caryc
Hawkeye
Was looking for something the other day and came across this. It's the only picture of my Granpop, my Dad's father. He came over here legally from Poland by himself. He could speak no English and had $12.60 in his pocket. He worked hard and when he died he had his bar (A two story building with the bar and kitchen downstairs and a complete three bedroom living space on the second floor.
Grandpop is tending bar in the picture. Notice that there are no bar stools. He always said that if a man can't stand up and drink, he should get out of the bar and go home to the wife and kids. He started the business as a candy store and small deli. Eventually he turned it into the bar. Notice that there are no women in the picture. He would not let women into his bar. He would however serve them in his back room set up with tables. He died in 1961 and right up to that day, the bar had no stools and no women. My Dad flew back there from Calif when he took to his bed, ill. My Dad had one sister and one brother. They settled things between them. My uncle got the bar and property and my Dad and his sister shared the contents of the big safe in his back room. A couple months before Grandpop died there was a big article in the local newspaper about him throwing a woman (bodily) out of his bar when she wouldn't leave. That was back in the days before everyone became sue crazy.
Anyway shortly after Grandpop died, Uncle Ray put bar stools and tables in the bar area. Maybe five years or so later, Uncle Ray sold the liquor license for over a quarter of a million. I guess he sold the property with it. It was a big corner property in a business area. When my Dad and Aunt shared the contents of the safe, it was a large chunk of money, some of it so old that it was in gold notes. Believe it or not, he didn't even own or want a car. He became good friends with all his customers so anytime he needed a ride he had his friends and the three kids.
I think ol' Grandpop did pretty good for himself.
Grandpop is tending bar in the picture. Notice that there are no bar stools. He always said that if a man can't stand up and drink, he should get out of the bar and go home to the wife and kids. He started the business as a candy store and small deli. Eventually he turned it into the bar. Notice that there are no women in the picture. He would not let women into his bar. He would however serve them in his back room set up with tables. He died in 1961 and right up to that day, the bar had no stools and no women. My Dad flew back there from Calif when he took to his bed, ill. My Dad had one sister and one brother. They settled things between them. My uncle got the bar and property and my Dad and his sister shared the contents of the big safe in his back room. A couple months before Grandpop died there was a big article in the local newspaper about him throwing a woman (bodily) out of his bar when she wouldn't leave. That was back in the days before everyone became sue crazy.
Anyway shortly after Grandpop died, Uncle Ray put bar stools and tables in the bar area. Maybe five years or so later, Uncle Ray sold the liquor license for over a quarter of a million. I guess he sold the property with it. It was a big corner property in a business area. When my Dad and Aunt shared the contents of the safe, it was a large chunk of money, some of it so old that it was in gold notes. Believe it or not, he didn't even own or want a car. He became good friends with all his customers so anytime he needed a ride he had his friends and the three kids.
I think ol' Grandpop did pretty good for himself.
