Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2014 20:21:20 GMT -5
These photos were shot by my father in 1953 in Kuna, Idaho. Kuna was a village about 20 miles southwest of Boise, the state capital. I think dad shot the photos for use in a newspaper advertising page promoting the community. The pictures were taken with a 2 ¼ x 3 ¼ Speed Graphic using cut film. I still have the camera. In those days Kuna’s population was about 500. Today it is approaching 20,000. About as Middle America as you can get.
This was Bowring’s gas station and store – the original convenience store. It marked the west end of Main Street.
Across the street from Bowring’s was the Kuna Sav-On, a drug store located in the old bank building. The soda fountain was hang-out for local teens. The photo was obviously staged. Notice the prices.
Across Main from the Sav-On was the Boise Payette Lumber Company – the “Lumber Yard” -- managed by Pete and Mary Pride. They later bought the operation and naturally called it the Pride Lumber Company. When I was a 7th grader, during the noon hour, Francis German (an 8th grader) and yours truly fought it out in the sand pile at the rear of of the Lumber Yard. Don’t even remember what the fight was about. It was pretty much a draw. Francis was killed in an auto accident shortly after graduating from high school and I was genuinely sad. Years later his sister, Freda, sold us the house where we live.
The interior of the Kuna Variety store. Notice the attractive displays and careful product placement.
The owner of the variety store.
The exterior of Kuna Hardware.
The interior of the Hardware Store. The photo was taken at 4:51 p.m. according the the clock.
This is White Sales and Service, the only auto repair shop in town. The owner, Joe White is the guy on the right. Everyone always thought Joe was just an uneducated mechanic. But over the years, almost every time a house came up for sale in town, Joe bought in and turned it into a rental. He died a wealthy man.
This was Bowring’s gas station and store – the original convenience store. It marked the west end of Main Street.
Across the street from Bowring’s was the Kuna Sav-On, a drug store located in the old bank building. The soda fountain was hang-out for local teens. The photo was obviously staged. Notice the prices.
Across Main from the Sav-On was the Boise Payette Lumber Company – the “Lumber Yard” -- managed by Pete and Mary Pride. They later bought the operation and naturally called it the Pride Lumber Company. When I was a 7th grader, during the noon hour, Francis German (an 8th grader) and yours truly fought it out in the sand pile at the rear of of the Lumber Yard. Don’t even remember what the fight was about. It was pretty much a draw. Francis was killed in an auto accident shortly after graduating from high school and I was genuinely sad. Years later his sister, Freda, sold us the house where we live.
The interior of the Kuna Variety store. Notice the attractive displays and careful product placement.
The owner of the variety store.
The exterior of Kuna Hardware.
The interior of the Hardware Store. The photo was taken at 4:51 p.m. according the the clock.
This is White Sales and Service, the only auto repair shop in town. The owner, Joe White is the guy on the right. Everyone always thought Joe was just an uneducated mechanic. But over the years, almost every time a house came up for sale in town, Joe bought in and turned it into a rental. He died a wealthy man.
