Comments

Volume 10, Issue 8 - Feature #3389

Alva's Downtown Square

Here is the link to the <a href="http://www.okielegacy.net/PDF-files/index.html">1909-1910 Alva Restroom Guestbook</a>.

NW Okie - 2008-02-26 23:50:18

Ellis, send me the pictures of the artwork and I will be sure and put them with your message in next week's OkieLegacy ezine.<br><br> As to Alva's "restroom" ... I don't know if you found the old penciled guestbook that my grandmother had saved from that Ladies place. I have scanned it and put it on my webpage somewhere. I need to do some searching and I will stick a link to it in next week's ezine, also.<br><br> I never really knew exactly where the famous Restroom was located until you left your message here... "on the west side of the square (it was in a little brown building just west of the fish pond)... must have been like a pool hall for the men, a chance to visit, gossip and catch up on everything happening before returning back home on the farm by Avard."<br><br> Thank you so much for sharing that bit of information.

NW Okie - 2008-02-26 23:20:58

Hi Linda, I too remember the old Court House and fish pond. I remember when I was a boy of 5 or 6 yrs., my mother, Edna Raymer, and I would go to town for our shopping on Saturdays. After shopping, mom would park on the west side of the square on College Street to go to the ladies "restroom", (it was in a little brown building just west of the fish pond). I didn't like going inside with her, being a boy I guess. I would stay outside and play by the fish pond and wait for her to come out. This little ritual of hers must have been like a pool hall for the men, a chance to visit, gossip and catch up on everything happening before returning back home on the farm by Avard. Too bad they tore down the old Court House, it had a lot of character. When I got older, I too liked going down to the basement of the old building as Mr. Barker did. My Uncle, Lester Raymer, a renowned artist, who grew up on the farm that I grew up on as well west of Alva, made this Linocut print of the Court House and fish pond. I don't know the date he carved or printed it, but he also made linocuts for the Munson's Hatchery in 1947 for an advertisement. Ellis Raymer p.s. I am going to email pictures of the artwork I have mentioned above to your email address, as I have not figured out how to attach them to this comment space. If you would please post them on this for me I would appreciate it greatly.

Ellis Raymer - 2008-02-26 22:26:28

The grocery store west of Snyders was the L.A. Wagner Cash Grocery. If you look closely you can still make out the name at the top of the building. Also, I remember getting shoes at Warricks in the early 50's. They sold Red Goose children's shoes.

Edward Lyon - 2008-02-24 20:38:58

Bill Barker always has the most interesting and entertaining tales to tell. It's wonderful that he shares his stories with your readers. I do, however, question whether he is correct about Warricks. I thought it was always on the north side of the square just east of College and that Warricks sold shoes rather than clothing.

SBW - 2008-02-24 18:48:13

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