My memory of the Pioneer Market was that my mother used to take me there around 4 a.m. to avoid the crowds. We would go down the isles and shop for canned goods and we were able to take our time. Oddly, I recall the labels on the cans were very beautiful and colorful and
have seen few like them since. Names like "Glorietta", "Oregon", "Reese", "LeSuer", "Iris" come to mind. I also remember buying "White Rock" soda, which had a little winged lady on a rock looking into a mountain stream. I believe it must have influenced my future vocation,
because today I am a graphic artist and product packaging designer. Around 1963 or so, BIll Stulla of KHJ TV's "Engineer Bill" show came to the store and I got to meet him again. I was on the show in 1957. The Oscar Meyer Weenermobile came to visit one Saturday as well.
I also clearly remember seeing a small building being built in the parking lot in front of the liquor store around 1964 or so. It was the "Pioneer Chicken Take Out" building. The liquor store was a fun place for a kid, since it had a great magazine rack and I could read
the comics for free. The clerk knew me and it was okay. A great place.
--Chris Anderson, Palm Springs
Friday, September 08, 2006
The "Weenermobile" Arrives
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I also remmber the Weenermobile. But thee were other "celebrities" that came by.
Skipper Frank from his "Hit" TV show on KTLA came out once and was busy for hours passing out prizes to all the kids.
Frank Howard of the Dodgers was also thee signing autgraphs. I traded him a baseball for a 45RPM record of his "Paul Bunyan of the Bat" recording by convincing him it was a homerun ball he had hit at the Dodger stadium. The ball had an American League stamp on it that he didn't see. Maybe he didn't see it or really didn't care...nice guy.
John Hernandez
Northlake Texas
I remember "Engineer" Bill coming there. He set up in the parking lot. I also remember Sheriff John being there. Also cool were the several Weinermobile appearances. But my all-time favorite was the Armor Meats Rocket Ship. It was shaped like a German V-2, and it was mounted supine , on a trailer, pulled around by a truck. There was room on-board for about 20 kids, and once inside, in every window , there was some type of film or video screen that showed the rocket taking off into space. Once they closed the "hatch", the truck drove the rocket around the neighborhood for a few blocks and "landed" back in the parking lot a few minutes later. That was the coolest ride.
garagehero, Maybe it was the Luer meat rocket you remember...
http://www.charlesphoenix.com/2005-08-11/#
Yes yes Chris, it WAS the Luer Rocket. In fact, when I had begun to drive back in the early 70s, I was coming back from dropping off my girlfriend in Lynwood and I cut through Vernon. What caught my attention initially was a 1950s PIE semi truck partially hidden in a big lot behind some more modern semis. This is what made me pull over and take a look(I got a thing about 1940-50 buses and trucks)and what to my amazement was hidden behind the PIE truck?? The Luer Rocket! It was the Luer meat company. The place looked closed down and I remember taking down the "In case of emergency" number, but they had no idea who to contact about the rocket, and the fence was about 20 feet high with barbed wire on top. I was young and easily discouraged back then. In the fog of youth, parties and concerts, I soon forgot about the rocket. I went looking for it again in the 80s, but it was long gone. I had confused Armour with Luer because they were both located in Vernon. Say, you wouldnt know what happened to the ticket booth from the California Theatre? Ah...nevermind. Thanks Chris!!!!
This is cool!
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