Love the obsessive digging to find the answer. The big about chain restaurants reminds me of this person that writes the blog here http://www.brokenchains.blog/ The blog details going to existing restaurants that once belonged to a chain. So, obviously, English’s Chick’n Steak House wouldn't fit neatly into his domain, but maybe he has access to data or people on some more obscure chains? Regardless, thanks for detailing your process and keep up the good work!
Loved the piece, Addison. Appreciate the follow up from the original question. Can we do Simmons Mobile Market? My favorite Wheaton memories as a kid in the '50's!
For a while after English's closed their chicken was available at Bay Country Meals in North Salisbury by the mall. After that closed the property was empty for a while before Krispy Kreme bought it and built a new building.
In the late 1960s, early 1970s, my grandfather took a retired teacher there on Sundays for the chicken dinner. Sometimes, I went too. It was a place to go after Sunday church. Many memories.
Don't know if this will work in all cases, but my community used to have what was called a city directory, which was a reference book published annually by the R. L. Polk Company. This volume would list all residents and businesses in the city and, in our case anyway, would also list each and every address by owner on a street-by-street basis – for example, it would go down the entire length of, say, Main Street and list, by street number, the occupant of every building along the street.
When I worked there in the 1970s as a student library aide, our public library had a hard copy, not intended to circulate, of each and every city directory published from the early 1900s to the current date. This might also be a good reference to use as a starting point when determining "what was this place?" – especially if the place has burned down, been demolished, or (in some cases) physically relocated.
Don't know if this will work in all cases, but my community used to have what was called a city directory, which was a reference book published annually by the R. L. Polk Company. This volume would list all residents and businesses in the city and, in our case anyway, would also list each and every address by owner on a street-by-street basis – for example, it would go down the entire length of, say, Main Street and list, by street number, the occupant of every building along the street (and as a bonus, whether they were the owner or renting the space).
When I worked there in the 1970s as a student library aide, our public library had a hard copy, not intended to circulate, of each and every city directory published from the early 1900s to the current date. These might also be a good reference to use as a starting point when determining "what was this place?" – especially if the location in question has burned down, been demolished, or (in some cases) physically relocated.
The 1985 ad doesn’t say that this Pizza Hut is about to open - it says a Pizza Hut in Capitol Heights is about to open, and applications should be submitted to this one, presumably already open. I don’t think that changed the overall story though.
Also just a curiosity, do libraries keep old phone books? I would imagine that would be a way to research old businesses.
Love the obsessive digging to find the answer. The big about chain restaurants reminds me of this person that writes the blog here http://www.brokenchains.blog/ The blog details going to existing restaurants that once belonged to a chain. So, obviously, English’s Chick’n Steak House wouldn't fit neatly into his domain, but maybe he has access to data or people on some more obscure chains? Regardless, thanks for detailing your process and keep up the good work!
Loved the piece, Addison. Appreciate the follow up from the original question. Can we do Simmons Mobile Market? My favorite Wheaton memories as a kid in the '50's!
For a while after English's closed their chicken was available at Bay Country Meals in North Salisbury by the mall. After that closed the property was empty for a while before Krispy Kreme bought it and built a new building.
Wow. Fascinating! Great detective work!
This was a Pizza Hut
Now it's all covered with daisies
In the late 1960s, early 1970s, my grandfather took a retired teacher there on Sundays for the chicken dinner. Sometimes, I went too. It was a place to go after Sunday church. Many memories.
Don't know if this will work in all cases, but my community used to have what was called a city directory, which was a reference book published annually by the R. L. Polk Company. This volume would list all residents and businesses in the city and, in our case anyway, would also list each and every address by owner on a street-by-street basis – for example, it would go down the entire length of, say, Main Street and list, by street number, the occupant of every building along the street.
When I worked there in the 1970s as a student library aide, our public library had a hard copy, not intended to circulate, of each and every city directory published from the early 1900s to the current date. This might also be a good reference to use as a starting point when determining "what was this place?" – especially if the place has burned down, been demolished, or (in some cases) physically relocated.
Don't know if this will work in all cases, but my community used to have what was called a city directory, which was a reference book published annually by the R. L. Polk Company. This volume would list all residents and businesses in the city and, in our case anyway, would also list each and every address by owner on a street-by-street basis – for example, it would go down the entire length of, say, Main Street and list, by street number, the occupant of every building along the street (and as a bonus, whether they were the owner or renting the space).
When I worked there in the 1970s as a student library aide, our public library had a hard copy, not intended to circulate, of each and every city directory published from the early 1900s to the current date. These might also be a good reference to use as a starting point when determining "what was this place?" – especially if the location in question has burned down, been demolished, or (in some cases) physically relocated.
Hey Addison, what a cool story! By the way, the phrase is spelled “didn't use to be”, just like it's “didn't go” and not “didn't went” :-)
The 1985 ad doesn’t say that this Pizza Hut is about to open - it says a Pizza Hut in Capitol Heights is about to open, and applications should be submitted to this one, presumably already open. I don’t think that changed the overall story though.
Also just a curiosity, do libraries keep old phone books? I would imagine that would be a way to research old businesses.
English's was in Ocean City, Maryland, for decades. The building there was not the same style, but it was the English company. Takes very little searching to find plenty of online references to English's. https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2015/01/25/englishs-era-ends/22315021/