DO YOU REMEMBER THESE?

[nicajack]

I don't know if it's just getting old, or that things have changed for the worse. Who remembers Budniks in downtown Indy in the early-late 60's? Emroe's, nearby? Galyans was in a genuine farm barn on U. S. 40 just east of Plainfield. I remember the old pot-bellied stoves in there.
I remember going into these establishments as a kid and a teenager. It was like walking into another dimension to me, a real wonder-world! These stores seemed to have everything on earth for fishing, hunting, just all outdoors activities..I was in awe just seeing the latest tackle and guns, and could spend a whole day in each store. It was a rare treat to have my dad, uncle or a friend's dad take us to one of these stores. And it was only maybe once or twice a year that I got to go....To me it was better than Christmas. Seldom had more than a buck or three to spend, so wanted to look at everything first, so I could try to get the most bang for my buck. It was always hard making the final decision...
I really miss that kind of sporting goods stores! I know we have Bass Pro, Cabelas etc, but they are just not the same as the kinds of stores of that era. Everything was kinda crammed in and each store had it's own distinct atmosphere and aroma! I really wish I could go back to then!!!!John

 

[blamecharles]

I don't know if it's just getting old, or that things have changed for the worse. Who remembers Budniks in downtown Indy in the early-late 60's? Emroe's, nearby? Galyans was in a genuine farm barn on U. S. 40 just east of Plainfield. I remember the old pot-bellied stoves in there.
I remember going into these establishments as a kid and a teenager. It was like walking into another dimension to me, a real wonder-world! These stores seemed to have everything on earth for fishing, hunting, just all outdoors activities..I was in awe just seeing the latest tackle and guns, and could spend a whole day in each store. It was a rare treat to have my dad, uncle or a friend's dad take us to one of these stores. And it was only maybe once or twice a year that I got to go....To me it was better than Christmas. Seldom had more than a buck or three to spend, so wanted to look at everything first, so I could try to get the most bang for my buck. It was always hard making the final decision...
I really miss that kind of sporting goods stores! I know we have Bass Pro, Cabelas etc, but they are just not the same as the kinds of stores of that era. Everything was kinda crammed in and each store had it's own distinct atmosphere and aroma! I really wish I could go back to then!!!!John

Sucks doesnt it? I'm only 34 and think I'm ready to find another planet, this place sucks from just back in my childhood. I remember going to a local general store and catching my own minnows in their fish tank. Also remember being like 8 or 9 and buying my moms cigs cause she was busy and I could walk down there and get them for her. Lot has changed in those 26 years and I can't imagine some of the things that changed in the 26 before that.

 

[flightsimmer]

I know just what you mean. I spent hours doing the same thing.
I remember Galyans up on Keystone at Fall Creek when it was a grocery store with fishing gear in the front of the store. I drooled while mom shopped.
Yeah, a lot as changed, and not for the better.

10mm, when you care enough to send the very best.

 

[nicajack]

I went to Southport HS. Took a shotgun on the bus to school. Also took a .22 rifle another time. And had ammo for them at the time. That was the way things were!! There had never been a "school shooting" anywhere in Amerika at that time, either. When did that all start? But the communists/liberals had not taken control then, either!!!!! That was a great time to grow up....John

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I went to Southport HS. Took a shotgun on the bus to school. Also took a .22 rifle another time. And had ammo for them at the time. That was the way things were!! There had never been a "school shooting" anywhere in Amerika at that time, either. When did that all start? But the communists/liberals had not taken control then, either!!!!! That was a great time to grow up....John

Perry Meridian here... And I remember Emroe's up at Southern Plaza too. Also remember walking down Thompson Road and Bluff, carrying our shotguns and rifles, ammo vests bulging, and walking back to the railroad tracks to shoot underneath 465. I'm guessing that would get a SWAT team called out these days. Good times!

 

[dak109]

While I don't remember those places, I do remember the local, rural ones. Hendersons Bait. You could always buy bait and a box of shotgun shells, as well as snacks and hardware. All the while "Ole Man Henderson" was sitting next to his wood stove.

Then there was Knights Corner. You could get the same stuff as Hendersons but hot snacks and bread and milk if need be. They were an outpost for people living in the western part of the county.

At both places the usual characters hung out, drinking coffee and getting the latest news. I was never treated poorly at these places, even as a youngster. My money was just as good as the next guys. There was always advice on if the fish were biting or the game moving.

Small town stuff.... but how I miss it!

 

[SSGSAD]

I don't know if it's just getting old, or that things have changed for the worse. Who remembers Budniks in downtown Indy in the early-late 60's? Emroe's, nearby? Galyans was in a genuine farm barn on U. S. 40 just east of Plainfield. I remember the old pot-bellied stoves in there.
I remember going into these establishments as a kid and a teenager. It was like walking into another dimension to me, a real wonder-world! These stores seemed to have everything on earth for fishing, hunting, just all outdoors activities..I was in awe just seeing the latest tackle and guns, and could spend a whole day in each store. It was a rare treat to have my dad, uncle or a friend's dad take us to one of these stores. And it was only maybe once or twice a year that I got to go....To me it was better than Christmas. Seldom had more than a buck or three to spend, so wanted to look at everything first, so I could try to get the most bang for my buck. It was always hard making the final decision...
I really miss that kind of sporting goods stores! I know we have Bass Pro, Cabelas etc, but they are just not the same as the kinds of stores of that era. Everything was kinda crammed in and each store had it's own distinct atmosphere and aroma! I really wish I could go back to then!!!!John

I bought my first handgun, Ruger Std. Model, the one in my Avatar, from EmRoes, in Southern Plaza...

 

[SSGSAD]

I went to Southport HS. Took a shotgun on the bus to school. Also took a .22 rifle another time. And had ammo for them at the time. That was the way things were!! There had never been a "school shooting" anywhere in Amerika at that time, either. When did that all start? But the communists/liberals had not taken control then, either!!!!! That was a great time to grow up....John

When did you go to Southport.... I Graduated in 1974.....

 

[SSGSAD]

Perry Meridian here... And I remember Emroe's up at Southern Plaza too. Also remember walking down Thompson Road and Bluff, carrying our shotguns and rifles, ammo vests bulging, and walking back to the railroad tracks to shoot underneath 465. I'm guessing that would get a SWAT team called out these days. Good times!

I went out west, and shot under a bridge, southport road I think ....

 

[nicajack]

I went out west, and shot under a bridge, southport road I think ....

I graduated in 67. We used to shoot all along Lick creek. We lived just south of where 465 crosses Meridian until about 1966 then moved to a house on Meridian and Edgewood. Had Buck creek in the backyard.
There was an old abandoned power station over on Harding where we used to shoot, hunt, etc. Pretty close to White River. We used to hunt all along the 2 creeks. Back then, you could shoot just about anywhere that there weren't houses close by. Nobody cared! Would just walk out my back door with rifle or shotgun in hand and go hunting nearby.
Used to fish the American Aggregates Pits over on Harding and along 465. Caught loads of good bass there. Got kicked out about 10 times but then the guards just started leaving me alone and would even stop and talk about fishing!
I left Indiana in 1969, moved to Florida. Didn't come back till 1987. Emroe's was only downtown, when I left. We did have a ball cruising the TeePee, Steak and Shake and White Castle on the south side. Lived off street racing then. With a 1-A draft card, you couldn't buy a job anywhere! God, I miss those great times.....John

 

[flightsimmer]

Yeah, I used to hunt along the creek between Longacre and US 31. My Aunt and Uncle lived east of US 31 where Southern Plaza is today, all farm back then.

10mm, when you care enough to send the very best.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I went out west, and shot under a bridge, southport road I think ....

Yep, I know that bridge... just east of Mann Rd. over White River. You've got 4 years on me, and nicajack's got 11.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I graduated in 67. We used to shoot all along Lick creek. We lived just south of where 465 crosses Meridian until about 1966 then moved to a house on Meridian and Edgewood. Had Buck creek in the backyard.
There was an old abandoned power station over on Harding where we used to shoot, hunt, etc. Pretty close to White River. We used to hunt all along the 2 creeks. Back then, you could shoot just about anywhere that there weren't houses close by. Nobody cared! Would just walk out my back door with rifle or shotgun in hand and go hunting nearby.
Used to fish the American Aggregates Pits over on Harding and along 465. Caught loads of good bass there. Got kicked out about 10 times but then the guards just started leaving me alone and would even stop and talk about fishing!
I left Indiana in 1969, moved to Florida. Didn't come back till 1987. Emroe's was only downtown, when I left. We did have a ball cruising the TeePee, Steak and Shake and White Castle on the south side. Lived off street racing then. With a 1-A draft card, you couldn't buy a job anywhere! God, I miss those great times.....John

Man, you were right in my neck of the woods! I'm actually still there. Bought the house I grew up in after Dad passed (Dad built it actually - one of the first houses on Thompson Rd., between Meridian and Bluff anyhow) and the yard got to be too much for Mom to take care of. Some of the best rabbit hunting I ever had was right by Round Hill Cemetary. There's a license branch there now. Small world!

 

[nicajack]

Daddy:
A lifelong friend of mine lived on Thompson Rd. Ron Nixon lived about 1/4 mile west of Meridian on north side. We grew up together. Grade school thru HS. Hunted and fished together all the time.
We all fished and hunted all over that part of the state. Little brother went to Lincoln elementary school. Got pulled out of class by the FBI for blowing up mail boxes with chemical bombs. I think he was in the 3rd grade. Ha ha... I well know the bridge mentioned above. Remember when they built it. American Ag was on the north side of it. Great rabbit hunting out there. Also shot lots of crows all along White River in that area. I lived on Maxwell road just west of Meridian, about 1 short block south of the new 465 hwy. There was an American Legion post on Meridian there, with a huge field behind, where we used to hunt and shoot.....
We used to race out at Keystone Exit as it was being built in 68. Deputy used to bring radar gun out there and give us our speeds, sometimes. Can you imagine that happening today? They would have 10 swish teams and the FBI, HS and who knows what else, all out there to try to shoot us or at least put us in prison for something that would get us a life sentence. I really miss the good ole U. S. A. Life was good!!!!!

 

[brutalone]

I graduated in 1994 and even then we had a Trap Team.... Hell, 2 shotguns and a flat of ammo in my trunk was just considered sporting equipment....

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Daddy:
A lifelong friend of mine lived on Thompson Rd. Ron Nixon lived about 1/4 mile west of Meridian on north side. We grew up together. Grade school thru HS. Hunted and fished together all the time.
We all fished and hunted all over that part of the state. Little brother went to Lincoln elementary school. Got pulled out of class by the FBI for blowing up mail boxes with chemical bombs. I think he was in the 3rd grade. Ha ha... I well know the bridge mentioned above. Remember when they built it. American Ag was on the north side of it. Great rabbit hunting out there. Also shot lots of crows all along White River in that area. I lived on Maxwell road just west of Meridian, about 1 short block south of the new 465 hwy. There was an American Legion post on Meridian there, with a huge field behind, where we used to hunt and shoot.....
We used to race out at Keystone Exit as it was being built in 68. Deputy used to bring radar gun out there and give us our speeds, sometimes. Can you imagine that happening today? They would have 10 swish teams and the FBI, HS and who knows what else, all out there to try to shoot us or at least put us in prison for something that would get us a life sentence. I really miss the good ole U. S. A. Life was good!!!!!

I remember a Nixon... I was thinking it was Tim though (my age)? Had to be darned near across the street from me! I went to Lincoln too. Sounds like we both had the same interests... blowing stuff up and shooting!

 

[nicajack]

Ron had a little brother named Tim and a Sis named Darla. Ron married Janet Adrian and they lived about q/4 mile south on Garden Drive. Ron suddenly died, about 5 years ago. Miss him a lot. Lost another lifelong friend about the same time. Another Southsider I used to raise hell with.....yeah, blew stuff up quite often....

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Ron had a little brother named Tim and a Sis named Darla. Ron married Janet Adrian and they lived about q/4 mile south on Garden Drive. Ron suddenly died, about 5 years ago. Miss him a lot. Lost another lifelong friend about the same time. Another Southsider I used to raise hell with.....yeah, blew stuff up quite often....

Oh man, sorry to hear about Ron. Sucks when you start losing friends that are your age, doesn't it? I knew some of the Adrians too - mainly Phil and Julie. Phil and his older brother (whose name escapes me now) were into go carts and that's how his older brother died - hit by a car on Epler if I remember correctly. And I'd forgotten about Darla. You're right between my two older sisters in age I guess. My oldest graduated from Southport in probably 63, and my other sister in 71 (I think).

On a lighter note, I've enjoyed this thread a lot! It's brought back some good memories, and it's kinda cool just how small a world it really is.

 

[nicajack]

They used to have turkey shoots out at Lake Leanwa on Southport Rosd, just east of the River. Zell Cross Owned the Pay Lakes there. He was really into collecting Brownings. They wouldn't let me shoot, but did get to hunt out there quite a bit. Fished a lot there, too. A good friend also lived out on Lake Rd. Willie Walden. We all went to school together, hunted and fished a lot. I wouldn't associate with anybody who didn't! I hunted and fished a lot, alone. Always have been comfortable being alone....John

 

[DoggyDaddy]

They used to have turkey shoots out at Lake Leanwa on Southport Rosd, just east of the River. Zell Cross Owned the Pay Lakes there. He was really into collecting Brownings. They wouldn't let me shoot, but did get to hunt out there quite a bit. Fished a lot there, too. A good friend also lived out on Lake Rd. Willie Walden. We all went to school together, hunted and fished a lot. I wouldn't associate with anybody who didn't! I hunted and fished a lot, alone. Always have been comfortable being alone....John

Leanwa is still there (renamed now). Never fished there though. I've always been comfortable being alone too and people always thought that was weird! Used to go down to Monroe even at 18 in Dad's old 14 foot fishing boat and not even take a tent. Just sleep on the floor of the boat, sometimes for 3 or 4 days at a time. When I got older (and got single for awhile) I did the same with my pontoon boat. Now I take a tent (18x10), queen-sized bedframe and air mattress, chairs, table, power inverter with an extra battery, a fan... DoggyMama, 2 dogs, and (sometimes) a cat... Still don't go to a campground though. I'd say I've gotten soft, but I tell ya what... lugging all that crap up a hillside from the boat isn't for sissies!