(Originally posted in 2012)
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ENID, OK - We all love to look back and remember "the good old days." Especially those of us that grew up in Enid in the 60's and 70's. We remember the crowded streets and costumes of Crazy Days, the huge Tri-State parades and thrills of riding the bullet on Broadway. Everything was centered around the downtown square which was the hub of Enid and the mecca of retail.
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Most of us can still remember the tastes and smells of our favorite burger joints and soda fountains. Each side of the Enid square was filled with clothing stores, shoe shops and a great place to grab a snack or dessert. We all just knew that Enid was the best place to grow up and the safest place to spend our youth. Back in the good old days we were free to roam the city and could stay out to all hours of the night.
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These are our memories and many of us feel Enid no longer holds that same magic as it once did. We no longer see the fun events, the seasonal activities or the big crowds downtown on Saturdays. We miss the drive-ins, paddle boats, the delicious burgers and the stores full of 45's, skateboards and posters. We wonder where the cool stores like Jack's Records & Tapes, OTASCO, Wackers and Woolco have gone. All of this affection for the past has caused many of us to become blind and numb to the new and exciting things going on in Enid. Because we are no longer young our eyes do not see things the same.
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We've most likely lost a bit of our imaginations and that youthful wonderment that we once had. Believe it or not I think this happens to every generation. The second part of this article was written by a guest writer. This writer asked if there was a job at Enid Buzz because she wanted to contribute. I thought it would be appropriate to ask her to write about her thoughts on Enid's "good old days." You see, this guest blogger is my 10 year old daughter and these are her "good old days." She sees Enid in the same eyes that we once did. Everything to her is big and magical and she is creating the memories she'll look back on in twenty years.
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"What I Like To Do In Enid, Oklahoma" written by Piper Tucker
In Enid, Oklahoma there are plenty of fun things to do. I like going to First Friday. First Friday takes place in downtown Enid every First Friday of each month. There are plenty of different activities there. Some stores have different sales. It is really fun looking at all of the cool things. Another fun thing that I like to do in Enid is search for different stuff that the Enid Lego Builder makes!
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My most favorite things to do in Enid are all of the different activities that go on, like in the summer. I like going to the Enid Farmers Market and see what they have there. I also like going to parades, going to the Tri-State carnival and going to Enid Lights Up the Plains.
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With that said, I'd like to remind all of us that there are thousands of memories being created every day in Enid, Oklahoma. We shouldn't forget that we now have the First Friday's, the Cherokee Strip Parade, Scare on the Square, the Criterium, Shakespeare in the Park, Chautauqua, the Ballpark and more. We have Callahan's, Napoli's, Panevino, Costello's, On the Sidewalk and other great restaurants. The cool shopping today takes place at stores like The Felt Bird, Lola's Boutique, B Hip Kids, Hastings, Soap Weeds and Cactus and others.
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We even continue to have many of those "good old days" events like Tri-State, the Carnival, Meadowlake Fireworks, the Meadowlake Train and others. They may not be the same in our grown up eyes but to our kids they are still fun, magical and memorable. Let's make the Enid of today just as fantastic as the Enid we grew up in. Our children deserve it and so do we!
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Great article. Too many times we live in the past and don’t give the present a chance. You need to hire Piper!
This seems counter to your article but would you happen to have a photo of A&W circa the late 60’s?
Thanks
No A&W pics yet but I have tons coming in.
The good ole days were great and something I would like to see is a tradition that has been going on since 1939 at the American Legion here in Enid is the Wed. nite dance. People of Enid would come to this Wed. nite dance and they had fun. The music is a little different but the people can still dance to it.
I am trying to find info on Marilyn kennedy from Enid. She probably graduated early to mid-50’s. Believe she died around ’96-97. Was a family friend.
We’ll see if we can find any info.
Hello,
I just read your article about Enid in the 70´
I used to be young foreing student ( 21 years old airforce officer from Denmark) joining the UPT program at Vance Afb. T-37 and T-38
Wow what a time . Every Saturday I used drive my 1973 Chevy Impala Custom, via the Van-Buren to visit Jacks Record Store and buy a handfull of the neves or oddest american Rock music availble , followed by a quick visit to the MacDonalds restaurant.
I – we , all 10 of us – just loved the time at the praire, the varm summer nights and cook outs and beautiful winternights.
Today I live in Sweden – Gothenburg. Retired commericial pilot,wife and a son ( aspiring pilot) and whenever I entertain with some good old stories I always go back to my time in the northern Oklahoma to the small town of Enid !!
I shall be back one day – it´s just a matter of time!
I am greatfull for what I experienced in the Enid area!
Dear Erik: My father was an instructor pilot at Vance AFB in the 1970s, and I grew up for a few years as a child there. What I can remember from my childhood, it was indeed a very nice place. People were very friendly. I liked my school, and I liked visiting Vance AFB and seeing my father in action there. He retired from the USAF in 1982, and he and my mom live in Arizona now. I visited Enid with my own son back in 2015 just for a day, and it was nice showing him around the town. I showed him the house we lived in on Seneca Lane, the public library where my mom and I used to get books for me to read, Garfield elementary school, and the Methodist church we attended. It still looks very much the same as I remembered it, although I thought it was big then, and it is really a small town. It is nice to know that some things stay relatively the same. I am glad you enjoyed your time there, and that you want to visit it again. If you go back, I am sure you will not be disappointed. Just driving through Oklahoma itself is a pleasure. It is so green in the summer. Take care, Michael C. Keays
My brother and I spent many childhood years growing up in Enid. We actually drove up from Greenwood Arkansas this weekend. Of course we had to eat at Lenox!! So many great memories made me realize how much I miss Enid. It had been 30 years since I had been back. Beautiful town to grow up.
I was trying to find and/or remember the names of a lot of the great clothing and shoe stores that were on the square. It was such a neat atmosphere to go shopping for back to school clothes!!
Our family loved Enid, OK. My husband was a T-37 Instructor and then Chief of Academics. We lived on Seneca. We were stationed there from 1972-1977. Our three boys attended school there and have very fond memories of the school on Seneca and the First Methodist Church. I myself went back to college full-time and graduated from Phillips University. Our 13 year old stood up at graduation and announced “She finally did it!” We survived the big flood; I was working at St. Mary’s Hospital at that time. This was the only Air Force assignment we had, that we all cried when left. There are just no people like the people from Oklahoma. The State parks were outstanding. And, Canton Lake was our playground every weekend through the summers. The movie theater downtown, the wonderful library where our youngest learned to love to read…..I could go on forever.
I spent time in the 1960s with my aunt and uncle who were Enid residents. They owned a service station one block north of the Enid shopping square. My family lived in Watonga and would also visit Enid for our clothes shopping at Lerners and Sears, and always stop for a drink at the soda counter in Woolwoths. Addionally, we loved to eat at the cafeteria on the NW corner of the square. Do any photos exist of these places? Such good memories of my growing up time.