Saturday, July 18, 2020

When Reading Old Town History

Or , history of any kind .  But , at the moment I have just finished reading a bit of town history in one of the local newspapers on the Internet about a Frosty Shop that originated in the 1960's with signature soft cream ice cream returning after a few years of closure and being reincarnated .
(google image)
This snippet of the days news raised my awareness of how much I enjoy history and how my reading experience has changed since I have become one of "those older folks" .

When I moved to the mountains over 25 years ago and I was of 53 years of age I had no idea that I would still be living in "my little dream home" today .  Thankful, thankful, thankful .  Actually, did not give it any thought . I say "dream home" because I often wondered if I would ever get past the days of "renting" following my divorce and sale of a home my husband had built and we lived in together for most of 9 years until a divorce .  Following a life that felt extremely fortunate because at such a young age the picture of a happy healthy little family with two little children (a boy and a girl at that) and a dog and a cat (no - just a cat) , loving one another , stay-at home mother and nicely employed father and a church going family with children in private/perochial school) , how could life have changed so drastically and quite unexpectedly ?  After all , at the time , in many circles , wasn't that the picture of a Life That Had It All ?  Think about it .  Wasn't it the Silent Generation for Women ?  It wasn't long before the Modern Women’s Emancipation began.  Now , that's a whole new subject .  And a Hot One at that .  Maybe another time !

Life as a single parent with almost no extended family emotional support and  next to no interaction from an estranged children's father , working as a Nurse and renting  an apartment or house became the norm for 18 years , moving from one home to another based on the event of the rent being raised ! It was a time of feeling like I had failed by my families standard , and they let me know it !  However . through judicious effort , to become a home/mortgage owner , that accomplishment became reality over 25 years ago .  What an exciting time it was for me .  And , I did it on my own by saving every penny possible . Now , that was a tight budget !

Let me tell you that is enough to give you an expanded view of history and life in general .  Life is not a bowl of cherries - yes, there are pits and a lot of them .

Now, back to the Frosty Shop ! The Frosty Shop is returning to the same location after being closed for several years at the same location .
(google photo-2020)
I remember shortly after moving here a new acquaintance introduced me to the Columbia Frosty on a hot summer day . It was a small building along the road to another place .  There were many cars and trucks parked and people milling around with a Frosty cone in hand and their summer parched tongue delighting in the cool soft feeling .  Oh , was that Soft Serve ice cream great ?

Until recently, I did not fully know the history of this unforgettable "little stop in the road".  After reading a very nice history review of this delightful place I realized how my reading was highlighted with my awareness of dates and a quick reflection of my own life at that time . It was as if I was reliving that exact moment in time but in a distant location of my very own private life! The description of the evolution of events and years of Frosty , which were lengthy carried me along in tandem with my very own life .

There was another Frosty before Columbia Frosty . The other Frosty was built in the early 60's in a nearby town that is now more than 200 feet below the surface of the local reservoir . The town was drowned in the early 70's when the Reservoir was built . It was a terrible time for the about 75 people left when their homes and businesses were buried in water for the reservoir .

The owner of the Frosty disassembled the Frosty and took pieces up to Columbia to use to build the new Columbia Frosty . That was in 1967 . And, they ran the business for a long time .

I remember the historic taste of a great Frosty Cone and usually along side of a juicy hamburger with french fries made to perfection when I lived in a different location , but in California .  And , that was before the mass production of fast food . The norm was for families to usually eat at home generally around the kitchen table . At least that was the stereotype description of meal time !

Columbia Frosty was closed for a few years and sat empty along the roadside . And I often wondered if it would open again .  And , now we are going to have "Our Frosty" back . And , the new owners will know how to get it right .  They both have lived in the area since childhood and remember walking from school over to Frosty to get a nice tall Soft Cream Frosty .

This has been a nice journey down memory lane .  And , it so happens that I just took dinner from the oven called Mom's Tuna Casserole . Now , does that sound like the 50" and 60's and the thereafter . Recently saw the recipe and thought that sounds good . I can't count the times past how many Tuna Casseroles I have made! How coincidental . Funny how things work , sometimes .
Who knows what will drift through my brain next time I sit down to write something?

Stay Safe . No comfort thinking about state of affairs!

Mary

1 comment:

  1. Your story is always an inspiring read. I remember the town of Columbia because that is the town with municipal airport we flew into whenever we visited up your way. They have a wonderful historical society and museum there with a large display of the history of E Clampus Vitus.

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White Garden 2009

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