Let’s compare today’s shopping mall with downtown Tyrone in the years before 1970. A mall must be compact, not stretched out — no long breaks between stores. This was true yesterday in Tyrone’s “downtown mall.” Stores were located next to one another for several blocks. Parking was easy and nearby.
If you think about the several blocks from the railroad station to Wolf’s, it was just about the same length as a typical shopping mall. On a busy day, the parking spaces on the avenue were filled, so late-arrivals had to walk from Logan or Blair Avenues or one of the cross streets.
Near to the Anchor Store
Every mall has an anchor store. Tyrone had Lugg & Edmonds, or Danks & Company before Lugg’s. As you walk out of a mall anchor store and down the hallway, the kinds of stores are exactly parallel to what was near to the Tyrone anchor store.
There was a popular men’s clothing store right next door, Harry Gardner’s, and several restaurants, a drug store, a jeweler, and a candy store. A number of shoe stores were located in Tyrone’s “mall,” just as the typical mall does. And ladies stores for the fashion-conscious, plus stores featuring clothing for children. There were several radio stores, later radio and television stores.
Movie Houses
Near to every mall today is a theater; it was the same back then. There were only two Tyrone movie houses after “The Bucket of Blood” closed on 10th St. As in the past, sales of peanuts, popcorn, and Cracker Jack add to the fun of the occasion.
The Mall Crawl — Then and Now
Part of the fun in going to the mall is socializing in the crowds of people. Back then, Saturday nights found the population of Tyrone quadrupled, as everybody from out in the country came to town to spend the day.
In the good ole days, the family always would eat while in town. Back then, it was The Villa or Jack Myers’ or List’s or Paul’s.
Specialty Stores
Garman’s Department Store was limited to clothing, much the same way that some specialty stores in today’s malls deal primarily with clothing. Displays at Wing’s rivaled those of Bonwit Teller or any other women’s store. In the old days, radio stores and music stores were kept busy — Winter’s Music Store, and Abraham Music, as well as Dave Black’s Tyrone Appliance. And then, there were several jewelry stores in the Tyrone Mall, such as Acklin’s, Caldwell’s, Simms’, and later, Molnar’s.
“Five Cents, Ten Cents… A Dollar”
The “Tyrone Mall” had McCrory’s five-and-dime. Tyrone had Sully’s Sweet Shop or the Olympic. Two scoops of ice cream were a dime back in the old days.
Close to “the Action”
Lots of other kinds of businesses tried to locate as close as possible to “the action.” Auto dealers like to be nearby, and did the same back in the distant past, with Rupert’s, Shope’s, Feller’s, and Black Bros. all within a block of the downtown stores.
Stationery stores, such as Mann’s or Wooden’s, were right in the middle of the Tyrone Mall.
Tyrone has two very strong local hardware stores: Ace Fix-It Hardware and Fink Brothers Hardware & Supply.
Difficult to Compete
Today, any downtown area has difficulty competing with shopping malls because they no longer have the large and complete variety of stores that the malls can boast of. Back then, one trip downtown could bring the shopper within a few minute’s stroll to 75 different stores, just as today’s malls offer.
Without question, Levine’s Shoe Fly, the successor to the Morris Levine Family Shoe Store, stands out as a fine example of a retail store that draws people to Tyrone today, just as in the “good old days.”
One of the most apparent changes from the old days is the greatly reduced number of store clerks. In the old days, they used to have wires from all parts of the bigger stores to a cashier, and the money would be sent by little traveling boxes to ring up the sale and return the change. Can you imagine a mall of today if orders were still rung up that way! But it was fun for kids to watch those little money carriers zinging up to the “money lady.”
In addition to the wide variety of clothing and other stores that have disappeared, there’s another group of stores that are no longer here — the corner grocery stores that dotted Tyrone. Replacing them are centralized supermarkets and convenience stores. The same convenience stores also are replacing the gas stations that used to be every few blocks through town. One friend counted 15 filling stations or stores that sold gasoline in the Tyrone vicinity.
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