Sydney’s Fresh Veggies

Produce stand 08-09-2014Ridge Road in Jackson is an interesting street. A couple of blocks from the slow-moving golfer who had me confused, Mother and I spotted Sydney’s Fresh Veggies stand. Produce stands aren’t unheard of in South Florida, but this one had a twist that we don’t run into often down there.

It believed that people are honest

Produce stand 08-09-2014Nobody was in sight. There was a wooden cash box that may or may not have been bolted down, secured by a lock that I think my nail clippers could have defeated.

On top of the box was a slot, with two noted: “Money goes here,” and “If you need change, call xxx-xxxx and someone will be out.”

I almost left a tip for Sydney for restoring my faith in human goodness.

Mother Nature’s Splash Park

The Missourian had a story saying that the new Cape Splash Family Aquatic Center – AKA the water park –  saw more than 106,000 visitors during its first season. Record high temperatures, no rain and the novelty of a new park probably contributed to the crowds.

Hubble Creek Splash Park in the 60s

Before we had any formal water parks, including the Lickitysplit Water Slide, located between Cape and Jackson, we had the Hubble Creek Splash Park.

Actually, it didn’t have a name it was just “Hey, Mom, we’re going down to play in the creek.”

Jackson’s Hubble Creek in 2010

The water’s higher and it’s a slightly different angle, but the creek looks about the same four decades later.

First Jackson Pool built by WPA in 1938

You can see Hubble Creek curving through the park between the swimming pool and the Jackson Drive-in.

The aging Capaha Park pool saw a drop in patrons this summer, but the Jackson pool drew more swimmers than last year.

Jackson’s first pool was built in 1938 as a WPA project. It replaced the drive-in theater in 1976.

Second Christmas Shopper Mystery Solved

Rexall Drugs in Jackson, MOI posted a gallery of photos of Christmas shoppers last week that set off a scavenger hunt to figure out where they were taken. You can read about the search and eventual outcome here.

They cleared up where Santa was, but how about the other stores?

Missourian photographer Fred Lynch rode to the rescue here, too.

Here’s Fred’s account:

Ken’s pictures of Christmas shoppers inside a Rexall drug store were taken in Jackson. Not Cape Girardeau.

Old Jackson Rexall Drugs

Anita Schulte, left, in Rexall Drugs Store in Jackson, MO, in the mid-60s.Fred asked Cathy Hancock at The Southeast Missourian’s Jackson office to take a look at Ken’s Rexall photos on his blog.

Cathy said: “I believe the drug store shot is Jackson Rexall Drugs, owned by John & Anita Schulte. Anita is the lady behind the counter. It was on High Street uptown and there was a Kroger store across the street, hence the bananas sign.”

Cathy is mostly correct

Fred walked inside the store Cathy remembered and was told that indeed it used to be a drug store. Now it is Amelia’s Fashion Exchange.

He called Cathy’s neighbor, who worked uptown before retiring, and learned that the grocery store was the A&P rather than Kroger. The A&P was located in what is now Siemer’s Best Brands Plus, an appliance store. He also confirmed the Jackson Rexall Drugs. So imagine looking through Amelia’s window and across the street in the window of Siemer’s is a sign for bananas.

By the way, Kroger was down the block from Rexall at the time.

Old A&P grocery store in Jackson

Jim Vangilder provides more info

Jim Vangilder: These photos were taken in Jackson.  The drug store was Kistner’s Rexall Drug.   The A&P Grocery store was across the street.  The Santa and package wrappers were in Priest’s Department Store.  The photo with the china and glassware was Cox’s Variety Store.