It was so nice having a small department store downtown in the 1970's. Roses filled the bill when it came to replenishing the stock in your apartment, house, or dorm room .... from shampoo to frying pans, lamps to welcome mats, all the basic necessities were there. Malls were all the rage as the decade moved forward, but it was a shame that these types of stores had to suffer as a result. I'd still shop there today if it were back again.
Today the building is known as the Town Centre, directly across from the downtown Post Office, and houses a variety of smaller stores. The photo shows another example of cars being able to park right on Main Street. I miss that too !!!!
I know I am slightly off topic with all my posts - but my memory years were created between 1956 and when we moved in 1971. Hopefully there are others who have these same cross over years in common. Before Roses was in this location, I seem to recall going into another location, perhaps where Corner Drug Store was - or close by it and mama always said we were going to the "Five and Dime". I remember open wooden bins with merchandise in them and also seem to recall creaky wooden board floors. Hopefully someone with just a few more years on me can help me fill in the memory, Meanwhile, my fondest memories of Roses was when the Duncan Yoyo sales rep came to town. He stood outside the store and wowed passersby with the many tricks he could perform with a Duncan YoYo. Just like any really good "barker" he had all the kids clamoring for one of these yoyos. Obviously, once we spent our allowance on them...we figured out that we couldn't do any of the same tricks except "Walk the Dog" - which basically was our own inapt abilities to snap it back to our hand and left it just free-spinning at the end of the string. My 2nd fondest memory was wandering through the store and stumbling on my very first Chord Organ. I would go back several times a week and actually taught myself how to play the darn thing...even though I had never had a piano class in my life. (I had just learned beginner clarinet because I was in 4th grade at the time.) I guess someone in the store must have noticed my efforts because as the Christmas Season drew nigh, I was asked if I wanted a job. I was offered a quarter or fifty cents to come in and play the organ for a half hour or so on Saturdays. I thought I was in heaven. Someone must have told my mom about my "talent" because it was no time before she had me move out of my bedroom so she could rent it to a Piano Distributor. She was also able to buy a Story and Clark piano at cost and I started my piano lessons. What memories I have of practicing my piano and cleaning the keys with alcohol and dusting it every Saturday. I do so desparetly miss my piano! Who remembers coming to play on the keyboards at my house???
ReplyDeleteI stumbled across this site in a fit of nostalgia - all I can say is thank you for posting this pictures, Blacksburg was my childhood home although I was born in Colorado. I had to move away when we moved to Beckley, WV, my mother's home town when I had just started middle school in '75 .... I often wish we had stayed, my happiest childhood moments are all there. I remember the mall playing in the fountains, downtown and Roses.... I thought I would never be able to view these sites again outside my memory... thank you so much!!!
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