Gone

I cannot recall which post led to this one. It probably does not matter; all but one of these links have been in my drafts since July 9. What follows is what has gone from Indianapolis when I was young.

Em-Roe Distributors - my poor mother allowed herself to be dragged to the downtown store when I was trying to learn fly-tying. Sorry to say this about modern stores that may have more and glossier stuff, but there was a charm about their floor with fishing and fly-tying stuff.

A dominatrix, a 'Broom Guy,' a 'Beeper King': Meet 23 Hoosier oddballs and characters and 15 celebrities only a real Hoosier would know - Bill Sirk, Dick the Bruiser, Don Davis, Bobby Leonard, the Watson's Girl, Sammy Terry, Cowboy Bob, Rex Early, Bob Catterson, Janie, Marvin Johnson, Harlow Hickenlooper and Marjorie Jackson were all names to conjure with. I would add Mike Ahern and Tony Kiritis. 

Merchants National Bank - where my mother banked; the big green machine, if I recall their slogan correctly. Gone, eaten up by Ohio banks.

Morris Plan - another name known to us; we nicknamed a soldier, Roger Morris, as Morris Plan. I suppose he is dead. We lost contact with him when my mother died in 1986.

William H. Block - the department store for us, Ayres was a bit too expensive. They had a cool books department downtown.

Catchphrases and slogans that helped sell cars in Indianapolis

Don Davis, owner of Don’s Guns, dies at 82 

Known for his late night television commercials and infectious laugh, Davis’ punchline was, “I don’t want to make any money, I just love to sell guns.”

Davis was born in Kentucky and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

He moved to Indy in the 1960s and became a bar bouncer. He later caught the attention of the Teamsters Union Local 135.

Soon, Davis was a confidant of Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa and a troubleshooter for the union boss.

Italian Gardens Restaurant - was the place we went to on Mother's Day with my mother. It started out on Pendleton Pike and Shadeland Avenue. I tied buying a glass of wine for my mother at that location, to the shock of the waitress and my mother. I cannot remember when it moved to East Washington Street. Seems to me, I was last there about 30 years ago; maybe a bit more than 20. It was one of those places with red check table clothes and Chianti bottles as decorations. I loved their spaghetti with a red sauce. Now, we have less cluttered Italian restaurants with modern menus, and a lot less ambience.

Lindner’s Dairy  - mom being allergic to milk did not indulge in ice cream, but for special trips she'd take us to Linder's or Baskin-Robbins. Linder's seems to have had more, like a modern convenience store.

Stokely-Van Camp - baked beans in can when we were kids; the local product.

All gone except for the residue left on memories. When the remaining brains holding those memories snuff out, then they will be gone forever.

Meanwhile, what stood for a premium burger in my childhood, is changing: 90-Year burger chain closes 200 restaurants, embraces beef fat (TheStreet). But dropping table service?

Dropping table service obviously saved the chain some money, but it also sort of downgraded the experience of eating there. Dining at Steak 'n Shake used to to feel like an elevated meal at a value price compared to McDonald's, Wendy's, or Burger King.

Now, eating at the chain feels like any other fast-food joint, which impacts the perceived value.

Impacts? Changes would be on the nose. 

Change is one thing we need to expect, but homogenization bothers me

sch 8/19

I recall doing plenty of the things in 16 Things 1970s Indiana Kids Did After School That Would Never Fly Today (Mindfully American)

sch 8/20