Growing up in Fort Plain

I was thinking the other day about how much fun it was growing up in Fort Plain many years ago. Some of the stores I remember: Waffles (what kid didn't go there....comic books,ice cream and candy bars for 5 and 7 cents!)....Ben Franklin( everything you wanted was there...toys,parakeets,yarn,cl othes,school supplies and what fun it was seeing all the different Halloween costumes!)...Dutchers Shoes...Connies (where almost everyone would hang out)....Bull Schwartz's pool hall ( if you weren't at Connies on Friday or Saturday night you were here)...Hotel Fort Plain.....Lewies Market....Jakes Market.....Floyds Barbershop....The Four Pillars.....The Iron horse.....Elm Tree Hall....Bob Mackenzies Restaurant( loved those square burgers on a toasted bun!).....The Cut and Curl....Jack and Jill.....Farm and Home.....Marsh's Meat Market....The Dugout.....The Red Mill.....The bowling alley....Petries Bakery....Jims Sunoco....Beanies Garage....and the list could go on and on.

Summer was a time for playing Little League when it was known as the Fort Plain Small Fry League..fishing by the old Red Mill....riding your bike all over the village....playing ball in Haslett Park despite the "no ball playing" sign.....band concerts conducted by Rex Pryor and the ice cream socials

Wonder why no one rides down Lydius Street hill in the winter anymore. Used to be common for 25 or more sledders to be there at a time. Those were great times!!!

nothing for nothing but i must agree with you 100%. I am only 30 but I do remember some of the great stores that we had in our town. I remember waking up on sunday mornings and going to jakes to get his breakfast sausage and the going to waffles (the news stand) were ol ozzy osbourne threatened to cut off my ear. I do miss those old times and always remeber my dad telling me the stories about the fort plain hotel, waffles, and the montgomery wards store that my grandpa jack ran. what will i be able to say in the future to my kids. I lived in a town with no stores, no stoies nothing. Fort plain is a very boring place, but it is my home, I just wish that it could go back to being a good town instead of a place of breeding and welfare. People just need to have some respect for themselves, and maybe our town could go back to being a good place to live.

Just read the last post. I agree it's not like it was... But I am fortunate to work in one of the stores you say aren't here. Yes there is many more we would like to see, but it's a start. And if you and your's find a time to support us. Me and 20 other people won't loose our jobs again..

what store do you work for? I do support the local businesses, but there are not a lot of businesses left, and that is why people go elsewhere. I went to college to be a cook, and want to open my own restaurant, but I must say this area would not be my top choice. Do not get me wrong I do give the up most respect to the area business owners, if you can keep a business in fort plain you can have a business anywhere..

It's still a good village, but there is an overwhelming difference now from yesteryear. It's called welfare. Welfare was once a mechanism to help those who had lost their job or came upon hard times. Now, it's a source of income. Most of the residents of the village are no longer autonomous, pride bearing individuals. Many have a sense of entitlement. On the other hand you have people are are filled with envious thoughts, who can't stand to see others with a spirit of happiness. It would be great and thus we may see the day where main street and canal street are filled with local merchants again, but these people need our support. This village can rise again, but it will take a commitment of more than just a few people.

matt hearn wrote:

nothing for nothing but i must agree with you 100%. I am only 30 but I do remember some of the great stores that we had in our town. I remember waking up on sunday mornings and going to jakes to get his breakfast sausage and the going to waffles (the news stand) were ol ozzy osbourne threatened to cut off my ear. I do miss those old times and always remeber my dad telling me the stories about the fort plain hotel, waffles, and the montgomery wards store that my grandpa jack ran. what will i be able to say in the future to my kids. I lived in a town with no stores, no stoies nothing. Fort plain is a very boring place, but it is my home, I just wish that it could go back to being a good town instead of a place of breeding and welfare. People just need to have some respect for themselves, and maybe our town could go back to being a good place to live.

Matt I remember you Grandfathers Montgomery Ward store. My family did a lot of business there during Christmas too. Not sure if Mark or John was your Dad but I remember when John used to work at Waffles....way back when.....lol

but also for local stores to thrive we need other jobs to employees people who will shop at said stores i might not have been born here but i now call fort plain my home with pride i have lived in a lot of places trust me fort plain is heaven compared to some places.

Well I am not as old as alot of you on here.I do remember when the Shoe store was here,ben franklin store was here along with the Busy Bee,beanies garage the furniture place(currently True Value).Alot has changed over the years,even the people.I remember watching the State Street Bridge being Swollen up by the flood waters,those same flood waters filling up the Grand Union.

That's the Fort Plain I remember too. My mom and aunt used to work at the Busy Bee and I'd go there and play video games in the arcade,plus Frank's had a small arcade too and my bro used to hang out there alot. Ben Franklin was a great place to get candy and stuff. I guess the place I miss the most is the bowling alley. I was too young to remember it when the Donatos owned it but have fond memories when the Saccos were there. Al Sacco always used to let me bowl for free as long as I used the overhead scorekeepers. Definitely good times growing up in Fort Plain.

Eat me Fort Plain. I sold all your jobs to the Red Chinese Commies because they will work for $3.00 a day and they don't get fat or give me any lip.

I don't owe you nuttin. All I'm interested in is making oodles of money for very little effort on my part.