The "Army & Navy Store Memories" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading the close to 50 responses to a question I posed on Facebook in the group "The Lancastrian".  I must first tell you why I posed the question I did.  When I was a young boy I would travel with my dad to his business at the corner of North Mulberry and West King Streets in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Usually on a Saturday morning or afternoon I would help him package watch equipment and components for shipment from Meiskey's Jewelry Store where he worked.  After I finished I was allowed to walk the block and a half to Antes Pet Store in the second block of West King Street.  I so enjoyed watching the animals in the window and sometimes the owner would come outside and have me come it to help him feed the animals.  

The Army & Navy Store stands on the left corner in Lancaster.

Can't tell you how many small animals I had during my youth that my dad bought for me at Antes.  Another favorite stop on West King was a half-block from Antes to the east.  Place was on the corner of West King and North Prince Street in downtown Lancaster and was known as the Army & Navy Store.  Not sure exactly what they sold, but I don't remember many items in the store that could have been used by the Army or Navy except maybe the Swiss Army knife my dad bought for me one time at the store.  

Looking toward the west from the center of town.

I believe they sold primarily camping supplies as well as clothing.  The store was directly next to the Pelican Grill which had an alleyway next to it and in turn a very small building that was home to the Peanut Man who sold bags of roasted peanuts.  I did make a few stops at the Army & Navy store with my parents to buy clothing for school as well as a stop to buy a bag of peanuts to take home to share with my family.  Well, it was many years after my youth that I had a chance to stop back in the store once again.  My oldest son, when entering 7th grade, just had to have the latest craze in clothing so I took him to the Army & Navy Store to buy him parachute pants.  

The nearby Peanut Man.

Made from the material that was used to make parachutes and had large pockets with zippers on them.  My most vivid memory of that trip though was our ride home when a loaded fuel truck struck my recently restored VW Beetle, spun it around in the intersection and up an embankment where it caught fire.  We did get out before the smoke turned to flames which in turn was extinguished by a passerby.  My son suffered a broken tooth, but we were lucky nothing else happened to us.  I recently found some old photos of the Army & Navy store and thought I would pose a question to the residents who have lived in Lancaster for years.  A few days ago on "The Lancastrian" I wrote:  What can you tell me about the Army & Navy Store at the corner of Prince and King in downtown Lancaster. Ever shop there and if so, what did you buy. I remember shopping there, but don't remember much more about it. And, I can remember the Pelican Cafe next door, but not much about it either. Any photos of the place?  Wasn't more than ten minutes later that the posts began.  As of the time of this story, there have been well over 50 responses.  I have published a few here to show you the comments I was hoping I would receive.  But, not only did I get the comments, I got a few personal answers from friends from my past that I hadn't been in contact with for years who happened to recognize my name and responded.  Facebook is a wonderful social media tool that allows one to not only learn wanted information, but reconnect with those who may recognize you from the past.  Some of the Army & Navy responses were (some edited):

• Anne - I bought bell bottoms and bib overalls there. I still had the bib overalls until someone stole them recently.
• Gail - And there were not a lot of stores like that so if u wanted Levi’s that’s where u went.
• Chuck - Bell bottom jeans and navy pea coat.
• Doug - Back in the seventies us guys used to go there and buy landlubber jeans they were $10 a pair and boy were they comfortable.
• Michael - I bought a plaid flannel shirt there in the early 70s. It was and still is the best shirt I ever had. I wore it till it was nothing but a rag. Before that, though, I bought a lot of things in there. I worked at Commercial Printing Company (now the Dispensing Company) and hung out there, even when not buying anything.
• Doug - CPO jackets were in back then also and you could buy a canteen for $5.
• Dewie - Went there for jeans, and I bought a backpack made of olive canvas once.
• Louise - Best store ever for combat boots and 10$ bells!!!
• Roxie - I remember the older women teaching me how to pack a duffle bag I was buying. I still use those tips today.
• Audrey - Bought my first hiking boots there in the 80s. Boy's boots.
• Doug - The denim bell bottom jeans back then were called landlubbers.
• Rosemary - Went with friends a few times. I think I bought denim bells and did they sell flannel plaid shirts.  I had a few and wore them like jackets over t-shirts. I seem to remember I bought them at the Army and Navy.
• Lori - Loved that one place, army pants, carpenter jeans, painters pants... Thermal underwear...
• Karen - I bought my bell bottom jeans there in high school (McCaskey). Many pair. They were mens but I loved them!
• Patricia - Yep that's why Dad took me there. No hips and I was tall lol..
• Pedro - Their clothes last forever. I still remember one of the old men writing down the receipt ... his hand writing was perfect.  love that store.
• Donna - Yep...painter pants. Flashback! Next reunion!
• Zita - Ha ha I remember them well ... bought mine there ... and still remember I wore the white painters pants the first day of my senior year ...
• Susan - That was a fun read. Army-Navy store was a destination for those of us who lived in the burbs. Take the bus to town, lunch at Zimmerman’s, then shopping!!!

Business card showing the new design of the store.

So, you see what was sold at the Army & Navy store in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  And, you can also see what "The Lancastrian" Facebook page is to the city of Lancaster and surrounding communities.  Now, for perhaps my favorite post ...

• Stanley - Bought camping equipment for cross country motorcycle trip. Then showed photos of the trip to Mr. Woods class at MTHS.

That Mr. Woods would be me!  Mr. Stanley Imboden was the minister for years at my church, the historical St. James Episcopal Church in downtown Lancaster.  I invited him to visit my photography class one day to share his wonderful photos and photographic knowledge with the students.  They loved the photos, but more importantly, loved the stories Rev. Imboden shared with them.  My children also had the honor of knowing and growing up with Rev. Imboden.  Stan's father was an umpire in professional baseball and always had a story to tell to my oldest son who loved and played the sport.  And, my youngest son, five years old at the time, had a story to tell Rev. Imboden one day during a visit.  I had left my son with Stan while I walked next door to see the church secretary.  When I returned Stan told me my son had told him that I had a magazine at home that had pictures of naked women in it!  I'm sure to this day I turned bright red!  And to top that off, the next Sunday in church my wife Carol and I were sitting in a pew when an older woman tapped me on the shoulder and said, "I understand you have some interesting reading material at home!"  Wow, word got out pretty fast about my magazine!  A tale certainly as interesting as any trip to the Army & Navy Store!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.