Montgomery Wards Freezer

HIDDEN HISTORY: Batavia stores of 50 years ago

Loblaws ... Acme Markets ... Marchese West Main Super Market ... Star Markets ... the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (better known as the A&P) ... Montgomery Ward ... W.T. Grant Company ... C.L. Carr & Company... Dean's Drug Store ....

What do these businesses have in common? All operated stores in the city of Batavia 50 years ago. All have since faded into history.

A check of Daily News microfilm records reveals a robust business and retail community in Batavia back in July 1961. That's not to say business isn't robust today, but there were differences.

For instance, department stores didn't open on Sundays in 1961. The state's ''blue laws'' were still a strong influence. Some supermarkets were open that day, but others, like A&P, seemed to take pride in the fact they were closed for the Sabbath. On the plus side, most grocery stores were open until at least 9 p.m. on other nights.

Department and grocery stores also ran large, detailed ads in newspapers like The Daily News. Television advertising was just starting to take off, but there were still only a handful of local channels. The Internet and online shopping were decades in the future.

So let's take a trip back to the Batavia of 50 years ago, at the dawn of the 1960s. If you picked up a copy of The Daily News on Monday, July 10, 1961, here is some of what you'd find:

— The Mancuso Theatre was showing an Elvis Presley movie, ''Wild in the Country,'' co-starring Hope Lange and Tuesday Weld. The Dipson Batavia Theatre was playing ''The Parent Trap'' featuring Maureen O'Hara, Brian Keith and Hayley Mills.

— Among the TV programs on the air that day were American Bandstand and Queen for a Day on ABC, Art Linkletter's House Party and I Love Lucy on CBS and Tales of Wells Fargo and The Jack Paar Show on NBC.

— The two-day Stafford Firemen's Carnival was set to begin that Friday night, featuring a free record hop from 8 p.m. to midnight.

— The Batavia Pirates , led by their new player-manager Gene Baker, were preparing to play Elmira in a New York-Penn League game at MacArthur (now Dwyer) Stadium. The Pirates were in sixth place, but had been playing better of late under Baker, who had the distinction of being the first black manager ever in major- or minor-league baseball.

— Dean's Drug Store at 87 Main St., in business since 1935, was having a coupon sale through July 15. Among the bargains featured were 50 double edge razor blades for 78 cents, aviator-style sunglasses for 58 cents, a feather duster for 59 cents, six lightbulbs for 88 cents, a bottle of Saccharin for 33 cents, two packs of 24-count paper plates for 49 cents and a portable TV table for $2.99.

Montgomery Ward Refrigerator Coils Freezing - Appliance Repair Forums

This refrigerator came with the house that we bought so I am unsure of how old it is. After having it plugged in for about a week, I noticed that the refrigerator quit cooling and a few days later the freezer was not freezing. Upon research I found that the coils were freezing up and I manually defrosted. I was having to do this about once a week. A couple of weeks ago it needed it twice a week and not it is freezing up in about a day and a half. Not sure if this model has a self defroster. Curious if this is a problem that can be fixed and how do I troubleshoot the problem.

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