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A Little Hershey Memory


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This week I did a job in Ephrata, Pa. It is just west of Hershey on Rt. 322. Coming back I decided to ride past the Hershey grounds and since we were hungry for a late lunch we stopped at the plaza by Hummelstown.

The plaza is populated with a Sheetz station, KFC, Friendly's and some other stuff now. When I first started going to the Hershey Fall Meet is was just a strip mall and one diner at the west end. that diner was the hot spot in the evening. Crowded with flea marketeers, sometimes trails of mud, noisy conversations; and you could sit at the counter and start a conversation with anyone.

I also remember the line of people to use the phones; calling home and checking in. Everyone was impatient to get their turn. So yesterday I checked. The phone booths are still there.... for storage. The phones are gone. The memories remain. Those little things that used to be; they make me pause and smile, remembering another day.

Here are the phone booths for those who used to use them:

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I remember the first Hershey meet I attended was in '63. There was only one flea market field, outside the stadium and the car show was inside the stadium. I had a great time and actually found some good stuff in the flea market. Even though I still love going to Hershey, it's gotten way too big for me.

Rog

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I'll always remember standing at the snow fence at the edge of the Blue Field my first year in 1969, and wondering what it would be like if the flea market could cover the whole field. That area is now the Hershey amusement park and covered with roller coasters.

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My little memory of Hershey is that when I was 16 years old I went to Hershey with my dad. In that giant "field of dreams" I located a new old stock radiator shell and grille for my 1929 Franklin Series 135 four door sidemounted sedan for $35.00. Then I looked around and found a new old stock radiator shell for my 1931 Dodge coupe for $35.00! I still have the '31 Dodge shell and one of these days, it will be on my car.

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$35 won't buy much there today. What do you think you would pay for those radiators now? I doubt $350 would buy them today. I remember the year blue field flooded. It was half way up some cars that were left in the field.

The first year I went was about 71 or 72. I went with a long time vender and we stayed in a basement of a house across the street from blue field. There was about a dozen people who stayed there for about $10 per night and the couple that owned the house made pancakes & eggs for breakfast too.

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Guest Packards1

I remember the banks of temporary telephones brought onto the blue field and the long lines waiting to make a call. I also remember when they started allowing good food vendors onto he field. One year a vendor "Monroes Ribs" was set up near our vending spot. We ate like kings on great ribs that year.

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I love reading threads like this, by you folks who were there many, many years before I started going. I have posted this next link before on another thread, but I think it's appropriate here, and you should find this enjoyable.

Saw this on YouTube a while back; someone has about ten minutes of color footage from Fall Hershey back in October of 1962. Funny that the "new" cars back then are now the classics many of us adore.

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Guest Packards1

I also remember when the 1955-56 Packard parts I was selling were too new to be allowed on the field. I think my 1950-51 Packard stuff was ok. No one can forget the incesant blaring of the large speakers making announcements for people to move their cars out of other vendors spaces.

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Guest Barry B.

Wow, that was great,! Where were you in 1962? My Model A coupe was still rusting in a junkyard. I restored it in 1980 and it's still going strong.

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I know the little place, My first few Hershey, we stay in hostel style on third floor across the street from the Blue Field, 20 of us managing in one of those three story house, plus the basement. My Friend Bert Barber hooked me up their in 1988 or 1989. I had just bought the Packard in February and met my wife on St Patrick day, and Bert nearly ran me down trying my my 42 limo, I cut off coming out of driver back them

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