Our Little Corner In Space And Time
(Reader-friendly viewing of items from newspaper archives)
Several years ago a Pocomoke City resident wrote to us sharing her "Pocomoke Memories" of an earlier time.
At Christmas time, my mind always goes back to about 1970.
I was young (20) and doing Christmas shopping in downtown Pocomoke City. The air was crisp and cold and a light snow was falling. The downtown area was lit up with Christmas lights in the storefront windows and Christmas carols were playing over a P.A. or loudspeaker system (I don't know what the technical term is) but I remember that it was beautiful.
At that time, you could do ALL of your Christmas shopping downtown - didn't have to go anywhere else. There was a 'five & dime' store, a 'dollar' store, a couple of department stores, a couple of shoe stores, a couple of dress shops, a men's clothing store, a couple of jewelry stores, a couple of catalog stores, a couple of hardware stores, a couple of pharmacies, a couple of banks, and a car dealer by the river. Just turn the corner off of Market St. and go just one block down Clarke Ave. and there was a soda fountain shop, a couple of mom & pop grocery stores, and a fish market (I think). There may have even been a beauty salon on Willow St. between Second & Clarke (memory is fuzzy here). If you proceeded on to the next block down Clarke Ave., there was a second-hand store (clothing, etc.), a deli, and a small mom & pop clothing store. Unbelievable isn't it? Yes, all of those businesses were in the downtown area (at the same time).
I miss it when I get thinking about it. It was different shopping like that than when you go into these hugh chain stores and have to fight the crowds. Whole different atmosphere - the magic of Christmas has gotten lost in greedy commercialism. Well, maybe that's a bit extreme, but right now I am savoring those wonderful memories of times gone by.
P.S. You could shop without worrying about getting your purse snatched, or getting mugged or carjacked, etc.
(Contributed by Kathy Horney)
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The late Edna Davy Muir's "Life In The Country" newspaper columns recalling her memories of past times always brought readers an interesting and entertaining glimpse of earlier days. For the next few weeks we'll post some of Edna's December columns.
2005
2006
The Daily Times (Salisbury)
1969, July
The Democratic Messenger (Snow Hill)
Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers or something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? Please send to tkforppe@yahoo.com .
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