T.G.&Y. Stores:Gone but not forgotten

[wheltzel]

Skytrain was in Downtown MWC across I40 from Tinker. Can't believe the shopping center sign still looks materially the same after all these years, at least from the pics I've seen recently. I think it's been something like 15 years since I was personally in that area. Hard to believe it's 40 years come December since my family moved from MWC.

So.... That would put the TG&Y in question in Downtown MWC. Seems like it was directly across the street from the Skytrain.

That theatre was remodeled circa '66. Sis and I got to go the day it reopened. Would you believe it was closed for less than two weeks? I think that was the first time I'd ever seen the house lights on. I KNOW it was the only time I ever saw the place clean!

What a way to spend an afternoon. Double feature w/cartoon for $.35, tax included!

[papaOU]

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Don't remember the location of the Skytrain but you are right about a Store being across from the Del City theater.....Used to be a good Store too...

I don't remember the Skytrain either. Was it in Midwest City? North of 29th in that shopping center east of Air Depot?

[Generals64]

I don't remember the Skytrain either. Was it in Midwest City? North of 29th in that shopping center east of Air Depot?

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I have racked the old brain on this one. I remember the center you're talking about and I remember what they considered downtown Midwest city....There was a rather large TG&Y store in that center (right across from Tinker) but, I can't remember where there was a Theater....

[gen70]

I think the Sky Train Burger joint is what poster meant. (Maybe)

[papaOU]

I think the Sky Train Burger joint is what poster meant. (Maybe)

Don't think so. But just in case, was there a TG&Y near there?

[papaOU]

What was the name of the drive-in on N.E. 23rd and Coletrain(spelling ?)

[gen70]

Don't think so. But just in case, was there a TG&Y near there?

Yes. The T.G.@Y. was in a strip shopping center. I'd have to google streetview to find address. I might be wrong I get mixed up in Del and Midwest City.

[wheltzel]

I think the Sky Train Burger joint is what poster meant. (Maybe)

OK. I'll buy that, if the burger joint in question is where the theatre used to be

Skytrain was at 108 Mid America Blvd, around the corner from Streets and the other shops that fronted the Interstate. FNB of MWC was close.

(I haven't posted enough yet so am still being moderated, so my traffic is appearing a bit out of order yet. Thanks admins for running a tight ship. Nice group of folks here. Keep up the good work.)

[RealJimbo]

Roy Russell was "Candy Man" to everyone in the office. He was real free with the candy samples. One day he had some of our mail clerks take samples around the office on their mail deliveries. One of the guys in the print shop got one of those giant chocolate bunnies - you remember them, hollow, but still a lot of candy? What he didn't know at first was that it was a wax dummy. It didn't take long, though. Ptuy!

[Generals64]

Roy Russell was "Candy Man" to everyone in the office. He was real free with the candy samples. One day he had some of our mail clerks take samples around the office on their mail deliveries. One of the guys in the print shop got one of those giant chocolate bunnies - you remember them, hollow, but still a lot of candy? What he didn't know at first was that it was a wax dummy. It didn't take long, though. Ptuy!

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Ha-Ha:.......you don't remember doing the same thing to me when I first went out there....Ptuy is right....I haven't thought about Roy in a long time....I remember when he and Charlie Jones were out in the stores....

[Generals64]

O.K., the TG&Y was facing 29th st. right across from Tiner:...to the west where there was a dividing street the Skytrain Theatre was located.....However, when the TG&Y moved to 15th and Midwest Blvd. That whole area began to fold.....Not because of TG&Y but the other anchor tenants started leaving......Then they tore it down and a New Center is there....Nice place to shop but it isn't what it used to be....

[papaOU]

Yes. The T.G.@Y. was in a strip shopping center. I'd have to google streetview to find address. I might be wrong I get mixed up in Del and Midwest City.

That's okay. They do too.

[Prunepicker]

Where was the T.G. & Y, around the Bethany area, in '58? Mom really let me
have it there one day. My rear is still warm.

I'll never forget... about a month after the T.G. & Y incident, on my 30th
birthday, Mom...

Maybe I'll wait and tell this later...

[Generals64]

Where was the T.G. & Y, around the Bethany area, in '58? Mom really let me
have it there one day. My rear is still warm.

I'll never forget... about a month after the T.G. & Y incident, on my 30th
birthday, Mom...

Maybe I'll wait and tell this later...

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TG&Y was located one block east of SNU on the south side of the street. The store manager's name at that particular time was Aaron Gant. He had that store forever. They had to make him take a family center and after 6 months of running a big store he talked them (TG&Y) into giving him that store back as manager....That was a money making store. If you pulled a very bad thing I could see aaron spanking you in front of your mother. He was my mother-in-law's Cousin....

[rondvu]

What was the name of the drive-in on N.E. 23rd and Coletrain(spelling ?)

It was called the Skyview.

[Prunepicker]

TG&Y was located one block east of SNU on the south side of the street

Where was it from Clark's Bakery? Was it west or east of N. College?

[Prunepicker]

It was called the Skyview.

I remember watching ALL of the Avalon / Funicello beach movies at the
Skyview. I think they showed 5 of them in one showing. I'm glad I had a date
and money for concessions.

[Generals64]

Where was it from Clark's Bakery? Was it west or east of N. College?

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I don't really know Bethany Streets but, it was on the corner of a street and 39th st....I think there is an antique mall there now...

[Prunepicker]

I don't really know Bethany Streets but, it was on the corner of a street and
39th st... I think there is an antique mall there now...

Clark's is still there! The antique store is next door and to the west.

Driver's Music was on N.W. 39th Exp and N. Peniel, the next street west is
N. College and the next is N. Asbury. Clark's is just off of N. Asbury.
N. Asbury is the west street boundary of SNU.

[Prunepicker]

Hey Gen64, I just found my Golden T 5 Band radio! I'll bring it to the get
together at Coit's.

[ddavidson8]

If you go to google maps and do a search of "108 mid america blvd. midwest city oklahoma" you should be able to get the street view of this location. It looks like the theater building is still there, but the facade has been changed, at least when looking down on the location.

[Generals64]

Hey Gen64, I just found my Golden T 5 Band radio! I'll bring it to the get
together at Coit's.

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Great:.........I just found a 35mm Golden T Camera....I'll bring it.....don't know if it works or if there is film in it....that'd be neat if it had some old pictures in it....Unless Soonergirl was using it...then we would all be in trouble....Has she disappeared or what??????

[RealJimbo]

I got one of those TG&Y color TVs from the refurb center and it was the first color TV I owned. It is still in use at my friend's house down at Hugo, OK. They have it connected to a digital converter. That TV has a rotary tuner and all.

Remember Ken Bird (Byrd?) who ran the last variety store in Edmond? He was a good store operator and was eventually sent to Elizabethtown (Elizabethton?), Kentucky. Last time I spoke to Ken I was still working at HQ, some time in 1986 and he was still in Kentucky, loving it.

A friend and I were talking about Jack Cook this week. He ran a hardware store in Edmond after he left T.G.&Y. A good store, too. He opened the first family center in Edmond, at Edmond Plaza. I still remember eating in the cafeteria that was in that store. Yep, cafeteria.

Another funny story from the Edmond Plaza T.G.&Y. - one day a couple of the assistant managers saw a customer struggling to load a jon boat on top of his pickup. It had a pipe rack on it and the guy was having a hard time. They went out there with some tie-down cord and helped him get it secured. He offered them a tip which they turned down. After he drove off and they went back in the store, the manager asked them what happened to the last jon boat on the lot. They told him and he let them know that the guy didn't pay for it. He stole it and they helped him!

By the way, I think the assistant managers were Jerry Sutton and Jerry Crockett. May have Crockett's first name wrong ,but I saw that he passed away not long ago.

[Generals64]

I got one of those TG&Y color TVs from the refurb center and it was the first color TV I owned. It is still in use at my friend's house down at Hugo, OK. They have it connected to a digital converter. That TV has a rotary tuner and all.

Remember Ken Bird (Byrd?) who ran the last variety store in Edmond? He was a good store operator and was eventually sent to Elizabethtown (Elizabethton?), Kentucky. Last time I spoke to Ken I was still working at HQ, some time in 1986 and he was still in Kentucky, loving it.

A friend and I were talking about Jack Cook this week. He ran a hardware store in Edmond after he left T.G.&Y. A good store, too. He opened the first family center in Edmond, at Edmond Plaza. I still remember eating in the cafeteria that was in that store. Yep, cafeteria.

Another funny story from the Edmond Plaza T.G.&Y. - one day a couple of the assistant managers saw a customer struggling to load a jon boat on top of his pickup. It had a pipe rack on it and the guy was having a hard time. They went out there with some tie-down cord and helped him get it secured. He offered them a tip which they turned down. After he drove off and they went back in the store, the manager asked them what happened to the last jon boat on the lot. They told him and he let them know that the guy didn't pay for it. He stole it and they helped him!

By the way, I think the assistant managers were Jerry Sutton and Jerry Crockett. May have Crockett's first name wrong ,but I saw that he passed away not long ago.

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you're right on the money about the name....right after that happened, they sent Sutton to my store as my Co-Manager.....We didn't carry Jon boats. the last time I heard from him he was in Memphis, tennessee...that was a good employee.....I could always count on him.

[Generals64]

I just went to Wal-Mart (Hate to go there) and they were putting up Christmas Merchandise....What happened to Halloweeen and Thanksgiving. In the OLD Days of TG&Y you didn't put any...ANY...Christmas goods out untilo Friday after Thansgiving and then you worked around the clock to have it out for the week-end business.....