As I Remember – Stores, Shops, and Things

Merwyn L. Mullins
January 1985

With additional information by
John Hmurovic
September 2024

If you were a man living in the United States in the 1930s and your last name was “Mullins,” odds are people would call you “Moon.” It didn’t matter who you were or what you did. There were athletes, musicians, politicians, and more, with a variety of first names, born with the name Mullins, but stuck with the nickname Moon, like it or not.

They owed that nickname to a comic strip, called “Moon Mullins.” For nearly 70 years, starting in 1923, “Moon Mullins” ran in the Chicago Tribune and 350 newspapers across the country. Almost everyone knew Moon Mullins, the central character, as well as an assortment of other characters. One of those was Moon’s kid brother, Kayo Mullins. They named a popular bottled chocolate drink after him, called Kayo.

So, when Merwyn Mullins moved to Robertsdale in 1935, people called him Moon. He was 31 when he moved here with his wife Lillian. They were married for eight years and had two children at the time. Two more were to come later. They made a home in the 1900-block of Atchison Avenue, an easy walk to Moon’s job. He was an industrial arts teacher, just a few blocks away at George Rogers Clark High School.

In January 1985, Moon was 80 years old and active with the Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society. One of the things he did for them was to write down his memories of what Whiting-Robertsdale was like when he arrived in 1935. Even today, some of what he wrote sounds familiar: Forsyth Park was there, so was St. John the Baptist Church, so were the Unilever and Cargill plants, but under different names.

Most of what he wrote about, though, is gone. There was, for instance, swimming allowed on the Wolf Lake channel, and the lot where the grocery store is on 119th and Calumet used to be a “Jungle-like weed patch,” where neighborhood kids liked to play.

Moon Mullins passed away in 1999, almost eight years after Lillian. But he did us a favor by writing this down. Through his words he took us on a walking tour of Whiting-Robertsdale in 1935. In the text that follows, a few addresses appear in [brackets]. Those have been added to help you understand some of the locations he writes about. Other than that, everything after this sentence was written by Merwyn “Moon” Mullins in 1985.     

When I began teaching at George Rogers Clark School in the fall of 1935 – fifty years ago! – here’s what I saw by way of stores and shops in Whiting and Robertsdale – as I remember them! I’ll admit I called on my good friends Catherine and Dave Paskwietz to help me unravel some of the locations. I certainly want to thank them. I hope there are no gross errors. If there are, just recall how rapidly store occupants changed all through the history of our two-city area. Also bear in mind that no official civil records were searched to verify questionable cases. Yep, it’s a case of memory alone. Here goes:

… Phil Smidt & Sons restaurant stood by the Wolf Lake channel across Indianapolis Boulevard from Lever Brothers. [It was at 1170 Indianapolis Boulevard, before it moved to Calumet Avenue.]

… Mike Madura Sr.’s Danceland was in business, across Calumet Avenue from Lever Brothers. [1337 Calumet Avenue]

… Margaret’s restaurant at Five-Points was a nice place to hold dinner parties. [Next door to Madura’s at 1349 Calumet Avenue. It was run by Sophia Winkelried.]

… Vogel’s restaurant stood at the edge of Lake George on Calumet Avenue near what is now the Calumet Avenue entrance to Calumet College. [2501 Calumet Avenue]

… A lagoon existed on Hamann Court in the Water Gardens section. It was populated by frogs, fish, lily pads and mosquitoes. In the 1950s it was filled in by the city, sodded and planted with trees.

… There was a coal-fired laundry stood in the 1900 block on Indianapolis Boulevard [The Whiting Laundry was at 1908 Indianapolis Boulevard], just south of the Central States Bank building. It too issued columns of black smoke.

… The Kampo family had a small grocery store half-way between Calumet and Warwick on the north side of 119th Street. The apartment in the rear was the home of Mike, Chuck and Mary Kampo, all well known to Robertsdale folks. [709 119th Street]

… The area now occupied by the Robertsdale Little League, and on north to 117th Street, was swamp, covered by reeds and cattails.

… Forsyth Park was nicely in place, full of young trees. A section of the east shore of the channel there was an approved swimming area.

… Lever Brothers and Amaizo were in place.

… Dutch Krc and a Mr. Hardesty ran a garage on 119th, directly across the street from the lot where Owens Funeral Home now stands. [AOK Garage was at 819 119th Street]

… There were two small stores east of the Krc garage. The garage building and the two store buildings were owned by Mr. Harry Argus.

… Maybe not yet, but soon after 1935 the Gregorovich brothers (Julius, Joe, Tony) acquired the Standard service station at 119th and Calumet.

… At the corner of 119th and Davis there was an ice cream parlor which was a hangout for Clark schoolkids. Next to the ice cream parlor west was Ball’s Drug Store [822 119th Street] where Mr. Ball and Jack Kesling filled prescriptions.

… Clark School, built in 1931-32, was in place on 119th between Davis and Stanton.

… Across 119th from Clark School was a vacant lot where Clark teachers parked their cars. On Sundays, folks attending church at Plymouth Congregational Church parked their cars there also.

… At the corner of 119th and Stanton, across from Plymouth church, was Charley Shimala’s grocery store. [904 119th Street]

… Where Clark’s present gym, shops and music rooms now stand was playground.

… Where Clark’s present auditorium, library and chem lab now stand was a vacant lot. 

… There was a half-mile dirt race track in Roby, located between Indianapolis Boulevard and 109th where the Indiana Toll Road now cuts across.

… In the area east of the race track, extending to the west edge of the Amaizo plant, were 15 to 20 homes. This area, called Roby, had its own little 8 foot by 8 foot post office near the Indianapolis Boulevard entrance to Amaizo. It was vacated in the 1950’s. [The post office was at 1134 Indianapolis Boulevard.]

… Where Sterk’s Supermarket now stands was a jungle-like weed patch in which neighborhood kids loved to play, cutting paths through the jungle, building play hovels, etc. At what is now Sterk’s parking lot was a tavern. Near what is now the entrance to Sterk’s was a Sinclair service station.

… The triangle formed by Lincoln Avenue, Lake Avenue and an alley, where a townhouse complex now stands, was a vacant grassy area with football goal posts at each end. Clark’s football squads practiced there until Clark Field was ready in the early 1940s.

Now, meander with me east on 119th Street in 1935.

… On the SW corner of 119th and Superior stood (and still does) a two-story brick building with a restaurant at the corner and a store of some kind next to it west. Apartments occupied the rest of the building. On the SE corner was a store building soon, if not already, to be the Ciesco Insurance Agency.

… Where St. John’s Marian Theatre now stands was a two-story red brick dormitory for the Sisters who taught in the school.

… Across 119th from the dormitory the Nazarene Church and the apartment building next to it were yet to be built.

… The beautiful St. John the Baptist Catholic Church was in place on Lincoln, the tallest structure in town.

… Across Lincoln from St. John Church, and back against the north alley, stood the old church. In 1935 it was serving as a gym and recreation hall [1843 Lincoln Avenue]. For a while Sunday evening dances were held there for the youth. These were well chaperoned, and never regarded as a nuisance; but the popularity of the dances exacted some toll from the Sunday evening youth programs in other Whiting churches.

… In what is now a State Farm Insurance office, Grandpa and Grandma Frenchik had a notions store. [1110 119th Street]

… The SE corner lot at Lincoln and 119th was vacant. In the early 1940s Swarthout Chevrolet sold used cars there. Now it contains a doctor’s office.

… Next east from the Frenchik notions store was a small Kroger store [1112 119th Street]. A small Sherman’s Plumbing, then Condes’ grocery [116 119th Street], run by Demetrius and his wife with help of the older children Ethel, Pete and George and their younger sisters were too young to help much.

… From Condes’ to Atchison was a vacant lot, later to acquire Chet Schlatter’s Ford Agency.

… Across 119th from Condes’ were a few houses, and on the corner a Greek fruit merchant had a stand [He was William Henos, and the address was1123 119th Street]. In the early 40’s, Swarthout Chevy built a big sales/service garage [1105 119th Street]. It burned in the ‘50’s or ‘60’s. St. John Church acquired all the ground to Atchison and built the present parish house and parking/playground.

… The Illiana Hotel at the SE corner of Atchison & 119th [1204 119th Street] had a two-part restaurant; one part facing 119th, the other facing Atchison [The Illiana Hotel Coffee Shop was at 1206 119th Street, while The Igloo Ice Cream Shop was at 1200 119th Street, right on the corner of Atchison]. The Lions Club held its weekly meetings in the one facing Atchison. In the 1940’s Abe Mills leased the old restaurant space facing Atchison and a room next to it and installed his prosperous Mills Auto Supply [1909 Atchison Avenue].

 … The lot east of the Illiana Hotel was a parking lot, as it remains today.

… The Central States Bank building at 119th and Indianapolis Boulevard was fully occupied [1900 Indianapolis Boulevard]. The bank had gone under in the early 1930’s and the banking area and offices were vacant in 1935. Soon thereafter, the Liberty Savings & Loan Association, then called “The Chilla Bank,” occupied the old banking area while its new building was being constructed adjacent to the Central States building on the south. Pat Griffith’s Ben Franklin Press and Whiting Times shop was in the basement of the bank building. In the various upper floors of the bank building were offices of Dr. Ted Smith, Dr. Jimmy Cravens, Dr. Kosior, the Whiting Clinic, Dr. Clifford Jones and others, plus an apartment or two. On the ground floor on the Indianapolis Boulevard side was Brandman’s Pharmacy. On the 119th Street side were two small business rooms whose tenants I cannot recall except that at one time Harry Olen had a barber shop in one [The barber shop was at 1214 119th Street, while there was a NIPSCO office at 1216 119th Street].

… Across 119th from the Central States Bank building was the Tharp-Linn grocery and meat store run by Wesley Tharp and Dick Linn [The West Park Grocery was at 1876 Indianapolis Boulevard].

… Let’s cross Indianapolis Boulevard at Tharp-Linn’s and get a couple of 5-cent White Castle hamburgers [1879 Indianapolis Boulevard]. Yep, it was there in 1935, and for many years it and Hot Dog Louie’s were the only fast food spots in Whiting. Since the Depression was still going, and labor cheap, White Castle’s policy was to hire only good-looking young men. In 1935, Newman Cornellison was one of them. He stayed with White Castle and became area supervisor for the chain.

… To the north of White Castle was Max Schlack’s barber shop, the bane of all union shops in Whiting, for Max had cut-rate prices! [1715 Indianapolis Boulevard].

… Next to Schlack’s on the north was, and still is, Corman’s heating & ventilating shop [1865 Indianapolis Boulevard].

… To the north of the Tharp-Linn store was Larry Salmon’s barber shop [1874 Indianapolis Boulevard] from which Larry glared across the street at Schlack’s. 

… The business space now occupied by Mills Auto Supply, 150 feet north of 119th on Indianapolis, contained various shops which I cannot remember accurately. I do recall that sometime in the 1950’s Tom Wagner (the current insurance mogul) had Whiting’s first laundromat there.

… In the point created by Atchison and Indianapolis was an ice cream store where I bought ice cream at some ridiculously low price like 25-cents per quart! There were other stores in that corner building, and an Illinois Bell exchange on the second floor which in a few years would move to the new enlarged quarters built across Indianapolis just north of Corman’s.

… Also at Indianapolis and Atchison (SW corner) was Julius Hoppe’s Sinclair station, where now stands a bank.

… Across from Hoppe’s station was McLaughlin’s Standard station – still in business under son Bud McLaughlin [1747 Indianapolis Boulevard].

… North from 119th at Benedict Court was the Seliger electrical store [1828 Indianapolis Boulevard], and across Benedict the Swarthout Chevy agency [1822 Indianapolis Boulevard]; at Reese a Shaver Pontiac agency. At Myrtle was one of the Jennings-Mattern drug stores with offices and apartments on the second floor [1738 Indianapolis Boulevard]. Across Myrtle from the drug store was the Robertsdale police and fire station [1732 Indianapolis Boulevard]. A couple of houses and several small stores were strung along the west side of Indianapolis to Pearl Street. I cannot recall their tenants. In the point at Roberts and Indianapolis was the Matt Moser Hardware [1701 Indianapolis Boulevard]. Kittie-cornered across Roberts from Moser’s were the Jensen fruit market [1809 Indianapolis Boulevard] and one or two other stores.

… On the NW corner of 116th & Indianapolis was Augustian’s big Hudson agency and garage [1534 Indianapolis Boulevard], and across Indianapolis from it one of Gold’s Standard stations [1541 Indianapolis Boulevard]. Gold’s other one was at 121st and Indianapolis [2070 Indianapolis Boulevard].

… Franklin Elementary School, a 1900 model two-story brick, was on the SE corner of 116th and Indianapolis. East of the school on 116th were two houses and the Lakeside Evangelical Church [1010 116th Street] (Later to become Lakeside Evangelical United Brethren, and still later, Lakeside United Methodist.)

… North of Gold’s station was Buehler’s wood shop (for want of a better name). From there on north to Five Points I recall nothing except that on the SE corner of Indianapolis and 114th was Mandas’ store. In the point made by Indianapolis and Calumet was a small short order café which soon became Art’s Drive-In, serving customers from its back door to its parking area to the south. All this now is the Purple Steer.

Now back to 119th again.

… A Standard station stood at 119th and Indianapolis [1901 Indianapolis Boulevard], and it’s still there. It is operated by Edward Julier and Frank Spors. William Bercik ran it for several years, then Frank Harangody, and now Bercik’s son.

… Next to Julier’s station on the east was a tavern. Who’s? I can’t recall. Next to it was Lipay’s Ladies and Children Ware.

… Next to Lipay’s was Whiting Shade and Awning [1242 119th Street], which is still there.

… In 1935 the space east of Whiting Shade and Awning to Dave Tolchinsky’s pharmacy [1308 119th Street] was vacant, with a big drop-off from the sidewalk to the ground. It had a guardrail constructed of heavy pipe (probably procured from the Standard Oil plant). Later this space was built up to contain such stores as Burton’s, a jewelry store and others.

… Across 119th from Julier’s station was, and still is, a two-story brick business building [1225 119th Street]. I don’t recall what was in the corner space or the space east of it, now Baran’s Funeral Home [1231 119th Street]. For a few years Dr. Barton had his dental shop upstairs in the corner building. In the 1940’s Charley Greider had a barber shop in the corner space. After that, Owens Funeral Home, and in the immediate recent years a tavern.

… Very soon after 1935 A & P occupied the large store building [1301 119th Street] across from Lipay’s. In recent years it has been Whiting Supermarket, but recently closed its doors.

… Now it gets a little sticky as for memory. I recall that the large one-story building at the NE corner of Central and 119th was the Robert Gordon Furniture. Later it would be Sherman’s. Some years later a new Sherman’s – and it burned down? Was this to be for Sherman’s? Anyway, that space is now occupied by McCrory’s. For several years John Gazda had a clothing store there. Next east was Tolchinsky’s Pharmacy; another store or two, then McHale’s tavern [1312 119th Street].

… Sherman’s wound up revamping the old Capitol Theatre and two adjacent stores, and moving there.

… Going east of what would be Sherman’s soon after 1935 (now Hoosier Drug) was Neal Price’s Firestone Store, then a couple more stores I don’t remember, and we come to the American Trust and Savings Bank  [1321 119th Street] where in 1935 I met Stephen Kovacik and partner Mr. Grenchik, father of Joseph, Whiting’s mayor.  

…Back to the south side of 119th. Across Temple Court from McHale’s was Slovak Dom [1324 119th Street], a big three-story brick. The top floor could accommodate basketball as late as 1923 when the Community Center was built.

… Adjacent to the Slovak Dom was the Capitol Theatre [1326 119th Street] with office spaces on the second story and a couple of small stores (one a barber shop) [Capitol Barber Shop] at street level.

… Before we reach Clark Street to the east we pass a couple more stores including the Main Cigar Store which was very much in business in 1935. I have only gossip to go on, but the gossip was that there was gambling going on in the backroom of the Main, that it even had a cashier’s cage (which I saw later during Sherman’s remodeling) and was widely known, but safe enough – until the Feds (or some other outside law enforcement agency) put it out of business. Often I have looked out of the north door of Methodist Church at the strongly barred window across the alley which looked out of the Main’s cashier’s cage, and contemplated the forces that nurtured that purported little Las Vegas for as long as they say it operated.

… On the SW corner of 119th and Clark was a 5 & 10-cent store, Woolworth’s, I think.

… Across from the Main Cigar Store [1332 119th Street] and the Capitol Theatre was Harry Beavan’s 3-chair barber shop [1331½ 119th Street], a nice neat place with fine barbers. Next to Harry’s was a woman’s wear store, a novelty shop, the Hoosier Theatre [1335 119th Street]. By 1935 the great organ had almost fallen into disuse, but there was a movie seven days per week. Only occasionally was the organ played.

… Next east of the Hoosier was Glenn’s Shoe Store [1337 119th Street] with handsome Jimmy Glenn and his dad to wait on me.

… East of Glenn’s was a vacant lot (with guardrail) and then Winsberg’s Men’s Store [1341 119th Street] with Mayo and Herschel at my service.

… Two or three small stores were to the east of Winsberg’s [John O’Keefe’s restaurant at 1343 119th Street & Frances Kinel’s hosiery shop at 1345 119th Street], then the Whiting Flower Shop [1347 119th Street] where Howard Stawitcke worked and later purchased and operated for several years.

… Across 119th from Winsberg’s, Whiting Flower Shop, etc., were Ben Gardner’s Walgreen Drug Store [1342 119th Street], Aronberg & Kissen Jewelry [1348 119th Street] and a couple more stores [Colonial Fruit Store was at 1400 119th Street and the A&P Tea Company was at 1404 119th Street], then Siefer’s Furniture [1406 119th Street]. Next east by Siefers was Gordon’s [1412 119th Street].
… Sandwiched (no pun) between Gordon’s and a Jennings & Mattern Drug Store [1420 119th Street] was Hot Dog Louie’s [1418½ 119th Street]. Even with Oliver Street was Riffer’s Grocery (On Sunday, July 6, 1980, the old Siefer’s building and two adjacent stores burned to the ground).

… Somewhere in the group of stores between Siefers and Riffer Grocery was a Kroger store.

… Let’s back up to Sheridan and 119th. On the NE corner was a small A&P store; next east was Pete Dimos’ Candyland, a store, then Whiting News Agency, a store, McNamara’s Grocery [1419 119th Street] and finally the Chocolate Shop at Oliver Street. The Chocolate Shop was owned and operated by Florence and Carl Smith. Tom Wagner’s Insurance Agency now occupies the space of two or three small stores just west of Whiting News.    

… On the south side of 119th across from the Chocolate Shop was a second Jennings-Mattern drug store [1420 119th Street].

… Between Oliver and New York Avenue on 119th were the Primary School [1435 119th Street], the Armory (built in 1905 or thereabout as Plymouth Congregational Church) [1443 119th Street] and the State Bank of Whiting [1449 119th Street], now Bank of Indiana.

… Across 119th from Primary School, etc., was a series of stores (a house or two) beyond which were a furniture store and Central Drug. Very soon after 1935 Vic Orr decided to leave Wayo’s Appliance Store [1311 119th Street] as radio mechanic and start a store of his own. He and his pretty wife set up shop in a store space across from the Armory. It’s still there. The furniture store I mentioned was operated (soon after 1935) by Charley O’Drobinak who in 1935, as I recall, worked in the Schrage bank.

… Well, we’re at New York Avenue now, and on the SE corner was the Bank of Whiting (“Schrage Bank”) under direction of Walter E. Schrage, ex-mayor of Whiting.

… East of the Schrage Bank was Saylors Paint Store [1504 119th Street], a liquor store, a plumbing shop (Kaplan’s?) and the Spurrier Hardware [1510 119th Street] operated by the elder Mr. Spurrier and son Don. Clerking there was Joe Geffert, an affable salesman, fun to do business with.

… Next to Spurrier’s on the east was Owens’ Funeral Home, operated by the grandfather and father of the present owner of Owens.

… On beyond Spurrier’s and Owens’ was the big Beisal Department Store [1534 119th Street], failing rapidly in 1935, and soon to fold.

… A couple more stores beyond Beisal’s and we come to the Peter Moser Hardware [1548 119th Street] with Moose Lodge on the upper floors. Joe Jalovecky was the clerk at Moser’s Hardware, and was evidently courting the attractive office girl, for they were married soon after I first met Joe.

… On the NE corner of New York and 119th was the “new” Post Office [1505 119th Street]. It had been built recently, and moved its operation from the old Post Office at Community Court and Fischrupp.

… East of the Post Office was a wooden house where now is the VFW post, then a large house that became the Elk’s Club where it remains today [1521 119th Street]. That takes us to Pennsylvania Avenue. Going on east, after a private home or two, we come to the lot now occupied by Whiting Baptist Church. On that lot in 1935 was a large two-story house.

… Across the street from what would later be the Baptist Church was Kozacik Hardware [1600 119th Street], operated by Peter Kozacik and Mr. Narta. East of there a store or two, then the Standard Hotel at Schrage.

… I was not acquainted with the area around Center Street, except I know that Ernie Vater operated a coal yard at the north end of Center.

… At the extreme east end of 119th, across Front Street, were the main office of the Standard Oil refinery [1915 Front Street] and the engineering offices. The main office was an old two-story brick with basement, but the engineering quarters were three portable wooden structures joined at the end to radiate east, south and southeast from the joint.

… Whiting Park in 1935 was pretty much as it is today, except the old bathhouse was deteriorating and has since been leveled and rebuilt some distance west of its original location. There were comfortable wooden bleachers at the ball diamond, but they got too old to repair and have been torn down. The Gun Club was at its present location.

… Only five churches have been built since I arrived in town: Whiting Baptist, First (Stanton Ave.) Baptist, the Jewish synagogue, the Nazarene and Christian Science.

And that is what I remember (with a little help from friends) as I traveled up and down 119th Street, and a few others, back in 1935. If my memory fails me here and there, I’m not surprised!