Well, this conversation is bringing back so many memories. I used to go skating somewhere in Decatur. It seems there were some amusement rides there too by the skating rink. I remember going to the park there in town to the little Santa house at Christmas time. Do they still do that? There was a lighthouse cafe by Lake Decatur where we would get the best hamburgers and milk shakes. That was when they made the shakes out of real ice cream, those are hard to find these days. I put a picture of that cafe on the Macon Co. site that some kind soul sent me. I actually grew up in Boody and once a week there was a little store down on Hwy.48 and they would show a movie . Everyone brought their blankets and sat on the ground. I believe the people who owned that store were Jenkins. I spent a lot of time of E. Mueller Ave. where my grandparents lived and lots of good times there. Helen in Idaho > > From: "Marsha McWilliams" <marsha.mcw@mchsi.com> > Date: 2004/01/16 Fri AM 10:01:56 PST > To: ILMACON-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: RE: RE: [ILMACON] Durfee School > > All of this sure brings back memories to me also! We lived in Decatur in > the 40's & 50's ... Does anyone else remember the "Y" Teen Dances (held in > their building across the street from the Library?) ... Roy Rogers ...yes! > Only I remember the Alhambra Theatre (I believe) on Saturday mornings. My > Mom use to cashier once in a while at the Avon Theatre... Did anyone else > ride/rent horses at "Trail Riders" (other than me?) It was in Mt. Zion and > I think it's now called mainly Big Creek Park. My Mother (now 81) went to > her High School Class Reunion (Decatur High) just this past summer. > Needless to say, there were several graduating years involved in that. > > Marsha > Email: marsha.mcw@mchsi.com > > > -----Original Message----- > From: heartsweetnana@adelphia.net [mailto:heartsweetnana@adelphia.net] > Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 11:27 AM > To: ILMACON-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: RE: [ILMACON] Durfee School > > That really saddens me to hear about Decatur. When I was a child in the 40's > and 50's it was a thriving city. I remember how special Monday nights were > as that was the night the stores stayed open late, so we would make our > little journey from the village of Boody into the "big" city. Boy, how > things have changed. Do they still have the city buses? I spent many > weekends at my grandparents home who lived in Decatur and every Saturday I > along with the other neighborhood kids would get on the bus and go into > town, get off at the transfer house and take in a good old movie. Usually > Gene Autry or Roy Rogers. ha Then back to the transfer house and the ride > back to the neighborhood. Those were good days for a child to grow up, > things have changed so much. Thanks for the email and the update on > Decatur. > Helen in Idaho > > > > > > > ==== ILMACON Mailing List ==== > Visit the Macon County ILGenWeb page at: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmacon/ > >

Yes, I went to the Y Teen dances too! I graduated from Decatur High School in 1947 but am sorry to say that when my parents moved to Decatur from Carlyle, Illinois, I was broken-hearted and homesick for the tiny southern town where I was born. But it's fun to read about all your memories. I too skated at a skating rink but cannot remember where it was. Joann Higgins Coleman, El Paso, Tx > Well, this conversation is bringing back so many memories. I used to go skating somewhere in Decatur. It seems there were some amusement rides there too by the skating rink. I remember going to the park there in town to the little Santa house at Christmas time. Do they still do that? There was a lighthouse cafe by Lake Decatur where we would get the best hamburgers and milk shakes. That was when they made the shakes out of real ice cream, those are hard to find these days. I put a picture of that cafe on the Macon Co. site that some kind soul sent me. I actually grew up in Boody and once a week there was a little store down on Hwy.48 and they would show a movie . Everyone brought their blankets and sat on the ground. I believe the people who owned that store were Jenkins. I spent a lot of time of E. Mueller Ave. where my grandparents lived and lots of good times there. > Helen in Idaho > > > > From: "Marsha McWilliams" <marsha.mcw@mchsi.com> > > Date: 2004/01/16 Fri AM 10:01:56 PST > > To: ILMACON-L@rootsweb.com > > Subject: RE: RE: [ILMACON] Durfee School > > > > All of this sure brings back memories to me also! We lived in Decatur in > > the 40's & 50's ... Does anyone else remember the "Y" Teen Dances (held in > > their building across the street from the Library?) ... Roy Rogers ...yes! > > Only I remember the Alhambra Theatre (I believe) on Saturday mornings. My > > Mom use to cashier once in a while at the Avon Theatre... Did anyone else > > ride/rent horses at "Trail Riders" (other than me?) It was in Mt. Zion and > > I think it's now called mainly Big Creek Park. My Mother (now 81) went to > > her High School Class Reunion (Decatur High) just this past summer. > > Needless to say, there were several graduating years involved in that. > > > > Marsha > > Email: marsha.mcw@mchsi.com > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: heartsweetnana@adelphia.net [mailto:heartsweetnana@adelphia.net] > > Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 11:27 AM > > To: ILMACON-L@rootsweb.com > > Subject: Re: RE: [ILMACON] Durfee School > > > > That really saddens me to hear about Decatur. When I was a child in the 40's > > and 50's it was a thriving city. I remember how special Monday nights were > > as that was the night the stores stayed open late, so we would make our > > little journey from the village of Boody into the "big" city. Boy, how > > things have changed. Do they still have the city buses? I spent many > > weekends at my grandparents home who lived in Decatur and every Saturday I > > along with the other neighborhood kids would get on the bus and go into > > town, get off at the transfer house and take in a good old movie. Usually > > Gene Autry or Roy Rogers. ha Then back to the transfer house and the ride > > back to the neighborhood. Those were good days for a child to grow up, > > things have changed so much. Thanks for the email and the update on > > Decatur. > > Helen in Idaho > > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== ILMACON Mailing List ==== > > Visit the Macon County ILGenWeb page at: > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmacon/ > > > > > > > ==== ILMACON Mailing List ==== > Visit the Macon County ILGenWeb page at: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmacon/ >

I had my very first date by going to the Alhambra Theater on Water St when I was 14. The boy was a very handsome young man who picked me up on his bicycle and "rode" me to the show. Joann H. Coleman > Yes, I went to the Y Teen dances too! I graduated from Decatur High School > in 1947 but am sorry to say that when my parents moved to Decatur from > Carlyle, Illinois, I was broken-hearted and homesick for the tiny southern > town where I was born. But it's fun to read about all your memories. I too > skated at a skating rink but cannot remember where it was. Joann Higgins > Coleman, El Paso, Tx > > > > > Well, this conversation is bringing back so many memories. I used to go > skating somewhere in Decatur. It seems there were some amusement rides there > too by the skating rink. I remember going to the park there in town to the > little Santa house at Christmas time. Do they still do that? There was a > lighthouse cafe by Lake Decatur where we would get the best hamburgers and > milk shakes. That was when they made the shakes out of real ice cream, those > are hard to find these days. I put a picture of that cafe on the Macon Co. > site that some kind soul sent me. I actually grew up in Boody and once a > week there was a little store down on Hwy.48 and they would show a movie . > Everyone brought their blankets and sat on the ground. I believe the people > who owned that store were Jenkins. I spent a lot of time of E. Mueller Ave. > where my grandparents lived and lots of good times there. > > Helen in Idaho > > > > > > From: "Marsha McWilliams" <marsha.mcw@mchsi.com> > > > Date: 2004/01/16 Fri AM 10:01:56 PST > > > To: ILMACON-L@rootsweb.com > > > Subject: RE: RE: [ILMACON] Durfee School > > > > > > All of this sure brings back memories to me also! We lived in Decatur > in > > > the 40's & 50's ... Does anyone else remember the "Y" Teen Dances (held > in > > > their building across the street from the Library?) ... Roy Rogers > ...yes! > > > Only I remember the Alhambra Theatre (I believe) on Saturday mornings. > My > > > Mom use to cashier once in a while at the Avon Theatre... Did anyone > else > > > ride/rent horses at "Trail Riders" (other than me?) It was in Mt. Zion > and > > > I think it's now called mainly Big Creek Park. My Mother (now 81) went > to > > > her High School Class Reunion (Decatur High) just this past summer. > > > Needless to say, there were several graduating years involved in that. > > > > > > Marsha > > > Email: marsha.mcw@mchsi.com > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: heartsweetnana@adelphia.net [mailto:heartsweetnana@adelphia.net] > > > Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 11:27 AM > > > To: ILMACON-L@rootsweb.com > > > Subject: Re: RE: [ILMACON] Durfee School > > > > > > That really saddens me to hear about Decatur. When I was a child in the > 40's > > > and 50's it was a thriving city. I remember how special Monday nights > were > > > as that was the night the stores stayed open late, so we would make our > > > little journey from the village of Boody into the "big" city. Boy, how > > > things have changed. Do they still have the city buses? I spent many > > > weekends at my grandparents home who lived in Decatur and every Saturday > I > > > along with the other neighborhood kids would get on the bus and go into > > > town, get off at the transfer house and take in a good old movie. > Usually > > > Gene Autry or Roy Rogers. ha Then back to the transfer house and the > ride > > > back to the neighborhood. Those were good days for a child to grow up, > > > things have changed so much. Thanks for the email and the update on > > > Decatur. > > > Helen in Idaho > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== ILMACON Mailing List ==== > > > Visit the Macon County ILGenWeb page at: > > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmacon/ > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== ILMACON Mailing List ==== > > Visit the Macon County ILGenWeb page at: > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmacon/ > > > > > > ==== ILMACON Mailing List ==== > Visit the Macon County ILGenWeb page at: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmacon/ >

You probably went skating at Chaps. I think there were some amusement rides there too. IIRC it was out in the general vicinity of St. Teresa but I'm not sure. It must have been close to Pershing Road. I was amused a few years when Steak and Shake expanded to where I now live and there were pictures of the Decatur Stake and Shakes on the wall. The Steak and Shakes here are TERRIBLE, very poorly run. Food's the same though. Cheryl Rothwell logancty@mindspring.com Logan County, IL, Coordinator, ILGenWeb www.rootsweb.com/~illogan Central IL Regional Coordinator, ILGenWeb Clark, Downing, Harding, Lucas et al