More memories of stores in downtown York

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Moving into 2011, I’m going to try to be consistent with at least one “Do you remember…” post a week, every Saturday. But your memories are a lot faster than my posting!
So, for at least a little while, in addition to Saturdays, I’m going to fill in here and there with more memories.
Please keep them coming! I love hearing from everyone and sharing your stories!
Today’s post comes from some memories shared back over the summer, when we talked about some of the downtown businesses.

John Loeper writes, “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 Bear’s 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 x-ray of there feet. I wonder how safe that might have been. Also, anybody remember Kay Jewelers in downtown York? Was originally 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 jewelry but also radios, record players, dishes etc. It was a booming business for quite a while.”
Suz also remembers her family’s work downtown – and the x-rays! She says, “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 Bon-Ton Tea Room and the X-ray machine at Bear’s – also their cafeteria. What great memories!”
Jo was funny, regarding Bear’s. She writes, “I sold hankies at Bear’s one Christmas season,” when she was in high school. “When is the last time anyone’s seen a hanky?,” she asks.

Commenter Bill Landes writes, “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.”
Meanwhile, Cindy Wilson had a different shoe experience. She writes, “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 Hall’s on West Market St. I also remember a store, there were 2 of them, one was at N. Pine St & Boundary Ave., and 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!”
My brother-in-law Mike knows what those were! He says, “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.” (I had NOT ever heard that story, by the way! I’m counting on Mike to fill me in during Christmas dinner!)
Keep your downtown memories coming! In addition to regular posts, I’m still updating the big York County, Pa., stores and restaurants of the past directory!

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