Shownotes
I’m taking you on a nostalgic journey back to Christmases in Huntington during the 1970s and 1980s. I’m joined by my wonderful guest and fellow storyteller, Amy Deal, who brings such vivid memories and heartfelt stories of her childhood in Barboursville and Huntington.
Amy and I reminisce about everything that made a Tri State Christmas magical—the sparkle of downtown Huntington’s department store window displays, shopping trips with family to places like Anderson Newcomb and Stone & Thomas, and the thrill of flipping through the iconic Sears Wish Book. We talk about the special traditions that filled our holidays, from waiting for the Christmas parade on Fourth Avenue to circling our favorite toys in the catalog, and the excitement of seeing Santa at the local stores.
We also reminisce about the little moments that made those decades so special: bell ringers on street corners, kids dressed in their Sunday best, snowy sidewalks packed with families, and the pride people took in decorating both storefronts and homes. Whether you grew up here or just love stories about simpler times, I invite you to pour a cup of cocoa and relive the magic of Huntington Christmases past with us.
Let’s celebrate the memories, the stories, and the traditions that connect our Tri State community!
If you have a memory you would want me to talk more about, just send me an email at TSTM@mail.com. Or post a comment on the Tri-State Machine FB Group page.
Welcome to the Tri-State Time Machine.
I'm your host Vanessa Hankins. This is a podcast where my guests and I share our memories and present day stories of the Tri-State Area. That's West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio.
Nothing too serious, no political views, and no ulterior motives.
We're just here to share our fun stories about this great area.
Whether you're a past resident or a current Tri-State resident, I think you're going to have fun with us.
So join in, press play on your podcast player, and welcome to the Tri-State Time Machine!
https://ts-time-machine.captivate.fm/episode/70s-and-80s-holiday-traditions-with-amy-deal
Copyright 2025 Vanessa Hankins
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/
Transcripts
This is the Tri State Time Machine. Each week, your host, Vanessa Hankins and her guests share memories and stories about the past, present, and the future of the Tri State area. That's West Virginia, Kentucky, and the Ohio areas. If you used to live here or you currently live here, you're going to catch yourself saying out loud, Wow, I remember that. Now here's Vanessa.
Vanessa Hankins [:Hey, guys, it's Vanessa. And this is the Tri State Time Machine. I'm really excited about this episode. The guest that I have today and myself have been going back and forth for quite some time. I don't know, probably about. I feel like it's been over a year that we've kind of went back and forth about trying to do an episode, but we finally pinpointed one that really makes sense, and we both are really, really excited about. So I have today on the podcast, Amy Deal. Hi, how are you? And welcome to the show.
Amy Deal [:Thank you. I'm great. And I'm so excited to be here.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes. I'm stoked for you to be here. I hate that it took us so long to make this happen, but. But all good things are worth waiting for, so we're good to go. Amy, for folks that may not know you yet, can you introduce yourself and share your connection to the Huntington and storytelling?
Amy Deal [:Yeah. Like she said, my name is Amy Deal and I grew up in Barbersville, but I live in Huntington now. I've lived here for well over 20 years, and I love it here. And I just spent a lot of my childhood in Huntington, so I have a lot of stories.
Vanessa Hankins [:A lot of story. So do you think that that's kind of how you got into writing, is just that you. You wanted to have. You had something to say about everything?
Amy Deal [:I had something to say about everything. I mean, I could write stories about pretty much every building and every event that happened in Huntington in the past. Yes.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love that. I love that. Okay, so today we are talking about Christmas in the 70s and 80s in Huntington. So when you think of a Huntington Christmas in the 70s and 80s, what is the very first image or memory that pop into your head?
Amy Deal [:Oh, it's always the same one. It's my dad and I going to town.
Vanessa Hankins [:Okay. You always went to town. Yes.
Amy Deal [:And we would go to town and we would come to Anderson Newcomb.
Vanessa Hankins [:Okay.
Amy Deal [:And we would buy my mom. That's where my mom's Christmas present came from. So we would go in and it would either be the perfume counter, the jewelry counter.
Vanessa Hankins [:Absolutely.
Amy Deal [:Those two.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:And we would. You know, my daddy would hold my hand. And we'd walk around and decide on what we were going to get her. And then we. We purchase it, and then we go down to the gift wrap and get it wrapped real pretty and stuff.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love that that was a thing, like, I love that that was a thing in, like, most stores. Most stores had had that as an option. Yes, Yes.
Amy Deal [:I love the gift wrapping. And I was always so upset that I didn't. Didn't get old enough soon enough to.
Vanessa Hankins [:Actually get to do it.
Amy Deal [:I love to wrap presents.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, yeah, yeah.
Amy Deal [:But it had pretty much died off by the time I got old enough to.
Vanessa Hankins [:You'll. You'll find here and there that, like, some youth groups and stuff like that will do it for fundraisers and stu. But then you've got to tug all your stuff along to wherever they are. And then it just seems like a.
Amy Deal [:Lot more work having that counter.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes, yes. While you're already there. I agree.
Amy Deal [:In the bow.
Vanessa Hankins [:And yes, I agree. So how would you describe the overall vibe of the holidays back then compared to, you know, what they are now?
Amy Deal [:Yeah, I think back then it was a. A lot more Christmasy down here, you know, and stuff. There was more department stores.
Vanessa Hankins [:Absolutely.
Amy Deal [:You had the Huntington store. Penny's was down here at one time.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:You had H L. Green McCroy's. You had stone and Thomas Anderson Newcomb.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:You know, you had Wright's menswear store. So you had a lot of storefronts that would decorate for Christmas and have decorations.
Vanessa Hankins [:And it was a big thing back then to decorate you. You know, you had some come in and paint your windows and, you know, do the things like that.
Amy Deal [:Window displays.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes. You had full displays. And I loved. I was talking to someone the other day about doing this episode, and he was telling me he's from Mason County. He said there was a little store downtown in Mason county. And I don't remember what he said the name of it was, but he said that was kind of like their local have it all kind of store, like, hardware store that had it all. And he said they would do live displays, like the week of Christmas.
Amy Deal [:Oh, wow.
Vanessa Hankins [:So they would have people, like, sitting there, like, playing checkers or, like, you know, just living art kind of a thing. And he said they did it all week leading up to Christmas. And I was like, that's so cool. I know.
Amy Deal [:That would be a neat thing to see.
Vanessa Hankins [:I think so, too. So let's talk about downtown. What did the holiday season look like on 3rd and 4th Avenue during, like, during Those decades.
Amy Deal [:Yeah. Like I said, lots of decorations. Put up storefronts with decorations, Salvation army bell ringers, every corner and in front of the stores and stuff. And people back then, people dressed up to come to town.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh yeah, your Sunday best. Yeah.
Amy Deal [:You didn't just come to word. You put something nice on and came.
Vanessa Hankins [:Not like pajamas, like you'll catch people out nowadays.
Amy Deal [:Yes, yes. And so you, you dressed up to go to town. So you pass family after family on the sidewalk and everybody seemed to be in a better spirit.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh yeah.
Amy Deal [:And mood and. Yeah. So. And we got more snow. I think back then I feel like we did.
Vanessa Hankins [:Like, I mean, I wasn't alive yet, but like I feel like looking at memories that winters have changed.
Amy Deal [:They have.
Vanessa Hankins [:I agree with that. 100.
Amy Deal [:Usually there was snow on the ground.
Vanessa Hankins [:So it was seasonably accurate.
Amy Deal [:Yes, yes, yes, yes. It was at 60 on Christmas Day.
Vanessa Hankins [:Right. We have like crazy temperatures like that nowadays. So do you remember the downtown Christmas decorations? I mean, you've talked about them, but like what are we talking? We talking like light up bells, garland across the streets, giants displays. Is there any that like stand out to you that you just thought were so awesome every year?
Amy Deal [:Yeah. They would have like candles.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh yes.
Amy Deal [:Candle things like the light poles and stuff.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:And they would. Across fourth Avenue they would hang like garland and different decorations across it and stuff. And we had the parade. There was a parade and they'd hang a banner up when the parade was going to be.
Vanessa Hankins [:I've got some questions about it here in just a little bit. Yeah. Because I don't think we can talk about Christmas without doing a Christmas parade for sure. So you already talked about a lot of the holiday go to spots. But yours for you and your dad was Anderson Newcomb. Was there any besides that that were your go to shopping spot? Like maybe when you went out with your mom.
Amy Deal [:Yes.
Vanessa Hankins [:That you guys hit for family members.
Amy Deal [:Mom and I did. We of course did you know Anderson Newcomb. But the Huntington store was a big one. Yes, we went there quite a bit. Like I said, JCPenney was downtown at that point and I believe at one point Sears was down here.
Vanessa Hankins [:I have heard that.
Amy Deal [:Yeah, they were here before they moved to 29th street where St. Mary's Nursing School is.
Vanessa Hankins [:Okay. Yes.
Amy Deal [:Sears.
Vanessa Hankins [:Okay.
Amy Deal [:And. But the Huntington store had Santa Claus.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, yes. So that was the winner.
Amy Deal [:That was the winner.
Vanessa Hankins [:That's where you wanted to go. Yes. So was like thinking back now, was the Santa like everything you envisioned him to be? Was like the beard real? Was It.
Amy Deal [:I don't know if it was real or not. I never. I guess it never occurred to me that it wasn't.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:Santa Claus.
Vanessa Hankins [:So.
Amy Deal [:And then I think after a few years, they started having him at Sears. When Sears moved up to 29th Street.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:Because I have pictures of me pretty much consecutively now.
Vanessa Hankins [:I feel like my mother in law and Michelle, if I butcher this story, you just tell me later. I'm sorry. Michelle's a listener, so she and her sister, I think, were telling me that they would go to Sears and see Santa in a trailer outside, like in the lot. Is that correct?
Amy Deal [:In the lot.
Vanessa Hankins [:Okay.
Amy Deal [:I think at one point, too, they had like a. I don't know if they had a lawn and garden area at Sears, but I do remember it kind of being in a. You go to the back of the store and you kind of like walk maybe where there was like a fenced in area or something.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah, that makes sense.
Amy Deal [:Out there.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:They had a backdrop.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:And then his chair and then him and. Yeah, yeah. But there was something. Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:So Michelle and her sister are a little bit older than you. We talked about ages before we started recording. So.
Vanessa Hankins [:They probably remember it before they had, like a space available for them. So they. They remembered talking about, like, going without because there is, I think, four of the girls in their family and they all had to put on their Sunday dress, like their best. And it was a big deal, you know, so they've got their little hats with their bows and, you know, it was just. Some of the pictures I've seen are really cute, but hopefully I didn't butcher that too much. Michelle.
Vanessa Hankins [:So do you recall any iconic window displays or store traditions that everyone looked to every year?
Amy Deal [:I think I always look forward to Anderson Newcomb's displays because I've always been a reader.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:And even as a little kid, I would read about New York City and Christmas at New York City, and I kind of equated Anderson Newcomb to being.
Vanessa Hankins [:That New York City. Yes.
Amy Deal [:Kind of store.
Vanessa Hankins [:Absolutely.
Amy Deal [:Do these big displays and the windows would be full of, you know, like gift ideas. Yeah. Also Christmas.
Vanessa Hankins [:So. And I guess you can tell me this, like, I see it in movies and so that's my only.
Amy Deal [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:You know, visual for this. But, like, did, like, the employees really wear, like, you know, like bright reds and like seasonal colors and everybody all dressed up and.
Amy Deal [:And the ladies would usually like, wear like a brooch or something.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, I love that.
Amy Deal [:Or whatever. And, you know. Yeah, they would dress up.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love that. Because it sets the tone. Yeah. It makes. It makes the vibe. Everything. Yes. I always thought that was really cool.
Vanessa Hankins [:I'm trying to think of what movie it is, but the little boys, like, I mean, there's so many of the movies. It's not just one movie. There's so many with the same storyline. But the little boy, you know, is trying to save up to get his dad's attention because he works so much, you know. But I remember the little boy in one of these movies going to the perfume counter because mom had passed, and he smelled a scent on. On the woman that was working the perfume counter. And he was like, that's my mom. Like, I have to have it.
Vanessa Hankins [:So, like, it changed from trying to buy D time to I have to have this perfume. And I just remember she always, like, he went into the store three or four times in the movie, and every time she's just, you know, glitz and glitter and bright red shirt and her. Her lipstick matches the red shirt. And the hair's perfectly with the curls out, you know, And I just thought that was so, like, I don't know. I love that. I wish people took more. I don't want to say that they don't take the initiative in their appearance, but I think our world is lacking. I mean, you, like I said earlier, you.
Vanessa Hankins [:You catch people in pajamas nowadays, like the middle of the day at the bank. Yeah, People in their pajamas, you know, but that you used to not be that way. You didn't go out into public unless you were presentable.
Amy Deal [:Sales people at your.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:Stores and stuff.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, yeah.
Amy Deal [:They were always dressed up top notch, made up, had their hair fixed. You know, they always looked.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love that. I wish that was still like the standard.
Amy Deal [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:I know that seems like, so pretentious, but it is what it is.
Amy Deal [:I would love to be my age now living back in.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, I know.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, my gosh. Yes, Absolutely. Absolutely. So let's talk a little bit about. And this one's gonna get you excited because I can already tell by the way we're talking the Sears catalog. How big of a deal was it for kids in the tri state?
Amy Deal [:Oh, God, that thing. You watch the mailbox and you would get it. Yeah. And then it was just set in the floor. Flip through every page and mark what you want.
Vanessa Hankins [:That's my next question. Did your family have any rituals around circling the toy pages or did you dog ear the catalog pages? Oh, yeah.
Amy Deal [:I would circle everything and then, like you said, dog ear pieces, you know, and stuff.
Vanessa Hankins [:And then gotta let mom and dad know which ones?
Amy Deal [:Dad had to know.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:Presents from Santa weren't wrapped. Yes, but presents from mom and dad were wrapped.
Vanessa Hankins [:That's how it was in our family and how it still is in our family. Yes, absolutely.
Amy Deal [:So mom and dad needed some guidance on what, you know, I wanted, so I had to help them out.
Vanessa Hankins [:I remember. Yeah. I remember, like, when. So for my age, age group, the big catalog that we got, and I don't even know if you'll know what this is, but it's an East Bay magazine, and what it is is, like, sports clothing and shoes and stuff like that. So I remember getting it, and it wasn't very thick at all. But, like, each. Each year, their custom stuff came out. So, like, if you wanted your name on the back of tennis shoes, like, which was a big deal back then.
Vanessa Hankins [:Like, now it's like, everybody does it, but back then it was huge. And it cost, like, $80 on top of the shoe to get your name on. Like, you know, so that was always the big ticket item, like, I always asked for, but I never got right.
Amy Deal [:My big thing was they would come. They had this thing called Banner House purses.
Vanessa Hankins [:Okay.
Amy Deal [:And they would come downtown to Anderson Newcomb, and they. It would. You would buy the frame of the purse. It was usually wooden handles. Okay. Like a liner thing. And then you would pick your purse cover.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh.
Amy Deal [:But you pick it. And then the lady was there with her big embroidery machine.
Vanessa Hankins [:Nice.
Amy Deal [:And she would put your initials on it.
Vanessa Hankins [:This is like, 31. Before 31 was 31.
Amy Deal [:Yeah. She would put your initials on it. She would put, like, a symbol on it, whatever you wanted. And then you could buy two or three of those, and you'd have two or three different purses with just one. Yeah, I love that. Open it up. And I believe it had magnets on it that would.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah, Yeah.
Amy Deal [:I always wanted something like that for Christmas.
Vanessa Hankins [:That would be really cool.
Amy Deal [:And the AD bead necklace was a big thing.
Vanessa Hankins [:What is that? Tell me about that.
Amy Deal [:Yeah. And you'd get those. Usually at Christmas and birthdays, you get beads to add on it. Okay. Your necklace.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:And then they'd have different beads that you could get, and you'd build your necklace.
Vanessa Hankins [:So for, like, different holidays and occasions, you would.
Amy Deal [:Yeah, you'd see. You get a little. I'd get a little box under the tree, and I'd open it up, and there'd be, like, a little Anderson Newcomb box. And when I open it up, there'd be, like, a couple of beads in There for my necklace. And I'd be so excited.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love that. Yeah, that's so fun.
Amy Deal [:Turn the turntable thing and see all the beads that they have.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, that's so fun. Because nowadays it's like we've got the. Was the Kendra Scott.
Amy Deal [:Yes.
Vanessa Hankins [:Is the big thing now. And like, it drives me crazy to buy that stuff and because I know my daughter loves it, but I'm like, at the end of the day, like, this is just cheap little, you know, like, I would rather buy you, like, something real and nice than to be paying a couple hundred dollars for this little. Little football on a. On a chain that's got a little bit of rhinestones on it. You know.
Amy Deal [:Hello Kitty. Back in the day, hello Kitty came out when I was a child. And so you love it. Sold it at Stone and Thomas. Okay. So, yeah. So the fourth floor was the children's.
Vanessa Hankins [:So you had a whole floor.
Amy Deal [:We had a whole.
Vanessa Hankins [:That's awesome. So, fun fact, when the Stone and Thomas building, my in laws owned that building when we first started. My husband and I first started dating. So we. There was a water leak and he was the maintenance man for his grandfather. So, like, if it was the middle of the night, we were the young ones. So we got called. So we go over and we're just amazed at this because a lot of it was still sitting in the basement and stuff.
Vanessa Hankins [:So, like, you could still tell that, like the store displays. Da, da, da, da. There were wrapped gifts still from a display that we took out that night everywhere that we went, all over Huntington. And we took these gifts that were wrapped in this, you know. Oh, we thought it was. We thought we were like the most ridiculous and funny people in the world because we had these. Because it was. I mean, they were literally falling apart in our hands.
Vanessa Hankins [:They were so old, they were dry rotted, you know, but we just thought they were the coolest thing in the world. And I love stuff like that. Like, I love going into old spaces and just trying to envision what it was like back then. But that's the only time I've ever been in that building was going in the back with a water leak going on.
Amy Deal [:I got to go in there. A few years ago, my husband was an alumni marshal. We went to alumni weekend and one of the things was they gave you a tour of their new art thing. Yes, that's in that building now. And we went in there and as soon as we opened the door and I stepped in, I could smell Anderson, Newcomb and Stone and Thomas. It had.
Vanessa Hankins [:Still had that smell.
Amy Deal [:Had that same smell.
Vanessa Hankins [:That's awesome.
Amy Deal [:You still walked up the same steps you walked up right back in the day. And so I ended up. The lady that's over that now, she wasn't from here, and she didn't know anything about. So I gave her the whole. Whole history of the building.
Vanessa Hankins [:I bet she loved that. Oh, she did.
Amy Deal [:She was like, I had no. I'm like, oh, yeah. I can tell you what was on every.
Vanessa Hankins [:That's awesome.
Amy Deal [:Every floor, I said, there was a tube system. Yes. That took your money up to the sixth floor to the cashier.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:And when they closed it all down, or did at some point, they had an auction.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:And I wanted one of those tubes so badly. By the time we got there, they were all gone. Yeah. Somebody had got them all. But I did get one of the old chunkers for the credit card.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:So I have that.
Vanessa Hankins [:That's cool.
Amy Deal [:But I wanted one of those tubes so bad.
Vanessa Hankins [:I know. It would have been cool. Like, I still, like, I. I told my husband all the time, I'm like, what would happen if I drove off with the bank to, like, the tube for, like, where you send it into the bank? I'm like, how cool would that be just to have one of those? He's like, what would you do with it? I'm like, I don't know.
Amy Deal [:Set it around.
Vanessa Hankins [:I have no idea.
Amy Deal [:Like, play it.
Vanessa Hankins [:I don't even want to be a thief, but, like, I kind of want one of those. I kind of want one of those.
Vanessa Hankins [:All right, so let's talk about any standout gifts that you remember begging for.
Amy Deal [:Oh, yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:You're like, I have a list where you want to start.
Amy Deal [:Yes. All the Barbie stuff.
Vanessa Hankins [:I was crazy about Barbies.
Amy Deal [:I've always been into Barbie and into clothes, so. Yes. So I. I always wanted the Barbie. The latest and greatest. And I just wanted, like, her dream house. It had an elevator.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:I've always had a fixation with elevators. And when that thing came out, I was like, oh, my gosh.
Vanessa Hankins [:It's the best thing in the world, you know? Yeah.
Amy Deal [:Stuff. So. Yeah. So the. The dream house.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love that. I. You'll appreciate this story. Probably about 15 years ago, I was at Goodwill and just searching around, doing what you do at Goodwill, Browsing, seeing what you can find. And I found this huge. Look. It looked like it was an old comforter box or bag. The ones that have, like, the zip top on them, you know, that's kind of square, full of Old Barbie stuff.
Vanessa Hankins [:And when I'm talking old Barbie stuff, this was stuff that someone had put in their attic after their child had grown out of it. And then later on, I'm guessing probably passed away and they cleared out the attic or. Or they were like, oh, they don't want this. I'll finally get rid of it.
Amy Deal [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:I thought it was the best thing in the world. I bring it home and I just think, oh my God, my kids are gonna think this is the best thing in the world. Not even fazed by it. Didn't even think it was cool. I played with all of it as a grown up.
Amy Deal [:Dress.
Vanessa Hankins [:But I mean, cool stuff, like little two liters of like Crush and Pepsi Cola. Because it didn't just say Pepsi, it said Pepsi Cola. And then it had, you know, like your orange juice and like when you would tip the little orange juice container over, it would like disappear. Like the baby bot bottle ones.
Amy Deal [:Yes.
Vanessa Hankins [:But I mean, this was like high dollar stuff in its day, I'm. I'm assuming, because that was so cool. I was like, I never had anything like this when I was a kid.
Amy Deal [:But they made generic Barbie stuff.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:So yeah, you'd end up with the generic.
Vanessa Hankins [:Exactly, exactly.
Amy Deal [:But if you can save your money up.
Vanessa Hankins [:Absolutely, absolutely. And that's how I feel about like podcasting equipment now. I'm like, if I save my money, I can get the good stuff.
Amy Deal [:It's like, look, it's a pen that'll take my handwriting. Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:It is typed. Wr. Need that.
Amy Deal [:I need that in my life.
Vanessa Hankins [:That's so funny. I feel like I need that in my life. I write down everything in my book. So if you see me switching around from my book to my paper guys at home, you guys can probably always hear me in the episode, switching my pages around. But it, it helps me. I feel more prepared. Like, even though, like I type it all out, like if I sit here and write it, like, it's like it just, it sinks in better, I guess.
Amy Deal [:Oh, I like, I love to like, write. Right.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah, me too. And about like, absolutely nothing.
Amy Deal [:Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:I'm the same way. What kind of Christmas events or parades happened in Huntington back then? Was there only just the one parade or was like.
Amy Deal [:I think there was just the one. The big parade bands and, you know, Santa would arrive.
Vanessa Hankins [:So kind of like, I mean, we do a Christmas parade here now, but I feel like a big parade that we do in Huntington that all the bands and all the schools come out for is the fire parade. So was like the Christmas parade back then. Kind of the extent of how the Christmas parade was then.
Amy Deal [:Yeah, yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:All the schools, all the bands line up.
Amy Deal [:And I can remember on 4th Avenue, that garage that attaches like to the Radisson, that car garage. People, it's being so crowded on the street, people would get up in that.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, my gosh, that's so crazy.
Amy Deal [:And watch it from the garage.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:Because it's a good vantage point.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah, absolutely.
Amy Deal [:You know, and. Yeah, but they would. Parades were. Praise are serious back then.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah. Well. And you had like legit floats. People would spend months.
Amy Deal [:Yeah. Working on that stuff and they.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:Get a flatbed trailer on it.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:Decorated up. And you'd have all your news personalities, you know, would be on it. Like Boss Johnson would be on it, you know, or Bob Smith or, you know, I love that.
Vanessa Hankins [:And I like, I just. We. When you first got here, we were talking about how the bank used to be or whatever. But I. I really 100% think that, like I could thrive in that time period because people were. I mean, obviously we still had the bad stuff. Like, I'm not a fool, I don't think that we didn't have bad stuff, but we didn't have as much of it. You were.
Vanessa Hankins [:People were embarrassed back then. You were even like, if you had bad thoughts that you were embarrassed, you weren't acting on them like people do now, you know, but it was just a different world. So I love that. I love that, you know, the floats were being made and people were taking. Because a lot of people don't realize, especially even in parades now, this year or in this time of day when we do like the fire parade for Safety Town. I mean, people don't understand that there's weeks that go into what little bit I do on a flatbed trailer. So I can't even imagine going to the extent of what they did back then, you know, because they would have like full blown Santas made out of tissue paper and you know, all the things. So, like, I can only imagine.
Amy Deal [:And then going back to decorations. Like the bank here.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:This. This bank used to be First Huntington National Bank.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:And it would be all decorated up for. And all. Every teller thing would have had their garland around it. Yeah. You know, and the churches all down Fifth Avenue would be all decorated up and stuff. And the bells would be going.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love that.
Amy Deal [:Yeah, it was.
Vanessa Hankins [:I can like imagine it. I can vision it in my head.
Amy Deal [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, that's beautiful. That gets me like that makes me want to go home. And just deck the halls, Literally, that kind of stuff. That's funny. Was there a particular event like the parade that everyone talked about or never missed, or would it be the parade? The parade. Was it. Okay, all right.
Amy Deal [:It was the parade.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love it.
Amy Deal [:We're going to go see the parade now.
Vanessa Hankins [:They went down. What streets did the. Where did the parade start back then?
Amy Deal [:It was 4th Avenue.
Vanessa Hankins [:4Th Avenue. And circled around.
Amy Deal [:Circled around.
Vanessa Hankins [:Okay.
Amy Deal [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:All right.
Amy Deal [:Cool.
Vanessa Hankins [:That was here nor there. I'm just out of curiosity. I'm picturing it in my head. Do you remember how schools or churches celebrated? Was there any big, like, pageants or choir performances or community gatherings?
Amy Deal [:We would have. Each class would have their own little Christmas party, and.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:Sometimes we would draw names and, you know, you get little gifts or whatever. Yeah. And the homeroom mothers. There was homer mothers.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:I don't know if there is now, but there was.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, it's. It's a whole nother thing nowadays.
Amy Deal [:Oh, okay.
Vanessa Hankins [:Background checks and all the things.
Amy Deal [:Oh, gosh. Well, that we had to have. Those homeroom mothers would, like, make cupcakes or make different things and stuff. And.
Amy Deal [:We'D have a class party.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:And then for.
Amy Deal [:We would do a play, like a little padding or something. And back then, you could bring church into the school.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes, absolutely.
Amy Deal [:Like the. You know, we might do the Nativity or we might do something else or. But at church, we always did a. Yeah. You know, a play.
Vanessa Hankins [:Right.
Amy Deal [:The Nativity or something. And one year, I got to be a frog.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:And I was determined I was gonna.
Vanessa Hankins [:Be the best frog ever.
Amy Deal [:My grandmother, she made me an outfit, you know.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:And dyed it green and all this stuff.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love that.
Amy Deal [:I was so excited to be a frog.
Vanessa Hankins [:Well, you took pride, like. And again, it goes to show the times you were so excited just to be part of it, as opposed to. Well, I have this. I'm a frog.
Amy Deal [:I'm a frog.
Vanessa Hankins [:I'm a frog.
Amy Deal [:You're like, I'm a frog.
Vanessa Hankins [:Like, this is the best.
Amy Deal [:Yes. And people will joke and tell you that if one thing I like is to be the center of attention, I mean, they might be right, they might be wrong. I'm not gonna confirm or deny, but I'm just determined to make sure everybody knew that frog was on that stage.
Vanessa Hankins [:Absolutely.
Amy Deal [:That's what it was. All the animals.
Vanessa Hankins [:All the animals came to see baby Jesus.
Amy Deal [:My cousin giving me hard time. He was like, a frog. I was like, jesus wants all the animals.
Vanessa Hankins [:All the animals. They're all special. He loves them all. Absolutely. I love that. That's so. That's exciting. And, you know, there's not a lot of.
Vanessa Hankins [:I think we've got like, two or three bigger theater groups here, and I actually. I don't know if you've seen this in the news. I seen that over in Ashland. Their theater, they're closing it down. Okay, here it is. I found it. So the city of Ashland, in coordination with the Paramount Arts center board of directors, has announced its plan to purchase the property owned by the Paramount Arts Center. So this is.
Vanessa Hankins [:This is an updated version. The acquisition ensures that the Paramount Arts center, which has served as a crucial driver of Ashland's arts and cultural scene since the 1930s, will continue to be an economically vital asset to not only the city, but the entire region, said the city leaders. So the way that they announced it. Let me see if I can see the first they edit. Because the first one, it freaked me out a little bit.
Amy Deal [:That the whole.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah, well, the first way that it. Yeah, the way that it read, like, had me really scared. So I was like, maybe I'll mention this and she'll know something about it. But yeah, I can't find the other one. That's not. They must have realized that that was a really bad yes because it's not here anymore. But, yeah, it freaked me out a little bit because I was like, no, I was like, we're working so hard to do the Keith Albee over here. They can't lose theirs there.
Amy Deal [:And I go to a lot of. Of the Foundry events that they have.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes. At City Hall. She really does. She really, really does.
Amy Deal [:I did the We Are Marshall movie the other night.
Vanessa Hankins [:I wanted to really bad, but we had been so inundated with so many. Marshall. 75. My husband's cousin was on the plane. So we do all of the. And this year, they just fell differently this year because normally you lead up to the game, and it's the 75 game. It kicked off with the 75 game and then all the events. So, like, it.
Vanessa Hankins [:It just. It was a lot this. This year. But yeah, the Foundry, which actually. What was City hall like back in the 70s? Like, did. Was it a big deal to go see the tree there or anything like that at City Hall?
Amy Deal [:City hall back in the.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah. Wasn't as big as a deal as.
Amy Deal [:Wasn't as big.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah, it was.
Amy Deal [:You know, 4th Avenue was your 3rd Avenue and 4th.
Vanessa Hankins [:That's. That's your hot spots.
Amy Deal [:That's where your bread and butter was.
Vanessa Hankins [:Gotcha.
Amy Deal [:And then Some of the stores on the plaza.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:Back then, because it was a plaza, they. There was no traffic on it.
Vanessa Hankins [:Right, exactly.
Amy Deal [:And but you, you had your. Then you had Ford and hardwood shoes. You had the Smart Shop, the princess.
Vanessa Hankins [:I heard a lot about the Smart Shop. What was, was that like a women's clothing or.
Amy Deal [:Yes, but a very fancy.
Vanessa Hankins [:Okay.
Amy Deal [:I mean you went in there for like really nice blouses and skirts.
Vanessa Hankins [:Okay.
Amy Deal [:Hosiery and different things like that. But yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh my God. How wonderful would it be to have a store like that now? Like that. You just know like I'm going to go there and I'm gonna leave with like the outfit. I don't have to go to six places. I don't have to look online.
Amy Deal [:And when you bought it, they folded it up, put tissue paper, put it in the box.
Vanessa Hankins [:Made you feel like it was money well spent.
Amy Deal [:Like those movies you watch where they.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:Put your purchases in a box. Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:Bring that back. Somebody with an entrepreneurial background. Make that happen.
Amy Deal [:Happen, please.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes, make that happen.
Amy Deal [:I will definitely support you.
Vanessa Hankins [:Absolutely. I will too. You know, I just went shopping in this little store. It's right across from the little paint.
Vanessa Hankins [:I'm so bad with names. What's the little paint shop at Pullman?
Amy Deal [:Oh, the pottery.
Vanessa Hankins [:Pottery, yeah, Pottery place. So it's right across from it on the corner.
Amy Deal [:They always have all the Marshall green.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes. In the window. Yes. I can't think of the name of it. I'm so bad. But it's like a Christian based store. I didn't know that at first.
Vanessa Hankins [:Not that I mean it's here nor there. But you go in and they have so much just positive like Bible verses and quotes and things like that on sweaters and you know, it's hard to find wholesome things shopping for me. I'm shopping for a 13 or 12. 13 year old girl. It's hard to find wholesome things. But in that little store, like there really is, and it's a little bit higher end, you're definitely paying a little bit more. But I felt like it was money well spent because like you said, they package the stuff up for you and when you try it on, they come to your. Hey, did you want that? I'll carry it up front for you.
Vanessa Hankins [:You know, it's that old vibe.
Amy Deal [:Yes.
Vanessa Hankins [:It's personal and it was wonderful. So anyways, we'll get back on subject here.
Vanessa Hankins [:What did a typical Huntington family Christmas morning look like during that era?
Amy Deal [:Oh, gosh, well, you know, you'd get up, you know, you'd wake up really early.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:And then you'd be told to go back to bed.
Vanessa Hankins [:Go back to bed.
Amy Deal [:Too early. But I can remember getting up and going to the bathroom, but tiptoeing.
Vanessa Hankins [:Tiptoeing.
Amy Deal [:And trying to.
Vanessa Hankins [:Trying to sneak and see Santa and.
Amy Deal [:It wouldn't be light enough.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:To see anything under the tree.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:You know, go back to bed. But then you'd finally get up and, you know, you couldn't. You couldn't open anything. I had to make the coffee first.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:And she and dad would get their coffee and then you'd set in the floor. And being an only child, I didn't have to share anything.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, nice.
Amy Deal [:That tree was pretty much mine.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes. Nice.
Amy Deal [:Yeah, I love that.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love that for you.
Amy Deal [:And you just start unwrapping presents or Santa's presents, Showing them off, sewing them off.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:Trying to be excited when you got stuff that was like, you know.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah. Like I always wanted this, even if it. You had no idea. Yeah.
Amy Deal [:Now I get clothes and I'm like, yes, I got clothes.
Vanessa Hankins [:But yes.
Amy Deal [:When you're a kid, you want to unwrap. Like I said, Barbie.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes, absolutely.
Amy Deal [:And then you'd have dinner and, you know, family might come over and.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:You compare with the cousins what you.
Vanessa Hankins [:Got, what you got.
Amy Deal [:Play what you got stuff and sit under the tree and play with all the things.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love that.
Amy Deal [:You know, I hate to say this, and this is going to sound terrible, but this is coming from. From a kid.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:The worst kind of Christmas would be Christmas that fell on Sunday morning.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, my gosh. You have to get up and go to church.
Amy Deal [:You had to get up and go to church.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, yeah.
Amy Deal [:And then you had opened everything and.
Vanessa Hankins [:Then you don't even have time to play.
Amy Deal [:You don't have time to play. And you gotta sat through church thinking.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes. It's just waiting for me, that tape recorder.
Amy Deal [:And then I had a friend the other day tell me that they couldn't open anything until church was over and they got home and I thought, I wonder what would be worth the torture of knowing what you had at home waiting on you or. The torture.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah, that's a hard one.
Amy Deal [:Of not knowing.
Vanessa Hankins [:Not knowing at all.
Amy Deal [:Having to wait another three or four hours.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes. Yes. Oh, that is a hard one. I don't think I could. I don't think I could make a decision of which one was bad. Yes. So what foods or holiday treats were like, you know, must haves with jello molds, you know, ribbon Candy was huge back in the day. Or was it, you know, your Susie homemaker casseroles? What was the go to that everybody wanted back then?
Amy Deal [:Well, fruitcake was very popular. Popular? Oh, yeah, yeah, it was very popular. They sold them, you know, everywhere.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:Stone, Thomas, Anderson, Newcomb. They had a candy counter. Oh, so you'd like. You liked it when you got a box of chocolates. Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:Nice.
Amy Deal [:The civic center right before Christmas would have, like, an arts and crafts show.
Vanessa Hankins [:Okay.
Amy Deal [:Club arts and crafts.
Vanessa Hankins [:Okay.
Amy Deal [:And you could go there, and there would be people from, like, fudge places that.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, nice.
Amy Deal [:And this one man, I remember, he came and you could buy, like, a cup of, like, hot fudge.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:It was just hot fudge melted in a cup.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:So good.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, it sounds good.
Amy Deal [:Yeah. And I'll give you a little.
Vanessa Hankins [:It's like eating, like, brownie butter batter goodness.
Amy Deal [:You make the. If you go to make no bake cookies. If you just make the stuff that makes them cookies and just eat it while it's hot.
Vanessa Hankins [:Tastes same thing. Okay, now I know what I'm doing this week.
Amy Deal [:I used to call that my emotion dessert. I'll go in and make me a little saucepan of that stuff and just eat it.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:I'd be like, it tastes just like. That's the same when I was a kid at the. At the civic center.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love that. I love, like, that smells and tastes and stuff. Like, that takes us back so easily.
Amy Deal [:Yeah. Now my family, my mom, every year makes me, and she still does it what they call an orange slice cake.
Vanessa Hankins [:Okay.
Amy Deal [:And last year, I got to help her make it, and I'm gonna help her make it again this year. But it's just. It takes those orange slice candies and dates and lots of orange juice to make it, you know? But it is so good. And it's. It's an old recipe from back in the day.
Vanessa Hankins [:Now there's a. My daughter. I'm not ignoring you. I'm googling because I want to get this right. There is this candy.
Vanessa Hankins [:That is shaped like an orange. But it's okay. They're called Terry's. I wanted to make sure I knew what they were. I knew it was a man's name, but I didn't know what they were. But they're called Terry's Originals, and I don't want to sign in Kroger. I just want to show you this picture. I just want to show you the picture.
Vanessa Hankins [:That's all. But. Well, it won't let me click off of it. But oh yeah, I've seen this. So I thought she was eating orange dipped in chocolate. And I was like, how does that stay good on a shelf for like however long it's been sitting here, you know. But it's not. It is just chocolate shaped like oranges.
Vanessa Hankins [:But when you like. I didn't taste it because I'm not an orange person. But when you smell it, you distinctly smell the orange. As if there is like a juicy orange sitting right there. But you smell the chocolate too. And it's so odd. But that's when you said that cake, I was like, I wonder if it was anything similar.
Amy Deal [:I love this cake. She like I said, she makes it for me every year and has for years and years and years. And it had walnuts in it, I think.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh yeah.
Amy Deal [:Pecans or both. My husband was allergic to both of them.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, so he didn't get it. He didn't get the sherry. Bummer.
Amy Deal [:Myself, I did give my sisters in law big chunk of it. Yeah, I was nice.
Vanessa Hankins [:You gotta be nice. I learned to share.
Amy Deal [:Even as an only child, I learned to share. You know.
Vanessa Hankins [:That's funny.
Amy Deal [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:So what do you remember the most about Christmas Eve traditions? What was it like in Yalls house on Christmas Eve?
Amy Deal [:Usually we'd go to. There was church. You had a church service on Christmas Eve. A candlelight.
Amy Deal [:We never opened presents on Christmas. Christmas Eve. I know people that we open everything.
Vanessa Hankins [:We never did unless we were traveling. Like if we had to be somewhere else on Christmas like just so that we could have our Christmas at home.
Amy Deal [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:But that's the only time that I ever remember.
Amy Deal [:I've always wondered about people that don't put up their tree until Christmas Eve. I know.
Vanessa Hankins [:How do you do that?
Amy Deal [:I mean, I would just think that would be a hassle.
Vanessa Hankins [:I even feel bad for people that do real trees because they have to wait so long because you have to. They have to stay. Well, you know, stay. Yeah.
Amy Deal [:Too much maintenance.
Vanessa Hankins [:It really is. It's too much.
Amy Deal [:But yeah, I always wondered about that. I'm like, you put your tree up on Christmas Eve.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah. It's very different.
Amy Deal [:And then when do you take it down? Like Christmas night.
Vanessa Hankins [:Right, right.
Amy Deal [:So I mean, it's like.
Vanessa Hankins [:Because mine's literally mine's like on New Year's it's out of here. But mine's. Mine are already up. So.
Vanessa Hankins [:I've been living with them for a while. By the time the first gets here. Yeah.
Amy Deal [:I've seen it quite a few times.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah. That's funny. So like Christmas Eve around our house when I was younger, it was pretty chill. It was mainly.
Vanessa Hankins [:Clean up your room, make sure there's anything that you don't want to give to anybody, you know, that may go without things like that. Make room for the new stuff Santa's gonna bring you.
Vanessa Hankins [:And we always did like a pile outside of our door because mom had to make sure we weren't getting rid of anything that she just bought for birthdays or something like that, you know, so mom had to inspect the pile first. But we always did that. But we kind of like ate off of like whatever stuff mom was preparing for the next day because they were, you know, they cooked for two or three days leading up to. So we didn't really get like full set down meals because we were just all eating off of whatever she was making at the time, you know. But I always loved Christmas Eve because there was no expectation of going anywhere. So I always enjoyed that. Except for church, you know, so it was church and back home. So I always enjoyed.
Vanessa Hankins [:And even now to this day with my family, Christmas Eve, we don't do anything.
Amy Deal [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:It's a whole lot of nothing. And I love it because it's very rare that you get that nowadays.
Amy Deal [:Yeah. Because you had all your parties.
Vanessa Hankins [:Exactly.
Amy Deal [:Beginning of the month, we would do. I remember church. We would do a progressive dinner and our Sunday school class would do our dinner and you'd go to like one house for the appetizer. One house for this course. This course. And then you just keep going and then the last.
Vanessa Hankins [:Which is like wonderful if you're social. But like by the time Christmas Eve and Christmas get here, like my social battery is drained.
Amy Deal [:Oh, yeah. By Christmas Eve. I just wanna.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes. I'm just, I'm done. I'm over it.
Amy Deal [:I just wanna, you know, chill out with Tucker and just.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:Done with it.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes. Get underneath a blanket and just chill. Just chill. Watch some Friends reruns or something.
Amy Deal [:Oh, exactly. Or I do have my Christmas movie tradition that I watch my Christmas movies.
Vanessa Hankins [:Do you? You just sit like all day. Is that your thing for one day?
Amy Deal [:Well, there's like three or four of them. My favorite one is a movie that.
Amy Deal [:Susan Lucci is in. It's called Abby.
Vanessa Hankins [:Never seen it.
Amy Deal [:It's a reverse thing, A modern day thing of like the Scrooge.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, okay.
Amy Deal [:Her name's Elizabeth Scrooge and she runs a big department store.
Vanessa Hankins [:Nice.
Amy Deal [:Which might be why I like it.
Vanessa Hankins [:Department store.
Amy Deal [:And she's all about the store making profit.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, yeah.
Amy Deal [:And so.
Vanessa Hankins [:So her heart changed.
Amy Deal [:Yes, her heart changes.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love that.
Amy Deal [:I might have to watch this every year. It's on YouTube. That's the only place.
Vanessa Hankins [:Okay. Okay.
Amy Deal [:You can find it.
Vanessa Hankins [:Good to know. Yeah, good to know.
Amy Deal [:But, yeah, it's my favorite.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love that. So that kind of leads me into my next question. What Christmas music or radio stations define the era in the 70s and 80s?
Amy Deal [:For Christmas in Huntington Key was always the big radio station back then. Yeah, he had it, you know, Key and TCR had it locked. You know, they had it locked down. They would do the, the Christmas music and stuff. And I love to listen to Clint McElroy on the radio. Yes. He was just, you know, he's my favorite and he would always have some good stories for Christmas and stuff. And, you know, the TV stations would always, always, you know, they'd be festively.
Amy Deal [:The, the set would be rightly dressed up. And I remember the weather lady back on WSAZ was named DJ Schroeder Dorothy. Oh, and she was a fashion.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, was she?
Amy Deal [:She was.
Vanessa Hankins [:Well, back in the day, like to be the news anchor or to be like the weather girl. Like, it was a big deal.
Amy Deal [:It was a big deal that you.
Vanessa Hankins [:Have made it to the height of your career.
Amy Deal [:Yes.
Vanessa Hankins [:If you got to do that.
Amy Deal [:Always be festive dressed and have jewelry on.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love that.
Amy Deal [:She was amazing. I watch it just to see what she was.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah, just see what she was wearing. Yes. I love that. Do you remember any local TV holiday traditions? Like, was there any shows that were like Go to's? I know, like nowadays they always do A Christmas Story. Of course. So what were some big ones back then?
Amy Deal [:Mostly I think it was just the cartoon, like the Rudolph and the Frosty Santa Claus is coming to town. They would play those and you would just sit in the floor.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah, just. Just watch in front of the tv.
Amy Deal [:Watch them in front of the tv, you know, with the old dials on it.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:Or the antenna that you had to get up.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:In case, you know, the picture wasn't.
Vanessa Hankins [:Clear, you know, and for some of the you younger listeners, we're not just talking about the 70s and 80s. That was in the 90s too. I absolutely did that.
Amy Deal [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:To watch TV. To tune in the Simpsons on channel 11.
Amy Deal [:See, I remember when channel 11 came to be and it was channel 23.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, really?
Amy Deal [:It was channel 23. But it showed Star Trek. Oh, it was my channel.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, gotcha.
Amy Deal [:Yeah. So. But yeah, you had to adjust the antenna to get it to pick up. Right.
Vanessa Hankins [:Love it. So for us and my family. And this is Michelle again, shout out to you. Every year she makes us watch.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, my gosh. What is the name of that? I'm Polar Express. I am, like, beside myself. This year or this Today. Today. Today. Today I am beside myself. But she makes us watch the Polar Express usually after Thanksgiving dinner or anytime she catches us at her house.
Vanessa Hankins [:From Thanksgiving to Christmas, we have to sit and watch the Polar Express. Was there anything that your family did like that? That was a must.
Amy Deal [:And the name just.
Vanessa Hankins [:They've just been leaving my mind. Every time I go to say something, I forget it.
Amy Deal [:Miracle on 34th Street. And the Clearance getting his wings. The bell.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, yeah, I know what you're talking about, but I can't think of the name of it either.
Amy Deal [:Jimmy Stewart.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:Yeah, I can't. I don't. It's a Wonderful Life.
Vanessa Hankins [:It's a Wonderful Life.
Amy Deal [:There we go.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes. That. That one's a good one. And that one still replays nowadays, like, it's still. Yeah. And I actually. I need to make my daughter sit down and watch that one. Now that I think of it, I.
Amy Deal [:Think she'll like it. She'll like it. If she lets herself.
Vanessa Hankins [:If she lets herself emerge in it, she'll like it. Yeah. Are there any. Only in Huntington Christmas memories that younger generations probably would not believe? Things that happened here.
Vanessa Hankins [:I feel like the decorations alone are something that you wouldn't believe.
Amy Deal [:It was all decked out.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:I mean, so many decorations and.
Vanessa Hankins [:Well, I feel like communities took more. Not said that we don't take pride. Because we do. And Huntington does a great job of making it look festive. By no means am I saying that they don't. But I think store owners back then took. We had more people. It wasn't corporate America the way it is now.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:It was mom and Pops.
Vanessa Hankins [:It was mom and Pops. And you wanted to do the display that's going to bring the people in because you need that money to make your family's Christmas good.
Amy Deal [:Items in the window. Yes. That's what you're trying to bring.
Vanessa Hankins [:Exactly. Exactly.
Amy Deal [:And. And then, like I said, there was more storefronts.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:So there was more storefronts to decorate and more items to put out.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:And it was a big. And of course, there was a lot more people. Right. Because this is where you shop.
Vanessa Hankins [:This is where you shopped. Right, Exactly. Exactly. And so that. I'm gonna get to that here in just a minute. I think I've got a. If I remember correctly, I think I'VE got a story or a question on that one.
Vanessa Hankins [:Has Huntington kept anything from that era that you still see today, or is there something that you wish they would bring back?
Amy Deal [:I wish they'd bring back all the stores.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:I prefer downtown shopping to any other kind of.
Vanessa Hankins [:I agree. Because now you go to the mall now and you'll wander around those stores, and everything's the same in every store. Just the prices are different. Maybe a little bit color, variety, but other than that.
Amy Deal [:Yeah, I don't. Yeah, I would much rather go in and out of the stores.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah. Same. I love that. I love that a lot. Like, even, like, when we go shopping, when we're on vacations and stuff.
Amy Deal [:I love the.
Vanessa Hankins [:The trip back to the car. Let's put the bags in the car and go back for another round. Yeah, go back for another round.
Amy Deal [:Let's go again.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:Let's eat first. And then. Yes. Get our strength back and then.
Vanessa Hankins [:Exactly.
Amy Deal [:You know, and so were there.
Vanessa Hankins [:You just made me think, were there any restaurants that, like, on the day, like, you and your dad went Christmas shopping for your mom that you guys would stop at and get, like, a treat or anything like that?
Amy Deal [:Sometimes we would eat at the counter at McCroy's. Had, like, a little diner counter thing. Okay. Or we would go to. Mainly it would be Bailey's or Jim's.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:I loved eating at Bailey's Cafeteria.
Vanessa Hankins [:We did an episode on Bailey's when WG was still with us, and it was a very fun episode. Obviously, I didn't have any memories of it, but listening to him tells, like. I mean, he's such a storyteller, so it seemed awesome.
Amy Deal [:It was. It was. It was just so cool.
Vanessa Hankins [:Seemed like a very good time to be alive.
Amy Deal [:Anytime you went into gyms and Mr. Twill was there. Yeah, it was a good time because, you know, he was gonna make sure you were not. That you would never be well taken care of. Right. He would check on you.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:And all this stuff.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:You know, it was a very personal experience.
Vanessa Hankins [:Exactly. Yeah, absolutely. And I think they're doing a good job at still continuing that with their staff nowadays. I think it was bigger probably eight to ten years ago, but I think they still do a good job at making you feel like it's personal. Now there are a few key players that are, like, retiring from there or have retired in the last couple months that I've seen on their Facebook post, and I'm like, well, it's not gonna look the same when you go in. If you don't have the same smiling faces. It's those things about getting older that I think. I don't know if me turning 40 or just what the deal is, but I reflect on things like that.
Vanessa Hankins [:Like I'm like, now I know what it's like going down fourth Avenue when you know, my father in law would be like, oh, this building was this. And we went and did this there because I have lived through that. There's so many buildings that have been tore down from like the days when I went out to clubs in college and stuff like that. We don't even really have clubs in Huntington anymore, which good thing because they were full of violence at the ending game of them all. But.
Vanessa Hankins [:It'S just, it's so interesting to see the way Huntington has changed, overcome and adapted to, you know, dilapidated properties and things like that. So.
Vanessa Hankins [:I think about, you know, your Bailey's Cafeteria, your, your gems back in the day and like how the celebrities would come. Like how cool would that have been to have been in there eating when you've just got like a president strolling in. Like, yeah, what, you know, what are the odds?
Amy Deal [:Or an actor. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes. Like just a typical day in Huntington. Whatever.
Amy Deal [:Yeah. And I, I love change as far as like technology and stuff like that.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love that. Yeah.
Amy Deal [:But when it comes to like, like certain other things, I don't like change.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:I like the fact that I could tell you right now we were going to get a gyms and I could tell you the whole process that's going to happen.
Amy Deal [:Till the time we leave. And that's exactly what would happen.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:And then hopefully I could take you back 20 years from now and it's exactly the same process right now is still the way it was. It still is back when I was a kid.
Vanessa Hankins [:Exactly.
Amy Deal [:And Mr. Twill and Bunny, we're running.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah. You know, and I hope it stays that way. I know what the new owners like, they're doing a great job. So shout out to you guys. But I, I do hope that that personal touch stays for sure. Whenever. But something I am happy about is they changed their cups so now I can get a bigger cup of ice because their ice is like my favorite.
Amy Deal [:Oh, and the fact that they brought sweet tea back.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:Oh my gosh. That was like the greatest decision ever. Because I remember back in the day they had sweet tea, but they had sugar water.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes. You had to add the sugar water. And you can't mix when it's already cold. Like it never mixes correct sugar do not mix.
Amy Deal [:No, it's already ice.
Vanessa Hankins [:It really doesn't.
Amy Deal [:It goes to the bottom.
Vanessa Hankins [:Right. Exactly. Any funny stories or mishaps or unforgettable neighborhood stories you have from growing up during the holidays. See, I grew up, like, living in the middle of nowhere, and, like, WG and I always had great conversations about this.
Vanessa Hankins [:I had my sisters and my brothers or my sister and my brothers to play with. So, like, all of my memories run together of us. But he would have stories of, like, his neighborhood. Oh, we so and so got a cassette recorder on their birthday, so the whole neighborhood was at their house, and we were recording, you know. Yeah. Just random things like that. And I think that's so cool. Like, I wish I would have grew up in a little neighborhood to have those kind of memories.
Amy Deal [:A little neighborhood like that. There was a lot of kids.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:My age and stuff. And so that's what you would do Christmas afternoon.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:You go outside and, you know, if you could. If the weather wasn't really. You know, you'd ride your new bike. If you got a new bike. Right. Show off your toys. You know, you play with everybody else's stuff, compete to see who got the.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:The greatest thing, you know, and stuff. And I will. There was mostly boys in my neighborhood. There was a couple of girls, but the boys always got, like, you know, the trucks.
Vanessa Hankins [:The trucks, yeah.
Amy Deal [:Footballs and, you know. But they take their baseball bat, jump the ramps.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, yes. That was a big thing when I was a kid, too. We always used to do that. Which in hindsight, like, I'm like, what were our parents thinking? But.
Amy Deal [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:As soon as it got dark.
Vanessa Hankins [:Time to go in.
Amy Deal [:Heard your name. Bellard.
Vanessa Hankins [:From the.
Amy Deal [:You went in.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yep. It's time to go.
Amy Deal [:It's time to go.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yep. I mean, and no matter what, you always heard it or you always saw your porch light going off.
Amy Deal [:Mom's not gonna holler.
Vanessa Hankins [:No. You always seen it like, you knew.
Amy Deal [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:There was no ands, ifs, or buts about it.
Vanessa Hankins [:No way.
Amy Deal [:Nope.
Vanessa Hankins [:When you look back on those decades, what do you think made Christmas feel so magical here?
Amy Deal [:I do think it was the trips to Huntington.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah. Coming to town.
Amy Deal [:Coming to town.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:And my mom talks about coming to town from. She was raised close to Salt Rock, and they would catch the train.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, so they had a. They had a hole.
Amy Deal [:They would catch the train.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah. Oh, my goodness.
Amy Deal [:Ride the train.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:And so then it was a day.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah. That's nice, though.
Amy Deal [:And all that stuff. And I would have loved to have experienced that.
Vanessa Hankins [:That would be really cool.
Amy Deal [:I do love the day. So.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:You coming to town was an event.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:I mean, you dressed for it, you prepped for it. You had a routine.
Vanessa Hankins [:You knew you weren't gonna be home till the evening. Yeah.
Amy Deal [:At Christmas time, it was just a whole other experience.
Vanessa Hankins [:Right.
Amy Deal [:Because you got to see the displays and, you know, dream about.
Vanessa Hankins [:So you hear that, Huntington? We want more stores downtown.
Amy Deal [:More store displays.
Vanessa Hankins [:We want more.
Amy Deal [:Yes.
Vanessa Hankins [:We want to go back to the old days. Yes. Yeah, we'll come in.
Amy Deal [:We'll.
Vanessa Hankins [:We'll do some.
Amy Deal [:Fix them up.
Vanessa Hankins [:We'll do some renovations.
Amy Deal [:A store window.
Vanessa Hankins [:How fun would that be?
Amy Deal [:Oh, that would be so.
Vanessa Hankins [:It really would be. I've been watching, and everybody at home, you can laugh at me, or you can go and look and be envious with me. These videos on Tick Tock of this girl. She's a local girl. I can't remember her name, but she does, like, all of the Goldie Auto and Dutch Miller Kia, like, all their stores. She does their paint on their windows. And she does it with, like. She takes some of the fake snow, but then she does, like, paint colors in with it, and it makes it look like it's a snow scene.
Vanessa Hankins [:And I just watch her, like, when I can't sleep, and I'm like, how she makes it look like it's so easy, and there's no way it's easy. There's no way it's easy, but she makes it look so simple. She'll just be out there with a card and just a few swipes to the wrist, and all of a sudden, this green blob is a Christmas tree with bulbs and everything. And I'm like, hold on. I blinked and now it's a tree. It's a tree. Yeah. I'm like, this is crazy.
Amy Deal [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:But it's so cool. Yeah. Yeah.
Amy Deal [:I could put clothes on the mannequin, outfit for the mannequin and accessorize it. Right?
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah. She. I mean, she's awesome, though. I need to figure out her name and give her a shout out.
Amy Deal [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:She probably doesn't listen to this podcast, but it's okay. I just think that her art is super cool. Yes. Yes. She's. She's like. I mean, her talent is just. It's immeasurable.
Vanessa Hankins [:What do you wish today's kids could experience that was normal in the 70s and 80s? I've thought of this one a lot since I came. Like, that's not even a hard thinking question. But, like, I'VE thought of it a lot. Like, while I was sitting here waiting on you to arrive, I was like, man, there's so many things, and I didn't even grow up in that time. But I'm just thinking of, you know.
Vanessa Hankins [:Going to the cinema like, you. Everybody. All the kids went to, like. And parents were busy. They weren't always going with you. You know, it was a safe world. It was a safer world. More safe world.
Vanessa Hankins [:So I feel like that would be, like, my number one thing.
Amy Deal [:Yeah. You could be dropped downtown.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:Not have to worry about.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:You know, but I think, as far as, like.
Amy Deal [:A lot of kids out there nowadays don't have families.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:And I just wish, first of all, every child had a family.
Vanessa Hankins [:Absolutely. Absolutely.
Amy Deal [:I just really wish that they could experience, like, what it's like to have a family that, you know, does the holidays and celebrates and have the dinners and the experiences and stuff. Because, you know, some of them don't know what that's like or don't ever get to experience that because they're in homes or they're in.
Vanessa Hankins [:I agree 100%. We. I say we because it's the Junior League of Huntington. We went and had dinner with some of the girls at Golden Girls last week. And a lot of the girls, for anyone that's not familiar with Golden Girls, a lot of those girls come from very traumatized backgrounds. You know, like, sexual things have happened to them. They've lived in not so savory situations pretty much their whole life until they get help. And a lot of the help that our government gives is not always help.
Vanessa Hankins [:So, you know, they've been through the system. They've been through a lot of things. So by the time they land at Golden Girls, you know, she was telling us before the girls came in, you know, some of them might be standoffish. They've never been here before. They don't know what it's like to have trusting adults. They don't know what it's like to have a group of women come together and cook a meal for them. You know, they. They don't know that.
Vanessa Hankins [:So it's gonna be a lot for them to take on. And, you know.
Vanessa Hankins [:You don't really. Even when I was cooking and getting ready, you know, making my baked beans and making my stuffing and stuff that I was taking.
Vanessa Hankins [:I wasn't. I wish that I would have slowed down enough to really take in what it meant to those girls and how thankful that I was to be able to do that for them, because I didn't slow down. In the moment. In the moment, I was helping my daughter do five other things, plus cooking and plus trying to get ready, you know, but it was so emotional. My daughter actually, like. And I don't know if she could put it into words still now, but when they were kind of giving us the heads up of, like, what some of the girls specifically that were coming in had been through, my. Like, I started tearing up, but my daughter only being 12, she couldn't hold it in. So, like, she's just tears.
Vanessa Hankins [:And, you know, my husband ended up coming to get her. She didn't stay for the dinner. And she was just like, it's just not fair, mom. It's not fair that those girls, you know, And I'm like, you're right, sis. I was like, you're right. I said, but the good news is, you know, you can continue being the giver that you are, and you can do what you can. And when you get older, you can work in this field or, you know, you can find a way to make a difference in the best way that you can. And I told her, you know, and she's only 12, but I said, you know, sometimes the best way that we can do is by, in our own world, doing the best we can.
Vanessa Hankins [:So maybe that means you being the best mother that you can be. Maybe that's enough, you know, I don't know what that looks like. I don't know if you're gonna want children when you get older, yada, yada. But never, never beat yourself up because you can't do enough because you're enough. Might be just being that good mom for the child that you have. You may have been exactly what that child needed, you know, so. So I just think it's really awesome to be able to give back in that way. So I like that answer.
Vanessa Hankins [:We talked about so much stuff. I'm like, some of my questions, I'll read them. And I'm like, we've already answered that. What does Christmas in Huntington mean to you now after all these years of writing about the area?
Amy Deal [:I think I cherish it more. And I regret, like you, I regret that I didn't stop back then and savor the moment and remember all of the details.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:That it was just because. But as a kid, you're just going.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah, you really do.
Amy Deal [:Because, oh, it's Christmas. And, yeah, I want this and I want that and stuff, but I do wish I had.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah, I wish.
Amy Deal [:And I do wish I could go back and be my age now, back Then.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh my gosh. Yes.
Amy Deal [:Just to experience it as an adult.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:Soak it all in and see what it was like as an adult to experience.
Vanessa Hankins [:Absolutely. Absolutely. You know, I caught myself. I'm glad you said that because I caught myself. The other day. My daughter gave me her Christmas list and her list is just crazy. She's. I don't know if you know much about Lululemon, but it's pricey.
Vanessa Hankins [:She wants a pair of the leggings and she's like, they're just leggings. And I'm like, kid, just to be a 12 year old and have that innocent mind. They're just leggings, but they're leggings that cost like $250. Like you know that I'm like, like you're crazy. But at the same time I'm like, how, how blessed that my family is that she feels comfortable enough because she's asking from Santa. She's not asking for mom and dad. So she's not even thinking about a price tag or something like that. So I just think that's awesome.
Amy Deal [:So someday she'll discover for that. Someday she'll discover she could have bought like 25 pairs.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes. Of the aerie ones that she wears every day. Yes, yes. So if you're open to it, I want to play a little game.
Amy Deal [:Okay.
Vanessa Hankins [:Okay.
Amy Deal [:Okay.
Vanessa Hankins [:That's a little trivia. Oh, okay. So round one.
Amy Deal [:Okay.
Vanessa Hankins [:Which downtown department store was famous for Christmas window displays in the 70s and 80s? Murphy's Stone and Thomas Ames or Kmart Stone and Thomas is correct. Ding, ding, ding. I feel like these are all going to be easy for you.
Vanessa Hankins [:What classic holiday decoration used to hang in the streets of downtown Huntington? Giant snowflakes, candy cane arches light up bells and garland or angel silhouettes?
Amy Deal [:Bells and garland.
Vanessa Hankins [:You're right. Yep. See, that was the answer. Okay, true. True or false? Anderson Newcomb once hosted a special holiday floor just for kids gifts in the 70s and 80s.
Amy Deal [:True.
Vanessa Hankins [:It is true. They had a whole toy area and a catalog to pick up the buzz beforehand.
Amy Deal [:Yes.
Vanessa Hankins [:Love that. Okay, round two. Shopping and Sears. What was the most circled toy in the Sears wish book for the kids in the tri state in the 80s? A cabbage patch Kid. An Atari, a Big Wheel or a light bright.
Vanessa Hankins [:80S.
Amy Deal [:The 80s. I say it's the Cabbage patch.
Vanessa Hankins [:You're right. Cabbage Patch. Apparently it Norton. It nearly caused a riot across the America. It did when they were released.
Amy Deal [:Yes, I remember. I was just a little too old maybe for the cat. But I remember, remember it happened People trying to, you know, like, yeah, your. Your landline ringing because, you know, no cell phones.
Vanessa Hankins [:Right.
Amy Deal [:And it was like, hey, if you're out and they have them, grab a couple of them.
Vanessa Hankins [:Grab a pick. Yes. Yeah, exactly.
Amy Deal [:Dealing of the Cabbage Patch Dolls.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes. I love that.
Amy Deal [:Again, back then, no ebay, no Internet.
Vanessa Hankins [:You either got it in the store when it was there or you didn't.
Amy Deal [:Get it at all. Yeah, you know, snooze, you lose.
Vanessa Hankins [:That's funny. So, and this one may be a little different for you, but since you were an only child, what was the unspoken rule of the Sears wish book? A, only circle three items. B, kids could circle anything, but parents still bought socks. C, circle an entire page and hope for the best. Or D, no one touched the lingerie section.
Amy Deal [:I'd say.
Amy Deal [:Funny side of me wants to say D.
Vanessa Hankins [:That is so funny. Like, I couldn't hold in the laughter as I was saying it.
Amy Deal [:Mom, binder clips.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:Your brothers can't look at that.
Vanessa Hankins [:Exactly. So do you want to guess or you want me to just give you the answer?
Amy Deal [:Just give it to me.
Vanessa Hankins [:Okay. Circle the entire page and hope for the best.
Amy Deal [:Oh, okay.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:Gotcha.
Vanessa Hankins [:All right, round three. This one's local traditions and events.
Amy Deal [:Oh, gosh.
Vanessa Hankins [:Okay, which Huntington parade traditionally kicked off the Christmas season? Guy and DOT days? The Huntington Christmas Parade. Marshall Homecoming Parade or the Ohio Riverboat Parade?
Amy Deal [:Huntington Christmas Parade.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Amy Deal [:Okay.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes. A few of those, like, throw you for a loop because you're like, were they diane.days?
Amy Deal [:Yeah, that's the Civil War thing, I think. I don't know. But I was like, oh, okay.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah. Okay. True or false? WSAZ often broadcast special Christmas segments featuring local choirs, schools, or community events.
Amy Deal [:True, true.
Vanessa Hankins [:You're right.
Amy Deal [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:Okay. What classic Christmas decoration was basically required in homes during the 70s and 80s? A, bubble lights, B, white only lights, C, popcorn garland, D, salt dough ornaments.
Amy Deal [:That wasn't what I thought one of the answers was going to be. I thought it was going to be those old plastic candelabra things.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, I know what you're talking about. I've seen.
Amy Deal [:Yes, they were beige colored and they plugged in and you had them in your window. Yeah, I thought for sure that's what it was going to be. So what was A and B?
Vanessa Hankins [:A was bubble lights, and B was white only lights.
Amy Deal [:No, no, no white lights. Because everybody had those colored bulbs back then. A, Yep. Okay.
Vanessa Hankins [:All right. It's the bubble lights, which I don't know what bubble lights are.
Amy Deal [:Yeah, I'm Trying to remember what that is.
Vanessa Hankins [:I know.
Amy Deal [:Well, do.
Vanessa Hankins [:We'll look it up here in a minute. Yeah, we'll. We'll look it up.
Amy Deal [:Big old bulbs.
Vanessa Hankins [:My husband hates colored lights. And I'm like, I love them so much. They bring me so much joy.
Amy Deal [:I like the lights now that they have where you get the remote and you can change.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, yes.
Amy Deal [:You know.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, yeah, whatever the vibe is. Yes, absolutely. What holiday food was present in nearly every Huntington household even though nobody actually ate it? A, fruitcake, B, ribbon candy, C ambrosia salad or D peanut brittle. A, they have it as B, the ribbon candy. But fruitcake was the runner up, though.
Amy Deal [:Oh, now, see, I would. I would demolish that ribbon.
Vanessa Hankins [:I thought it was good too. I thought it was really good too. Yeah, I agree.
Amy Deal [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:All right, this one's music, movies and pop culture. We're almost done.
Amy Deal [:Okay.
Vanessa Hankins [:What Christmas movie was the most likely to be recorded off TV onto a VHS tape? A, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. B It's a Wonderful Life. C, Charlie Brown Christmas or D Frosty the Snowman.
Amy Deal [:Charlie Brown Christmas.
Vanessa Hankins [:So the answer is actually A or C. So a Charlie Brown Christmas or Red Nosed Reindeer. Because they are both annually still played to this day.
Vanessa Hankins [:So you're like, right on point with all these. All right.
Vanessa Hankins [:This one's kind of an open ended.
Amy Deal [:Okay.
Vanessa Hankins [:What is the most Huntington in the 80s Christmas memory that you can think of?
Amy Deal [:Christmas in the 80s in Huntington. See, I'd have been a teenager then.
Amy Deal [:I still think it. I think it would probably be being dropped off downtown.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:And being able to, like, go through the stores.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:By myself now.
Vanessa Hankins [:Right.
Amy Deal [:And seeing all the displays and leisurely.
Vanessa Hankins [:Doing at your own pace. I get that.
Amy Deal [:Having to hurry up and, you know.
Vanessa Hankins [:Gotcha.
Amy Deal [:Hitting that candy counter.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:As many times as I want.
Vanessa Hankins [:Right. All right, last one.
Amy Deal [:Okay.
Vanessa Hankins [:And this one you can guess.
Amy Deal [:Okay.
Vanessa Hankins [:You may know it, though.
Amy Deal [:Okay.
Vanessa Hankins [:And what year did the Huntington mall officially open? Forever changing Christmas shopping in the tri state area.
Amy Deal [:Oh, hang on. Because my mom went to work there before they opened. She went to work at Lazarus.
Vanessa Hankins [:Okay.
Amy Deal [:So I was probably 13, 14 when they opened. So it's early 80s. Like 84 maybe.
Vanessa Hankins [:You're a little high.
Amy Deal [:A little high. 83. 82. 81. 81. 81. Okay. I do remember because she went to work at Lazarus.
Amy Deal [:And that was from first time I ever rode an escalator. And it had mirrors.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:Around it. And I got so sick because I started watching myself in the mirrors riding up the escalator and I was having to hold on to that thing because I was like, you know, I'd never rode one before, you know.
Vanessa Hankins [:That's so funny.
Amy Deal [:She got a job at Lazarus, and they had.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love that you were able to pinpoint it in that way. You were like, well, mom got the job. I was this age.
Amy Deal [:Yeah, she did. She got the job up there. And the upstairs was a totally different world. They had a cafe. Mm. You could eat up there. Nice fancy little cafe. You could go up.
Vanessa Hankins [:Nice.
Amy Deal [:Nice. Nice fancy china. Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:How fun.
Amy Deal [:They had a record store up there. Record department. They had a bakery.
Vanessa Hankins [:So when the mall like this here, Northern, really doesn't have anything to do with this episode, but I curiosity, as you listeners know, gets the best of me. When it officially opened, and it sounds like you were there a lot since your mom worked there. Was every spot filled? Like, every storefront had a. Had a store in it?
Amy Deal [:No, not when it first opened.
Vanessa Hankins [:Not when it first opened.
Amy Deal [:There was Lazarus and there was Charlie Chan's, which is where that. The Taco Bell. There's a Taco Bell in there.
Vanessa Hankins [:I remember that.
Amy Deal [:But now it's like a. Like one of the Asian restaurants.
Vanessa Hankins [:It is. Yeah.
Amy Deal [:It was a. Lazarus was the first store to open.
Vanessa Hankins [:Okay.
Amy Deal [:And then Stoner Thomas and then Penny and Sears.
Vanessa Hankins [:Gotcha. Gotcha.
Amy Deal [:The other anchor stores. But yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:So what was your favorite store in the mall? Like, the smaller stores? What was your favorite one to go into smaller stores?
Amy Deal [:I did love the Gold Mine. It wasn't a real store, but it was like the arcade.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, okay. The arcade was super cool. Is this still. It's. It's still there.
Amy Deal [:It's not there.
Vanessa Hankins [:Is it not there? I couldn't remember. I never go in that entrance, but.
Amy Deal [:Have so much fun there, though. My friend Andy Harris played Hubert on the same quarter for, like, hours.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, my gosh. That's when you can, like, know that you have a skill set, man.
Amy Deal [:So. Yeah, and he's in it now, so. See.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah. I was gonna say it paid off. It paid off, absolutely. But, yeah, that's so funny.
Amy Deal [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love that.
Amy Deal [:I still would rather shop downtown than in a mall.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah, I absolutely would. And a thing that I like about, like, the downtown stores is, you know, because they are mom and pops, per se. They are staying open later, you know, for convenience of people that do have to work and things like that. And I think that matters. I think that matters a lot. But, you know, basically.
Vanessa Hankins [:I think with this episode, keeping the nostalgia alive by doing these kinds of episodes, and storytelling and things like that. I think think that that's going to be how we kind of circle back and bring, like, the downtown back and things like that.
Amy Deal [:Right. Because I really hope somebody listening to this that has something to do with downtown or can do something with downtown, you know, will think, oh, my gosh, we could still do that.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:Why aren't we doing that still?
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Amy Deal [:Or I could do that.
Vanessa Hankins [:Well, I love, like, how. I think it's Cerrito and Canova, and I think they both do it, but they do, like, a yard of the month. They do like a decorate like you win an award for having the best decorated around Halloween, around Christmas. Like, how fun would that be to do within the businesses of downtown? Yeah, that would be so cool. Which I will say, like, Holly Smith Mount and Sarah Walling and a few other people. And sorry if I'm forgetting anyone, that's pertinent, but they do, like, the candy cane trail. Like, they kind of spearhead that. And that's really cool.
Vanessa Hankins [:I think that's really cool. But I just feel like we could do more. And by saying we, I mean, not me, because I'm already inundated with a million things. But someone out there listening could do more. You could do more. Yes.
Amy Deal [:I might be persuaded.
Vanessa Hankins [:I was gonna say I could be persuaded to help. I don't want to be the end all be all, but I will definitely give some hands.
Amy Deal [:I want to be the store window decorator. Yes.
Vanessa Hankins [:She wants to put the mannequin together.
Amy Deal [:I want to channel my inner Hollywood from.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah, mannequin, mannequin. Yes. Oh, I love that movie.
Amy Deal [:And he was always decorating the mannequins.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah. Love that.
Amy Deal [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:All right, Amy, any fun stories from the 70s and 80s Christmas era that you want to share with us before we go?
Amy Deal [:Oh, gosh, I think I've covered.
Vanessa Hankins [:Okay.
Amy Deal [:I've told you all my stories.
Vanessa Hankins [:Well, I have loved having you. We've been recording over an hour, and it never feels like usually if it's been an hour, I'm like, oh, like, we've been here so long, but I feel like we've been here five minutes.
Amy Deal [:Not to mention the long.
Vanessa Hankins [:I was gonna say we talked beforehand. Yes, yes, absolutely. But I think with storytelling, it goes hand in hand with writing. So I think that's kind of why we're vibing so well. Yes. We're storytellers. All right, guys. Well, Amy, we loved having you here.
Amy Deal [:We're thankful for it.
Vanessa Hankins [:And hopefully we have you back sometime and not as won't take as long as it did. This time, we'll make it happen. All right guys, we are out of here.
Announcer [:Thanks for listening to the Tri State Time Machine. If you have a memory you want Vanessa to talk more about, just send her an email@tstmail.com or post a comment on the Tri State Time Machine Facebook page. Did you like the episode? Be sure to share it with friends and family. It's the only way we can continue this fun work that we do. You can find a link in the show notes that you can use to share it.
