I stopped long enough to shoot one frame of Wimpy’s intersection in 1966. The shadows show that it was in the afternoon, and the leaves on the tree make it spring or summer. The parking lot is surprisingly empty, but it must have been full earlier because I can see scraps of paper spread all over it.
The Arena Park sign promises “Stock Car Racing Every Sat Nite.” (You can click on the photo to make it large enough to see if one of the cars belongs to you.)
Earlier stories and photos of Wimpy’s
- Wimpy’s in 1966, 1967 and 2009
- New bank moves into Wimpy’s corner in 2011
- Winpy’s on South Kingshighway bites the dust (story includes obits for Bill and Frank Lewis)
Books and calendars available
At Lutheran Heritage Center and Museum still has a few of my calendars and photo books for sale. You can order them over the phone, but it’s worth a drive to Altenburg to see their new Christmas Tree exhibit. I’m told it’s even better than in past years.
The museum is free, interesting and has the friendliest staff and cleanest bathrooms you’ll every find. You also can order the publications by mail. They are $20 each. If you order more than one, the price for each additional copy drops to $15. Shipping and handling will run about $5 for a single copy (or as many as will fit in the mailer for that rate) if you can’t make it there in person.
Lutheran Heritage Center & Museum
P.O. Box 53
75 Church Street
Altenburg, Missouri 63732
Open Daily seven days a week: 10:00am – 4:00pm (Closed Christmas Day)
Telephone: 573-824-6070
Email: info@altenburgmuseum.org
Had a discussion on the which is better Coke or Pepsi topic the other day. I seem to remember back in the day that supermarket sales of Coke and Pepsi seemed pretty much even. Was trying to remember what the drive ins in town sold. With the obvious exception of Popp’s A&W., does anybody remember if what others sold. Wimpy’s, the movie’s, others ???
I was always a Coke guy myself. The Rialto Theater sold fountain drinks, but they also had a vending machine that would dispense a black cherry concoction that I’d buy from time to time.
Other sodas I can remember: Milde’s Cream Soda, Dr. Pepper (which is still one of my favorites), RC (which had kind of a cinnamon/peppery taste to me) and the Yoo-Hoo, a disgusting chocolate milk-type drink.
Brother Mark came up with the advertising campaign for Schnuck’s Super Soda. Warning: the ads contain serious ear worms.
Coke was the name we used for all kinds of sodas and other things. “Going out for a Coke” was simply a casual date when we didn’t know what we were going to do. Or did we? Milde’s cream soda was the BEST!
I really like the wide shot of Wimpy’s with all those long automobiles.
The short white car caught my eye. I think it’s my Dads Ford Consul.
It seems to me that most of the restaurants sold Coke, although the Robinson family were Pepsi drinkers. The first thing out of my grandfather Elmer Robinson’s mouth when we visted was, “You want a Pepsi?” He always had them iced-down in a cooler in his trunk.
I still say that nothing ever beat the thirst-quenching power of a fresh mug of Popp’s A&W Root Beer. My grandmother R and aunt Carolyn made a point of taking me there if I was ever with them over-night and we always left with a gallon jug for later.
The Grossheiders were Coke and Milde’s flavors drinkers. My grandfather Alvin always had a good assortment Milde’s in his old Hotpoint in the basement; Orange, Cherry, Cream and Grape, and he never turned down the request for one.
If memory serves me right most of the diners in Cape sold mostly Coke products. When I moved to Cape in ’67 I remember the waitress asking me what kind of soda I wanted. That was my first introduction to pop being referred to as soda. I believe it was the Palmer restaurant on Broadway.
My favorite place to go was Popp’s A&W to get a Root Beer in a frosted mug. Those were such fun days and I am sorry that our kids weren’t able to enjoy them.
Wimpy’s Drive In sold Coca-Cola, Pepsi, 7-Up, and Orange soda when the soda machine was installed. Yes, Coca-Cola and Pepsi had separate syrups which were mixed with carbonated water. As a waitress I was amazed by how many customers could not taste the difference between Coca-Cola and Pepsi; they would say, “Give me whatever you have, it comes out of the same machine.” We would add a squirt of vanilla or cherry to the soda for those who requested a cherry coke, or vanilla pepsi, etc. A few teens liked to order a “graveyard” which mixed all four soda’s in one cup with squirts of all flavors-cherry, vanilla, chocolate,strawberry, pineapple,etc. The later two were usually put on top of soft ice cream or in malts and shakes. Freeman Lewis will celebrate his 90th birthday January 20th, 2013 with his family.
Lynette, please extend birthday wishes to Mr. Lewis as he joins our dad at the 90 mark. It’s amazing, really, as I would have believed that our hijinks and those of so many others took years off his life as well as those of his brothers Frank and BIll. Wimpy’s was a second home to me, my friends and so many others for all those ‘coming of age’ years. It holds a special place in my book of memories–on many pages. The burgers were singular, but the Twinkies dipped in a chocolate shake cause me to salivate even today. Some may see as a bank the building that sits on the lot where Wimpy’s lived, but I see the double peaks there still. Long may it live in hearts, minds and Ken’s memorable photos.
Wimpy’s is responsible for Barbara and I being married. I was sitting there in my ’59 2 door Ford wagon when she came through in tears because her dad had just had a heart attack. We had known each other for years and she jumped in my car for some consolation. I took her back home and stayed with her while she calmed down some. She invited me over for dinner to say thanks, we began dating and 45 years later, here we are.
That brought a tear to my eye this morning Russ! Nice to hear a good story to start my day, congratulation on 45 wonderful years!