DISCLAIMER

Many of the names and some of the descriptions in this blog have been changed to protect the guilty.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Shitting to All Fields, Part 4



There is good news about the fate of Chicopee’s Plantation Man (above), or as we used to call him when he stood in Pine Point, the Mutual Ford Giant (below). He was auctioned off for $11,500, and the man who bought him, on behalf of unnamed business associates, says he and his partners plan to keep him local.





According to this website, the photo below could very well be the head of this giant when he wore a chef’s hat and stood in front of a pizza parlor in Framingham, MA, before he came to Mutual Ford in 1970.




He stood at Mutual Ford for 30 years before he was moved to the Plantation Inn in 1999 by the late Mario P. Catalini (below).



Above is the Bay Street pedestal on which he stood in a photo taken by Wayne Koldys.


This particular waving giant model, built by International Fiberglass in the mid-1960s, still has a few survivors: Plantation Man has brothers in Chicago (above) and Oakwood Village, OH (below).




A door opens inside his back (below), where workers can climb inside and unbolt his head and “pick his body his body by its internal structure,” according to the masslive.com story.


Supposedly, the show House Hunters International filmed a clip of him for some reason, so maybe Plantation Man will be viewed by an international audience! 


What was a better deal than the 15-cent burgers ad I had originally posted (above)? How about double burgers for 25 cents!



Any of you patronize Henry VIII? A commenter, Pidgeon Drive Guy, had a story to tell about the place in my original post:

“The year is 1983 (fact). My friend comes home from the Marines on leave, 2 p.m. in the afternoon, he says, ‘Let's go to the Eighth.’ We walk in, it’s dark, musty, no one’s in the place, WE are the ONLY customers. We walk around the semi-circular bar/stage all the way to what was known as PERVS’ PIT. (Don’t say u don’t know about it.) A glance at the dancer, sitting not quite Indian style due to her girth, revealed much. She was a large redhead, stretchmarks like road maps up & down her sides & midsection. Bad makeup couldn’t hide her identity. This beauty was a 16 Acres gal, one year older than myself, from Kathleen St. We called out to her by name ... ‘ ****** !!!’ She leaned over like anyone might hear her secret... ‘Call me Colleen, it’s my stage name.’” 

“We already were bombed that early afternoon, & I rudely responded ‘Where the fuck do u think you are? LAS VEGAS?!!’ She immediately yelled at us in a cigarette-stained voice ‘%$#* you assholes!’ We laughed uncontrollably at our exposing, no pun intended, of our neighborhood’s gift to exotic entertainment. Then an employee came from behind a door leading to a backroom, larger than life, ex-con for sure, told us to ‘Get the #%*$ out of here.’ We did so, stumbling out the door into a blinding day light.”


How many of you shook your booty at the VIP? Remember those “teen disco” dances there?


The old miniature golf place on Boston Road, again courtesy of Wayne Koldys. It was at the site of the old Frank’s Nursery at 840 Boston Road. When it went out of business, a windmill and some of the other golf course features were supposedly bought and ended up in the large back yard of a man who lived in the old house at the former Camp Husky at 885 Grayson Drive.


Honk if you remember the old Zayre Gang next door to the miniature golf place! Read about the Zayre Gang in this old post.


Oh yeah! The Eastfield mall and its funky old “e” logo on the sign (above) and the awning (below).



Bring back the Cover-Up and The Lodge!



Our trip down Boston Road continues to the old Wilbraham 10-Pin.



Prior to the Wilbraham Inn it was the Wilbraham Motel, which had a neon sign.



Before it was Gregory’s it was the Pizza Pub, which had more of a “Jetsons” look before it was redone.





In the background of the above photo you can see the old Pine Tree Motel with its flashing neon star sign—a roach motel I wrote about in a late summer post


Okay, back to The Acres: the Allen Cooley in October of 1985. Featured films: Follow that Bird, Witness, Beverly Hills Cop, Gremlins, and Fright Night.


On Christmas night in 1967 the Jumbo Supermarket at the corner of Wilbraham Road and Breckwood Boulevard was destroyed by a fire and explosion. The food was ruined, but not the cigarettes, according to a former member of The Clan, a gang that hung out at Treats restaurant next door. So that same Clan guy, from Catalpa Terrace, and a future member of the Circle Gang, from Bellamy Road, pulled a raid one night, filling several pillow cases with packs of smokes, and selling them at school.  “Cigs were pretty cheap at Duggan for the next couple of days,” he recounts with laughter.

For a while, the fire also made it possible for The Clan to enjoy a new hangout, aside from their usual haunts: Treats and the field behind Western New England College. They actually spent a lot of time in the foundation of the supermarket, which they called The Citadel.



Bring back the Jaycox!


Anyone in the market for a 16 Acres School shirt, complete with the civil defense siren on top?


I think a Bondi’s Island shirt would suit me just fine.

Let’s head over to Chicopee for another teen disco:



I noticed they finally tore down the old IHOP across from BJ’s.


Did I write BJ’s? I meant the United Skates of America/Airline Drive-In site! Who the hell was Senta Berger in the above ad?


Oh boy, I can think of at least two reasons we should know who she is!




Remember the Rivoli!





The Rivoli opened as The Elms Theater in 1927 and closed in 2000.




Bring back Falls Provision!


Falls provision opened in 1946 in the former Chinatown section of Chicopee, relocating to 531 East Street in 1958. It closed for good in 1996.


My friend Craig Stewart recently sent a childhood photo of him (on the left) and a kid I’ll call Brad, and reminded me of a backyard incident that instantly had us laughing our asses off. This led me to recall the first official “club” I ever belonged to. No, it wasn’t The Gully, The Pothole, or the Maebeth Womblies. I was a full-fledged member of the W.C. Fritos Munch Club.


We really dug Fritos corn chips, so Craig’s older sister Betty originally wanted to sign all of us up for the Frito Bandito Club. This character, however, drew the ire of Mexican Americans because in commercials he was a thief who roamed the countryside and relieved snackers of their Fritos.



In fact, he was so sinister looking that he inspired the insignia for the Bandidos Motorcycle Club.


In response, Frito Lay made the Bandito “whiter,” took away his gold tooth, and kept his guns in his holster.



But it was no use. Bowing to pressure, they put the Frito Bandito out to pasture, and disbanded the Frito Bandito Club. Betty’s application was returned in the mail. We started the Frito Bandito Club anyway—a rogue chapter for a rogue character.


In 1971 he was replaced by W.C. Fritos, a character who looked and talked like W.C. Fields. So we disavowed our allegiance to the Frito Bandito and joined his club, got the kit in the mail, and met in a “clubhouse” made out of sheets hung from the Stewarts’ backyard clothes lines. Craig’s mom would have none of that—she needed to hang the family’s laundry there, so we settled on a new location: the Stewarts’ new backyard tent.

Our chapter of the W.C. Fritos Munch Club didn’t last long. There was infighting—Betty wanted to hold meetings at the same time Hollywood Squares was on, so we refused to attend these “mandatory” sessions. In response, she refused us access to the “secret manual” and eventually kicked us all out of the club, including her brother Ken.

But we still hung out at the tent, and Brad wanted to belong to our “new” tent club in the worst way. This, we said, involved doing a dare for the “initiation.” How bad did Brad want in? One day he announced he had to take a shit, but no one was supposed to go in the Stewarts’ house when the parents weren’t home. “We’ll, I’ll just have to take a shit right here?” he declared.

We thought that would suffice for an initiation, but then he started to back down. “Go ahead,” said Craig. “I dare you. We’ll give you a pack of firecrackers.”

Brad went behind the tent and took a dump. Membership has its privileges, although I can’t think of any off the top of my head. The tent was unbearably hot in the summer. Oh, come to think of it, now I remember a perk—one that got us into this whole exclusive “club” mentality. We had unlimited access to the Stewarts’ junk food.

20 comments:

Agawamian said...

This is a great post. Until today, I had no idea that the Plantation Inn was designed by Morris Lapidus. A little bit of Miami Beach in the 413. Who knew?

I also learned that someone has a blog devoted to giant fiberglass men. Just...wow.

Anonymous said...

I love the pictures any pics of old bars like the dialtone or edelweiss lounge and keg room

Hell's Acres said...

I forgot about the Edelweiss!

Unknown said...

Thanks for posting the pics of the Pizza Pub. I was so mad when they remodeled in the '80s--I loved the original folded plate roof. So space-age!

Anonymous said...

what about abes kosher market lederes bakery warehouse one bar on verge street.foggys at Fairfield mall.or going to rays grinders on longhill street.
richies speed city at the x.
a better city in the 60s nad 70s for sure

Anonymous said...

what about the dialtone lounge in enfield.dont forgot bowling at the x lanes in springfield.
and fireworks at forest park
and riding the train that went by the old diamond match

Hell's Acres said...

There are a few Dial Tone stories here. Google "dial tone" and "Hell's Acres" in the same search using the quote marks.

Anonymous said...

Do you know anything about the old Pistol Club on Roosevelt? They are going to tear it down soon. http://www.masslive.com/talk/index.ssf/2012/04/just_ask_whats_happening_with.html

Wish there was still a place to shoot in Springfield, I have to drive to Monson. Springfield Sportsmen's club is nice though.

Hell's Acres said...

Yes, they finally tore it down. I'll have to include a photo of the old building in a future post.

Anonymous said...

Henry the 8th was my old bus stop heading to JFK. We used to have to stand amongst the eighth debris every morning. Hey that Zayre's ... wasn't that up on Boston Road across from the McDonald? It turned into "Supermarket Discoteque" at some point? Does anyone remember that? I couldn't imagine what went on in there ...

Jack

Hell's Acres said...

Hi Jack,

I think the Supermarket Discoteque might have been in another building in that shopping center--I think the old Food Mart. Anybody out there remember?

Cricket said...

Hmmm...I seem to recall TOPS clothing store on Boston Rd...

Hell's Acres said...

Yep, I believe Topps was where Raymour and Flanigan is now.

Unknown said...

I'd forgotten about Henry VIII restaurants. I grew up in L.A., and my family used to vacation at the Giant Forest Lodge in Sequoia Nat'l Park 2 or 3 times a year. When travelling thru Bakersfield, we always stopped at a Henry VIII restaurant that was just north of town, on Highway 99 (if I'm remembering correctly). Big neon sign visible from the highway, and terrific spaghetti & meatball dinners with garlic bread!

Hell's Acres said...

I had never heard of the Henry VIII restaurant chain, but I doubt the Springfield business was a part of it. This place offered other "fare" than spaghetti and meatballs lol.

Then again, I could be wrong. Does anyone know if this started out as a legitimate restaurant? I believe it was Castle, a nightclub, before Henry VIII.

Unknown said...

Hells Acres -- yes, the Bakersfield place had a large menu with very nice dishes, as well. Didn't mean to imply it was just some "coffee shop". My dad would always get top sirloin steak, and others in my family their spare ribs. But as a kid, it was the spaghetti & meatballs that I always went for!

Sandi said...

I still have a couple items bought from Eastfield Mall when it first opened. We were the mall rats, got thrown out about every night from sitting on the walls & hanging around from the long haired guys from Ludlow.
also Henry VIII was Al Torazzi's eatery first..in the 60's. We used to get take out there on Fridays during no meat. they packed the food in tra
ys covered with foil that looked like TV dinners.

Hell's Acres said...

Yes, I heard that the Circle guys from the Acres used to clash with the Ludlow guys at the mall from time to time. Weren't the folks from the apartments behind the mall part of the original mall rats?

Anonymous said...

You have so many great pictures and memories, I started scrolling originally because of the talking tree in Springfield, I remember going to see that a young kid. Then I went down the rabbit hole and now I’m in a mission to find an old photo of Airline Drive in Chicopee. It was demolished before I was born but my father in law has been talking about it for years. Would you happen to have a photo of that?

Hell's Acres said...

I have a photo of the deteriorating Airline Drive-in screen at https://hellsacres.blogspot.com/2016/08/not-coming-soon-drive-in-theater-near.html.