Published: May 29, 2009 09:43 am      

‘This Place Mattered’ — What ‘kids’ remember about Marcucci’s

May is Historic Preservation Month. Dr. Paula Mohr of Iowa’s State Historical Society has asked each community to have a project related to preservation. Just thinking about the importance of keeping our historic structures in existence (and apprising one’s councilman) is a good start

Although we still have an inventory of 300 historic homes and buildings, as outlined by the 1979 Schmitt Study (paid for by the city of Clinton), we have lost SO many! Such losses have been bemoaned by thousands of Clintonians over the years. The Marcucci’s article alone caused some 200 people to express concern for its pending destruction.

Nothing is embedded in teenagers’ memories more than their favorite songs, haunts and friends. Former teenagers, (now in their 60s, 70s and 80s), vividly recalled story after story at the mere mention of Marcucci’s. It was “Happy Days” all over again as we perused the e-mails describing their wonderful high school years and after.

Steve Milder worked there in 1966 for 85 cents an hour. He remembers dances at the Lafayette Hotel and the revelers going over to Marcucci’s for after-dance goodies, and romance.

David Sadler, SMHS 1957 notes, “You had to get a fountain-blended cherry coke after movies at the Capital or Rialto; a CMP (Chocolate, Marshmallow, Peanut Sundae) after Club 14’s, while sitting in a booth… perhaps holding hands.”

Also, Ann Meyer Agnew, of SMHS 1957, states, “It was a great time to be a teenager in Clinton. I loved to get 15 cents and run down for a taffy apple.”

“When the show ‘Happy Days’ first aired, I was living in California. I was immediately drawn to it because the place where The Fonz and the guys hung out reminded me of Marcucci’s.The things we talked about and did there, or plotted to do afterward, were the same kinds of things the Happy Days’ gang did, recalls Dave Dierks, CHS 1955.

Sharon Zornig Reynolds wrote: “Tear down Marcucci's?! — Surely not! It has to be the apocalypse of the world as we know it. Remember those black & white sundaes?!”

Charlene Lawler met Flying Floyd “Bud” Smith there, and several kids remember Bob Jones romancing Virginia Peters about the same time.

Maureen Melvin Morrow, SMHS '57, points out, “There was never any trouble, ‘cuz either Mr. Marcucci or Mr. Pitts was always visible up front — like a couple big bouncers. Location’s everything, and Marcucci’s was close to two movie theaters plus the Second Avenue bus stops.” — That led this writer to wonder why such hangouts flourished for five decades, then simply vanished. Former owner Don Johnson enlightened me, saying, “As kids started to own cars, they began going to drive-ins like Snack Harbor, in Lyons, and Circle G, way out on the highway. Businesses started moving, too, so downtown restaurants were endangered. I moved to Reynolds in the 1980s, and that was one of the last venues for customers downtown.”

Mary Kay Meyer Brandt says, “I don’t think we’ll ever see anything like that again. We were so lucky to grow up in Clinton and have such fond memories.”

Bud Frimoth (CHS 1944) and his friends used play bad tunes on the jukebox to aggravate other guys and gals.

“Someone we had a crush on might be there and offer to walk us home. Didn’t matter how far you lived — they were always willing! I remember some long strolls from ‘Mike’s’ to Caroline Avenue!” — Alice and Dick Butler

“There was never a cover charge or minimum. We could (and did) stay for hours. They loved us kids!” wrote Don Sievers.

Marilyn Melvin, SMHS ‘55, remembers: “I loved going to Marcucci’s, as a 50s customer. The booths were great to sit in and have conversations with friends, drink a vanilla coke and eat a burger or grilled peanut butter sandwich… To this day a grilled peanut butter is comfort food for me. In summer when my four kids were young, I’d have 10 to 12 kids on my patio for lunch once a week. It was known as Grilled Peanut Butter day. For the last nine years, Marcucci’s Grilled P.B. Sandwich has lived on in Minneapolis, at a home for the homeless… Staff each select something for the menu and tell a story of its origin and, of course, mine is to talk about Marcucci’s.”

It was amazing how similar notes from people were. Menu items and events were often much the same. How often we heard of catching a “loved one” with someone else at Marcucci’s. That was sad but, apparently, a clear and easy way for teens to learn life lessons.

Jack and Carol Harden recalled so much: “We came to Clinton the summer of 1947, and there were some neat things here that we didn’t have in the middle of Iowa. The steps and tower at Eagle Point… the Rob Roy coming up the river, the light houses, a baseball stadium where the Clinton Cubs played, a sea plane that landed and took off from the riverfront, Sea Scouts’ Boat (we could sometimes see uniformed scouts aboard) and the grand swimming pool where you had to be able to swim to get to the diving boards.” All lovingly describe their old hangouts in minute detail… like stepping down a few steps at the Revere.

Julie Allesee, CHS '58, also remembers the CMP (chocolate, marshmallow, peanut sundae) and Dorothy Kynett Carbee recalls, “For the brave of heart (or hungry) there was a vase-size dish of various ice cream flavors. It was a real accomplishment to polish off one of those!”

Lynn Hebeler summed it all up when she wrote, “It (Marcucci's) was there before I came and was still there after I left. It’s a real pity that the hustle and bustle of time ended our little bubble of happiness.”



Sources: Jim Wareham, Mary Ann Evans, Tom O’Brien, Mary Jo McGovern, Ron Cronacher, Clarence McArdle, Dave Stumbaugh, Richard Goers, Bill Thoms, Ethel Soesbe,Dick Anderson, Rich Clary, Sharon Holt and over 100 ex-teenage customers of Marcucci’s. (Send me a note c/o The Herald and I’ll send you the whole six-page summary of comments… they could fill a wonderful book. Include your e-mail.)



Gary Herrity is the Clinton Herald’s historical columnist. His column appears on page 5A on Fridays.