I don't know how many times I went into that store.I DO know two of my favorite memories and I DO know one of the last times I was there.
First memory.....I must have been 8 years old. 1968. We had just moved back to Crockett. I was in the third grade. It was Christmas Eve and Daddy had given me a $20 bill and took me "uptown" to shop for my Christmas gifts. It was sleeting...I thought it was snowing...maybe I just hoped it was! : ) Daddy dropped me off by Roger's Shoe Store and told me he would pick me up later. TWENTY DOLLARS! WOW! I could buy gifts for everyone....Mother and Daddy, Aunt Nellie, Uncle Tommy, Grandma, Gran, Rob and Darla.
I went to Stowe's Men and Boy's Store and bought socks for all the men. They asked me if I would like them wrapped and I said yes but to PLEASE keep the little "hangers" on them. : ) I don't know WHY that was so important to me. I then went to Perry Brothers. I bought Mother a porcelain poodle. And bless her heart...she still has it! I was SO proud of that gift.
My next stop was at Polk's. I went upstairs. I LOVED the upstairs. It was linens only. I bought cup towels for my great-grandmother, my grandmother, my aunt and Esta, my grandmother's maid. They also asked if I wanted them wrapped. (Back then, they wrapped for free.) I was so excited.
My second favorite memory was graduation. 1978. In Crockett you sent out high school announcements and then people would buy gifts for you, Polk's would wrap them up (in white paper with blue bows/ribbons) and have your graduation announcement card on them heading up the stairs to the linens. You would get a call from them saying, "Donna has gifts to be picked up" and you would go to Polk's to pick up your gifts. They were then displayed at your house on tables with white table cloths. People would come by your home to see what you had received for gifts. : ) (Same thing happened when you got married! : )
The very last memory I have of Polk's is when I left Crockett to go to A&M. My great-grandmother, Hattie Murchison, worked there and I went by on my way out of town to say goodbye. As long as I knew her, "Mom" as we called her, never cried. When I went by Polk's that day to say goodbye, she started to cry. I asked her why she was crying and she said, "Your great-grandfather would have been so proud of you." (He was a HUGE Aggie fan! : )
So many wonderful memories of Polk's...of the back room where the shoes were. Of the sweet lady upstairs by the shoes (can't remember her name) who kept the "books". Of how you could take things out on approval to try them on and bring them back. Of how you had a charge account.
I loved that place!
What are your memories of Polk's?
5 comments:
I remember the display windows... they always had the most wonderful things in there. Whenever we went "uptown" we always walked by and looked. I also remember they had the most stylish shoes!
When I was really young, the ladies hankys, gloves and hats pulled me and later it was the shoes. I loved that little room and the shoe display window. What wonderful memories. Thank you Donna for inspiring us to take this sentimental journey.
The SHOES!!! OMG! THE SHOES! Yes, definitely, the SHOES!! Oh, at the many hours I would gaze through the window at the SHOES!!!! I could stand in front of the shoe display for what seemed like hours just envisioning myself in at least 3 pair of those shoes and what I would wear them with and where I would wear them to! After about 3 stops in front of that window on 3 different days, that 3rd day insisted that I go in and try them on!!! Don't think I ever came out without either buying a pair that day or going back to get the ones I tried on... yes, definitely THE SHOES!!!
Once when I was little (*really* little), Mother was ready to go but I wasn't. So the ladies at the desk helped me "hide" from her. I was fine until she took a step out the front door. I can still remember the panic I felt as I ran out from behind the desk and called out to her.
I also remember the graduation gifts stacked neatly on the steps and how exciting it was to put everything on the tables at the house for others to see. They don't do that anymore? Sad to see some things change.
Well, my daddy would always go to the special back room twice a year to get a dress for Mother, one for her birthday and one for Mother's Day. The back room was where the special dresses were kept. Mother would never dream of shopping for herself in there!
Kate also loved to gift shop upstairs in linens. We would go in together on pillow cases. HA! We had more pillow cases than sheets in our house thanks to Polks.
And I loved going in the dressing rooms in Polks for some reason! I loved slipping in the back door where the shoes were at Polks.
In a side note, I loved the jewelry display case at Perdue's! Remember how you could press a button and the display case would revolve? And I just remember how old lady wonderful old Mrs. Perdue smelled.
Ooh! And Rogers' Shoe Store had that big old Hush Puppy on display in there. I very randomly met a man this summer who used to be the Keds saleman that supplied Rogers' Show Store with Keds. I can't tell you how many Keds I must have gone through!
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