Mr. Fooz Sub Shop

Mr. Fooz opened in the mid-70's about the same time that Gillies did. People that remember the place still talk about the sub sandwiches. The only two beers on tap were Heineken and Pabst Blue Ribbon, although more were in cans and bottles. There weren't nearly as many beer choices then as there are now. Mr. Fooz got it's name due to the popularity of the game foozball (or foosball) at the time. There were tables in back and they would often have tournaments. Plenty of pinball machines also lined the walls.

People that frequented Mr. Fooz in the 1970's and into the early 80's always remember Wednesday night happy hour. The place could get quite crowded and rockin' hard. It was great to be an employee because you could escape behind the bar !!

Mr. Fooz was located just to the left of what is now Moe's. The classic logo is still endearing and enduring .... the drunken (or stoned) turkey bird smoking a cigarette and clutching a Heineken.

The Cost of Music

Just a quick follow up to the post below about Books, Strings & Things.

The actual price label pasted onto a vinyl album here shows the typical cost in the early 70's.

You can still buy them for that price, or less, at flea markets and thrift stores.

Gillies

Another Collegiate Times ad here, this time for Gillies when it was only half the place it is now (literally). Gillies opened in 1974 and I personally supported them by buying an ice cream cone every day, usually Mocha. That Louis Sherry was good stuff.

Gillies is now a Blacksburg institution and one of the longest lived restaurants around.

Inside Books Strings and Things

One of my favorite places in town, located on Draper Road where the Rivermill now operates. Bought most of my albums there, and spent many hours reading there too. On hot summer days my little beagle dog named Ajax was known to hang out on the cool concrete floor.

This photo was actually an ad in the Collegiate Times. An old friend of mine, Alma Henry, is facing on the right.

A Favorite Place

The New River Trading Company was located at 117 South Main Street, and eventually became a very popular bar. We'll talk about that one later. This great little store sold Levis and other clothing in 1970. I bought a lot of jeans and corduroys there, for about 5 bucks apiece.

A Unique Time

My wife and I have talked about it many many times.
What was it about the late 60's and early 70's? Was it because we were impressionable teenagers? Does every adolescent think they grew up in a unique time in America, or the world?
Or does this time period truly stand out in history, and we were just fortunate enough to be a part of it? We tend to believe the latter.
There was nothing unusual about Blacksburg then, not to us anyway. Need shoes? Go to the shoe store. Need aspirin? Go to one of the several drugstores. Need a hammer? Which hardware store downtown is closest to your house?
The only thing unusual in Blacksburg might have been from the perspective of the long time residents. The college students were changing. Their hair was long, their clothes were strange, they talked funny. They were protesting against a war that had taken many of their friends or young relatives. They were questioning everthing about the status quo. It didn't take long for the look of downtown Blacksburg to reflect those new ideals. Record stores started selling "head shop" gear - like bongs, rolling papers, pipes, and roach clips. Soon it was easy to find blacklight posters and day-glo paint, leather goods made into sandals or headbands, waterbeds, homemade jewelry, books and magazines about being self-sufficient on the land or about other cultures and religions to consider. And music .... oh my God the MUSIC .... it was as if true musical artistry and expression was exploding and showing up week after week on black vinyl with often surreal outer jackets. The world started changing after 1965 and the ball was still rolling steadily forward into the 70's.
I hope some of you might enjoy the upcoming trips down memory lane (aka College Avenue, Main Street, and others) as we continue to talk about the times, and the shops, that made up our little town in the beautiful mountains of southwest Virginia.

Another View North

The photographer was standing in front of the National Bank of Blacksburg at the corner of Main and Roanoke Streets. This shot is from the mid-70s I believe. In the foreground left is Tech Calculator and to the right is Credit Way (got a couple of loans there when things were tight!!)