In talking about some of the “stores past” in York County, a new commenter, Marsha Jones, brought up some specific to York’s downtown area.
She writes: “The downtown stores were the best. Remember the Bon Ton Tea Room and the anticipation of their Christmas display? Also, the perfume fountain? People’s in the square was great, the best variety of candy. Here’s one to test your memory, Robert Hall’s Clothing Store on West Market Street, across from the old West Side Hospital, remember? Thanks for the memories.”
Does anyone else remember those stores? While I was looking them up in our staff archives, I found a neat story from 2006 – “Remembering downtown’s department store heyday.” Check it out, and let me know what else you remember about downtown York in that era!
My name is Joan and I'm a lifelong Yorker. Throughout high school and college, I swore I was getting out of here as soon as possible. Now, a few years later, I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be. I love my town. And, as a local editor, I hear every day how much you love your towns, too. So please, connect with me and let's share what makes life in York County great. I'm here to help you enjoy this place as much as I do!
I remember going to Thom Mcann for school shoes. I also loved going to McCrory’s they had the basement where the sale items were. I also remember Robert Halls on West Market St. I also remember a store there were 2 of them, one was at N. Pine St & Boundary Ave., & the other was on W. Market St., where the Giant is now. The one on Market St., had long wooden floors that creaked. There stairs to get inside were long also, or maybe it was because I was little,lol.
as someone who was born and raised in York, I have vivid memories of the Bon Ton Tea room ( worked there as a bus boy while in High school from sept 62 to june 63) and Bears shoe department . My mother took me there all through my childhood for shoes. she would never think of shopping anyplace else. they used to have this machine that kids would stand on and stick there feet into these slots and it would show an xray of there feet. I wonder who safe that might have been. also, anybody remember Kay Jewlers in downtown York? was originaly located on S George street and then moved to 33 west market street. My father Managed both of those stores for years. they didn’t just sell jewlery but also radios, record players, dishes etc. it was a booming business for quite a while.
I sold hankies at Bears one Christmas season in h. s. When is the last time anyone’s seen a hanky?
My father worked for many years at that People’s Drug on the square. And we lived in West York, so I walked by the Robert Hall store twice a day on my way to and from school. Remember their jingle, “We’re doing our Christmas shopping at Robert Hall this year?” My grandmother worked at the West Side Hospital. Does anyone remember Green’s and Beck’s Dairies? Yuengling Ice Cream Plant? York Fruit and Oyster, which always struck me as such an odd combination?
And I remember the BonTon Tea Room and the x-ray machine at Bear’s–also their cafeteria.
What great memories!
I think the store in West York and the one at Pine and Boundary Avenue were Franklin Discount Stores. We always stopped in the one near Hannah Penn after school for sodas. My step-mother had a heart attack while driving and drove into the Robert Hall store sometime in the 80′s.
Jack’s was the upscale ladies store catacornered from the Bon Ton
Wiest’s was a clothing store in the first block of West Market St
For shoes it was Wolfgang’s in North York.
Looking for the name of a music store on 900 block of East Market St. across from goodwill fire house.
Back in the 60′s.