Test your knowledge of West Hartford history with this ‘Thursday Throwback,’ courtesy of the Noah Webster House and West Hartford Historical Society.
By Ronni Newton
It’s Throwback Thursday (#tbt), and time to take a look back into West Hartford’s past to either stir up some memories, reflect on how much things have changed, or both. And if you have no idea, we love the photo captions, too!
Courtesy Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society
Since last week was the final Thursday before Election Day, we thought we’d have a throwback political photo. The image (at right and in larger size below) was from an era that was recent enough that many of the individuals in the photo are still around, although as far as we know none of them are currently office-holders. One of them even commented!
Rob Rowlson was the first to comment, identifying most of the people in the photo: “Ok, lets start with names … John Droney and Bill Alberti have the facile hair … then Sue Wilson, Len Trojanowski and Chick Felton … don’t recall the fellow between Bill Alberti and Sue Wilson … Nan Glass is in the front with Dan Doyle … believe the year was 1979 … local election …. sadly Bill Alberto and Len Teojanowski have both passed … as for the other… working, retired etc.”
“Rob is correct,” commented Nan Glass. “This is a picture of the Democratic slate in the local election of 1979. I was running for my first term as Town Clerk, note the feather pen cardboard logo pinned to my shirt. I am not only retired but circumstance dictated that I move to Durham, North Carolina last year but my heart is still in West Hartford-Hartford.”
We thought the photo was from 1979 as well, but then Nan corrected her first comment and initial thought: “Let me correct myself! I just noted that the John Droney campaign sign reads ‘We Need Droney again,’ which would make this the 1983 campaign and I was running for a second term as Town Clerk.”
“Dan Doyle was a teacher of mine at Kingswood in the mid 70s. He’s still here in town, I see him at Starbucks in Bishop’s Corner occasionally. He’s the only guy on the planet that calls me ‘Margo,’ and in that Boston accent it’s ‘Mahgo,'” commented Mike Margolis.
“I’d guess 70s. Democrats campaigning by the signs posted. Looks like it’s on South Main in front of the Town Hall,” commented Nancy Law on Facebook.
Courtesy Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society
For this week we move away from politics back to an image (at right and in larger size below) of a favorite subject.
Who remembers this place?
Where was it located?
When do you think the photo was taken?
What’s in this space now?
Does anyone have any firsthand memories? Did you, family, or friends work there?
Please share your thoughts and memories below!
Thank you to the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society for providing us with the images. For more information about the organization, visit www.noahwebsterhouse.org.
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Courtesy Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society
Democratic candidates, 1983 municipal election. Courtesy Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society
i remember it well-south seas was located just up the street from the central theatre and i’m guessing the picture was about 1966. Max’s Oyster Bar is in it’s location now. my wife and i dated in 1968 and went there many times for dinner. we both moved on but 23 yrs late she called me in san diego and we re-united, were married in 1993 and moved back to ct. currently i work (and have for the past 16 yrs) at Max’s Oyster Bar. always a bit poignant when i go to work.
Hi Nan Glass… miss you! Ok, this is Farmington Ave, in the area of what was Maxwell Drug Store… now
Max Oyster…BTW we once tried to count all the drug stores in town during the 50’s and 60’s…I got to 37…and stopped, today there are only 9 maybe 10..
I remember the south seas restaurant well…one of our favorites in west hartford center. When i was a child, my parents would take each one of us out with the family and a friend to our favorite restaurant for our birthday. When i was in second grade, turning 8, we all went to South Seas. My friend Arlene had never been to a chinese restaurant before and was fascinated with the Asian decor and wait staff. She asked our waiter if the water was from China lol. I think Max Oyster bar is there now or maybe it was on the corner of Farmington…great memories there.
The South Seas Restaurant resided in the building that currently houses Ichiro Hibachi and Max’s Oyster Bar. I went on my first date to the South Seas when I was 14. I think anyone who grew up in WeHa in the 60’s and 70’s remembers the South Seas.
Oh my goodness! When we would get to pick for birthday dinners it was always South Seas! I have tried to explain to my kids how astoundingly exotic a pu pu platter, complete with FIRE in the middle, was when I was a kid. The restaurant was dark, decorated with masks and fake palms, Don Ho music piped in, even a ‘river’ with a bridge as I recall. You could get drinks in ceramic pineapples with umbrellas and swords. You could order egg foo yong or even sweet-and-sour pork. Who had ever imagined bright red sweet meat!? Other than Song Hays (sp?) in Hartford, there was just no place on earth I thought was so beautiful and mysterious when I was 7 or 8. And they had a huge, vertical, neon palm tree on their sign! And “cocktails” to boot. Just the best…
My memories are exactly like Liz’s! It was a mysterious and exotic tiki type place – my parents would get me a nice Shirley Temple while they ordered from that amazing cocktail menu that many restaurants of that type and period shared: Planter’s Punch, Mai Tai, Singapore Sling, and the perplexingly named Suffering Bastard. Strictly phony decor with active water and palms, etc. sticky sweet red ribs and chow mein and pupu platters, holy cow! Why couldn’t a place like that succeed today? What a hoot!