Growing up in Saginaw county and things forgotten

[mrcheerful]

1) You remember getting stuck waiting for a ship to clear the Center street draw bridge
2) you knew it was christmas day because you could see everything while driving past Malibu Iron and your dad didn't need to turn his head lights on
3) Saginaw high was mostly white kids
4) hoping a train going to or from Saginaw high in Bridgeport
5) it was safe to sit in the A&W on Genesee Street
6) when the east side was white and the south side was black
7) Going to the new Bridgeport high school
8)downtown Saginaw had a festival and you saw navy ships on Saginaw river
9)getting stuck on I-75 waiting for a ship to clear the I-75 draw bridge
10) the Saginaw fair was safe to leave your kids run wild
11)going into the east side for a steak sandwich,fries and a banana split after dark (can't remember the name of the place) but remember when you couldn't eat a basket of fries alone
12)Bridgeport was considered farm country and Birch Run was considered a wide spot in the road
13)driving past Junction on Dixie HWY and not realizing that it was once a town, you just turned there to get to Frankenmuth
14)eating chicken dinner at Bavarian Inn and walking through the town stopping at every shop on main street and not thinking Frankenmuth was a tourists trap
15)driving on the old Fort Road bridge and remembering when it collapsed when a car went over it
16)when Fayette street was put in and the 45 degree bend right before the new bridge and sliding off it when it snowed
17)when your street was one of the last streets plowed after a snow storm, 3 days later
18)when Bridgeport had beer gardens because of all the bars on Dixie HWY
19)the snow storm of 67 and it took 2 days to find where in the snow bank your dad parked his car
20)the neighbor dragging said car down to the corner with his tractor so dad could get to work because the snow plows still hadn't cleared your road
21)when Bridgeport Baptist church was a house

Edited to say I remember, it was Tony's restaurant on the east side (gfs name is Toni and I coldn't remember the name, grrrrrrrr old age)

[5thGenDemocrat]

1. There were three Tony's on the east side

One on East Genesee near the fairgrounds, another at Fifth and Lapeer and a third across the street from the old Central Junior High. The one near the fairgrounds is still there.
And I'm old enough to remember the snowstorm of 1967 -- it dumped 24 inches, IIRC. Our dad, us five kids and all the neighbors got together and shoveled out our street (which is only two blocks long).
John
AHHS '75. Still live in the family house, over here by Saginaw General (now Covenant Harrison).
You sound like you went to Saginaw High. What year were you? I bet I know classmates of yours.

[mrcheerful]

2. I grew up in Bridgeport and graduated from the high school in 75.

Most of my cousins went to saginaw high, I have a cousin who was one of Bridgeport highs first graduating class of 64. Most of my family were life long Saginaw residents so I spent a lot of time in the city. Though in the school year of 74 and 75 I went to COC on Weiss street which put me into contact with kids from saginaw high. I lived 1 mile away from the Bridgeport/Birch Run border, so my mailing address was Birch Run. I remember the Tony's by the fair grounds,when you could eat inside, its now a take out. I was trapped on Jane's and 6th street during the 67 riot. My cousin was driving for Mikes wrecker and the back tires were shot out on the tow truck. It took an hour before another tow truck could get into the area to rescue us. Talk about a long hour, never seen any cop cars during the wait. Needless to say I have since moved out of Saginaw and am now stuck in republican Grand Rapids. Though I only been here for a year, I miss Saginaw where your biggest traffic problem was people driving 25 in a 45 zone, in the fast lane. Do you remember the McDonald's on Dixie hwy in BV? Before they put in the Kroger mini mall? My parents sold a horse to the riding stable that was there before Kroger's.

Edited to add....... Yeah Fifth and Lapeer was very popular during the 50's and 60's, I went there with family until the riot of 67. I remember when it would stay open until 12 or 1 o'clock in the morning. I ate there in 2000 but it wasn't the same, run down dirty etc etc.