International Falls Daily Journal - Forum topic - Comments

Doorsman, You are correct!!

roj2000 — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 17:07:33 -0500

Doorsman,

You are correct!! "Milk toast" is the breakfast of Champions! Of course my wife say's it is gross, and won't be in the house when I eat it (She's from Tennessee, probably ate worse, but.....). I like to kick it up a notch, and put a poached egg on top. I still think the best hamburgers were from the Chicago Cafe.

TJ, yes, Grave Yard Stew, I

Doorsman 54 — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:33:19 -0500

TJ, yes, Grave Yard Stew, I eat it once a week, who ever does not like milk toast(with out cinnamin or sugar, how sorry and stupid could one be doing that to an iconic meal) is missing something. Best breakfast in the world. The closest to burning the toast, real butter, lots of it, salt and pepper in the milk, pour over the toast, heaven sent, and it is one of the major food groups, ummmmm,milk toast.

I think you are all coming

Doorsman 54 — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:22:56 -0500

I think you are all coming up with most of the historic business past of the Falls. What about So. Falls, maybe I missed it reading the above but remember ******s(Pavlecks) Store and Nesses Store and another that was between them, can't remember the name. Also I may have missed the Black Cat and the go cart place. Going to a movie at the Grand or Border and walking to the Rex Service Station, having a bottle of Crush or Grape Knee high(sorry about the spelling, to use the phone and call Mom or Dad for a ride if it was too cold or raining or afraid of having to walk the street car line. Remember that So. Falls only had one street light every 6 blocks. Also, off the subject, remember the road construction warning lights, a round oil filled wick in the middle of the road and also playing garage hockey and warming up doing the evening chore, burning garbage, then go down the street and snag cars(lost more that one pair of gloves on those adventures. How about going to the Drive In and Willie T. asking if you had anyone in the truck?! Sorry about getting off the subject a bit but you all brought back memories. And who had the best burgers and pizza in town? I say Arrowhead for Pizza and Helens for a burger, just my thoughts. Final question, does anyone remember who owned the Arrowhead before Judd's, I do . Not bragging but I can remember a conversation with a few of the real old timers recently. Funny, they can't remember what happened an hour ago but can remember what happened 50 years ago, who am I kidding, I'm just like them, er, ok, us.

Well Professor, It seems

roj2000 — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:44:10 -0500

Well Professor,

It seems that the editorial staff at the DJ must have turned the censor knob up a couple notches, when they saw my entry, and realized that I had made it safely into and out of NYC this week!! While it has been highly enjoyable to read all of the aforementioned entries, regarding the fun times and eating we had in the Falls, it makes me wonder what kind of list could be made if the list was limited to the past 10 to 20 years, huh?? It seems the Falls has "morphed" into another failing small town in America, that failed to ignor and stop the influx of "large city" dispicable urban "ethnic" habits, that were adopted by the children of the current generation. My trip to the Falls last year confirmed this diagnosis. I saw the teenagers walking around in their goth clothing, with their "crack pants" down below their "butt cracks"!!!! I saw dozens of them, whom I'm sure their parents are VERY proud to call them their own. One trip to the cinema was evidence that the Falls was simply a microcosm of MSP, NYC or Chicago. So, sure it is great to reminisce about what was once great about the Falls and the Rainy Lake area, but is it only us older folks who are doing this?? Does the Falls have to evolve into a "has been" town, or can it be saved, so that 40 years or so from now, the current generation can print wonderful blog entries such as these?? I hate to rain on this wonder parade down memory lane, but the answer appears to be NO!!!!! UNLESS, people step up to the plate and "get er done"!! So, call me a d*ck, that's OK, just don't call me a Democrat!! Keep up the good work on the stories, they really are fun to read. In fact it would be nice to hear of some trivia about that Lake "inside a National Park", that ALL people used to be able to enjoy, with freedoms, and the ability to have cabins, and bring their children "up to the cabin" and give them a stick to play with all day, and they would be happy with that stick.

The Shamrock (3.2 beer and

BearsPass64 — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:59:35 -0500

The Shamrock (3.2 beer and setups) which was run by the Fulton family, which is now a vacant lot I believe across from the Ranier Post Office; and Smokey Joe's (great smoked fish and also a 3.2 license) which is now the location of Grandma's Pantry. I have to admit this has been a good read especially that of sectorusa & IfallsRon...whom probably are in the same age bracket as myself and Tom Johnson.

We all realize that Mr.

Thomas L. Johnson — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:22:46 -0500

We all realize that Mr. Cheney has been part of the worst presidency in our lifetime, but it seems unfair for Laurel and the staff at the Journal to include his name as the eighth term in George Carlin's list. In International Falls, we have had a history of D*ck's of distinction. Most were simply named that -- Peterson, Garbe, Dougherty, Johnson for starters. There were certainly some who attained d*ck status only through their hard work, and we could name them too, but that wouldn't be cool.

I find it ironic that a car

kay — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:52:06 -0500

I find it ironic that a car would be towed away because it doesn't have current plates but numerous empty trailers with broken windows etc can stay. To my way of thinking they would be more of a blight issue than any car without current plates or long grass.

How about the Pizza burger.

kay — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:41:49 -0500

How about the Pizza burger. I have tried to copy it but never get it right.

I was wondering if someone

roj2000 — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:57:41 -0500

I was wondering if someone was going to remember the Aroma Drive in (couldn't wait for it to open in the spring). They served the best onion rings. What about "Martin's Grocery" at Point-O-Pines? You know, the area where us "po" folks lived!!

******'s Liquor, owned by

BPARS — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:38:01 -0500

******'s Liquor, owned by ****** & Cleo Mettler was where Soundnorth is and Armstrong Ford, owned by Chuck & Betty Armstrong where Voyageur's Headquarters is.

I thought that John Napper

IFallsRon — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:00:01 -0500

I thought that John Napper bought the Aroma and changed the name to Johnnie's.

I remember going to Border Motors to sign up for Punt, Pass and Kick.

Dark beer on tap at Arrowhead Pizza. What was that stuff?

This one's foggy, but wasn't there a bowling alley in the building that became the Western across the corner from Rex Service? About the same time there was still the sauna at Harala's.

More of your questions

sectorusa — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:15:35 -0500

More of your questions anwered. The Phair family (Harold, Doug, Dave and Mrs. Phair) used to jokingly call their store the "Ocean to Ocean" Store. Shaky Hanson worked there too. Harold was keen on "up-selling". I remember going in there once to buy some nails and he talked me into buying a hammer too. He'd say "it sure beats pounding 'em in with a rock".

Crazy Daze? I remember when they'd fly over and drop these white styrofoam balls. The balls had a prize number or something like that written on it. If you found one you'd go downtown and claim the prize. I found one in a field behind our house. I forgot what the prize was but as I recall it was more that a "poke in the eye with a sharp stick".

The Airport Cafe was owned by Milly Anderson. We teens used to call her "Milly Gorilly". As I recall they had pinball machines in there but sometimes she'd chase us out and tell us to go home and do our schoolwork. She was a sweet lady and they had a good selection of penny candy too.

Runkle's Cabins ? I knew the place well. We called it Runkle's Jungle. Dan Blais and Bill Sheasby scooped the place up and started "Voyageur's Canoe Outfitter's" after Danny got back from Nam.

I think Johnnie's across from the Anchor Bar (now Roadhouse) was actually the Aroma Drive-In. Right?

Viking Bar formerly known as the "Polar Bar" which was also a muni-chartered off sale liquor store back then. The other muni was the "Kwik Liquor" across from Ballan-Jensen. Muni 1 and Muni 2.

I got to sign off soon and rest the part of my brain that controls long term memory.

But I will finish with this. When I was like 18 or 19 years old I used to stop by Sonny Lundquist' place on 9th Street usually when he was smoking fish behind the house. He had a mind like s steel trap. We used to talk about much the same that is in this thread here. Sometimes I would think that Sonny was in the area before the Voyageur's paddled through. He knew of everybody and everyplace well before my generation, well before my time. He used to talk about the "Dutch Room" and places like that.

I think my I. Falls memory begins about the time I walked in to Joe Jones "Border Motors" when I was a toddler. He was the Ford/Lincoln dealer and was behind the Rex Service Station (Glen and Bob Hamilton's).

I remember going into Rex Service Station to get a dime bottle of Coca-Cola out of the pop machine. The garage was always noisier than heck. I'd stand outside and look in. They worked in there like dogs. They could break down and fix any size or type of tire imaginable. My dad would bring in a flat and back then the charge was either 50 cents or a dollar to get it fixed.

Some have asked what was the

sectorusa — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:19:50 -0500

Some have asked what was the name of the restaurant next to the Red Owl (George Liebe's) on 3rd Avenue and 8th or 9th.

I'm suprised no one can remember that place. If you can't, you're not from I.F. (LOL !!)

Why that was the proverbial "Greasy Spoon" AKA Nellie's Highway Curb. We used to sit there after the joints in Canada closed and sent us home or the Holler or Schultzes kicked us out. It had a log cabin exterior, inside counter with stools that spun around, small tables along the windows. The malts were great but you could wring the grease out of the fries. We used to say the place was so small you had to go outside to change your mind.

A malt, fries, and burger were enough to prevent having to suffer a hangover the next day. The local PD, Ivory, Mingo and Be-Bop were regulars so you know the grub was good.

Nobody has yet to mention the Chatterbox (Clayton Lind's) across from Bodin-McCarthy, Coffee Cup (Leona Larson's) next to the Holler, Boe's Dairy Bar located kitty corner from Corrin's Plumbing and the Boe's no snitch stick that Mrs. Scheela kept on top of the top loaded ice cream novelties cooler. She threatened to whack you with it if you snitched an ice cream treat.

Corrin's Plumbing had a real ooh / aah Xmas display in there window every year.

What else ? Richard Burgess had a steak house across from Grandma's Pantry in Ranier. I think it was called the Big Rainy or something like that. I don't think it was open very long but the steaks and food were real good. I recall there being an "open pit" grill in the center of the place.

And let us not forget the Casa Blanca (Arvid and Edie (nee McPherson) Larson in Crystal Beach where they'd serve you if you were old enough to walk in the door.

And Dumais' family had a stopover for snowmobiles down off the moonlight rock road (suicide hill) that offered up burgers, and stuff like that. The Anchor Bar, well that's now the Roadhouse.

Our family did business once in awhile at Hawley's Furniture which was around 8th/9th Streets and 4th/5th Avenues.

And I. Falls did have an actual deli back then. I can't remember it's name or who owned it. It was right behind Iltis Drug Store. Glady Blanchard worked there.

And then there were other "mom and pop" grocery markets like "Gouin's", "Tessier's" but I don't recall much about them.

Yes it was Stevenson, also

IFalls85 — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:16:47 -0500

Yes it was Stevenson, also the gas station that was in front of the Holiday Inn, I think Plus One

Johnnie's drivein across

IFallsRon — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:10:20 -0500

Johnnie's drivein across from Nancy's Anchor Bar, er, The Roadhouse. And the ever popular KB French Fries in the empty lot next to Rizzo's.

Don't forget that the first Border Bargains was in the old Coast to Coast spot next to the Viking Bar before moving next to the bowling alley.

How about the guy with one arm who ran the gas station next to the old Dairy Queen.