The East End Square (now home of the East Office Bar & Grill) was a happening place back-in-the-day.
from the Joe Sonderman Photo Collection
I don’t know about you, but I love to look at old photos, especially ones with old signs, cars, and buildings. The above photo has it all.
One can see the Cuba Theatre where Wilbur Vaughn and others from Cuba use to work. Probably a lot of budding romances took place while viewers watched Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, and other silver screen greats. In 1948, Bette Davis herself would visit Cuba. When Wilbur took her photo, her male companion chased Wilbur down the street. Wilbur managed to escape his clutches and printed the photo in a darkroom closet of the theater. The photo was in the Cuba News and Review the next week. And the incident would be depicted in the Cuba Free Press Mural.
The Gilbey’s Gin salesman’s delivery van is priceless. Because of the old gangster movies, I thought that style of vehicle was just used for bank robbery get-away cars.
The ever-present Coca-Cola sign in the Cuba Drug window is a slice of Americana. Susie’s Cafe probably served Rt. 66 travelers a lot of blue plate specials, pie, and coffee.
Today, the East Office Bar & Grill still serves up some pretty good food to Rt. 66 travelers and locals alike at this location. You can probably still find a bottle of Gilbey’s Gin inside. The theatre is dark now although you can still see the old ticket window. The Wagon Wheel Motel up the street is still open, and people still travel Rt. 66 looking for nostalgia.
Local artist John Bland painted this after 9/11. Maybe generations to come will be looking at this graphic to see what Cuba was like in 2009.
If anyone remembers any facts or old stories about these locations, sign in and leave a comment. What kind of business was the Red & White next to the theatre? Sometimes history is written not in the books but in the conversations of the people who lived it.
The Red and White was a grocery store. I think it was owned by the Stephens family.
The movie theater was wonderful. Admission was .10 until you were 12 years of age and then .35 and most of the time you saw two movies, a cartoon, a newsreel, and previews of upcoming movies. It was a great place to go with your boy or girl friend. Walt Daehn worked there as well as his wife to be, Norma Rector. I remember the cowboy movies, especially Roy Rogers and Dale Evans even Lash Larue. The musicals were a favorite of mine.
The post office moved to a large building (that is still there) just south of the movie.
Viva Cuba received this email from Marilyn Stewart who worked at the drug store in the photo. It sounds like a pretty good job.
EASTN OFFICE SQUARE
I worked week-ends at Cuba Drug 1951-1954 for half-dollar an hour. Albert
and Elizabeth Mueller owned the drugstore. I was taught how to \’roll\’ an
ice cream cone, jerk sodas and make malts and ice-cream sodas. Edith
Markley worked there also. The Red and White store was a grocery store.
Dr. Bruce Willis had his dental office in the space next to Cuba Drug. The
Bridges owned the restaurant and it was also a commerical bus stop.
Margie’s was originally the Dairy Queen owned by George and Berniece Smith.
My grandma was Susie Cotner, and she and my grandpa Elzie either owned or just rented and operated it as Susie’s Cafe. I have a picture of her standing outside in front of the cafe. There is a Stag Beer and a Hyde Park Beer sign outside on either side of the front door at ground level.
My dad, Marvin Cotner, was graduated from Cuba High School in 1935. My cousins and I are wondering when the picture in your post was taken. The automobiles appear to be from the 30’s or early 40’s.
I lived in Cuba when I was in the first and second grades.
Do you have any background information on Susie’s Cafe?
Thank you for this webpage. I enjoyed looking at all the murals.
Nancy,
Thanks so much for posting and adding this information about your grandma’s cafe. I do not know the precise date. I would love if you would scan your photo and post a copy on the Cuba MO Murals Facebook page. I would then post it as an additional photo on this blog. I do not have any more information on the cafe. The Crawford County History museum might. If you post the photo on the Cuba MO Murals Facebook page, you could ask if anyone has any information about the Cafe. You might get some answers there.
Jane, thank you for getting back to me. I think I got the picture posted to the facebook page. Not real sure. I put it there, but when I get in and out of the page, it’s not there when I get back. I tried it 3 times, so maybe it’s there three times. I hope it is and somebody will have some information about the date.
The photo (all three of them) was kind of hidden in the photo section. I fixed it so that one posted on the main wall. I also sent your blog comments to Marilyn West Stewart who worked at the East End Drugstore and to Joyce Dorf Stewart who grew up in Cuba hoping that they could find you some information. Good luck on your search. I may have another lead that I will follow up for you.
Jane, you are amazing. Thank you so much for all the help. I will pass this information on to a cousin who is doing great research on our family tree and developing a timeline on where and when our Cotner relatives lived.
Glad to help. The local history museum has a genealogy department too: http://www.crawfordmomuseum.com/. They also have access to burial records.
Jane, you are amazing. Thank you so much for all the help. I will pass this information on to a cousin who is doing great research on our family tree and developing a timeline on where and when our Cotner relatives lived.
When we lived in Cuba, we were friends with a John West and his family. Is that by any chance a relation of Marilyn?
Nancy,
I have lived in Cuba since 1943, however most of the Dorf family has moved away that would remember Susie’s during the date you gave. Hopefully, one of my older relatives will see the blog and remember something for you.
Joyce
Joyce,
Thank you. Maybe Marilyn West Stewart will see this blog too. Is she still in Cuba?
Nancy
Yes, Marilyn West is the daughter of John West. She grew up along Route 66, and I believe her grandmother cooked at the Wagon Wheel Cafe. She is still in town.
Jane,
If you see or talk with Marilyn, would you tell her about this blog. I would like to make a connection with her.
Thank you.
For Susie Cotner . . .
My phone number is in the Cuba directory. Are you related to the Donahoes?
Marilyn has left a message for Susie Cotner, and I messaged you are Facebook.