Poet Gelett Burgess wrote these famous lines: I never saw a purple cow, I never hope to see one. But I can tell you, anyhow, I'd rather see than be one.
The KC Matchgirl supposes the same would be true about a polka-dotted cow, the mascot for Polka Dot Milk and Ice Cream. A family-owned dairy located in Hastings, Minnesota, bottled their first jug of milk in 1956. Available in certain areas in Minnesota and neighboring state Wisconsin, the dairy produces the usual range of liquid milk products, along with cream cheese and cottage cheese. Jugs of orange juice and punch seem to have replaced the afore-mentioned ice cream.
"Dotty", the blue-dotted bovine, was born when Wally Pettit and Herb Koch decided to enter the dairy business. After a few years, Pettit became the sole owner. Wanting locations that would offer only his Polka-Dot brand, he opened his own little markets (superettes), named for that famous "little man no bigger than a thumb".
Tom Thumb made his first published appearance in English folk tales in 1621, and there are various supermarket chains across the country that operate under the same name but are not affiliated. Pettit's chain of superettes grew to offer gasoline and other conveniences, operating 131 stores when they sold/closed that division in 2004.
Pettit passed in 2005, but the family continues operating the Polka Dot Dairy, with Dotty still gracing every jug and bottle.
Note: It was unusual for stores to be open every day during the 1960's, when this matchbook was produced.
The song may not be as popular as it used to be, but the KC Matchgirl remembers learning to count to the tune of "Ten Little Indians". Each chubby little finger represented an "Indian boy" to be counted and there was nothing politically incorrect about it.
While we're reminiscing about the American Indian, er, Native American, let's take a look back at this matchbook for the Santa Fe Railroad, featuring little Chico. As we can plainly see, this cute little fellow is representing the American Indian, even though his name is Spanish for "boy". For some reason, the Santa Fe Railroad company borrowed a little from both cultures, mixing Mexican and Native American nomenclature at any whim, like with the popular Super Chief and El Capitan routes.
First known as the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe (ATSF), the rail line had humble beginnings in 1854, heading west from Atchison, Kansas, through Colorado, and eventually southward to New Mexico. At first there was no direct line to Santa Fe; travelers had to switch to a branch line for their final destination. Eventually, the direct line was completed, the ATSF merged with another line , and the new Santa Fe rail line ran from Chicago to Santa Fe, then on to California by 1899.
As the only rail line traveling through the Southwest, the Santa Fe Railroad capitalized on the unique American landscape and the exposure to Indian and Mexican cultures found there. Along with the slogan, "Santa Fe All The Way", images of Native Americans were featured in advertising, often commissioned by acclaimed artists.
By the early 1960's the more artistic images had switched to a cartoon style, and thus Chico was born. As the icon for passenger service, Chico appeared in national ads along with menus, matchbooks, notepads, ashtrays, and other promotional items, even buttons for his "fan club".
As passenger service came to an end, Chico carried on a few more years, promoting shipping services. In this matchcover from a few years later, Chico looks a bit older, now "piggy-backing" a younger brother, most likely a nod to the term for transporting semi-trailers on rail cars.
In 1993, Burlington Northern and Santa Fe began a merger that was completed in 1998, creating BNSF. Owned by Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway, 49% of US shipping service is carried by BNSF.
Amtrak purchased the passenger service in 1971, and has operated the Chicago to California route, the Southwest Chief, ever since.
Timeline: Both matchbooks are backstrikes, though the saddle on the older one reads "Travel- Ship Santa Fe". The saddle on the other only reads "Ship Santa Fe", as the passenger service had ceased by that time.
In the winter months, after a snowfall, it's a common practice to make human-type figures by rolling and packing snow. The KC Matchgirl has created her share over the years, and usually these creations take a while to melt away.
We all know the story about Frosty, frolicking about town, only here long enough to have some fun. On this matchbook featuring Snoboy, we have a hard-working snow fellow, doing his assigned duty to bring you, the customer, the freshest and finest fruits and vegetables. Unlike Frosty, he's been on the job since 1925 when the Snoboy brand was created.
Way back in 1890, George Youell began selling fruit from a cart in Tacoma, Washington. By 1910, his operation had grown to become Pacific Fruit & Produce. While trying to expand his business by buying out another supplier, Youell's company ended up becoming part of Pacific Gamble Robertson in 1930. Since 1988, the company has operated as Amerifresh.
Created to promote Washington apples, Snoboy was once a little lumpier and wore a top hat. But being made of snow, he's been shaped and packed a little differently over the years. After only being seen in recent years on packaging going directly to the food service industry, Snoboy returned to the supermarket in 2014. Now shoppers can find his snowy, smiling face on all types of fresh produce, including mushrooms and watermelon.
As cute as he is, Snoboy had to share this matchbook with the old standby. Seriously folks, this is the name of a brand of canned foods- Standby.
A registered trademark since 1938, a huge assortment of canned and bottled foods was produced by Fine Foods, Inc. Along with the typical fruits and vegetables, the Standby label also appeared on peanut butter, dried fruit, honey, vinegar. bread, jelly, ketchup, juices, and canned fish.
The trademark expired in 1994; there is no current listing for Fine Foods, Inc. either. In other words, the old Standby has truly been canned.
Date: Mid-1970's, with a back striker.
Another version, with a front striker:
Once upon a time in America, there was a holiday called Thanksgiving, celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. Commemorating the bounty of the harvest season, typical decorations would include colored leaves, fruits and vegetables, and plump turkeys. Scenes of waterfowl, taking flight for their long migratory journey south (the KC Matchgirl is not sure she can tell if these are ducks or geese or some of each) is also typical during the fall season.
This dark wood-grained matchcover with its gold foil fall scene would look quite stylish sitting with the coffee table ashtray for that after-dinner smoking session with Thanksgiving dinner guests. And when they pick it up to use the striker, they'll see this-
Wait, what? Holiday Greetings? The KC Matchgirl thought this was a fall matchbook! Is that a sprig of holly hovering near the the "H"? At any rate, it's usually "Happy Holidays or "Season's Greetings", not a mash-up of the 2 phrases.
Just goes to show that the lines between the fall holiday of Thanksgiving and the winter celebration of Christmas get blurrier every year. Used to be that once Thanksgiving was over, the next day you might start getting ready for Christmas. But now, it's like Thanksgiving is a mere interruption of all the "doorbuster" sales and preparations of the bigger holiday that is Christmas.
So, for those of you who are anxious to decorate, shop, and spread holiday cheer, here's a holiday matchbook for your vintage ashtray, with nothing foul about it.
Note:
Both these styles of holiday-themed matchcovers are courtesy of Raytown
Bank, once located at 10017 E. 63rd St, Raytown, MO. A Bank of America
branch now occupies that address. Both date from the late 60's to early 70's.
Long before the phrase "Keep on truckin' " sprang into the hip lingo of the 1970's, matchbooks advertised nearly every type of business. While not discernible in the photo, this 18 wheeler with its two-tone cab is traveling at a high rate of speed hauling the goods (matchbooks, perhaps?) to a city near you.
Founded in 1930 by brothers Carroll and Galen Roush, Roadway Express quickly became a prosperous business, perhaps due to their motto, "Dedicated To Better Service". By the time this matchbook was produced, Roadway terminals dotted the Eastern half of the United States, from Aberdeen, Maryland to York, Pennsylvania. (The KC Matchgirl notes with interest that the local Roadway terminal was located across the state line, in Kansas City, Kansas and was the last point west.) Another odd fact was that 3 of their 4 sales offices were located in Canada.
Always moving and growing, Roadway acquired the Canadian freight line Reimer Express, in 1997. Then in 2003, those 2 companies merged with Yellow Freight, a process that would take six years to legally complete. Yellow Freight was also founded by 2 brothers, back in 1924, and was at one time an expansion of the Yellow Cab Co.
Once the merger was complete, the new name reflected the original companies- Yellow Roadway Corp. (YRC). On the verge of bankruptcy, the new corporation saved either Roadway or Yellow, or both, from imminent demise- KC Matchgirl is a collector and not a financial analyst. Today, YRC delivers freight across the US, including Alaska and Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.
Matchbook Date: Late 1960's
Remember when restaurants had original, one-of-a-kind names? Cute names, that you didn't forget and didn't blend in, unlike the generic restaurant chains so prevalent today?
The KC Matchgirl invites you to join her at the Bird Cage Piano Lounge, where she imagines that in the land of long-ago matchcovers, one could enjoy light libations amidst the soothing sounds of the tinkling ivories...
Or, for something different, we'll just go around the corner to the Lazy Leopard Lounge and check out the Spear Bar (what ever that is).
That's right, the Bird Cage and the Lazy Leopard are not only part of the same complex, they are both featured on the same matchbook. Once called the New Tower Hotel Courts, it was originally affiliated with Master Hosts and boasted 220 comfortable, luxurious rooms. By the 1970's the complex grew to 330 rooms, was renamed the New Tower Inn, and was affiliated with Best Western. Stretched between Omaha's N. 78th St. and the Little Papillion Creek, New Tower had multiple connected buildings; motel rooms, Solar-Dome pool, and the restaurants- in a round building that was perhaps referred to as the "tower". Note that restaurant is plural: 2 coffee shops, 2 dining rooms, and 3 "unique" bars and cocktail lounges. The Bird Cage and the Lazy Leopard are the only ones advertised here, which means it's a mystery to solve the remaining "unique" name. Was it the Goldfish Bowl? The Peppy Panda? Someday, the KC Matchgirl hopes to find out.
By 1997, when the New Tower had become a Quality Inn, a deal was struck and the Blazak family that had owned the property since 1934 sold the whole shebang to a developer. The KC Matchgirl imagines that the business started as an old-time motor court on the outskirts of Omaha that was rebuilt and remodeled over the years into a modern complex, which all became rubble to make way for a strip mall named "Tower Plaza".
However, the Lazy Leopard Lounge as well as other portions of the complex had its moment of fame in 1995 and will live on cinematically, having been used for scenes in the movie, "To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar" starring Wesley Snipes, John Leguizamo, and the late Patrick Swayze.
New Tower Hotel Courts was located at 7764 Dodge St, Omaha, Nebraska. This matchcover dates to the early 1970's.
"We are made of starstuff" was the catchphrase from astrophysicist Carl Sagan's 1980 miniseries, Cosmos.
Of course, no one would name the "World's Finest Resort Hotel" something as mundane as "starstuff". You need a name that has a cosmically magical quality that will grab attention. And outlined in glowing neon, the giant googie-style letters spelling STARDUST meant you had arrived at the first "elegant supper-club gambling entertainment complex".
Originally conceived as the "Starlite", Tony Camero began building Las Vegas' newest casino in 1954. Camero opened his first casino in 1931, when gambling was legalized in Nevada. Utilizing the new concept of roadside architecture to lure customers, he began building a 5-winged complex with 1,000 rooms. Alas, Camero ran out of money and spent his final moments at the craps table at the Desert Inn, succumbing to a fatal heart attack. The project languished for 2 years until it was bought by John Factor, whose brother Max owned a popular cosmetics line. Once completed, it opened for business on July 2, 1958 as the Stardust.
According to this embossed matchbook, the Stardust once had 5 restaurants: Moby Dick featured seafood and steaks, Aku Aku was Polynesian, The Platter for relaxed dining, Palm Room was the 24 hour coffee shop, and Cafe Continental featured the popular Lido de Paris floorshow.
Just as the universe expands and contracts, so did the Stardust. In no time, the new casino has usurped its neighbor, the Royal Nevada, to create the Stardust Auditorium. In the early years, one feature was a drive-in theater that was removed during the first major renovation in 1964, that saw the creation of polygonal Big Dipper pool. After the final expansion in 1991, the Stardust had transformed its 1,000 first-floor "bungalows" into a 9-floor complex with 1,592 rooms. The French showgirls got the boot in 1992, and with much fanfare the whole complex shut down in November, 2006. 6 months later, starry or not, the casino/hotel/resort was dust itself.
Since that time, the old Stardust site has been slated for new development. Scheduled to open in 2010 with 5,300 rooms, the Echelon failed to have enough $tar$tuff, if you know what I mean. Two years ago, a new developer, Resorts World, announced an Asian-themed complex would rise on the site instead. With 3,500 rooms, the mega-resort would also duplicate (on a smaller scale) the Great Wall of China and a panda habitat. While construction finally began this year, the pandas have been put on hold, at least until they have enough $tar$tuff.
Note: This early 1970's matchbook does not show the address, but the Stardust was located at 3000 Las Vegas Blvd.
