Blasts from the Past

 I recently joined a group on Facebook about Caldwell- my hometown- in my growing up years.  There have been many pictures posted on there that have elicited memories from my childhood.

This is a picture of Caldwell's public swimming pool back then.  I actually didn't swim here much as I had access to a neighbor's pool.    But I would occasionally come to swim with friends or with Joan.  I did join the swim team one summer and came here every day for a while.  You can see the high dive in this picture.  I remember working up courage to jump from there.

This radio station was on the corner of a very busy street in downtown Caldwell.  You could walk by and look in the windows and see the DJ or newscasters broadcasting.  A kind man in our ward was one of their main announcers- Dale Peterson. Their motto was "the corner where the world turns."  The globe on top of the building turned.  But because it turned the wrong direction, whenever they said their motto, someone would always add "backwards."  It was the big joke in Caldwell.

Ah.  This building elicits such fond memories.  This was the Carnegie library.  Joan and I always joined the summer reading program.  The children's library was downstairs.  We walked or rode our bikes there many days to turn in and check out more books.  I loved that place.  As I grew, I frequented the upstairs adult library.  I learned to love books in this old building.  Inside was a very distinctive old book smell.  I can almost smell it by looking at this picture.  Thank you, Mr. Carnegie, for helping me love books.

This was the theater in town.  This picture was taken earlier than I remember.  The name later changed to the Top theater.  Every summer they would sell books of tickets to children for matinee movies.  Kids would line up down the block to go inside and watch the movies.  It was an inexpensive way to entertain children all summer.  While I was waiting in line one summer day, an eclipse of the moon happened.  Adults went along the line warning us not to look at the sun. 

I also remember going to this theater with my family when I was in 2nd grade to see "Mary Poppins" when it first came out.  Later, when I was a teenager, our family went to "Camelot" here. I have so many memories at this old theater.

It is amazing what memories an old picture can elicit.  It truly is a blast from the past.