Barbara's Chapter
Radio, Sock Hops, and Teenage Days
told by Barbara Kay Guild Miller
Barbara recalls listening to KSTT—1170 AM and WLS—890, cruising Rock Island's One-Ways with girlfriends, Maid Rite sandwiches, and Whitey’s ice cream, where her mother always chose a strawberry cone. Her teen memories include sock hops, poodle skirts, crinolines, cinch belts, saddle shoes, Capezios, and curling irons heated on the gas stove. She remembers ten-cent fries after McDonalds opened during junior high, lunchtime dancing at Coolidge Jr. High, homecoming floats, 4-H and the County Fair, baby-sitting, work at Turnstyle and the Hasty Tasty, ironing even pillowcases, pizza's growing popularity, televised basketball tournaments, and hearing about the first man going into space over the school intercom.
In the family's own words
Listening to KSTT—1170 AM or WLS—890 on the radio. Cruising the One-Ways in Rock Island with my girlfriends. Getting Maid Rite sandwiches. Going to Whitey’s ice cream store. (Mom would always get a strawberry cone.) Sock Hops. Poodle skirts. McDonalds opening while in Jr. High. (We’d buy the ten-cent fries after school.) Curling our hair with curling irons heated on the gas stove. Crinolines. Wearing full skirts with wide cinch belts. Saddle shoes and Capezios. Working nights as a dishwasher at the Hasty Tasty. 4-H and the County Fair. Dancing during lunchtime at Coolidge Jr. High. Working on floats at homecoming time. My first job (besides baby-sitting) at Turnstyle discount store. Standing in the kitchen ironing. (We ironed everything, even pillowcases, in the old days.) Pizza became popular when I was a teenager. Watching the high school basketball tournaments on TV. (Mom would even get excited by them.) Listening on the intercom at school as the first man went into space. Learning to drive. Here comes my shocking revelation. I took someone’s car—I think it was Carol’s. This was in the middle of the night while everyone was sleeping. I picked up some friends and we drove all the way out to The Pits (strip mines) to swim. Sorry…
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