Memories Flood Back As Kalamazoo Remembers Days, Places Gone By

"I'm old enough to remember _____ in Kalamazoo.

So the question we posted on Facebook for you was "I'm old enough to remember _____ in Kalamazoo. And boy, did you respond. Nearly 250 responses in just about 48 hours, bringing back memories of businesses and bars and everything in between.

Flaming Hog Nights

This is a term that came up more than once. Flaming Hog Nights, as a former customer told the Benson and Bobby morning show on WRKR, were four long neck bottles of Stroh's Beer, but she couldn't explain the connection to the term "Flaming Hog". Other nightspots were brought up too. Places like Stan And Ollie's, Wayside, and Bourbon Street.

Record stores?

Anyone under 30 may naively ask "what's a record?", but folks mentioned record stores like Flipside, Boogie Records, and Believe In Music. They also mentioned places where young people went for fun, like Star World and the arcade at West Main Mall. And it's funny how shopping patterns in Kalamazoo have come full circle, with a lot of activity returning to West Main Street after South Westnedge in Portage was the center of the local retail universe for some forty years.

Speaking of retail, several people recalled the first Meijer store. It was located at Douglas and Patterson. (It's now a mega-church.)

One person remembered the city's skating rink on Lake Street. People remembered the city's two biggest employers, Upjohn and Checker Cab. They remember big department stores Jacobson's, Steketee's and Gilmore's. And restaurants like Burger Chef, Carlos Murphy's and Chi-Chi's, and ice cream at the High Wheeler.

And that gal would be about 100 now

And the slogan and gear that said "Yes, there really is a Kalamazoo. And the gal from here. (The Glen Miller Band's "I've got a gal in Kalamazoo".)

(Afftechmei via YouTube)

There are many other memories, take a look.

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