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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

1964 AND 1983: DUNHAM'S: WE MISS YOU!



If you look closely, you will see the word "won't" inserted in the margin in my column above. The reason? This column was submitted to the Mercer Messenger on a typewritten sheet, not via computer. Somewhere in transcribing it, that critical word was omitted.
How I loved those trips "downtown" in my early years. As I age, I realize that those early years are now ancient history and will never return again. As a young boy during the 40's and WWII years, I frequently tagged along with my mom as we went up-town to pay our electric bill at Public Service, and perhaps a bit of shopping at Goldberg's, Kresge's, Woolworth's and of course, Dunham's. During the years when I was "courting" my dear wife of 55 years, I was a consistent Thursday night visitor to Yard's Department Store, where my then-girlfriend, Judy Britton, was a sales girl in Yard's Infants' Wear. What viable city Trenton was back then! Bright lights, crowded sidwalks, and the heady aroma of roasted peanuts, hot dogs, hamburgers, and exhaust from countless Trenton Transit buses lined up waiting for 9 PM closing time.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh the beautiful memories you just ran thru my ancient brain.
Been there and done that with my mother also.
We would take a bus from East Trenton, to up town, and always stopped on a lonely side street
for a Chinese lunch with my mother, even after I learned how to drive her and I would do that same trip every Christmas. I still have my powder puff music box from Dunhams how grown up I felt when she bought that for me.
The children today are missing out on really great memories.

tumblindi said...

I dream of Dunhams at the old Independence Mall often. Dream of shopping there usually for presents for my Mom. I once bought her a beautiful shirt with Roses on it. When she opened it at Christmas, she cried because she loved it that much.