MEET ME AT CHICK'S

“𝑴𝑬𝑬𝑻 𝑴𝑬 𝑨𝑻 𝑪𝑯𝑰𝑪𝑲'𝑺…” 

It's Friday, January 30, 1948, 9:30 P.M. and downtown Clinton has a quiet look. The theatre is still lit and on the marquee we see “Whispering Smith" starring Alan Ladd. Midway Bar, Chucks, The Corner Tavern, and Carl and Dicks have muted lights and cars in front of each establishment. About the middle of the block on the B.S.O.T.S. (Busy side of the street) is a brightly lit window with a big sign above. It spells out CHICKS. Inside under the window is a long leather bench-seat with 7 tables and across the room a lunch counter with 15 stools. At the far end is a big juke box silent now and inside the door a showcase filled with candy bars, gum and peanuts. Howard Dudley, Leonard Hamilton and “Reddi Kilowatt” are seated at the counter visiting with Chick Rathmann, his wife Elsie is standing by the grill and Ella Koester is washing glasses. The town looks ready to close. But wait! There are sounds of car horns from the north end of the block. About 20 cars are creating that disturbance. The first car to pull in at Chicks is a black '41 Olds. Leon Hahn, Rodney Nitz, Karen Hahn and Lois Hale jump out and enter. The noise is deafening. Sounds like Clinton has done it again. What a basketball team, they beat Sharon 54 to 39. Oh, oh, here come the cheerleaders Leona Holcomb, Elaine Paynter, Carol Pilz and Gladys Leusink and they give out with a few cheers. Don Lannon and Nick Nielson are the first ones at the counter, each ordering 2 hamburgers and 2 malteds for 90 cents. They pick up their orders and head for a table where Shirley Higgins and Leona Holcomb are waiting.

The place is starting to fill up. The juke box is blaring, "Wheel of Fortune". Here comes the team - another cheer goes up as Curt Pilz, Bob Larson, Mike Doering, Delmar DeLong and Art Wagner enter. The tables are nearly filled, there's Bud Petersen, Ray Aarud and Jerry Peterson. Here come the alumni to celebrate the win; Cy Clowes, La Vere Larsen, Madallyn Kruizinga, Leonard Hahn, Phyllis Holcomb, Helen Krebs, Lyle Milner, Larry Hood, Glen Hahn, Mildred Nielsen. Standing at the juke box trying to decide what songs to play are Annabelle Wisch, Gus Larsen, Dorothy Nielsen, Joan Coehoorn and Jim Johnson.

The married couples were at the game cheering on their school and where else to stop but at Chicks. We see George and Elaine London, Jake and Helen Miedema. Over it all the juke box keeps playing (that group keeps dropping in nickels). We hear “Cruising Down the River", "Little White Lies", "My Happiness", "Tree in the Meadow", "Third Man Theme", "Nature Boy”, “Manana”, "Racing With the Moon”. Hamburgers are sizzling on the grill, the malt machine is whirring and you even hear the sizzle of the carbonated water for the numerous cherry or lemon cokes. Merrill and Martha Paynter, Mr. and Mrs. Dale Hale, George and Lydia Nitz, Doug and Marion Wenman have come in for a snack after the game.

The laughing, talking, boisterous crowd of young people get up and give the stools to the "old folks”.

You've heard the expression "wall to wall” people? Well, this is where it originated. More people have come in, some from the game, some from the show and a few stragglers who were just passing by.

The minutes fly by, soon the air is filled with "see ya", "G-nite”, “Bye", and "so long". It's midnight, the theatre is dark, the taverns are closed, the cars are all gone, Chicks is empty and the big sign is dark. Chick is sitting at the counter with a cup of coffee and Ella and Elsie are washing the coke glasses and down town Clinton is quiet.