Put-in-Bay Senior Center Ladies Bring “good ol’ days” to Life
Kaleidoscope by Berni Steinbach
Annie Parker, one of South Bass Island’s most respected and well-loved senior citizens, created an original play performed by the Senior Ladies at the 14th Annual Put-in-Bay Talent Show held on March 14, 2014. The story showcases Ms. Parker as an old-timer who challenges a younger crowd to recall “The Good Ol’ Days of Put-in-Bay.” The cast included Jean Hilt, Valerie Chornyak, Sue Duff, and Linda Frederick.
Since the drama cannot be recreated for a broader audience, Ms. Parker gave me permission to edit the script as a prose piece. The content reveals love and respect for a period in island history when America was not overwhelmed by high-tech gear or consumerism. It was a time for hula-hoops and Silly Putty, Hawaii and Alaska were not represented on the U.S. flag, and sitcoms were just being incubated. Thank you, Annie Parker, for helping us all to remember and celebrate Bass Islands folklore. Curtain up!
Dearies,
Tonight we’re going to have a look back at the Good Old Days at Put-in-Bay. If you can’t remember, then you must be much younger than I! And I must be much older than YOU!
Kids had to walk to the Town Hall, just to play some basketball; that court was small, and full of splinters, too! Only Fifty kids attended classes, and only five teachers for all those lads and lasses.
The Colonial was a charming spot–the roller rink was up on top, Bay Nineties peanuts on the floor, and the bowling alley was right next door. There were bushels of mayflies under the street lights–so slippery they hauled ’em off in dump trucks.
The lake sparkled way back when. No algae in Lake Erie then! Everyone claims the fishing was swell, and called the walleye pickerelle. The island’s first tennis court was built when milk was 15 cents a quart. And you didn’t have to go to the store, Woischkes Dairy brought it straight to your door! In real glass bottles.
Do you recall Chick Linker’s Gypsies by the Pony ring? They could tell you everything. Did you know they had a merry-go-round? How ’bout dancing at the Castle Inn? Did you ever try to climb the pole? Feet on ceiling was the goal.
The Round House was a favorite bar. Lavina Gruenke was the star. She entertained both day and night. Tony’s served a nickel beer, and guys played poker in the rear. Ice cream was scooped by Val and Merc-ee. Yes, Tony’s had the island’s very first TV!
Do you recall when Scride Heidle was our constable? One policeman did it all. And folks could smoke inside Town Hall.
Do you remember Schnoor and Fuchs?
Groceries, meats, hardware and more. The Soda Fountain was right next door. Sort of like a Woolworth’s Store: shoes and socks, and pencils and paper, dolls and toys at Christmas time. Bars of candy two for a dime. Sis Nissen was our gentle hostess, Marie Fox kept records in the office. Like we say now of Island General, “If they didn’t have it, you didn’t need it.” But Fifty years ago THIS WEEK [mid-March 1964] it burned and left a great big hole. Till Nieses came and filled it in. That made Joe Parker smile again–Joe hated that hole!
Dearies, remember when The Ford Tri-motor on winter Mondays, cost a dollar and a quarter? People, dogs, and fish; wine and caskets all together . . . Milt Hersberger flew in all kinds of weather!
We wrote our letters with a pen, that’s how you had to do it then. Your phone was hanging on the wall. You had to dial to make a call–and that was a party line on which you could listen in on your neighbors just fine.
No Allied Waste or BFI. No Lake Disposal stopping by. You had to haul your own trash to the village dump. We came back home with better junk and really treasured all our loot. Alas, now there are no more rats for the kids to shoot.
Lime Kiln was a beach for moonlight dips. No ferry dock there for nice short trips. Just three little ferries docked downtown, it took 45 minutes to go around.