Now and then I am asked questions along the lines of, “Has Maplewood always been the very friendly, progressive community that it is today?” I am happy to be asked these questions because I know that it hasn’t been. It has taken a lot of effort by myself and many others to create this community and the atmosphere that we now live in. For my part, I restored two homes and became our historian. I have produced two community history books and over 500 blog posts displaying hundreds of historic photographs. Also, I am an advocate for the arts and historic preservation.
When I moved here in 1975, downtown was a mess due to the redevelopment that was eventually aborted and then evolved into the KMart fiasco. Many storefronts on Sutton and Manchester were used for storage or businesses that didn’t contribute to a pleasant shopping or dining experience. In 2002, when we began the historical society, we set up displays in storefronts that were empty. First in a building that was in the row where the Focal Point and the Sabroso restaurant are today. Later in 7401 Hazel, the turreted building.
I’ve not run for office but I take my hat off to those who have. I have been fortunate to know several of the mayors, a few of the folks on the council, and some of the city staff. In those positions, we have had, and do have, quite a few very good people, highly qualified as well. All have had a hand in creating the Maplewood that we know today.
Another question that I have been asked in a few different ways is, “Was Maplewood a good place to be if you were Black? I have to say no. It may have been no worse than some of the other communities but still the evidence is that it wasn’t good.
All that is my segue into talking about Minstrel Shows. They are painful to consider these days but other communities had them and so did we. Recently Dawn Yourtee, who many of you will know from her years at our library, asked me if I would be interested in a program from a minstrel show performed in Maplewood that she had found with the memorabilia of her late husband’s family.
This program contains very little about the show. It is mostly advertising. I decided to run the whole thing in several parts and link to some of the advertisements related to posts I’ve done on my blog. This program will be added to the archive at the Maplewood Public Library once their reconstruction is finished.
From the cover, it appears that this series of shows began in 1932. They were held at our Masonic Temple. If you would like to know more about our Temple, click here.
Inside of the front cover. Gladys Yourtee was the ancestor of Dawn’s husband. I have done numerous posts about Kalb Electric which you can find here.
Many longtime Maplewoodites will recall EJ Pharmacy at their 7300 Manchester location.
Mayor Martini dedicating a war memorial that once occupied the NE corner of Manchester and Big Bend. It was May 7, 1944.
Many residents knew the late Tom Grellner who was the longtime manager of the Maplewood Pool. Tom was very good at the job. We sure missed him when he was no longer there. The Grellner Oil Company was a family business, I believe. Tom once told me they had a filling station on the corner of Big Bend and Shrewsbury where the KFC is now.
The famous Saratoga Lanes is one of the last of the “upstairsers” bowling alleys. You can link to my post about it here.
The Sutton Beauty Salon appears in one of Stan Masters wonderful paintings.
To read more about the Maplewood Pool, click here.
As usual, these things tend to get out of hand. Twenty years of digital archives are the reason. Just the links that are included in this post are a lot to digest. I hope you enjoy them.
It is the night of the election. I’m finding it hard to think of anything else. I’ll close for now.
Doug Houser November 5, 2024