John P. posted this comment under What's in Jordan? I decided to copy and paste it to make sure everyone read it. This is wild!
Now I must ask....where were all these businesses located?
John Pinckney said...
Your list is pretty complete but let me throw out some numbers for some perspective on the how "the times they are a changin". I don't guarantee my numbers are 100% accurate but they're close enough to make the point!Back in the 40' - 50's there were 3hardware stores, 4 diner/soda fountain shops, 4 grocery stores and a meat market, 3 barber shops, a liquor store, a NYSEG office, a variety store (mostly clothing), 3 bars, a jewelry store, 3 doctors, a drug store, a Chevy dealership where Tom's Auto is now, the feed mill (Wheeler's), a dentist, and an optometrist. Not to mention the bank, 2 or 3 garages, the wire mill (which was a thriving 3 shift a day business then). What is now the village office was the fire house and a library. There are surely some I'm not remembering but the point is there was a thriving business community.That was before the advent of the Thruway and route 31 came right through the center of the village, so there was a lot of truck traffic. Of course, the trucks made great snow ball targets from up on Clinton Terrace, which we all thought was great sport. It's probably safe to say the truckers didn't share our opinion.
April 7, 2009 12:45 PM
2 comments:
Missing from the John's list are a few more that I remember. Abram's radio repair (think he also worked on cars, so maybe John included him as one of the garages), an insurance office, a shoe repair shop, Jordan Style shop, Foote's floor coverings (he was also the mayor), and the post office. You could buy everything you would ever need right there in Jordan and never have to go "all the way to Syracuse".
Dr. Fiddler, the dentist, was not one to worry about pain, at least not when it was inflicted on his patients. Drilling out a cavity was never preceded by any kind of pain deadening agent. I bet if you could find his old chair you would find hand prints in the arms. As I recall they were the only Jewish family in town at the time. I could never understand why they did not celebrate Christmas. I really felt sorry for those kids when I found out they never got Christmas presents.
I only remember two doctors, Dr. Whiteley and Dr. Harding. You were either a Whitely kid or a Harding kid. Seems one or the other delivered all of the kids we played with. They also came to school every fall to give us all shots for one thing or another. Those lines were the worst. I think that their nurses as well as our teachers stood guard to make sure no one disappeared. Shot day was one of the worst days of the year. I remember breaking my wrist while jumping in leaves one fall. My biggest concern all the way to Dr. Whiteley's was whether or not he was going to give me a shot. My father assured me that only horses got shot when they broke a bone. That did not help much. I was still sure I was going to get a shot. I was put to sleep while they, my father and Dr. Whiteley set the bone. I looked for marks afterward, but could not find any evidence of getting a shot while they had me out.
I remember all those targets going into town on Clinton Street. We would sit on the fence along Clinton Terrace and let fly. You are right about the drivers taking exception to our using them as targets. There was one who stopped his truck and tried to run up the hill after us. But, maybe that was summer and the weapon of choice was a little harder than a snowball. We did that once in awhile, as I recall. Walking the top rail of the fence was another great pass time. I remember falling off and sliding all the way down the hill on occasion.
Some of the businesses were located in buildings that are no longer here. The shoe repair store, one barber shop, Patterson's market and the NYSEG office were in the buildings on the north side of Clinton street that have since been torn down. The bank (same spot as now) was a three story building then and there were offices up stairs. If I remember correctly that's were Dr Fidler's office was and also Charlie Bramley's law offices.
One of the diners and the jewelry store were in a building that has also since been torn down. It was located where the parking lot next to the pizza shop is now. The pizza shop was the Jordan Hotel, one of the bars.
The other businesses were scattered around town in buildings that still exist.
The third doctor was Dr. Swift whose office was about a block further up North Main from Dr. Harding's.
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