Memories of F. W. Woolworth Co. . . . .

A 1957 Menu from F. W. Woolworth Co - My generation's fast food!
If any of you have any doubt about what we paid for a coke and a
sandwich at Woolworth's in the 1950's, here's proof of the era we
lived in.

A friend sent this to me and the memories it brought to mind are
so wonderful and in such vivid detail that I decided to write about
them.

Woolworth's was the most well know of those glorious five and ten
cent stores that delighted children and adults of all ages. My first
memory of shopping at a five and ten cent store was when I visited
my sister, Theresa, in Salt Lake City in the 1930s. In was so
exciting for a child to go into a store where they could purchase a
treasure for just a few cents. It was so difficult to make a decision
with so many wonderful items on display. Often Delores, David and
I were all visiting her at the same time. She would take us to shop
at the huge Woolworth store downtown where she would wait
patiently for us to decide how we were going to spend our dimes,
nickles, and pennies. We would then stop at the lunch counter
and soda fountain and she would treat us to an ice cream sundae,
float, or malt.

Later, in 1949 and 1950 when I was living in Salt Lake City with
Theresa and LeGrande, F. W. Woolworth Co. was a very important
part of my life. As I have mentioned in previous stories, I was
working at Bekins Freight Line to earn money to pay my tuition at
the LDS Business College and have orthodontics done to straighten
my teeth. My orthodontist, Dr. Chase, had his office downtown near
Temple Square. Bekins was on the other side of town. I would make
my appointments for late afternoon when I finished work and ride
the bus from there to downtown. Woolworth's was near Dr. Chase's
office. I soon found out that after he adjusted my braces my
mouth would be too sore to eat. I began to allow myself time to stop
there for a quick bite to eat. I would order my favorite egg salad
sandwich and a chocolate malt. Sometimes if I was feeling rich, I
loved the bacon and tomato sandwich. I carried my toothbrush in my
purse and after eating, would run into the restroom and brush my
teeth before heading for Dr. Chase's office.

My two little nephews, Jimmy and Karl, loved to ride the bus. I
often took them downtown for a trip to the zoo or to spend some
of their allowance at Woolworth's. I remember during the Christmas
season of 1949 when Jimmy was eight and Karl was 6, they wanted
to go Christmas shopping to buy presents for their parents and their
baby sister, Lois Marie. So on a cold and snowy day, they put on their
snow boots, scarves, hats, and gloves and we rode the bus downtown
to the Woolworth store. They very carefully chose gifts for their
parents and then agonized for a very long time over which stuffed
animal to buy for Lois Marie. They were buying it together and so
had to agree, which didn't prove to be an easy thing. I don't recall
what they finally decided on. After they finished shopping, we went
to the lunch counter where they ordered the hot chocolate with lots
of whipped cream and sugar wafers.

When George and I were first married and he was in the Navy, we
lived in a darling apartment on Fourth Ave. in Hillcrest, a suberb
of San Diego. Each Saturday when he did not have duty, we would
ride the bus to downtown San Diego and get off on Broadway near
the old Horton Plaza. We would walk the short distance to a cleaners
where for $1.50, the sailor boys could have their uniforms cleaned
and pressed. While we were waiting for them, if we had the money,
we would go to a movie at the theater in the Plaza. More often, we
sat at the fountain in the Plaza and watched the people and all of the
weekend activities, or just walked Broadway window shopping. We
always stopped at Woolworth's for an ice cream treat before riding
the bus back to Hillcrest. I always had a chocolate malt or a chocolate
ice cream soda. George's favorite was the super jumbo banana split.
Those were wonderful days. We were so happy we didn't realize how
little money we had, we were just enjoying our life together.

In the 1960's, we were living in El Cajon, California. Paul, Rhonda,
and Craig loved to go to downtown San Diego. Whatever we chose to
do that day, we often ended it with a stop at Woolworth's. They
loved to shop there where they could find so many bargains to spend
their allowance. They always wanted to get a treat at the soda
fountain when they were through shopping. If it was was winter,
like Jimmy and Karl before them, they loved the hot chocolate
It was still served the same way, with lots of whipped cream and
those wonderful sugar wafers. In the summer, they all wanted an
ice cream soda. Like his father, Paul also liked the banana split
and Rhonda and Craig liked the de luxe tulip sundaes. I think they
liked them because they were served in the cute tulip shaped dishes.

Yes, Woolworth's was an important part of my life from the time I
was a little girl. I had the pleasure of sharing it's excitement with
my wonderful big sister, little nephews, my handsome sailor
husband and then my own children. I was sad when they began to
close them. That wonderful era of those glorious "Five and Ten
Cent Stores" was at an end, but I am grateful to have been able
to experience it.

In the 1950s, Bing Crosby sang a song whose lyrics went like this:

"It was a lucky April shower, it was the most convenient door,
I found a million dollar baby, in a five and ten cent store.
The rain continued for an hour, I hung around for three or four,
Around a million dollar baby in a five and ten cent store."

I would love to hear comments of your memories of shopping
and eating at F. W. Woolworth Co. or any of the other glorious
five and ten cent stores.