at 435 Main St in the 1950's. An ad for this company in an old Daughters of Isabella cookbook (Racine Circle No. 50) says, "shop the easy credit way with credit coupons - $2.50 down for $25.00 worth of merchandise." I don't recall the Main St. location, but remember that Racine Dry Goods was near or next to Christy's in West Racine. There is no doubt that Racine Dry Goods was a local business of considerable historical interest, worthy of an article on its own - and the store sold just what my mother needed. Through a child's eyes, it was not terribly interesting, as true to its name, the store sold dry goods - sheets, towels, fabric, zippers and thread and some ready-made clothes; even in the era of Retro Racine it did not seem too far removed from horse and buggy days.

On more than one hot summer afternoon in 1960's Racine, I remember getting out of our Rambler, parked across the street from Christy's and Racine Dry Goods, blinking profusely due to the glare produced by the sweltering heat. My aunt. a West Racine resident, always bought birthday presents at Christy's, which was a high quality clothing store for women and children - I doubt they sold men's clothing. Christy's had "smart", well-made styles for ladies - blouses, skirts, belts and accessories and princess -like styles for young girls and teen debutantes. Girls like myself might look around and dream about a pretty dress we'd seen there; we'd also notice with excitement the name brands and styles we'd heard on TV like Ship n' Shore blouses worn by the models on The Price is Right.

Putting Down Roots in Retro Racine

The year - 1958. The place - Retro Racine, Wisconsin. You've just landed a job in The Belle City, and you're fortunate enough to have a few dollars in your pocket. This definitely calls for a celebration, so the first call you make is to beautiful Hotel Racine at 3-3551 to reserve one of their best tables overlooking Lake Michigan. In this "pleasant and restful atmosphere", as stated in their ad, you will be able to relax and plan your next move. You found the perfect home, but now there's so much to be done - where do you start? Junction Furniture Co. in Uptown has both provincial and contemporary designs, both the "ultimate in design and construction" or else on Main St. there's L. Fish Furniture, which was established way back in 1858. This company is well known to have "liberal credit terms with many months to pay", which might be helpful while putting down roots in Racine.

Floor coverings? Of course Ala Rug Co. at 718 Grand Ave is a popular choice; they often advertise on WRJN. For "the prettiest windows in Racine", the choice is Christensen's Draperies at 619 Main St - "at the bus stop". With their convenient "shop at home" service, they will bring the latest styles of curtains and draperies to you.

If you are in the market for home appliances, you'll find a treat in store - have a look at Mohr-Jones at 313-21 Sixth Street. This retailer has been serving Racine customers since 1877, featuring the latest in appliances available in an array of pastel colors. Novak Appliances at the corner of Douglas and Charles Street, might be the place to find push-button washers, dryers and electric stoves. Premium Sales at the corner of Sixth and College is "your corner on savings" on small appliances - electric mixers, toasters, roasters, and irons. If there's a kitchen remodelling project on the horizon, Buffhams'-"Racine's Oldest Store" is the place to find paint, shades, linoleum, carpeting and wallpaper and Veenstra Lumber Company at 21st Street at Phillips Avenue might "cook up" the perfect dream kitchen for you. To dress up a newly remodeled living room or newly panelled rec room, La Porte Gallery at 1410 Washington Avenue in Uptown "specializes in hand-painted portraits in beautiful color, painted from a photograph or by personal sittings". As the definitive statement of "gracious living", Trauger Jewelry Store offers "gleaming, glamorous silver serving accessories."

Whew! That's a lot of planning - let's "make it a family affair" and dine out at Lee Dolf's - 1814 Sixteenth Street, ME 2-7322.

Photos of

Click here to see vintage Zahn's photos

Fashionable Retro Racine

Do you remember the way we dressed in 1950's and '60's Racine, Wisconsin? Looking back to the fashion trends of those years can provide valuable insight into our history, since the clothes people wear within a culture reflects a great deal about the culture itself.

Is is correct to refer to Retro Racine as fashionable? That depends. It certainly was fashionable in the sense that clothing trends of the era were heartily embraced by our families, our friends and relatives. Dressing well became part of the American dream along with owning a home, meticulously maintaining one's property, and driving a new car.

The 1950's was an era of propriety; some of us still miss the sense of order and decorum that was a feature of a more gracious time, and everyday life had a high degree of civility. People in most occupations wore uniforms - some examples were bus drivers, meter maids, milkmen, gas or "filling" station men, and department store elevator ladies. Even the grocery carry out man that took the plastic number off your cart and carefully placed the paper bags full of groceries in the car's back seat wore a white shirt and tie!

In the sphere of family life, there were numerous occasions to dress up. The first and foremost was wearing Sunday best for church and for Sunday dinner at grandma's afterward. It was unthinkable that a man would show up in attire other than a suit - as my dad would say, "you dassn't do that." Women dressing up in their Sunday best followed the dictum that "more is more". A fashionable lady might wear a fitted button up jacket with a graceful full skirt, a string of pearls, pearl drop earrings, a hat with a little veil, and white gloves. An exquisite finish to this ensemble was every woman's dream - according to Queen for a Day - a mink stole. Of course, not all women dressed that elaborately, even on Sunday, but hats were always worn to church, and gloves were highly recommended.

It is important to emphasize to our younger readers, that in general, women and girls wore dresses or skirts to all social occasions, which included church, school, club meetings, shopping, visiting, parties, dates, dining out, and sporting events. Many women probably recall wearing skirts and sweaters to football and basketball games; actually, it wasn't as bad as it sounds. Wool skirts and V neck sweaters were warm and collegiate looking and stores like Zahn's had a great selection.

Shorts or peddle pushers were sometimes worn by women while doing house or yard work, but most housewives in the 1950's wore "house dresses" during the day - comfortable cotton dresses in solid colors, floral prints or plaids. They were actually quite pretty, fresh looking, and feminine. A good example would be the kind of dress worn by Lucy Ricardo's neighbor, Ethel Mertz, when she came up the back stairs to visit Lucy during the day on I Love Lucy. If it was necessary for a housewife to go out to do errands, she would likely change into a slightly better dress, the type Lucy and Ethel wore when the two couples got together in the evening, as house dresses were not considered good enough to wear in public. Sometimes one can find an old style department store or women's clothing store off the beaten path and still see an assortment of women's house dresses and aprons - a comforting, nostalgic sight, which illustrates the point that a perky dress never really goes out of style.

Since Racine was literally a blue collar town in the '50's and '60's, many of us remember our dads dressed in blue or grey work shirts and blue jeans or overalls as they went to their factory or tradesmen jobs. Blue jeans were almost exclusively worn by men and boys at work and play. Some of us can easily flash back to a group of boys exploring a field wearing t-shirts (some with horizontal stripes) and belted jeans rolled up at the ankle.

Boys and girls of the 1950's went off to school in clothing similar to those worn by Dick, Jane and Sally in first grade readers. Plaid cotton school dresses were popular for girls, and boys wore corduroy trousers with flannel shirts or long sleeved t-shirts. Teen age girls and young women wore some of the most beautiful clothing of the era - full skirts with yards of fabric, flared out through the use of crinolines and hoops. Those of us girls who were too young for these fashions couldn't wait to wear them; but by the time we were teens, the styles - and our world had changed dramatically.

In 1960, a dynamic young senator from Massachusetts was elected president, and we were instantly enchanted by our elegant new first lady whom the nation knew as "Jackie". With her impeccable fashion sense, Jacqueline Kennedy immediately became an important trendsetter, and helped create a new look for American women. The full skirted silhouette became passe and busy hats with floral accents were discarded in favor of Mrs. Kennedy's famous pillbox. Women and girls started wearing straight, sleeveless dresses known as "shifts" and flat shoes, even for dressy occasions, became permissable.

Girls who shopped at Lad's and Lassie's, one of the "better" children's clothing stores in downtown Retro Racine, had to choose between traditional puffy-sleeved Christmas dresses, or tailored woolen jumpers that may have been influenced by the new fashion simplicity. That simplicity, however, was not always evident in the fashions worn by our teachers in school, though the days of the full skirt were definitely over. In the early '60's, many of us remember young Miss Smith wearing a white ruffled blouse with ruffles around the neck and on the sleeves, a straight skirt with a wide belt, and either high- heeled pumps or flat shoes with pointy toes. High, bouffant hair styles became the trend, reflecting futuristic optimism and confidence, and many of us remember a popular style known as the "beehive". Girls and women were seen furtively "ratting" their hair to create the desirable illusion of height, though this was something most girls were forbidden to do, especially at school. Blouses and skirts were favored by school age girls - the familiar roll-up-sleeve blouse was a staple, as well as blouses with Peter Pan collars and the ruffled style described earlier. Doctor shows were popular on television, and many of us who were enamored with the handsome TV doctor, Ben Casey, (Vince Edwards) wore "Ben Casey blouses" that buttoned up the side.

There were important trends in men's fashion as well. Suits became more streamlined and less baggy, trouser legs became tapered and ended just past the ankle - think of Dick Van Dyke as Rob Petrie. White shirts were always worn with suits, and this rule didn't change until later in the decade. Fedora hats were popular, and so were glasses with thick black frames. Whether or not to wear white socks with black or brown oxfords or loafers was a dilemma shared by boys during the 1960's. In the early to mid -'60's, it was considered cool to wear white socks, but later in the decade, it was the exact opposite - what was a guy to do? That wasn't the only way we picked on the guys - remember pulling "fruit loops" off the backs of boys' shirts?

The British invasion of the mid '60's was a cataclysmic event of seismic proportions. No, Junior, I'm not referring to an actual military invasion of North America by the Brits; all of us who lived through those years know well the enormous impact the Beatles and other British bands had on our culture. Was it a positive influence? That's a matter of opinion. Suddenly the suavely sophisticated cocktail culture of the '60's seemed as flat as an bottle of champagne left open from the night before, compared to Paul's whimsical effervescence. All things British fascinated us, not the least the fashion trends of British youth, and phrases like "the London look" or "Carnaby Street" became familiar. The era of the white shirt worn under men's suit jackets was challenged by young men wearing turtleneck sweaters under their suit coats. This mild bit of rebellion was left unchallenged by the older generation - at least the boys were dressing well! We loved to see guys who wore Beatle boots and who tried to mimic a British accent - we all know it didn't take, but we loved it just the same. Of course, men's hair styles changed dramatically; the era of the slicked back look and the wavy pompadour worn by some of the '50's heart throbs went the way of the Edsel. Greasy kid stuff was definitely out and needless to say, we loved guys that sported a squeaky clean, shakeable mop. Girls tried to look like London "birds", wearing fish net stockings and opaque tights. We asked our mothers to iron our hair to make it as long and straight as possible. Usually all we got from our efforts was a bad case of split ends, but this was all in the service of looking more Liverpudlian. We went to Neisner's, bought white lipstick, and asked for a pair of white go-go boots for Christmas. We borrowed our dad's ties, and wore them with white blouses, as that was what George's girlfriend wore. Of course, we girls also put on English accents, though we fooled no one - Southeastern Wisconsin vowels refused to be clipped. Oblivious to any smirks or stares, we rode the crests and crashes of a cultural wave that even a Lake Michigan undertow couldn't touch.

As the decade of the 1960's pressed on towards 1970, a growing sense of disillusionment emerged, especially among the young. We had waited expectantly for the "better living" that 1960 had promised to bring, but instead had experienced a decade of violence at home and abroad. Though we baby boomers were given everything our little hearts desired, we also knew what it was like to live in fear of an uncertain future. So a cry of a decade's worth of angst collectively rose from our generation, demanding that the insanity of war and injustice cease. Important cultural themes of youth in the late '60's included protest and rebellion against established authority - called "the establishment", a desire to return to childlike innocence, and a search for transcendence. Again, clothing and fashion reflected the prevailing cultural attitudes. Reflecting the attitude of rebellion, young men and young women wore blue jeans after school hours in an act of solidarity - jeans began to be recognized as the unofficial uniform of youth, and the dictum that girls should always wear skirts started to fade. School dress codes remained in effect except for the occasional "dress down day" when jeans were allowed. Long hair, especially among young men, was a symbol of rebellion which left many worried parents aghast and wondering how they could persuade once clean cut sons to get a haircut. Songs about frolicking in the park, picking daisies and wearing flowers in one's hair reflect a desire to return to a state of innocence which probably never existed. We heard whispers that many songs we liked were actually about mind altering drugs; colors and fabric designs from these years - hot pink, lime green, and paisley prints were intended to mimic hallucinagenic experiences which hopefully none of us had. The word was "psychedelic" and we loved the colors, patterns, posters, dance and style of the music, but that was where it ended. Those of us still in high school in the late 1960's were were still too young to make any definitive statement of rebellion.

The Nitty Gritty, a teen dance club on Main Street, not far from State Street, was a place where we safely made some tentative explorations into psychedelic culture. Forty years later, the pounding of the bass drum from the live band still reverberates in the pit of my stomach. I can still feel the give of the wood floor under foot as the band launched into one of our favorites, "Mr. Unreliable". For a night at the Gritty, girls dressed surprsingly conservatively - penny loafers, bermuda length shorts, bobbed hair, and classic white oxford style shirts. White levi's worn with penny loafers (no socks) were popular with boys, who also wore maroon or navy blue whaler jackets on chilly nights. White was a color of choice, as the incredible lighting effects, which was part of the psychedelic experience, picked up the whites of our shirts and of our smiles as we cavorted and played amidst the strobes. Little did we realize that these intense moments of music and light and dance, which in some way expressed our tender-aged search for transcendence, would resonate in our memories years later.

During that same era, there was an interesting little downtown boutique located off the beaten path, named Kammerman Gallery. One friend called it "the hippie store", featuring an interesting array of psychedelic paraphanalia - posters, outsize ketchup bottles, pop art items, and some clothes. In a mildly rebellious gesture, I decided to get my homecoming frock from this boutique - a "psychedelic dress" in a dark pink paisely. If only I had kept that dress....if only! (If only I could still fit into it.) An attractive dress style from the late '60's was the high- waisted A line dress with an "empire waist", which came in a two toned design. Generally dresses fell into two categories - romantic empire waist styles with full long sleeves in luxurious fabrics like velvet or crepe, or more tailored modern looks with blocks of square or rectangular color. Our new First Lady, Patricia Nixon, and her daughters, often wore these lady-like styles. Skirt lengths were short, above the knee, and as 1970 approached, some of us wore mini-skirts - when we could get away with it. The clothing of young men and dads came into the era of living color, just like the family TV. Men began to wear dress shirts in all colors, a fashion trend which became even more popular in the early '70's. Guys started to grow sideburns, moustaches or even beards - this was quite a change since clean shaven men had always been the norm throughout the '50's and '60's. The appearance of facial hair, along with longer hair styles was part of the "getting back to nature" trend that was seen from about 1969-74. Long "granny" dresses for women and granny glasses were other "back to nature" expressions of that era.

There was at least one other significant fashion trend in the late 1960's, for better or worse. Our mothers made an important discovery, even as man was getting ready to set foot on the moon - the polyester pantsuit. Ladies raved about how they didn't wrinkle and didn't need ironing, and before long most of our mothers (and some of us) were sold on them; to be fair, some ensembles were quite smart looking. It seemed unthinkable that women would wear pants for dress-up occasions, but we had come a long way since the 1950's. Or had we?

Retro Racine Cuisine

Those of us who lived in Retro Racine cannot help but remember the delicious food that was a part of our lives. Yes, of course, Racine is known for kringle, but our memories of Retro Racine cuisine encompass much more. Recently I gave some thought to the way we ate in 1950's and '60's Racine, Wisconsin, and discovered quite a few differences between then and now. First of all, eating out in restaurants was relatively rare. I'm not referring to grabbing a quick hamburger at Kewpee's, or ordering in Friday fish fry from Park In or a pizza from DeRango's, but rather a night out at a restaurant. In my neighborhood this might take place once or twice a year, if ever. Usually the occasion was a couple celebrating a special anniversary or dad getting a raise and deciding to give mom the night off. This also was rare. Very few women worked outside of the home and one of the primary duties of the homemaker was to plan and prepare nourishing and tasty meals for the family. It is amazing to think how our mothers accomplished this task day in and day out without the many conveniences we enjoy. Stay-at-home married women, known as housewives, typically spent their morning hours shopping, cleaning, doing laundry and baking. Mid morning might be a time for a coffee klatsch with neighbors or a chat on the phone to catch up on family business. Women's club meetings were held in the afternoon; though these were enjoyable and worthwhile outings, it was necessary to keep an eye on the clock, and hurry home by 3 or 3:30 pm to peel potatoes for supper which was served promptly at 5. Mom had a trick up her sleeve - a handy assortment of Food Club canned soups in the pantry. Brown a few pork chops, toss in some noodles, a can of vegetables, cover it with canned soup and put it in the oven. In one hour there would be a nutritious "hot dish" for the family that tasted good with little fuss. Cook books from this era abound in recipes such as the one above - sometimes called "baked dish" or casserole. Husbands didn't particularly like the term "casserole" as they felt there was something wimpy about it - the '50's version of eating quiche. Countless recipes utilized the ever ready can of soup in clever ways and in imaginative combinations. In addition to the classic Tuna Casserole (tuna, noodles, mushroom soup, topped with potato chips) a favorite of my mother's was 5 Hour Stew which featured a combination of mushroom and tomato soup, stewing beef, potatoes, and a little red wine. It was placed in the oven at 250 degrees for several hours, and the aroma was mouth watering. This recipe allowed the cook hours of freedom to attend to other matters. Canned soup - the versatile convenience food of the '50's and '60's - even turned up in a cake recipe; you may have heard of Tomato Soup Spice Cake. But I'll have to finish this later; it's time to put the "hot dish" in the oven.

In the mid-1950's, the TV dinner appeared on the scene, creating an immediate sensation. Now it was possible to serve a turkey dinner with mashed potatoes without hours of toil and preparation. We all loved the idea of TV dinners, as our lives increasingly revolved more and more around the TV set in the living room. When we finally tasted this modern marvel, most of us were disappointed. The miniscule servings were far too small for robust Retro Racine appetites, and for a large, hungry family, frozen dinners were not cost effective. A home cooked meal was better after all, so we compromised and had supper on TV trays in the living room when a favorite show aired. A tasteful set of TV trays became an important part of retro decor; we all had them and their designs are etched in our memories.

Dinner was a social occasion in the 1950's and '60's, and when relatives and friends got together, there was always plenty of good food. Potluck suppers shared with relatives, friends and church groups are among some of our most cherished memories. Every cook had her best potluck supper dish - maybe you remember grandma's potato salad, or mom's baked beans or auntie's apple pie! A perennial favorite, which often graced the table at retro potluck suppers was the molded gelatin salad, something one doesn't see too often these days. I don't know if this was a Retro Racine quirk, but these neon-colored, quivering delights were considered "salads" rather than dessert. Most gelatin molds contained fruit cocktail; it's a stretch, but maybe that could be considered a fruit salad. Actually, some of the more sophisticated gelatin molds featured sauerkraut, olives, pimento, carrots and other vegetables. Once, at a swanky reception in college, I encountered a red molded salad that was actually a tomato aspic - quite a shock to my homey Retro Racine tastebuds. Some of the gelatin molds were quite elaborate; they were virtually towers of quivering delight. Why were these molded salads so popular in the retro era? The '50's obsession with color and novelty extended even to food. Iridescent lime gelatin, made "two-tone" by adding a layer blended with cream cheese, fit right into 1950's decor, and became an edible work of art.

The ultimate dining experience in Retro Racine was a smorgasbord and many of us knew this mouthful of a word (of Scandinavian origin) from an early age. A smorgasbord far surpassed your average potluck supper, and for that reason it was held, to use a Retro Racine phrase, only "every so often". Usually an organization sponsored a smorgasbord and sold tickets. In the late 1950's, the Lutheran High Ladies Guild presented a Harvest Fair, held in late November, which coincided with the annual teacher's convention. The highlight of the fair was a sportsman's smorgasbord of wild game including delicacies such as roast pheasant and venison. Though we were probably eating endangered species, it was a convivial time and a source of unforgettable memories.

June ice cream socials were also popular in Racine during the '50's and '60's, and one had the sense that this tradition dated from an earlier era. It was a custom in Retro Racine that strawberries were pulverized and crushed into a sundae topping. At church ice cream socials, the pastor was always served a heaping portion - not that the rest of us would go hungry. Twenty-five cents would buy a chocolate or strawberry Progressive Dairy ice cream sundae, homemade pie or cake, and coffee or orange drink. A little pricey? Well, keep in mind it was a fundraiser.

As 1960 neared, we started to see the kookier influence of the cocktail culture reflected in food trends. For the adventurous sort with cocktail in hand, freshly ground raw beef was served on bread and called a "cannibal sandwich". Sometimes food from Retro Racine was downright dangerous. I personally know that there were people who ate these things and survived. Otherwise, we merely followed trends that were popular nationwide. There was an increased interest in foreign foods, and before long fondue appeared on the scene. Everyone was running out to buy fondue sets, and most of us tried eating fondue at least once, but most frequently, our first experience with fondue was also our last. The general opinion was that there was no way a person could get filled up eating cheese covered tidbits. Mom packed the fondue set away in the basement, and that is why you will likely find this item at your neighborhood thrift store today.

Click here for some great Retro Recipes!

Living the Leisurely Life - in Retro Racine

In the 1950's and early '60's, families in Retro Racine and across the country held a common belief that the good life was attainable. There were plenty of small, affordable homes available, which made home ownership a reality for countless young couples - the parents of the baby boom. Television, through it's advertising vehicle, the commercial, advised the populace what was needed to achieve the good life and what was required to make the home a beacon of "better living". The response in Retro Racine and across America was a resounding affirmative - yes, the latest, gizmo, gadget and gimmick was necessary. Consumers were delighted to buy two-tone refrigerators, push button washers, and countless handy inventions, including extension phones in turquoise and pink. Acquiring these essentials, they were told, would not only bring happiness, but would admit the owner to exciting possibilities as 1960 approached - a new life of leisure.

In 1960 on the north side of Racine, things were changing. The coziness of the '50's gave way to an urgent eagerness to embrace ways that were new. I remember when the first backyard patio was installed in our modest boomer neighborhood. The word "patio" in itself was new and different in itself, but I liked the sound of it. Having a screened-in patio brought with it a number of interesting innovations. In this easy going atmosphere, housewives started to wear peddle-pushers or capris a la Laura Petrie instead of familiar daytime house dresses. Since supper was often served on the patio, dinnerware which suited a casual format was needed. Plastic melamine plates, cups and saucers in popular colors of salmon, orange or avocado appeared, and cold meats and cheeses were arranged on a lazy susan for "help yourself" dining. Prior to the emergence of the patio lifestyle, most people owned simple charcoal grills for outdoor wiener roasts, but now husbands and fathers wearing bermuda shorts presided over new chicken rotisseries for Saturday night supper.

Another popular home improvement project during this period was "finishing" the basement and creating a rumpus room or a rec room where kids were allowed to roughhouse and play freely, allowing front rooms or living rooms to remain undisturbed until the arrival of "company." Though the retro rec room was equipped with toys and games for children, it was also used by grown ups for relaxing or entertaining. Ping pong tables, pool tables, and hi-fi's were found in these wood-panelled rec rooms as well as a very popular item in Retro Racine - the home bar. My family occasionally visited friends and relatives who had the luxury of a bar in their downstairs rec room, and I thought it was the neatest thing. Climbing up on a bar stool and sipping a soda pop on the rocks was to pretend-participate in a leisure activity that was widespread in the '50's and '60's - social drinking. In fact, societal pre-occupation with alcohol was so prevelant that the '50's and early '60's could be called "the cocktail culture."

Retro Racine and the Cocktail Culture

Retro Racine was served up a double shot of cocktail culture first by being under the influence of nationwide trends and also through close proximity to nearby Brewtown. In the numerous neighborhood bars and taverns of Retro Racine, neon signs advertising Cocktails beckoned thirsty patrons to happy hour, shielded from public view by sleepy venetian blinds. Cocktail dresses and suits were important attire for women as well as the cocktail hat and clutch bag used for attending evening card parties, wedding receptions, and of course, cocktail parties. Kiddie cocktails - brightly colored kool-aid concoctions, garnished with a cherry and swizzle stick - were offered to us kids while our parents ordered drinks before dinner at the better restaurants in town, places like The Spinning Wheel and The Corner House.

We thought tipsy characters on TV were hilarious and one show that epitomized the cocktail culture was the 1962 hour long show starring Jackie Gleason. From the lush, boozily-evocative harmonies of the famous theme song written by the multi-talented Gleason, to his cast of characters including Joe the Bartender, Rum Dum and Crazy Guggenheim, this show was a salute to cocktail culture from start to finish. Even the intricate kaleidescopic dance numbers performed by the June Taylor Dancers were reminiscent of a case of impaired vision after imbibing a few too many. Lawrence Welk, whose show was loved by families during the Retro era, featured a Champagne Lady and his bubbly style of music was called Champagne Music. However, in Southeastern Wisconsin, beer and brats won the day and the dance most associated with that combo was the polka. So, some visitors to Retro Racine may remember the Meister Brau Brewery polka hour. I remember watching this show's commercials where beer in pretty bottles rotated round and round on a revolving platform - it was fascinating. After some research, I discovered that Meister Brau was brewed in Chicago, so this show likely was aired on one of the Chicago stations.

I will close with a curious observation about the leisurely life in a cozy north side neighborhood. In the early '60's, the dads on the block seemed to acquire a new comraderie. After supper, four or five would congregate in one of the yards and shoot the breeze. During confidential front porch conversations, their wives smiled knowingly and rolled their eyes. Certainly a few brew were hoisted by the gents, but this was not a matter of course; they were all solid citizens who never missed a day of work. Occasionally a chorus of loud guffaws would rise from their proximity. These blue collar men were developing a certain brashness, a new confidence that they "had the world on a string." What was this about? Try Frank, Sammy, Dean and Joey. Were these family men from Retro Racine consciously imitating these famous pals? You never know.

While you're in the neighborhood, click here to visit Kewpee's - the Hamburger Haven from Heaven - a proud Racine tradition.

Click here for another great Racine site including vintage postcards, photos, and links to more great Racine sites!

Remember the old saying,"it's raining cats and dogs?" Unfortunately, it's true. Here are some lovable meowsers and bowsers from Southeastern Wisconsin in need of good homes. Visitors from across North America are also invited to visit Petfinder.com to locate adoptable pets close to home.