Things That Aren't There Anymore

Every spring when the weather starts to turn, I think about my first year in college. I packed my stuff up and lugged it down to the railroad station--to the little Railway Express Agency office in the back. For a small fee, my trunk was loaded on a rail car and transported to my home town, where the local agent called me to come down and pick it up. Railway Express, which went back to the early days of the 20th century, was at one time the only cargo shipper of its day. It was for a half century, the FedEx of its time.

I think about that each spring because if you said the name Railway Express Agency to most people they wouldn't have a clue what you were talking about.

So it got me thinking about some of those formerly well known things that aren't around anymore. Like:

• Montgomery Ward. If you lived in small town America, chances were that you shopped at Montgomery Ward. Montgomery Ward was to middle America what Macy's was to New York. At one time one of the largest retailers in the U.S., it fell victim to the changes in lifestyle, tastes and technology. Today the name lives on (sort of) in Ward's, a catalog retailer that purchased the name in 2004.


• Palisades Amusement Park. If you grew up in the New York City area anytime in the first seven decades of the 20th century, you know Palisades Amusement Park. Perched on the cliffs overlooking the Hudson River and Manhattan, Palisades was the Six Flags and DisneyWorld of its day, all rolled into one. Unlike Ward's, which passed quietly into retail heaven, Palisades was a victim of its own success. Wedged into a small corner of Bergen County, New Jersey, eventually it fell victim to local outdated transportation infrastructure which could not keep up with the crowds. When developers began drooling over the idea of high-rise condominiums that combined waterfront views and the Manhattan skyline, it was curtains for Palisades. The park closed and the land was sold in 1971.


• Riverside International Raceway. Located about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, Riverside was a premier road racing venue in its day. A.J. Foyt, Carroll Shelby and Dan Gurney were among the drivers in many series that cut their teeth at Riverside. Riverside opened in 1957 on the site of an old turkey farm. Grand Prix, Thunder Alley and Speedway were just some of the movies filmed on the location at RIR. With a long, downhill back straightaway and the 9th turn which tore the guts out of brakes, a circuit around Riverside could be harrowing. It's now the Moreno Valley Mall, less dangerous, but nowhere near as memorable.

What are some of the places you remember that aren't there anymore?

Just thought you might like to know that I'd like to know!