Maplewood History: Fennell Trove Contains Some Extraordinary Images – Addenda

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Addenda is a word that I don’t often use.  At least, I don’t remember the last time I used it.  I knew the word I wanted for the title of this post was either addenda or addendum but I admit I didn’t know which was correct.  I now know that addenda is the plural of addendum. It is not the feminine form of addendo as some of you might suspect. I’m talking to you, Antonia and Antonio.

If this post had only contained a single image or a single document then I would have used addendum, I think.  It contains much more than that as you’ll see. Thanks to the vast amount of space the internet allows for this sort of thing, I am able to post many more images of the historic items that these many kind folks have let me copy.  Much thanks to Nancy Fennell Hawkins for sharing her trove of Fennell memorabilia with all of us.

Included among the other items in the Fennell trove is this photocopy of an image of two buildings that were once located at the intersection of Manchester Road and Arthur Ave.  Followers of this space are aware that Arthur Ave. was once located in about the middle of the 7300 block of Manchester running north for just one block and terminating at Lohmeyer Ave.  The car is a Model T Ford.  Model T’s were produced from 1908 – 1927.  I found a similar example online called a Runabout.  Many Model T’s are identifiable by the six louvers on the side of the hood.  The first transcontinental road race was won by a T in 1909.  It needed only 22 days and 55 minutes to cover the 4,100 miles averaging 7.75 miles per hour.
Nancy’s father, Robert W. Fennell (standing) with Chief Flori and Lt. Blackford examining some items that had been shoplifted.
Bob and Santa at Golde’s Department Store about 1950.
Bob holding his trophy after winning first place in the beard contest held during Maplewood’s Golden Jubilee, 50th Anniversary celebration in 1958.
Also from 1958, Leo and Bob ready for the parade. Looks like Bob has on a pair of still stylish Converse All Stars.  I had a few pairs of those myself.
One of Dot and Bob’s celebrity friends. Anyone out there remember Jean Carmen?
200 songs!  From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Jan 30, 1938.
Don Wilson and friend. Anybody remember this fellow?

The back of the previous photo. Nancy writes, “Don Wilson was a friend from church.  His Dad had a watch and clock repair shop on Manchester for many years, but I’m sorry I don’t remember the name.”

How about Orval Heflin? Now there’s an unusual name. Anybody remember him?  He signed the portrait dated 9-10-28. He would have been 18 years old.
Nancy was at this event in 1953 or 54 but she doesn’t remember exactly what it was called. She doesn’t think it was Homecoming.
Same event. Nancy writes, “On the left is Mary Harper, middle is Mary Lou Little, and I’m on the right.”
I saved one of the best for last. Though totally accidental, the composition of this image couldn’t be better. The subject, A Day at the Beach, is terrific.  The names of these folks are shown in the next image.
You’re going to have to figure this one out on your own.
This might explain part of it.  Note that it took them 10 days to get back from California!

 

This concludes the fifth post from the fascinating Fennell trove.  That is, at least, a couple more than I thought I would get out of it when I first began working on it  I’m not done yet.  Nancy included a few other items as well.  One of which is a journal kept by Sam Bland.  I scanned about a third of it.  With the magnification provided by the computer I discovered that it is anything but bland.  There are very many pages written in a very small hand.  I won’t try to post all of it but I should be able to pull out quite a number of interesting tidbits.  Look for it pretty soon.

As always I would like to express my appreciation to all of you who comment, make suggestions, contribute material and so on.  There would be nothing here without you.

Thanks.

Doug Houser   November 30, 2019.

 

 

 

 

 

21 COMMENTS

  1. The girl in the pictures with all the ladies and their bouquets….Looks actually like one of two girls I went to High School….Virginia Bauer and/or Carol Wagner (married name)…Can’t remember her maiden name….Ginny Bauer is passed so I can’t ask her…and no way to share the picture with Carol….she’s a friend on Facebook….. But it does look like a girls organization….Maybe something to do with the Masonic place that used to be at Manchester and Big Bend………Pat Maloney.

    • Hi Pat, The MRH above the stage indicates that the event was at the high school. I believe our library was digitizing yearbooks and putting them online. I haven’t gotten around to checking that out so I don’t know how many they have done. Thanks for your guess.

  2. I loved seeing the photo of Manchester and Arthur Avenue. I lived on Arthur in the 50’s. At that time Eddie’s Pizza was on the corner. Thanks for all the great memories!!

  3. Response to Diana Pink – Yes, that is Leo Edwards and his wife was Alice. Very nice folks. They lived across the street from us on Valley Avenue. I can’t remember where Leo worked, but when my Mom went to work during the war, she rode with Leo. Alice helped Mom a lot and made clothes for us girls. I believe Leo and Alice were relatives of the Melvin Boyer family who also lived on Valley.

  4. It is great to see a photo of Emil Flori. He was a friend of my Dad’s as was Leo Buck. I would see Emil a lot when I worked at the Fleet station at Manchester & Hanley back in the late 50s and early 60s.

    • I’m glad you saw someone you recognized, Don. The Fleet Station at Manchester and Hanley? Was it right across Manchester from Sunnen?

      • There was a gas station at northeast corner for many years. I think it was a Zephyr before it was closed and torn down. Maybe early 1990s?

        • I have a dim memory of a gas station there. Seems like it didn’t have a proper building. Just a sort of cubicle where the attendant sat. Remember that? Also there was a place to buy marble located right next door just east. Interesting old shop with a lot of junk sitting around it. Inside everything was covered with an inch of marble dust. There were some large machines for cutting and polishing the marble. It used to be a much bigger deal to buy a piece of marble than it is today.

          • It was a small building, just big enough for the cashier and a couple of customers. They sold small items like cigarettes, soda, and candy bars. Also it had maybe 2 gas pumps, a far cry from the QTs we have now.
            I want to say it was a Zephyr station or a Clark.

  5. crazy thought here. I look at the pictures of the police with their tie and hat on and the first thing that pops into my head is Barney Fife. I’m sorry but it just does. I wonder if the police of the day were offended at the antics, the goofy, quirky Barney and complained about the bad image that Barney was giving them?

    Nothing more….

    • Boy, you got me on that one, Mark. Perhaps they were more likely to identify with the sheriff, Andy Griffith. He was a pretty cool character.

  6. The name Fennell caught my attention. My mother Doris Edith Williams (Fischer) grew up on Rannells Ave. She was best friends with Kate Fennell (Wirick). We shared many evenings, picnics, and Thanksgivings with Aunt Kate and Uncle Jim. In the 60’s & 70’s, Jim Wirick used to own Tires & Treads on the north end of Kirkwood Rd (Lindbergh Blvd) across from Rauscher Cheverolet.

    • Jim, thanks so much for that connection. Many folks have responded with their memories of the Fennell family. It is good to hear from you.

    • My Aunt Kate Fennell Wirick was my Dad’s sister. She was a wonderful lady. I still keep in touch with her daughter, Emily Jane. You may have know my Aunt Evelyn Schall as well. She and her husband, Henry, lived just a few blocks over.

  7. Doug, You never cease to amaze me. I have enjoyed these postings like I had never seen the pictures before. Thank you so much for sharing these. I hope they bring some memories to folks in Maplewood.

    • Nancy, thank you and you’re welcome. If you’re happy, we are. Rest assured your material rekindles many memories for a lot of folks. We thank you for providing it.

  8. Picture with all the girls in it. I notice only one guy and he is at the microphone so maybe the announcer. Maybe some sort of society for girls or something like that. Maybe try comparing those pictures with pictures from the high school yearbooks. Or maybe the other two people she names are still around and might remember?

    Neat pictures that is for sure.

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