Time Machine: 100 years ago this week in Pocomoke's newspaper; Businesses humming on mid-century Willow Street;

                                (excerpts)

Mid 1940's - Mid 1960's

Willow Street businesses were humming.

 Pocomoke City's first self-service food market-

     A shopper at Peoples Food Market on Willow Street.

In the mid-1940's William (Bill) Kleger relocated his grocery store from Clarke Avenue to a larger location on the northeast block of Willow Street. The well-stocked Peoples Food Market was Pocomoke City's first self-service market for grocery items and featured a choice selection of fresh meats plus specialty selections from the meat case of interest to the African American Community. Not long after the store opened it invited customers to come see fresh donuts being made in their Downy Flake donut machine. The donuts were available in plain, cinnamon, and sugar, and were 29-cents a dozen.

Following renovations in 1960 the store was rebranded as Bill's Foodland, continuing under the operation of William Kleger until his passing in 1964.   

(Wikipedia)

Ethel Ernestine Harper was Aunt Jemima during the 1950s in person, in print and in media. She was the first Aunt Jemima to be depicted on TV and the final "living person" basis for the Aunt Jemima image until it was changed to a composite in the 1960s. She worked as a traveling "Aunt Jemima" on behalf of the Quaker company, giving presentations at schools, churches and other organizations. Prior to assuming the role, Harper graduated from college at the age of 17 and became a teacher.

    

            

                            

           

             

Numerous businesses occupied Willow Street between Front Street and Clarke Avenue. Recalling the scene during the 1950's: on the east side of the street next to People's Food Market was the Flax Confectionery Store, the WBOC Pocomoke City radio studio, and the County Liquor Dispensary on the corner (Clarke & Willow) with the telephone company office and operators on the second floor; across the street on the west side of Willow Street was Creath Appliances, Gladding Brothers (Buick-Pontiac) automobile dealership, Lewis Laundry And Dry Cleaners Plant, and  the J. Scott Porter (Studebaker) automobile dealership.  The Peacock Hotel and restaurant occupied the southwest corner of Willow and Clarke with numerous small businesses between Clarke Avenue and Second Street.  Prior to the opening of the new J.J. Newberry's on the corner of Market and Second Street, rear access to the original Newberry's was on Willow Street.

I can't seem to remember Peoples Food Market, but I do recall John Lee Taylor's grocery store on Second Street between Market and Willow. Back when we were in high school we would go frogging every spring and sell the frog legs to Johnny to retail out. I think we charged maybe a dollar a pound or so, but it was good spending money for a teenager. Of course, that would not be allowed today with current food safety laws and government inspectors.

I do remember well Dawson Clarke's WBOC studio, the liquor dispensary and the telephone switchboard and I knew some of the telephone operators. I always wondered why Marion Station got dial tone at least a year before Pocomoke City.

Your friend,
Slim

tkforppe@yahoo.com