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: FAIRFAX IN THE 1950s  ( 4876 )
Henry
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« : April 28, 2004, 08:06:49 AM »

Hi All,

Well, its been nearly two years now since I have given some thought to writing about some of my early experiences concerning Fairfax in the 1950s.  I had been communicating with David Decker who was going to help me with it as soon as he finished a book he was working on.  Unfortunately, on June 4, 2002, David passed away unexpectedly.  For those of you who did not know him, he was a fine young man who was in my wife’s class of 1958 at BFA here in Fairfax.  He certainly could have given me a lot of input, but I will write about some of the things I found interesting and enjoyable.

http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/vanish/main_1126

Link above is Steve Alderman’s IGA Store with The Post Office on the right

First off, in the 50s, the center of the village was the hub of the town.  There was no more parking there than there is now, however, where Vermont Food Ventures is, there was Steve Alderman’s IGA Store and The Post Office.  I believe the little building near the river was George Peno’s barbershop.  I never went there and did not know the man, but if anyone remembers more about him, you may comment here on the forum or send me a note.

http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/vanish/fxpars

Link above is the old Parsons Store which stood where The Foothills Bakery is now.

Across the street, I believe the apartment building near the river was an apartment building at that time also.  Next to it was Howard Parson’s store located where the Foothills Bakery is now.  At that time it was larger, as it extended to the right some, but that building has since been torn down.  In front of the store there were gas pumps.

http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/vanish/fxhdw

Link above is The Old Fairfax Hardware Store with Andy’s Barbershop next door

Next up where the apartment building is now, Winona Spiller’s hardware was located and to the right of that was Andy’s Barbershop.  I believe that sometime in the 50s Winona sold the hardware store to someone, but the name escapes me.  This past Friday, I was down at Andy’s Barbershop, now located in his home in St. Albans and we reminisced about what it was like back then at the barbershop.  Things were much more relaxed back then and I remember it as a meeting place, where news and events were discussed.  I remember men coming to get their haircut, sticking their head in the door, seeing the crowd in the barbershop and deciding that there would be too long a wait.  Andy would quickly say, there’s only one ahead of you, these guys are just talking.  If the chairs were all filled, one of us would get up so the next customer had a place to sit.

One of the favorite topics that was always discussed at the barbershop, especially by guys my age was cars.  In 1956, cars took on a new look called “the fins.”  Plymouth was the first one to come out with them, I believe.  Chevrolet came out with its V8 in 1955, then in 1957 came out with, perhaps what was its most popular car.  Supposedly the most desired car was a four door hard top.  Maurice Boissoneault bought one.  It was black with a white stripe, white sidewall tires and red leather upholstery and of course that powerful V8 & automatic shift (You know 0 to 60 mph in 10 seconds).  I don’t believe I ever saw that car with a spec of dust on it. Other young people in town that had 1957 Chevys, although not the big powerful V8 hardtops that I can remember were, Lee and David Minor and Steve Ratte.

Now, in the fall of 1955, I had convinced my Mom & Dad to allow me to trade in their 1952 Chevy Powerglide for a 1956 Plymouth.  At that time, I thought it was quite the car.  It was solid black with white sidewalls, a six cylinder standard shift and it had a radio.  It was quite expensive and my parents were concerned as to whether I could make the payments.  After all, the cost of the car was $1900 and we had only paid about $1200 for the 52 Chevy.  I had several daily passengers to my job in Burlington which helped pay for my gas, plus some passengers that rode in with me on Mondays and back on Fridays.  I told them, after all, I was making $50 a week.  Now with these guys getting these new cars in 1957 and my starting at IBM in May of 1957, now making $60 a week and only having to work 5 days a week, I begun to think I probably should trade cars again.  Once again I convinced my parents I should trade the 56 Plymouth in for the latest and greatest 1957 Automatic Torqueflite V8, with the Push Button transmission.  Of course this one had much bigger fins.  One of our favorite pastimes on Sunday Afternoons was to drive around (we took turns driving, because after all, gas was 18 cents a gallon) and look at all the new cars in the dealerships.  We just drooled at the great new cars coming out.  The Edsel looked great and of course the Studebaker certainly had a distinctive Torpedo look, but we stuck with the General Motors and Chrysler products.  In late August, we would try peeking through the windows to see if we could get a glimpse of the latest models as they were kept strictly secret until the announcement of the new models.

http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/vanish/howard

Link above is the store located where Nan’s Mobil is now located and I think at the time this picture was taken, it was owned by Dewell & Ruth Decker.

http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/vanish/creamery

Link above is the old creamery located near the road in front of where Sylva & Brenda Thibault have now built a new house

In the 1950s, the so-called Blue Laws were still in effect.  If you needed a prescription filled, there was usually one drug store in St. Albans that remained open for emergencies.  Otherwise all the other stores were closed.  Shopping was pretty much restricted for Monday through Saturday.  I have been trying to remember just how late our grocery stores in town were open, but I believe, if I remember right, they were closed on Sunday afternoons.  There were a couple of places in town open on Sundays.  Boutin’s which had moved from across the street where Nan’s Mobil is now and Deckers, which was where Nan’s Mobil is now.  We had a couple of garages.  Andrew King who I believe sold it to a couple of brothers who ran it for a while prior to Dick LeClair and Ramsey’s Garage up on the Hill at the Junction of Routes 128 and 104.  I remember that there was a store next to where the Fairfax Historical Society is now that may have been run by Malcolm Howard and also have a vague remembrance that there may have been a restaurant there for a short while.  The Fire Department of course was located where the Fairfax Historical Society is now.  The one place still in business of course is the A. W. Rich Funeral Home.

http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/vanish/main_1184.jpg

Link above of photo is not dated, but looks like Andrew King’s Garage which was located where Ross’s Auto is now

http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/vanish/fxfiresta

Link above shows the old fire station that was located where the present Fairfax Historical Society is.

http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/vanish/cain028

Link above is an earlier look at the building before it became the fire station.

St. Luke’s Church, now the Steeple Market was the place of worship for Catholics and I believe during the 1950s, the United Church was called the Methodist Church and The Baptist Building was called The Baptist Church.  The Masons at that time were located over Steve Alderman’s store.

http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/vanish/cain104

In the link above the building on the right, although I don’t remember it looking like that is the building that Chan Cooley tore down and used the materials from it to build his house on The Fletcher Road.

The major changes in buildings in the center of the village are that aside from the building torn down next to the present Foothills Bakery, Chan Cooley tore down the former Gillettes Ice Cream Parlor which was a house owned by Guy Butler, I believe on the corner of Main Street and The Fletcher Road and used the materials to build himself a house on The Fletcher Road.

http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/vanish/millst

Link above shows Mill Street, part of the sawmill and the large Rooney House which burned.  This particular photo was taken long before the 1950s, but does give you some idea of what Mill Street used to look like.

http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/vanish/sawmill_1949

Link above is a Photo of Joe Peloquin’s saw mill

Just up The Fletcher Road on what was formerly called Mill Street, the large 3 story house owned by Nellie Rooney has since burned and been replaced by a small ranch style house.  The sawmill was replaced by a trailer and presently a 6-unit condominium is being built there.  From where the large house is on top of the hill on the left, in the 50s, just beyond that in a ravine was a large slab pile.  Now there are two houses between that and the little white house that was standing there in the 1950s.  From the top of the hill to the little house at the entrance of the Fairfax Water Reservoir, there were no houses.  Steve Ratte built his house there in the 1960s and later Ron Parah built the other houses.

http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/vanish/main_1155

Link above shows the old Grange Hall was still being used by the Grange as well as for surprise showers and anniversary parties.  The building still stands and its latest use was a used book store.

The little house across from the present Steeple Market was built as a store or restaurant by Charlie Doherty, I believe, back in the 1950s and was occupied by the Driscoll Family for many years.  I also believe, that Charlie Doherty also built the original building where Nan’s Mobil is now.  Joe Ratte owned the property across from Nan’s originally and I do remember Maurice Ratte having a garage there.  I will need some help in remembering what businesses have been there over the years.

http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/vanish/cain067

Link above shows the Old Steel Bridge which was built after the flood of 1927 which was standing there during the 1950s

Now there are perhaps a lot of errors in my memories of what Fairfax Village looked like in The 1950s, so feel free to post your comments on the forum, or send me a note correcting me and help me fill in what I have forgotten.

Have a great day and I am looking forward to your input,
Henry
« : December 10, 2007, 01:58:34 PM Henry »

Henry Raymond
carol Boissonneault
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« #1 : April 28, 2004, 11:01:23 AM »

Henry

As for the property across from Nan's mobile, my parents bought it from Maurice Ratte in 62. My brother Bob continued to run it as a general store/garage for only about a year at which poin my parents converted it to a restaurant ( The "Kaffe Klatch" I believe) and my mother ran it for a couple of years. When that closed they added the restaurant section to the existing apartment ,and then added another apartment in the space that was the garage in 1965.

As far a downtown you did omit the "Squeeze IN restaurant" which was owned and operated by my mother 's sister and her husband, Eva and Ted Kosla, in the 50's. Can't remember the years but believe it was in late 50's . It was located by the river where Peno's barber shop was.

Carol
Henry
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« #2 : April 29, 2004, 05:55:26 AM »

Thanks for the additional information Carol.  I know that Eva Kosla died in 1963, so am sure your estimate of the time frame is right when they owned the Squeeze-In.

Maryann and I both vaguely remember there being a restaurant for a short while in the apartment building near The Fairfax Historical Society, but for the life of me, can't remember who owned it.

One thing I do remember though, is that there was an individual who lived there who had a heating and plumbing business in 1961.  He was contracted to do the heating and plumbing at our little house at 80 Fletcher Road.  All of the material for the job was delivered to the house and he had done some of the work.  He came to the house one night when we were living where Ed Paquin lives now and told us he needed some money for the materials.  We gave him a check for everything for the contract except for about $250.

During that night he disappeared and has never been heard from again  -  Valuable lesson learned from that incident.

Henry  

Henry Raymond
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