Ben Franklin Five & Dime
Submitted by Joe Liccar on July 9, 2009 - 5:37pm
Today's Independence Examiner front page photo of the Englewood district with the old Ben Franklin 5 & 10 sign in the image was terrific. Examiner photographers are true artists. I hope that sign remains up and is cared for regardless of the store name business below. To be an arts/ cultural district that piece of history has to remain up there forever.
When that particular Ben Franklin closed a few years back, I had the privelage to do a "Word on the Street" segment for the Examiner. (today it's called "Your take".) I asked random people "What is your favorite memory of going to Ben Franklin's". I took their photo and we printed their answers. The answers were wonderful.
For the fun of it, I throw that question out to our blogging community "What is your favorite memory of going into Ben Franklin's?"
I'll start. Mine was the Big Army Men out of the bin. They were green plastic, about 6 inches high and I think cost a nickel. I had a quite a few (when I had a nickel) and my favorite was the guy with the Bazooka.
What was your favorite memory of going to Ben Franklin?
Joe LIccar
Your Friendly Neighborhood Cartoonist
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Joe
You have started quite a conversation piece, and looks like it would be a sell if it returned to the area. I would like to know what happened to the workers which made these fond memories for these people. Does anyone know?
My husband's first job was at Ben Franklin! He works right here at The Examiner!
I have so many memories of that Ben Franklin. I bought lots of fabric, yarn and trim there. The candy counter was to die for. It brought back memories of the Ben Franklin I went to at Ruskin Heights when I was a child. I bought my grandmothers 80th birthday present there. There were times I went in there just to look. I loved that store I just wish there was still one here in town. It just isn't the same anymore.
KC Cookie Lady
Joe Thank You for this blog! What I Loved about Ben Franklin's was the feeling I would get when I walked in the door. A step back in time. They closed down right before we moved to Independence. Things change and time marches on. What I Love most about Ben Franklin's is the "Greatest Treasure" they had grew up and became one of "Independence Greatest Treasure's." Diane Houk president of Puppetry Arts Institute. People come from all around to see her shows. Her Puppets travel the world. No place on earth can touch a childs heart more than a Daddy taking time out to make a little puppet with their child. No Birthday party could bring children more fun and laughter than to make a little puppet with their own little hands and bring it to life in a Birthday Party with the help of a "Home Town Treasure." All of us LOVE Diane Houk. What I Love most is what Ben Franklin's 5 & 10 Store created my dear friend Diane Houk. To add to that the new owners are dear friends of mine too!!! I was very sad when Ben Franklin 5 & 10 closed but things change with time. The little girl from the 5 & 10 gets to play next door to her fathers old store and the new owner turned out to be my big brothers best friend. Sure the New Austin Five & Dime store is different but Linda and Allen Austin have that same "Old Time Charm and Service." When ever I walk into their store and Linda flashes that Big Beautiful Smile she just gets me. If any of you need any office supplies like I do or have kids or like jewelrey or just like to go some place that will not break you. Austins Five and Dime is the Best Bang 4 The Buck that I know of. Thanks for this blog because I Love these guys!!! xox
ELISA part of your charm is you are loyal and have a good sense of reality, people often live in the past, but longevity award those who embrace the future. You will have a long life with your attitude!
xox
hey buddy joe...
my memory of ben franklin always has been the candy and nut counter.
you could get nuts all roasted fresh....freshly popped corn...with xtra butter of course...and all kinds of candy.
evn up until it closed my wife and i would always go there for roasted cashews.
thanks for the memories!
todd
Hello Todd what a sweet story July 4-5-6, 2009 Todd and Denise Fedo 25th anniversary I Loved It!!! It was fun to see the darling picture of you and your wife. Congradulations Friend and Blogger!!! We Loved and miss the roasted cashews too!!! xox
HEE HAW
five an dime.
stick ponies all da time.
don't u like ma little rhyme?
plastic ponies at da dime.
dat's all.
HEE HAW
six fried chickens and a coke
More important decisions were made at the five and dime than in Harry's Courtroom.
I remember buying yards of fabric and yarn, picture frames and loads of Christmas stocking stuffers.
.......you must be "Bazooka Joe"...........I chewed your bubble gum........I remember now......going to the "5 & dime"........and those army men in the bins........seems like dinosaurs too.........I used to spend hours setting them up....only to realize that ...........that's all I enjoyed about the process because the army men were static........when you're a kid............things like the "dimestore " are magical...those trips with your dad......trying to bum a quarter........I went to one on 23rd street.........it was differnet then........around the Lee's Summit Road area......there used to be a feed store.....I'm a nostalgic guy ..........simpler times........dime stores had a specific smell.........ROFL.......maybe from all the plastic.........then we would stop at the little drive in by O'Dell tractor.......that was there for YEARS.........family owned........Sherrell I think was the name of the family that owned it..........I hadn't thought of those things... .......well.......since I was a kid........strange how a memory is jogged..............
eldoggg
Normal
0
I don’t know if it’s still there but 10 years ago there was a 5& 10-cent store in Branson Old town right by the river and when ever we went to Branson we had to go there..
Place up the street made Killer Sweet Rolls too…
But the old 5 & 10 was just as it was 60 years ago….
Any one remember the Kress store downtown on main??
That was my Disney land? Used to take the Trolley and get a hot dog and a coke, and buy a toy and come home all for a $1 One single sawbuck???
I loved Ben Franklin's, If I was "good" while my grandma bought fabric downstairs, I could pick out candy on the way out, and it seemed like there was every kind imaginable! I always tried to talk her into candy cigarettes, but the answer was always NO!
Don't get me started on TG&Y over by William Chrisman HS, that was a big shopping place for grandma too! I could usually talk her into a toy of some kind over there:)
Dear jennsterret,
Your Grandma sounds like a real gem. Always helping teach responsibility and rewarding for good behavior the way ONLY a Grandma can.
Mine was the same way. On the rare occassion she'd go out to a sit down restaurant, she'd load her purse with the cellophane wrapped Saltines, Breadsticks and Melba Toasts from the bread basket the waiter would bring with soup and salad.
As long as we ( my brothers and sister) were good and did what we were suppossed to that night IE; washing & drying the dishes, taking the garbage out, etc , those bits of pre-packaged starch were our reward.
I always took the saltines, smashed them into little bits while in the package and ate the tiny morsels. I felt like King Henry the Eighth feasting away.
Joe Liccar
Your friendly Neighborhood Cartoonist
........maybe that's how "Henry the 8th the 8th I am" got to be 350lbs in his later years...........ya know?......if you put on a velvet suit with a "jiffy pop" hat?........you DO kinda look like him........ ha ha ha ha.......speaking of "picking up a few free condiments?"............ROFL.........must be in the manual on page 334.........you never know when you're gonna need 300 napkins in the car..........don't even get into an "all you can eat "buffet.....that's page 487..............my ex mother in law whom I loved to death?.........we had to watch her when we left a restaurant......with maybe a bunch of us.....she was in her 70s..........had no father growing up and her mother was a bootlegger......who barely spoke english in the 30s............VERY poor........I don't think she ever came to grips with people "giving away money"........if we didn't watch her when we left?.......she would stay behind and pick up the tip..........I know this isn't funny to people in the service industry.........but still............
eldoggg
Eldog,
Last month I went to my Aunt's funeral. Went out to dinner after the wake the night before.
Was reminicsing with my cousins (we shared the same Grandma) and the subject came up on how cheap Grandma was. She would swipe packets of sugar, pepper, salt, order one cup of tea and one cup of hot water so her and my other Grandmother could share the teabag, etc. They were depression era ladies and knew how to stretch a buck for 20 miles.
The next morning shortly before the funeral services, I handed my cousin Kenny (it was his Mom's funeral) an individual Grape Jelly I swiped from Denny's where I had breakfast earlier.
I think he needed that.
Joe LIccar
Your friendly neighborhood cartoonist
........I've known several people that grew up around that time......that knew what it was to have an empty kitchen cabinet.....and as a child I can NOT imagine what it would be like to go to bed hungry or NOT know if there would be a meal the next day.....or if that meal might be the high point of the week.....with a little bone to give it a meat taste......I DO understand this.......it had a PROFOUND effect on those kids who grew up to be our aunts and grandparents.........I think that was a cool thing for you to do....I'm sure he saved that jelly........you seem to have an understanding of human nature.........but I guess that's what you DO isn't it?..........humorous pictorial comments on human nature............
eldoggg