A Walk Down Copper Street 1955

When I came here to Greenwood town
so many years ago,
It was much different then now,
To you, I'd like to show
what Copper Street was like back then,
When I came to this town.
Will you walk with me up the street,
And then we'll walk back down.

The first place is George Bryan's store,
Old fashioned as can be,
With groceries upon the shelves,
A general store, you see.
The Windsor was our one hotel,
McLeans proprietors,
And Scotty Fauns gave them a hand,
A busy place for sure.
The cafe that was right next door
was called the Windsor too,
Run by the Omae's, every one,
They really welcomed you.
The Pacific was all boarded up,
Filled then with dust and ghosts,
The Lees came later, there to be
the Chinese Restaurants hosts.
Higashi Plumbing nestled there,
Their shop was very small,
Pops Higashi, just like an elf
dressed in his coveralls.
Notary and Insurance too
the Dodds were there to sell,
Our Mrs. Dodd a lady true,
By looking, you could tell.
The butcher shop Ed Hendry had,
He was a friendly guy,
Dispensing steaks and chops and roasts,
And ground beef you could buy.
Across the street, first in the block,
Falkoski's garage stood,
I think perhaps Pete sold some cars
While Joe looked under hoods.

Past the garage and for a ways,
A board sidewalk we trod,
Left over from her younger days,
They built them very broad.
There's vacant lots just to your left,
They can be seen there yet,
Before Imai's electric shop,
Fine, friendly folk, you bet.
Then came Stan, the bakerman,
With pies and cakes and bread,
And Mr. Nakamura's store,
The Japanese he fed.
Mr. Tasaka, he cut hair
and whiskers from your chin,
Of children he had quite a few,
Yet he still wore a grin.
In this same building, it did house
a place to play some pool,
I never did go in that place,
I wasn't quite that cool.
The Nakagawa's down the line,
They washed and cleaned our clothes,
They cleaned them all so very nice,
Til we smelled like a rose.
The block is ending and you'll see
there is a vacant store,
It stands there lonely and forlorn,
Don't know what it was for.
Just over there, standing alone,
A garage, Forshaw's had,
Both Jim and Betty now are gone,
And it is very sad.

Let's cross the street now and start back,
The Jewel Theatre's there,
Movies were shown once in awhile,
Our entertainment fare.
It really wasn't up to date,
The building, very old,
A wood fire in the stove was lit
when it was very cold.
The doctor's house was right next door,
I don't recall his name,
Mr. Mukuda re-built the house,
For it from Phoenix came.
The Firehall's next for you to see
It's tucked into the bank,
Our Firemen all were volunteers,
And they deserve our thanks.
The Library is next to see,
So everyone could read
the book they had been longing for,
Our inner person, feed.
A big building starts the next block,
It's made of brick and stone,
Part used for the community,
It does not stand alone.
Glen Weatherly had his store there,
He sold us groceries too,
He really was a character,
And drinks, he liked a few.
On the other side of Glen's store,
Another vacant place,
I don't know what it was used for,
It then was empty space.
A wooden building squeezed between
two that were brick and stone,
Held a China Shop so fine,
And it was quite well known.
The lady that then owned the shop,
Mrs. Cowdrill, her name,
Sold jewelry and bone china cups,
When to her shop we came.
Right next to her, there was the bank,
Not open all the time,
Just one or two days every week,
Dispensing bucks and dimes.
The Liquor Store, was next in line,
So busy it was then,
It seems that miners like their booze,
Hard working, drinking men.
There was a wooden building next,
It since has been torn down,
An office for those mining men,
When they came to our town.
And ending up the centre block,
A grocery store served well,
Along with our one clothing store,
They both were run by Bells.
The next block starts with Bob Brown's store,
A mixture he had there,
Clothing, groceries and other things,
And he kept some hardware.
A newer building, Mooks Cafe,
I didn't go to much,
Japanese food, the Mukai's made,
For it they had the touch.
A favorite person on the block,
was Mrs. Trounson, who
also cut the people's hair, an
old timer, through and through.
The Gulley Block, as it was called,
was boarded up as well,
McArthur Centre it's called now,
And inside it, these dwell --
The Legion and the Library,
They are on the ground floor,
The Art Club's on the mezzanine,
and then there is some more,
On the top floor, is a hall
used for so many things,
Like Bingo, dancing, weddings too,
Sometimes they really swing.

That ends our tour of Copper Street
as I remember it,
The year was nineteen fifty-five,
And none I did omit.
In Greenwood there is more to see
than what I've talked of here,
The Courthouse, and so many homes,
Our old Post Office dear.
Two of our churches date far back,
Their beauty unsurpassed,
The church bells ring on Sunday morn,
Announcing time for Mass.
I'm glad Greenwood stayed very small,
For that suits me just fine,
With friendly people, young and old,
That 'round my heart entwine.
One hundred years, so very soon,
Is what our town will be,
I'm proud to be a citizen,
Please, celebrate with me.