When I began this column, my goals were to preserve Union’s history and to evoke memories. Readers have sent me wonderful pictures and their treasured memories about articles that I have written so far. This week I want to share some of them with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.
Fred Allen Barfoot recalls the Union Theater of his day: “Union Theater Saturday matinees were a ‘must’ for all kids of my generation — a western, a ‘thriller,’ cartoons, and a news reel, all for a dime for kids under 12. Mrs. Edith Wofford sold tickets, son Jimmy (in my UHS class of 1957) ran the film reels, Mack Shelton (also in our class) sold popcorn and cokes, and Mr. J.W. Wofford was ‘all around.’
Mr. Wofford stirred up the town when he decided to show movies on Sunday afternoons! If we dared go, we’d walk to the theater on side streets and quickly go in, lest some upright member of our church saw us!”
Andy Gardner has his own theater memories: “It cost 15 cents for the afternoon show when I was 10. Two movies that stuck with me were sci-fi space alien flicks that took place in Japan. One was “The Mysterians” that scared the daylights out of me, and then I had to walk all the way home down the Conehatta Road in the pitch black dark. The other was “The H-man.” I spent a lot of time peering up from behind seats in front of me.”
Malone Nicholson remembers his mother giving him 25 cents every Saturday afternoon to go to the double feature at the Union Theater. With his 25 cents, he could get into the movie for a dime and get a big bag of popcorn for a dime. After the movie, Preston Hinton had a snow cone business set up outside the theater where Malone could then get a snow cone for 5 cents; or in the winter, he could go to the Bus Station Café and get a tasty hamburger for 5 cents. He had a great day of entertainment for his 25 cents. He states, “That was like being in Heaven.”
I have to add that my friends Mary and Benny Ware gave me a popcorn cup and a film strip clipping to go with my collection of memorabilia from Union businesses. Benny picked them up on the day that the Union Theater was being demolished. Upon a closer look, I noticed that the beginning of the film had an advertisement for Luke’s Sunflower Food Store. Oh, the memories that Union Theater left with us.
In a previous issue, I mentioned that during Union’s Centennial Celebration in 1934, the Key Brothers from Meridian took people for airplane rides over Union. Barbara Harrison from Little Rock told about her daring cousin Ruth Beemon Willia-mson, now 99 years old. On that day, Ruth, 15, and her brother Thara, 17, slipped away from their parents and made that exciting and memorable ride. Barbara sent a picture of Ruth’s souvenir ticket that featured a picture of the Key brothers.
Many thanks go to these readers for sharing their memories
Here are the questions for this week:
•Did Myrtle Majors work in Post Office Drug Store before she went to Dot’s Shop?
• When did Miss Jackie’s Day Care on Fifth Street open and close?
If you would like to share, please contact me at teresablount26@yahoo.com or 601-774-5564 or 109 Woodhaven Drive, Union, MS 39365.
