Only in York County

I mentioned yesterday that the “what seafood restaurant was where” discussion was a big one.

But a simple question – Do you remember the North Mall? – drew a whole ton of responses, too!

Over on The Exchange, poster Strahan linked to some of his old photos, including this one.

On my post, Buddy said his dad was a security guard there for a year or two; “I remember it well,” he wrote.

Betty Sipe wrote: “I worked at the Bon-Ton when I first got out of high school in 1967. I think I can remember construction of other stores on the end toward the Susquehanna Trail while I worked there. I loved the Bon-Ton, and working there. We all got to know each other and it was small enough to have a family type feel among us. We had a restaurant in it at the back of the store. The menu wasn’t huge but it made it handy if we didn’t feel like going out somewhere to grab a bite to eat. There was a small pet department too, which none of the other Bon-Ton’s ever had that I remember. I remember this in particular because there was a Myna bird that used to shriek, “HELLO! BIRDS DON’T TALK!” I was sorry to see the Bon-Ton go under at that location. It was a nice store.”

Betty was in good company; my brother-in-law Mike writes about my sister, Linda: “Linda worked at the Bon-Ton there after York Composition closed its doors. She eventually went to Hess’s in the West Manchester Mall right before Mailman’s moved in that space. We spent a lot of time in that mall at the time.”

The next comment was a really cool one. Jason Ilyes of Lebanon, Tenn., writes: “I was the one who posted the comments on the York Mall in www.deadmalls.com. I may try to post a link about the North Mall, also. Kiddie Town toy store used to be there too. I remember as a little kid shopping with my mom at J.M. Fields and there was also a Pantry Pride grocery store that was somehow attached to J.M. Fields where you can go from the Fields store to Pantry Pride without going outside.” Jason is originally from the Leader Heights area of York Township – how cool!

Then, my friend Lorie added, “I remember the North Mall very well. Mom would take me there on Saturday mornings. J.M. Fields and Pantry Pride. My sister used to work at G.C. Murphy. Mom would buy lunch at the lunch counter in G.C. Murphy. There was also a Kenney shoe store there. The Horn and Horn restaurant came later and was situated where J.M. Fields used to be. Such wonderful memories I have of that place!”

I don’t remember G.C. Murphy, J.M. Fields OR Pantry Pride. I think I might have been in Horn and Horn once? Joe certainly remembered; he writes: “Since you said FOOD for thought I’ll add in that on the lower level I remember Horn and Horn smorgasboard (smorgasboard might be another topic for discussion around here sometime!)” He’s right – we’ll pick that one up soon.

Tracey remembered Legore’s hamburgers – that’s another one I don’t remember. She had a funny story, too – one of her ex-boyfriends had a younger brother who called Horn and Horn “Trumpet and Trumpet.” (The brother played the trumpet, it turns out.) She says, “I had forgotten all about that until this post!”

Jess, who went to high school with Tracey and I, said: “My family loved Legore’s! Horn and Horn was good stuff too. So was the Italian restaurant upstairs … can’t remember the name.”

That’s one I need help with. What was the Italian place (it came a bit later) called? They had the awesome paper tablecloths that you could color on. When I was in late middle to early high school, I’d go with all my friends and we’d make these totally complicated murals. So that’s your next challenge – come up with its name!