IT WAS A WONDERFUL LIFE!!
First to our Parents: You gave us your best, when it was not always easy to do so. You were our Sunday School teachers, our Boy/Girl scout leaders, PTA leaders. You fed us and clothed us with your very best! you made our "formals" (prom dresses), and even our cheerleading outfits! you protected and loved us with all you had. Your sacrifices and struggles have not gone unnoticed nor unappreciated. God bless you all!
To our churches: You taught us about God and His Son Jesus; how to get along with others; and the difference between right and wrong, and that truth always wins. You gave us some of God's best servants, men like Bros. Sweet, Magee, Lee, Beckman, Vestal, all the Fowlers at Brown Spur, and many others. You molded our moral lives to live as good and decent citizens. Thank you!
To the local citizens: Everybody's parents knew and cared for everybody else's kids. We could go out on Halloween night and "trick or treat" from one end of town to the other on foot after dark without our parents and return home safely, because we knew you would look out for us. And we had no need to have our "treats" x-rayed to avoid injury. You were great ! Mrs. Maude Ballard made the best pop corn balls in the south, but you had to go to her house early or they'd be all gone! Thank you.
To Manila Public School & our teachers: You were the center of our universe. We loved the Lions; the Black and Gold; the school song (which some of our parents wrote); the Harvest Carnival; year-end picnic at the city park; homecoming;basketball games;the Senior Trip to places like Rockaway Beach and the Gulf Coast! You taught us to read and write, how to make a living and take care of ourselves in this world. You even took us to a free movie at Christmas time, hauling us uptown to the Ritz or Tipton Theater. What a treat that was in those days ! Your example demonstrated the significance of a patriotic citizenry. We could pray aloud at school before lunchtime without fear of a lawsuit (people were stonger and less hyper-sensitive back then; we lived in true freedom!) Thank you dear Teachers and The Manila Public School.
To the doctors: There was "old" Dr. Fox (who actually saved this writer's life), Dr. Ratton, "Dr.Tom"really hospitals, and then Shaneyfelt Hospital. They took care of everything from the common cold to delivery of babies, and they even made house calls!
Dr. Nelson was the town dentist and a very good one. Only "Doc" Shaneyfelt is still here, so we send out thanks to him for all of them.
To the City of Manila: You were another center or our universe, where all good things happened, and we were safe. We could "Drag Main," make a U-turn at the Monument, and then circle the Pig Stand, and then do it again and again! You allowed us the use of the old American Legion "hut" down by the monument to have "Teen Town" once a week. Our "city marshal" Mr. Lee Baker kept a watchful eye over us and for us. He even issued some of us our first driving license (prior to required testing). He knew us and our parents' character, and that was good enough for him! Odd how that old system seemed to work so well. We remember places like Stahr's Drug Store, where we could play the jukebox and eat a hamburger; and Alston's Drug Store, where we could sip a vanilla Pepsi or cherry Coke and keep very cool in the summer - it was the coldest place on earth! We had a city park and a swimming pool run by Mr. and Mrs. McCullough. They were like our grandparents watching over us in the water.
We remember the clothing ("dry goods") stores: Tiger-Levine's, Cotton Rubenstein's , Fendler's, and Baddour's (later Fred's). We could go to the post office, then on "Main Street" where Miranda's is now located. We could go in there ask for our mail at the window, and Big Joe Hornberger would always tease us about something. Mr. Bud McWhirter would be busy with something, but not too busy to stop and acknowledge us. We had several grocery stores in town; Jolliff's, Fox's, Chestnut's, Ballard's, Roach's, and Downing's "Super Market" on Main; McMasters at the Monument, and Henson's and Dobbins' at Beauchamp Corner. We actually had a dry cleaners in town, known as Shedd's, later owned by the Millers. There was McKinnon's and McCann's Furniture Stores; McCulley-McKinnon's Lumber company, and Manila Lumber Company. There was places like the Red Palace Cafe and the City Cafe, and we remember when they began advertising "Air-Conditioned" on their front windows, enticing us inside. There was a Place known as "Joe Bill's," where it was rumored one could buy the best burger in town. We had the old Esso Station and the Lion station, where gas was very cheap compared with today's prices--we teenagers could ride around an entire weekend, virtually nonstop, on $5 worth of gas--yes, it filled the tank!
Way back when we needed ice, we could go to Jake Dunkin's ice house and buy a block. We could go to rodeos in the summer with Trigger Wall commentating and sponsoring the event. We had what might be called a "lumber processing center," better known at the time as "Shortie Wagner's Stave Mill." The railroad track ran right beside it and through town. The track ran east and west beside the old Manila depot, which is still sitting there. There was a ten-cent store, Lane's Variety, where Mrs. Lane was known to dole out an occasional freebie to us kids. We could go in the back of the store and either have our shoes repaired or just watch Mr. Lane busy working on other people's shoes or boots. he always wore and apron while working, which was anytime you saw him. Manila had a nursing home even way back then. At that time some called it an "old-folks home" or "where the old people stay." According to the writer's recollection, the Veaches were the only owners during those years. The origional building is still there, although remodeled. No need telling you where it is---you should already know! If you are too young to have been around, or too old to remember, ask a baby-boomer!
During those years, Saturdays on Main Street in Manila was like going to the mall nowadays--everyone went, shopped, and had a grand time! We could buy groceries, look for clothes, go to the drug stores for a coke, and go to the movies (back then we called it "going to the show"). We had two movie houses (we called them theaters) to chose from, or we could go to both, since it only cost a quarter to get in--The Ritz and Tipton's Theaters. On Saturday nights the Ritz (also known as Fleeman's) featured a "Midnight Show", which most of the time was a "scary show."
We had the Pig Stand, yet another center or our universe, which was originally located at the present day Town Crier office. During the sixties, it moved to where the American Legion now sits. We had some good times at the Pig Stand ! Ask any Manila Baby-Boomer ! As the line in the song goes "Those were the days, my friend. We thought they'd never end." It was a good place to live and grow up in. Thank you, City of manila.So much to be thankful for, not only at this time of the year, but always. With all the many blessings we've had,there's no reason why shouldn't be a success at whatever we endeavor to do.Thanks again, Manila.God Bless YOU! It was a wonderful life. Thanksgiving 2000 By Debbe McWilliams Donner class of 66 & Toshya Wagner Rice class of 62 (See Wonderful Life ll below)
