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Remember ice cold mugs
of great tasting root
beer, triangular shaped
paper cups with a
"suicide" inside, or
sitting on a stool
waiting in anticipation
for the "papa, mama or
baby" burger wrapped in
foil or the order of
fries? Can you see
yourself in the lot, up
comes a cute friendly
carhop dressed in a
uniform or black pants,
white shirt, orange
apron and (optional)
orange and black hat,
handing you a menu,
ready to take your
order? Yes, you are at
the A and W Root Beer
Stand on East Washington
Street, across from the
CITGO gas station (now
Pauley's Service
Station).
Fred
and Mary Wilson were the
owner/managers of the A
and W. Fast food
restaurants were not on
every corner in the late
50's and early 60's,
this was thrill and a
treat!
It
was a very good source
for extra spending
money. Many teenagers
worked there part time.
It was also a part time
job and good source in
income for young boys;
campers at the Methodist
Camp Grounds loved the
root beer, orange or
suicide (root beer and
orange drink mixed
together) drinks. They
were willing to pay top
dollar to young
entrepreneurs (on the
outside of the fence)
who were willing to
deliver the treat by
hiding it in the grass
by the fence. Lots of
campers "jumped the
fence" after hours to go
to the root beer stand.
One
young teen loved the
root beer, drinking it
all the time. His father
came to the stand to see
if all that root beer
was harmful to his son,
"No" replied Fred. "Then
give me a gallon!" said
the father. Lucky guy!
You could purchase the
drink by the mug, quart
or the gallon.
Fred
was very meticulous and
neat. While cleaning the
tanks with chemicals and
very Iittle ventilation,
he became very sick and
was hospitalized,
missing a planned trip
to New Orleans. Dr. Wead
commented that Fred was
strong and healthy,
because he could have
died. Art and Kay Wilson
had jobs at the stand.
Evenings got very busy
and hectic. Art had a
crush on one of the
carhops, so working
there wasn't all bad!
A
"baby" mug was free with
paying adults. The mugs
were ice cold, they were
kept that way by a metal
case that had a trough
of freezing water, the
mugs hung on hooks and
rotated in the cold
water. The mugs had to
be in for a certain
amount of time to get
cold and frosty. You
would grab one by the
handle and fill it up! A
& W's are still
around. The frosty mugs
are still available, but
you must ask for them,
they don't come standard
with an order of root
beer. The carhops must
be quick and friendly,
customers came first.
They were paid an hourly
wage, at one time it was
$.65 an hour plus tips.
If there were no
customers to wait on,
they were busy cleaning,
straightening up or
doing whatever was
needed.
The
menu consisted of the
papa, mama and baby
burgers, french fries,
foot long hot dogs, hot
dogs and coney dogs, and
fried shrimp in a
basket. At one point
they added ice cream to
the menu, so root beer
floats were very
popular.
Fred
and Mary Wilson began
the A and W in the late
1950's, Russell Stewart
and Rod Knisley owned it
and Robert and Mary
Pauley Hammond ran it
for one or two years and
then the stand was
closed. The site has
been a car lot, a
pharmacy and a
restaurant. As a child
growing up in Sabina in
the late 50's and 60's
we all have great
memories of the A and W.
Thank
you to all who
contributed their
thoughts and memories of
the root beer stand.
Thank you to Art Wilson
and Joe Saville for the
pictures. Hopefully, the
Sabina Historical
Society will have A and
W mugs, and memorabilia
on display this spring.
If you have stories to
share about the A and W,
please contact the
Historical Society at PO
Box 271 , Sabina OH
45169.
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