by Charly Mann
Recalling life in Chapel Hill when I was a young boy can be a challenge. Every time I begin to write a about a place, person, or event, an array of images and voices begin floating through my consciousness on that subject that I try to pick up before they go by. I wish I had the eloquence to describe these things better, but how does one capture in words the vibrant smell of Franklin Street in the 1950s, or the taste of the amazing selection of foods served in the downtown restaurants or UNC dining halls in the 1960s? There is a long list of things I thought about trying to describe today, but in an age where an e-mail is rarely longer than a paragraph I do not want to exceed my audience’s attention span. Finally, I encourage readers to submit articles that will hopefully capture a more faithful record of life in Chapel Hill.
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In 1973 WCHL was twenty years old and celebrated that milestone by producing a lighthearted periodical that highlighted the key events in the station's history. WCHL was integral in making that period the Golden Age of Chapel Hill by transforming a small college town into a sophisticated and well-connected village.
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by Charly Mann
In March of 1973 The Carolina Barber Shop which was located at 131 East Franklin Street closed. It had been the oldest operating business downtown, opening its doors 55 years earlier in January of 1918 under the ownership of barber P.R. Perry. Now that it was gone Lacock's Shoe Shop, operated by 83 year old Wilson Lacock, became the senior business on the block. During the same month The Tar Heel Barber Shop located at the corner of Franklin and Henderson which had started in 1927 also closed.
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by Charly Mann
The best thing about Chapel Hill when I was growing up was that everyone in town was a character. One of these characters was Charles Hopkins who owned a world-renowned Franklin Street jewelry store for nearly 50 years. The jewelry that he designed and created has been displayed in almost every major museum in North America and Europe.
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by Charly Mann
For most of Chapel Hill’s history Franklin Street was filled with independent stores and restaurants. Christmas shopping downtown was a relaxing experience in holiday ambiance where every store carried unique gifts and customer service was always personalized.
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This is George L. Coxhead's rate for one year of student health insurance in 1964
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In the last week I have received 8 letters or e-mails with hard copies or links to the following article. As a of this outpouring I have decided to share the piece with all readers of Chapel Hill Memories. As a former merchant in Chapel Hill I share, and have experienced, many of the same concerns brought up by Mr. Deconto.
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by Jay Bagwell - Chapel Hill High School Class of 1964
I grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It was and still is a beautiful place, located in the middle of the state. Whenever I think back about the town, I always remember it as being green with large trees, manicured lawns and lots of flowers and gardens.
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by Charly Mann
There was no greater adventure for a child in 1950s Chapel Hill than to go to ROSE'S 5 and 10 CENT STORE. It was a magical store with everything you could imagine under one roof. The floors were wood plank and it had a unique and inviting smell that combined the scent of popcorn from its large candy counter with the odor of new merchandise.
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by Charly Mann
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by Charly Mann
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by Pauline Williams
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by Charly Mann
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by Bob Jurgensen and Charly Mann
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by Charly Mann
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by Charly Mann
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by Charly Mann
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by Charly Mann
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Tracks include five classic Milton's radio ads, and a song I produced in 1978 by a group from Chapel Hill named The Blazers called "I Ain't Got You" that includes a line about Miltons.
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by Charly Mann
Fowler's Food Store was the first supermarket in Chapel Hill, and was started in the 1920’s by the Fowler Family. It was located on West Franklin Street. Fowler's had the best selection of frozen foods and produce in Chapel Hill, until the early 1970s, when large grocery chains began opening larger supermarkets. It was particularly famous for its high quality fresh meats and outstanding butchers. From time to time the store carried a small selections of other items, including popular 45-rpm records. The town’s only record store throughout the 1950s and 60s, Kemps, never carried 45s, or much selection in rock and roll LPs. I bought my first Elvis Presley record there in August of 1956, Hound Dog backed by Don’t Be Cruel.
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by Charly Mann
Lily Pad Waterbeds was a phenomena. It was the first waterbed store in Chapel Hill when it opened in 1971, and was an instant success. It started in the basement of the Record and Tape Center, and soon moved next door to a separate location. It was owned and operated by Larry Carswell, a lifelong Chapel Hill resident whose father owned Colonial Drug Store for more than half a century.
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by Norman Hunter
I had the great good fortune of managing the Chapel Hill Record Bar on Henderson Street for approximately 2 ½ years between 1972 and 1974. Not only that, I lived less than a block from the store in a totally cool third floor apartment situated above the import store / head shop run by the legendary Kemp B. Nye. Just writing these words brings back a flood of memories.
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I think this dispels the notion that today's students are not as bright as their counterparts in the 1950s.
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What is it that binds us to this place as to no other? It is not the well or the bell or the stone walls. or the crisp October nights. No, our love for this place is based upon the fact that it is as it was meant to be, The University of the People.


