Letters. I get letters. Well, mostly I get emails and texts but I do occasionally get a letter as well. Recently I heard from my old friend and fellow Maplewood history aficionado, Tom Bakersmith by email. Tom had this to say.
Hi Doug, As I think you know, I am interested in the old “Ghost Signs”. One’s painted on building walls years ago. There are quite a few in Maplewood. This one is on the Sutton side of the building that houses Rich’s Hair Salon and Tiffany’s Diner. I can make out NAILS TOOLS CUTLERY. at the top. I wonder what hardware store it was. Was it in that building? Tom Bakersmith
I decided to do a little investigating of Tom’s ghost sign. Let’s have a look at what I found.
You may recall that we have been looking for a hardware store to satisfy Tom Bakersmith’s insatiable demand for details of the history of our fair city. Well, Tom, I didn’t find it. I was getting haircuts at Ragsdale’s at that address back in the 1970’s. A member of that family, Rich, still owns the place. If there had been a hardware store at that location sometime between 1942 and the 1970’s I’m fairly certain someone would remember it.
Perhaps the hardware store was at 7402 Manchester, you may be thinking. I didn’t find one there, either. But I did find…
Some of the more alert of you may by now be wondering whatever became of the Warring Furniture Company? Keep reading.
I never did find that hardware store. Sorry, Tom. My guess is that the ghost sign was advertising a store that was nearby just not in the building at 7400-02 Manchester or maybe we just ain’t found it yet?
I continue to enjoy my favorite season…summer. But I have to admit, heatophile that I am, 100 degrees is too much of a good thing. I hope to see you at the pool.
Doug Houser July 29, 2022
16 COMMENTS
My dad went to this bank every Friday evening to cash his check with me in tow. As a youngster it seemed cavernous. My dad always had a penny for me to put in the gum machine as we left. He also made sure he had some spare change for the collection box held by the woman in the Salvation Army uniform who stood outside the front door. She handed out a red crepe paper poppy in return.
Love the picture of the Bank of Maplewood! When I would go in with my mom very few times, it looked so huge and stately! When I saw the bank in Mary Poppins, it was, to me, totally like that! Huge pillars outside and dark wood and marble inside. The owner of the bank, a white haired friendly man would circulate among the many people inside greeting each one. The family, or at least a part of the family, lived in a newer house just near where Sutton curves and dead ends north…across the street, as I recall. A grandson by the same last name taught with me in Pattonville…but all I can remember is the name started with H. Thx for the memories!
Hi Doug, was there ever a grocery store where Foley’s bar is on greenwood or around there, I would say around 1950’s? I’m not able to find anything stating there was.
Hey Linda, The short answer to your question is that there were several grocery stores in the buildings that now comprise the Greenwood Historic District. You can have a look at the National Register information here: https://mostateparks.com/page/84921/st-louis-county-national-register-listings
Then look for Greenwood Historic District. Good luck.
Doug, Johnny Ryan’s bar was on the Southwest corner of Manchester and Sutton. I remember in the 1950’s we had a retired priest, Father Ryan. He used to say 7:45 mass on weekdays, and he was fast. 15 minute masses. We used to see him walk by the store in the mornings going up to Johnny Ryan’s for an “eye opener”. At least that’s what Pop said.
Also, the Warring Building housed Shamrock Furniture in the early 1950’s.
Eye opener, huh? That’s a good one. Also goes by “a little hair of the dog that bit ya.” I love the story about the 15 minute masses.
Shamrock Furniture was also located in the 7100 block where they suffered a terrible fire. I think this must have been before they were in the Warring building about which I had no knowledge. I’ll have to see if I can find enough about them to fill a post.
Thanks, Jim, for adding your eyewitness accounts to our archive.
Doug I’ll add this to the mix. Once when Rich was cutting my hair I looked down at the floor and noticed that half was a newer oak floor (west side), and the other half (east side) possibly maple, looked like it had received much more wear. Rich told me that’s because at one time a bar ran the length of the place, and the side of the bar where the work went on (east side) at one time needed to be replaced. Maybe Johnny Ryan’s.
Well, that seals the deal then. I’d like to think that the spirit of Johnny Ryan may still make an appearance now and then. Along with that unnamed blues singer in the basement.
It seems to me that where the hair salon is may have been a bar. I can remember seeing a print of Custer’s Last Stand in the front window. This was 1954?
My dad went to this bank every Friday evening to cash his check with me in tow. As a youngster it seemed cavernous. My dad always had a penny for me to put in the gum machine as we left. He also made sure he had some spare change for the collection box held by the woman in the Salvation Army uniform who stood outside the front door. She handed out a red crepe paper poppy in return.
Does anyone remember what the Diner was called before it became Tiffany’s Diner? My hubby and I can’t remember and it is driving us crazy.
Monk’s, I believe
Monk’s was on Seinfeld! Morgan’s was in Maplewood before Tiffany’s.
Love the picture of the Bank of Maplewood! When I would go in with my mom very few times, it looked so huge and stately! When I saw the bank in Mary Poppins, it was, to me, totally like that! Huge pillars outside and dark wood and marble inside. The owner of the bank, a white haired friendly man would circulate among the many people inside greeting each one. The family, or at least a part of the family, lived in a newer house just near where Sutton curves and dead ends north…across the street, as I recall. A grandson by the same last name taught with me in Pattonville…but all I can remember is the name started with H. Thx for the memories!
Hey Pickett, I don’t have anything that contains the information that you are looking for. Sorry. Here is a link to my past posts about the Bank of Maplewood.
https://40southnews.com/maplewood-history-the-bank-of-maplewood-part-3/
Thanks for your comment.
Hi Doug, was there ever a grocery store where Foley’s bar is on greenwood or around there, I would say around 1950’s? I’m not able to find anything stating there was.
Hey Linda, The short answer to your question is that there were several grocery stores in the buildings that now comprise the Greenwood Historic District. You can have a look at the National Register information here:
https://mostateparks.com/page/84921/st-louis-county-national-register-listings
Then look for Greenwood Historic District. Good luck.
Doug, Johnny Ryan’s bar was on the Southwest corner of Manchester and Sutton. I remember in the 1950’s we had a retired priest, Father Ryan. He used to say 7:45 mass on weekdays, and he was fast. 15 minute masses. We used to see him walk by the store in the mornings going up to Johnny Ryan’s for an “eye opener”. At least that’s what Pop said.
Also, the Warring Building housed Shamrock Furniture in the early 1950’s.
Eye opener, huh? That’s a good one. Also goes by “a little hair of the dog that bit ya.” I love the story about the 15 minute masses.
Shamrock Furniture was also located in the 7100 block where they suffered a terrible fire. I think this must have been before they were in the Warring building about which I had no knowledge. I’ll have to see if I can find enough about them to fill a post.
Thanks, Jim, for adding your eyewitness accounts to our archive.
Doug I’ll add this to the mix. Once when Rich was cutting my hair I looked down at the floor and noticed that half was a newer oak floor (west side), and the other half (east side) possibly maple, looked like it had received much more wear. Rich told me that’s because at one time a bar ran the length of the place, and the side of the bar where the work went on (east side) at one time needed to be replaced. Maybe Johnny Ryan’s.
Well, that seals the deal then. I’d like to think that the spirit of Johnny Ryan may still make an appearance now and then. Along with that unnamed blues singer in the basement.
It seems to me that where the hair salon is may have been a bar. I can remember seeing a print of Custer’s Last Stand in the front window. This was 1954?
Hey Larry, I wonder if that might have been Johnny Ryan’s. I have had other folks mention that name to me.
There was a hardware store next to the Maplewood bank across the corner. You can see it when you blow up the pictures of the bank.
Right you are, George. I’ll post a photo of that hardware store above.