During WWII, leather was in short supply, much of it going to the war effort as boots, belts and slings for soldiers. Shoes were rationed and recycled. The shoe repairman was the most popular guy in town. After the war, things changed. Everybody had leather shoes. For young Boomers, the shoes of note were army-type boots, with straps and lace-ups. They remained in style until the 50’s, then came … [Read more...]

By the time we had settled in at Lewisburg, WV around 1956, television had really hit its stride. Great shows were airing, the majority of homes now had sets and the power of a television ad was daunting. If we saw it on TV, we had to have it. I remember Saturday morning cartoons, many sponsored by M&Ms. “They melt in your mouth, not in your hands!” the ad said. And we begged for … [Read more...]

I have been going to North Carolina beaches since I was a young boy – 6 or 7. My family had a small cottage at Morehead City and we spent many a day sunning and fishing at Atlantic Beach. I was in college when I made my first visit to Nags Head and I wasn’t impressed. The ocean waves weren’t nearly as spectacular as I remembered those at Atlantic Beach and the wind blew so hard that it sent … [Read more...]

We had lived in Lewisburg, WV for a year and by now I was becoming acclimated to the friendly little city. I had made lots of friends, I shot my first quail with a .410 shotgun and was fortunate to be young and alive in one of the greatest years of all time – 1956. In 1956, things didn’t cost much. The average price for a new house was $11,700, the average monthly rent was $88, a gallon of gas … [Read more...]

The first summer after we moved to Lewisburg, my family took an extended vacation to North Carolina to visit relatives. We went to Winston Salem and Wilson and Raleigh and spent the last week staying with my Aunt Ann at her cottage at Morehead City, across the sound from Atlantic Beach. Every day, we packed up the car and went to the beach and I have great memories of splashing in the surf, … [Read more...]

  “That yoot is bad news. He’s a dipstick - gives me the cooties. He can DDT. Let’s cut out and find a boss bash.” As an official Boomer, may I interpret the above? “The youngster – obviously an underclassman – is an idiot and a depressing individual. As far as I’m concerned, he can drop dead – twice! It’s time to leave and find a real party.” Each generation has its own language … [Read more...]

As I mentioned last week, my dad was a Special Agent for the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover in the 1950’s and 60’s. Daddy never killed anybody as an agent, but that’s only because he never shot at anybody. If he had, they would be dead. Daddy carried a Smith & Wesson, 38-revolver with a 5-inch barrel. At work, he carried it in a simple leather holster on his right hip. At home, it was on the … [Read more...]

Continuing the series on growing up in Lewisburg, WV in the 1950s, a great town and a wonderful time to be young.   My dad was an FBI agent out of the Pittsburg office. He had been stationed in Beckley, WV, and then suddenly transferred to Lewisburg, a much smaller community. We wondered why, then later found out that he had been sent there to assist with the underground bunker being … [Read more...]

Memories of growing up in Lewisburg, WV, a great town and a great time to be young   We moved to Lewisburg in the spring of 1955. There were several necessary steps when moving to a new location – turning on the electricity, notifying the water company, installing a new telephone and contacting the milkman to get on his route. In those days, milk was available at grocery stores, but … [Read more...]

By the time my family moved to Lewisburg in 1955, some of the novelty had worn off for televisions, but with rumors of color televisions in the near future and vastly improved programming, TVs were still an important part of family life, and gathering around the set for a family meal featuring genuine TV dinners was a highlight. In 1954, the Swanson Food Company changed the way Americans ate … [Read more...]