Way back in the 1970s I lived in the small town of Vernon, Texas. At that period of time Vernon was a very vibrant place with numerous stores and restaurants. The town hosted an annual rodeo called the Santa Rosa Roundup and for fun there was a miniature golf course and there was the small Plaza Theater to see a movie.
Life was much simpler back then. Vernon was a safe place to live. The kinda place where parents didn't worry when their children road their bikes and skateboards all over town. The only rule was that you had to be back home when the street lights came on.
That, of course, was a long time ago and like most small towns across American, Vernon fell on hard times. Back in 2011 when my future wife and I traveled through as part of our cross country odyssey I discovered that the town was a mere shadow of it's former self. Gone was the Gibson's and M.E. Moses department stores where my parents used to shop. Gone was the basement newsstand where I used to buy my comic books. Mu old house on Texas Street was almost recognizable to me. Gone were all the majestic cottonwoods and mulberry trees that used to grace the property. Why they were gone is a mystery to me. Who would tear out those wonderful trees?
Gone was the Canton Cafe where I got my fist taste of Chinese Food. Gone was the Pizza Point that had the best spaghetti I ever tasted. Surprisingly the Taco Casa where I first tasted Mexican Food was still there. I was amazed that the Dairy Queens were both gone, but there was a McDonald's. Oh how the children of Vernon longed for a McDonald's back in the day.
I was delighted to see that the old Plaza Theater was still hanging on. I saw my first movie there. In case your curious it was The Apple Dumpling Gang starring Tim Conway and Don Knotts.
Honestly I don't know what I expected to find after being for 33 years. You always have this misguided notion that everything will be just as you left it. Things never turn out that way though. Time passes and things naturally change, it's your memories that always stay with you and are rooted in a sort of romanticism that longs for the days of our youth.
Interestingly enough there is an epilogue to this story. I passed back through Vernon a couple of years on my trip back from my mother's funeral. I am happy to report that Vernon had bounced back, maybe not completely but there were new stores and new places to eat that weren't there the last time. Hopefully things continue to turn around in Vernon.
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Thank you for the pictures, even though they made me sad. Carole Perry
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