More memories of Joe, the Motorists’ Friend
Earlier this year, I asked, on behalf of commenter John L., about who remembered Joe, the Motorists’ Friend.
Commenter Bridget writes, “My father, Richard ‘Dick’ Kilgore worked at Joe’s in the late 50’s! I remember the store clearly — part of the smells I remember from childhood was the rubber smell that stuck to my dad’s clothes. His hug for me after work and the smell of rubber are entwined in my memories! After Joe’s, my dad went on to work at The Pep Boys on South George Street before he was transferred to the Lancaster store in 1964.”
Some of the Joe’s memories were very appropriate for this season of the year!
New commenter Byron Jackson said, “I remember very well the Joe the Motorist’s Friend store on Third and Verbeke Sts. in Harrisburg. I loved the Lionel trains that they sold and had on display there year round. As a matter of fact, when I was a child growing up in Harrisburg in the 1950s I absolutely loved the full page ads featuring lineups of Lionel trains that Joe, the Motorists’ Friend used to have in the Harrisburg Patriot-News prior to the Christmas holiday. I used to love going to Joe’s just to look at the trains. I still play with Lionel and other brands of trains today.” (This was remembered by another commenter, this one anonymous, who said, “How about the Lionel train setup at the rear of the store at Christmas?”)
And Mary F. says, “They sponsored the Santa show on TV each Christmas back in the sixties where kids would sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what they wanted.”
John had mentioned that, in York County, there were locations first at the York County Shopping Center and then at the Northgate Plaza Shopping Center. If you’re interested in the York County Shopping Center – which became the plaza on East Market Street where Red Lobster and Lowe’s are now – check out Jim McClure’s post on it over at York Town Square.
Does anyone else remember Joe’s or any other stores of the past from either the York County Shopping Center or Northgate?
I enjoyed reading about the store,the comments about the Lionel trains and the aroma . There was a store in Baltimore”s Waverly neighborhood . In the 1940”s and 1950’s l visited it regularly. I saw a maroon Hercules Royal Prince bicycle.It was priced at $75. Too expensive! Santa delivered it.
I remember very well Joe the Motorist Friend at the Long Meadow Shopping Center in Hagerstown, Md when our family lived in Williamsport, which was about 6 miles south of Hagerstown. This was 1961 to 68. Dad would take my two brothers and I there a few weeks before Chrismas every year. I can still remember the Lionel train layout in the back of the store. Boy, was I ever excited. I remember buying a big Styrofoam tunnel for maybe 98 cents for my Lionel train st home. How I wish things could be that simple again.