Shoe Column: The way it was

By Tim “Shoe” Sullivan

Her name was Marge, and her question was: “You’ve been around Stevens Point for many years. Have there been many changes?”

Well Marge, grab a chair and sit back. You’d be amazed at how things used to be.

I’ll just jump around. Might go to the 1950s and ’60s era, the time of Aaron, Mathews, Spahn, of the revered Milwaukee Braves.

Or the ’60s of Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers.

Or the ’70s of Lew Alcindor’s Milwaukee Bucks.

We could start with some of the many local taverns, like Stagger Inn on the Square, which also was the Long Branch. Cory ran it.

Old “Spit In The Ocean” liked to have a mug there.

Next door was Bronk’s Bar. Ray & Gertie’s. Fun place! And Zimmie’s was over there too.

Much later on, Joe Mama’s, with cute bartender Tracy, was on the corner. Actually, right down the block from Pete Marsh’s Big Moon Saloon. Great deals on pitchers of beer!

Then also on the Square was the Upper Wisconsin River Yacht Club featuring Ray and Nancy Smith, Ted Nugent, and peanut shells.

Little Brown Jug was in the corner next to the Elbow Room. And the Ritz Tavern was across the street from Kremb’s Furniture.

They played polkas there every Sunday and packed the place.

Downtown was the Loop Bar with the chickens in the bay window. Pour Henry’s was also downtown, as was The Alibi.

Moving to the North Side, one could find Romie Dragula’s Romie’s Rendezvous, which was next to The Flame. Both bars had outstanding softball teams. And Mickey’s, across Second Street from Romie’s, had a bar and wonderful pizza!

And let’s not forget Outer Limits.

To the south was the Dewey Bar, where Dave Dudley sang songs. It was across the street from Archie’s Cocktail Lounge, where Archie (Craig Hansen) played his guitar and Sue fried up the delicious beer-battered chicken wings gently presented in a red basket.

Also on the South Side were Treasure Island, The Modernistic, Rusin’s Tap, Chuck’s Tap, and tiny Roy’s Bar.

In the ’70s, the college kids hung around Little Joe’s Drinking Establishment in Park Ridge or hiked north, where Sentry now is, to the Pour Haus and Brat Barn. Or the Platwood.

And The Office, across from Wanta’s Lanes downtown, featured those terrific charburgers!

And Tom Meyer’s Grin & Beer It (GBI) was a neat place to go. Pete Moss tended there.

Not to mention Bernie & Atz’s and Silver’s Peacock Bar. And Coaches. And The Hermitage.

That’s a lot of drinking establishments.

And if you were STILL thirsty for a brew, you might try the Hot Fish Shop or Red Lantern by the college or Aldo’s by Skipp’s Bowl, or S&J’s Palace with the great gyros and spaghetti or Jay Dee’s Bowl across from the Cozy Kitchen, which used to be Wanta’s Lanes with Big Ern’s famous hot beef sandwiches.

But you could also have a drink at the Hotel Whiting’s bar. JFK stayed there. And you could whet the whistle at the Unique Bar downtown or The Brunswick Pool Hall downtown or Point Bowl on Dixon.

Or you could take a nip at The Antlers by Lake DuBay or Club Ordell or Bernard’s Supper Club or, gosh, you name it… including Gosh’s Bar.

Man, nobody ever went thirsty in Stevens Point!

So what else used to be “there” in Point but ain’t anymore? Well, if we stroll through Point’s downtown, you would see Osco with George Lutz and Herbie or the wacky Moon Fun Shop or Monkey Ward (Montgomery Wards) with the creaky wooden floors or Campbell’s Department Store (not to be confused with Kuhl’s Department Store) or Hannon’s Drugs or Gwidt’s Drugs on the Square or Westy’s Drugs with the cherry phosphates or the Sport Shop with Garth Whittaker or Mirman’s Furniture (owned by my Little League umpire Harvey Mirman), or you could walk into Gamble’s a block from the Unique or have a bite to eat at Woolworth’s or the Main Street Café or the Pal Restaurant or several other options.

Ella’s had the gyro. Staying downtown, the Town Clown had many choices of ice cream. Weltman’s Grocery was next to Joe’s Bar. The A&P Grocery was across from the post office—always the fragrance of fresh coffee there. Point Bakery, next to the Ritz, had all those amazing donuts. Nigbor Furs had the mink coats. Ben Franklin, across from Woolworths, had lots of nifty stuff. Then it was Fairway. By the way, Town Clown’s licorice ice cream was awesome! Bob’s Food King was a grocery store by JC Penney. Rudnick’s Grocery was where Graffiti’s currently stands. McLellan’s 5 & 10 sold toys, as did Uptown Toyland and Park’s. Overlook had the comic books, and so did the City News. You bought your 45 records at Graham Lane.

Oh my. So many places. The movies at the Fox and Lyric. Shoes from Shippy’s. Chairs from Boston Furniture. Diamond rings at Otterlee’s, Ben’s Jewelry, and Peacock Jewelry. Clothes from Parkinson’s. Banking needs at Citizen’s and 1st National Bank.

Robby’s had the 15-cent burgers. Richard’s on the South Side had the fish filet sandwiches. And you could eat well at the Shamrock Pizza on Dixon.

You went to Hetzer’s for a bicycle. Tempo had just about anything you wanted. Judd’s in Park Ridge was known for their delicious french fries. The high school kids at PJ’s hung out across the street at Chartier’s.

Neighborhood grocery stores were everywhere in the ’60s: Cigel’s by the water tower, Knudsen’s two blocks away, Stanislawski’s, Thrifty, Northside Grocery by Bukolt Park, and the Triangle at Division, Spruce, and Shaurette streets.

Krazy Days downtown. Bike races through downtown. (What’s the difference between downtown and uptown?) Two-way Main Street.

Bergie’s Meat Market. Arctic Locker. Westgate across the river.

Back then, kids bought 5-cent wax packs of baseball cards. Such fun! Riding your bike to Little League games at Mead Park and having a nice, cool mug of root beer at the A&W! Such a pleasure! The old Northside IGA was a special place. Worked with Ron Landowski, Pat and Dorothy Raflik, Barb Alfuth, Mimi Peck, Kathy Boyer, Jack Mrozinski, Don “Duck” Shannon, Leo Zivicki, Ray Orlikowski, Debbie Harmon, Joe Coady, Geno Szymkowiak, Barry Fecteau, Tom Johnson, and Ma Pesch. Great place to work at.

We also had Piggly Wiggly and Red Owl.

Whew!

So yes, Marge, some things have changed over the years. And I wouldn’t trade all those great years for anything. Almost all of the things and places mentioned are now part of history. Stevens Point was a wonderful town to grow up in.

And the Wisconsin River is a lot cleaner now than before.