The ONE and ONLY Brattleboro

The ONE and ONLY Brattleboro

First, let me emphasize that I would not change anything growing up in Brattleboro!

According to the U.S. Census Reports, Brattleboro’s population in 1950 was 11,522; in 1960, it was 11,734 (when I went into the Army); in 1970, it was 12,239 (highest); in 2010, it was 12,046; and in 2022, it was 12,106. So, our population has been pretty unwavering for the last fifty years with no growth.

Brattleboro was a safe place when I was growing up. Parents taught their kids about being safe, watching out for the so-called “Danger Stranger,” not always a stranger, and what to do if they were ever approached.

We could go almost everywhere in town without fear and stay out until the streetlights came on or a parent called out with that unique signal to get home. Everyone knew their neighborhood and neighbors, and the neighbors watched out for each other’s kids.

I remember Rick, Steve Bowen, and I discussing Double Jeopardy’s meaning.

Your neighbors could discipline you and send you home, and your parents backed them to the hilt. Plus, you’d get it double when you got home. The same went for schools and teachers. If the teacher said you did something, it was gospel. Yeah, you got it at home!

Most neighborhoods had a schoolhouse and grocery store. Some were known as Canal, Centerville, Chicken Coop, Cotton Mill, Homestead-Horton, Esteyville, The Pines, West B, Fort Dummer, Oak Grove, Martel Mountain, Oak Grove, Pigeon Place, Putney Road, Reed Street, Slab Hollow, Sawdust Alley, Sunny Acres, South Main, Swedville, and Tin Can Alley. Our neighborhood gangs walked to each other’s areas to visit or play games with and against each other.

Did I say heyday? Almost everything you could ever need or want was found here. We were truly the vibrant hub of Windham County, and the surrounding towns came here for whatever they needed.

Main Street had doctors, churches, stores, and restaurants. Stores were open daily with regular hours. Stores closed at noon on Wednesday and stayed open on Friday nights until 9:00 p.m. Vermont’s Blue Laws closed stores on Sundays.

The sidewalks were comfortably filled with customers shopping, greeting, and sharing with neighbors, friends, and others.

We had clothing, footwear, and furniture stores like Casual House, Cindy’s, Dunham’s, Endicott & Johnson’s, Fairchild’s, Fishman’s (and the Bargain Basement), Goodnow-Pearson-Hunt, Kueche’s, Mann’s, Michelman’s, Montgomery Wards, Wagner’s Shoes (they also had a repair shop in the back of the store that fixed horseshoes), Woolworth’s, Sam’s Army & Navy and W.T. Grants.

I remember most of the stores had a canopy, and you’d see the proprietors or help come out each day and crank it down to shade customers from the sun or rain.

Some salesmen came to your home to sell clothing and footwear, namely Sandy Cotton from Cotton’s Clothing in Greenfield and Lewis Stark with Raleigh Products.

You could have your shoes repaired at De Angelis’ down the sublevel from the Main Street sidewalk. Parents would have shoes repaired with new soles and heels. We put the half moon and horseshoe metal heel savers to save them from wearing too fast. As teens, we put them on to be “cool” and make sparks at night.

Sporting goods were found at Burrows Sport Shop, Clapp’s Sporting Goods, Galanes Sporting Goods, and Sam’s Army & Navy.

In the downtown area, we had grocery stores like A&P, First National (Finast), Grand Union, and the Super Duper.

For your appetite, you could eat at restaurants like the Brattleboro Sands, Holiday, Latchis Restaurant & Coffee Shop, Jade Wah, Mama Paduzzi’s, Mackenzies Idlenot, Oak Room, Pasquale’s, the Railroad Diner, Royal Diner, The Pickwick Room, Tom Thumbs, Walker’s, and even the counter at Woolworths Your sweet tooth was fed at The Dutch Bake Shop, Edna’s Bakery, or a pharmacy counter!

Pharmacies like Carrol’s, Rexall, Root’s, and the Hotel Pharmacy all had your medical and personal needs. You could get a dish of your favorite ice cream and soda mixes from the Soda Jerk. My favorites were Vanilla or Cherry Cokes at the Root’s Counter, where I met and started dating my first girlfriend.

Did you know that the term “Soda Jerk” went back to the 1950s and was inspired by the jerking action a server used to swing the soda fountain handle back and forth when adding soda water to the syrup flavor?

My brother, Rick, was quite the Soda Jerk at the Hotel Pharmacy. He entertained customers at the counter by flipping the scooper and glasses before filling, never breaking any.

There were garages downtown to have your vehicle serviced, Bucossi’s Mobil and Haviland’s. Hardware was found at Brown & Roberts, Cambell’s, and Aubuchons.

You could buy your music, toys, hobby needs, and office supplies at Baker’s Book Store. Baker’s also had vast racks of All Occasion Cards. Johnie’s on Elliot had your hobby supplies, model kits, and bicycles. Aubachon’s also on the bikes.

Jewelry was found at Simon’s (home of fine diamonds) and H.H. Thompson.

At Christmas time, by the time you shopped down and up Main Street, you would have purchased gifts from baby to adult, visited your friends and neighbors, and had a meal or treat along the way. Baker’s, Mongomery Wards, and W.T. Grants had special Christmas Displays.

And Main Street was very festively decorated, thanks to the Fire Department, with strings of Christmas lights high over the street from the Brooks Library down to the Whetstone Bridge.

There were switches strung down a pole to turn them on and off. At dark, the evening shift of the Police Department, who walked the beat, would turn them on. The midnight shift would turn them off at daylight.

Store windows were festive, and many businesses allowed the youth to paint Christmas and Halloween Themes on the outside display windows. At the top of the Fire Department antenna was a large Santa Clause, and of course, Santa came to town on a fire engine.

All Holidays were recognized by their historical names, usually on their proper dates, as were the parades for Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and the Alumni Parade. The crowds lined the sides of the parade route, from the high school, where they lined up in the various divisions, to The Common at North Main Street. Citizens Rose to their feet to honor The Flag and Patriotic songs. No, not all presidents were born on Mondays or on Presidents Day!

Robert C. Clapp was our first Winter Carnival President, which started on February 22, 1957. 8,000 people came out to the first parade. There were floats galore, and The Outing Club won the First Place.

Other activities included Sugar on Snow, a queen contestant competition with a runoff of the top five, a Ski Ball, and senior and junior ski and skate competitions. Memorial Park was decorated for the Torchlight Skiing and Skating exhibits. There was a Square Dance, and the culmination of the carnival was the Harris Hill Ski Jump!

Miss Eleanore (Twinkle) Jones was the first Carnival Queen selected out of 32 contestants. She won an all-expenses-paid vacation for two to the Bahamas.

For your downtown safety, there was always one of Brattleboro’s Finest, COPS, walking the beat 24/7/365. Part of history says that COP came from the common law and was an acronym for Constable On Patrol. Others say it is short for the shiny “Copper” buttons the original police officer uniforms had. You know, COP or Copper aren’t dirty words. It just depends on how you say them.

All of our neighborhoods had their own Mom & Pop Stores, like Allen’s Market, Gunzinger’s, Public Market, Putney Road Market, LaRose’s (previously the Centerville Store, LeClaire’s, Lapan’s, Sauer’s, Avenue Grocery, Ziter’s, Wellwood’s, Stockwell’s, Toney’s, Pacetti’s, Ted’s Market, Henry’s, Ed’s Market, (Kingsley’s), Bushnell’s (Hiner’s), Branka’s (Kempt’s), Lucas’ Market, and Pike’s.

Those visiting town or who needed a place to stay found accommodations at the Brooks Hotel and Latchis Hotel. As kids, we frequented most businesses downtown. I remember being within both. The Stone Fence Inn was up on Putney Road.

The Latchis had a reasonably primary corner entrance on the glassed-in corner, with a small counter where Jim Latchis greeted patrons. The Brooks entrance was beautiful! As you came in, there was a long counter on the left. To the right was a sweeping, long, curved staircase with shiny brass handrails.

Then, there were motels and inns about the town like the Holiday, Holly, Lamplighter, Molly Stark, Red Coach & Drive-in (Yes, our Drive-in Theater), Snow Swiss Chalet, Theatre Motel, The Stone Fence Inn, and the West Brook Motel & Cabins.

I wouldn’t change anything growing up in “The ONE and ONLY Brattleboro!” Recently, we received a “Compassionate City” award. Brattleboro’s claim to fame is, “Hate has no place here. We’re inclusive, Caring, Committed, Unselfish, Empathetic, Creative, Collaborative, Optimistic, Compassionate, and Tolerant. Still, I wonder if those “words” weren’t more genuinely inclusive and caring back in that HEYDAY?