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RAMSVILLE-
Time does march on, even in Ramsville.
On December 15, 1998, a natural gas explosion removed a part
of Galesburg downtown history, leaving the former Oviatts
Pharmacy and Leng's Hardware in rubble. Scorched Hallmark
Greetings cards littered my yard, over three-blocks away.
Aerial video footage of the disaster appeared on the major
network news. It marked an end of an era, but a start of new
beginnings.
Reflecting back, here are some of the changes that I have
seen since my arrival in 1953.
A new water tower was built in Galesburg, probably around
1959. From my front-yard, on Washington Street, I could see
it rising..orange in color..until it was finally painted silver.
Also, around that time, a new grocery store arrived, Hardings
Market. The old Texaco gas station was torn down to make way
for Hardings construction.
The existing grocery stores, at that time, were Mollet's Market,
located on West Michigan Avenue, next to the railroad tracks,
and the Galesburg Locker, located on Mill Street, just down
the street from Grants Department Store.
My father
happened to own the Galesburg Locker. The arrival of Hardings
Market had the effect of what Walmart has had on some communities.
The small mom and pop store had a real challenge to compete
with the larger store. My father decided to end the grocery
and expand on wholesale meat and home freezers...which proved
to be a good move.
Grants
Department store has disappeared, as well as Waynes (next
to the old drugstore), Inman's Restaurant, Bell's Root Beer
Stand, Gene's Grocery (East Michigan), Charlie Sullivan's
Ford, The Argus (our hometown newspaper), Emmons Cafe, Caps
Cafe, Goodwill Store, Bill Nuyen's Barber Shop, Osmun's Barber
Shop,
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Southwood's Dry Cleaning, Carpenter's Sinclair
Gas Station, Rack n' Cue (pool hall and pinball), the Gale
Theater (snack-bar), Farm Crest Bakery, Smitty's Cafe, Bell's
Bakery, Chrysler Garage, Roeloff's Dairy, Burgess Seed Co.,
and Galesburg Heating...(I think that was its name..it was
owned by Dan Stewarts dad). And last of all, the "old
mill", at the end of Mill Street.
These are but a few of the old business', which I can recall.
One event, which stands out in my memories, was when the Galesburg-Charleston
Fire Department burned down the old mill, which sat across
the street from my dad's store. As the structure blazed, a
line of rats, nose to tail, fled the building.
All in all, these are but a few of the changes which I have
witnessed, and forgive me for not mentioning the changes in
Augusta. The Park Theater was a treasure and Scutters(?) Orchard
had Macintosh apples as big as grapefruits.
George Harrison, a former member of The Beatles, wrote a song
called "All Things Must Pass". Since that time,
not only has George passed but, also, John Lennon. All things
must pass...even symbols of past times.
Gone are the days of football games at the old field which
was roped-off behind the Galesburg Elementary on Blake Street.
Gone is Senior Skip Day and Homecoming parades with class
floats made from hay-wagons. Gone are the days of sledding
at "Leap-A-Leena", next to the graveyard, north
of town.
The old must pass-away to make room for the new, and some
of it is hard to accept.
One positive change is the new website for Galesburg-Augusta
Schools at g-aschools.org.
It is well designed and keeps you informed with the click
of a mouse.
Even though the The Ol' Ram has been relieved of his duties
at G-A, he has found a home with the other old relics of Ramsville...the
alumni at Ramlinks.
[Editors Note: Ed Ricketts may have
gotten some of the names wrong, but brain cells are also passing
away.]
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