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From: "Donna Wall" <>
Subject: [ALRUSSEL] Bill & Neal's
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2006 15:17:06 -0400

Where was Bill & Neal's? Was it on 14th St. going toward Crawford?

I think I'm giving myself away with some of these questions. OK.....I admit it. Bill & Neal's is where we girls used to go to "talk" to Central boys. There was a hang out for every high school and I think that hang out changed with the years. During my time (1961-1965) Bill & Neal's was "it" for Central.

I can remember parts of Idle Hour Park - like the pool and the skating rink and Moon Lake. In the mid 1950s, I think, my mother used to take us kids to Idle Hour Swimming Pool. My dad used to always remind her for us to leave before about 4 pm. The reason? He said the GIs started coming into the park in the late afternoon and it would soon get "rough." That seemed very "wicked" to me as a child. Now, I assume he just didn't want his little girls and wife around alot of drinking young men out for a good time!

Similar was true about Phenix City as you came across the 14th St. Bridge from Columbus to Phenix City. We visited two sets of grandparents who lived out toward Smith's Station. We had to leave from their houses early in the afternoon on our return home because the part of Phenix City in which we'd travel through (downtown) would be starting to 'crank up' by late afternoon/early evening. I can remember getting very quiet while we rode through that area - looking hard for something of interest - never saw anything. As we'd pass the Golden Rule Cafe right off 14th St., my mother would comment that it was a "rough" place.

Donna Shine Wall

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• [ALRUSSEL] Bill & Neal's by "Donna Wall" <>