Sheptalk

Forum Topic
Hammond Indiana

Subject	Message	Replies
The Apple Diner Date: 12-17-2008 By: Paddy	This post will not get a lot of responses, but I want to pay homage to a piece of Hammond history that was part of my life. The Apple Diner restaurant was located on the southeast corner of Columbia Avenue and 150th Street. It was a converted railway car sans wheels. The car's width accomodated a countertop that separated a row of 12 stools from the grill. The Apple Diner was a burger joint, but it was never destined to become a teenage hangout. Working people ate there. They came from the bus barn a block north on Columbia, the LaSalle Steel factory four blocks east, the adjacent EJ&E railroad tracks and an assortment of nearby industries. My attraction to the Apple Diner has a simple explanation. I delivered papers for the Hammond Times and the Apple Diner was at the end of my route. The Times was an evening newspaper and was sometimes delivered late. My family of seven was not about to delay dinner on account of late press times, so I was left to my own devices. Hunger urged me to step through the Apple Diner's sliding door and seek food. Call the Apple Diner what you will, a joint, an eatery, a greasy spoon, whatever. It qualified for those descriptions, but it mean't much more to me. The cooks and customers recognized me as a kid who delivered papers, but they respected me as a fellow wage earner. That was a real coming-of-age experience. I am not sure when they razed the Apple Diner. I suspect that it was dragged off shortly after the Hammond buses quit running. I expect that most visitors to this site will not remember it, but the Apple Diner has a significant place in my personal history and heart.	20

Replies

Date	Member	Message
12-17-2008 ( Reply#: 2496 )	Tom J	Paddy: No, I never knew about the Apple Diner, but your story took me there and told me a lot about it, and not just about the physical appearance, but about the atmosphere, the "essence" of the place. You are a gifted story teller, and in just those few words in your story, you endeared me to that place. That sounds like a place that I, too, would have loved. Hey, I carried the Hammond Times in 1962 and 1963. What years were you doing that? Paddy, you are a great addition to the contributors to this site. I'm so glad you found this place! Keep up the good work.! Tom A 1967 Graduate of Hammond High who cherishes his memories of growing up in the Hammond of the 1950's and 1960's. Bring back those days! [IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/tsjay/Tom%20and%20Georgeann/img014.jpg[/IMG]
12-17-2008 ( Reply#: 2497 )	Paddy	quote: Hey, I carried the Hammond Times in 1962 and 1963. What years were you doing that? Thanks, Tom. I started delivering the Times around 1952 until 1955.
12-19-2008 ( Reply#: 2499 )	duane	Yes, I remember it well. I would bet that many of its clients came from Youngstown Steel Door Co, which was on the west side of the street. (Not to be confused with Youngstown Sheet and Tube...the steel mill in Indiana Harbor). As a young boy, I would ask my parents what kind of food they served there, because I always thought the sign said "Apple Dinner" and I couldn't see how that would be a whole meal! There were other such diners around the region. I remember one that was located in downtown EC, on Indianapolis Blvd. It was a shiny railroad car (or made to look like one) sandwiched in between taller buildings. Currently that location is the parking area for the Grocery Store near the McDonalds in downtown EC.
03-14-2009 ( Reply#: 2835 )	tom w	Anyone who lived in or visited someone in the trailer park at 5015 Columbia knew the Apple diner and I believe that directly accross the street was the Griddle. Am I right with that name? Up the street was an old iron bridge over the Calumet River by Columbia Park. We used to climb under that bridge and smoke or choke on a cigarette that my buddy stole from his dad. Take care all Tom W Hammond Tech 55-58
03-14-2009 ( Reply#: 2836 )	Paddy	Yes, the bridge was there, and I often climbed its iron trusses to the top. It made me feel like I had really accomplished a feat, which made me King of the Bridge. Given the flat terrain, my climbs did not offer much of a glimpse over my realm. Also, the risk of falling was landing in muck and not drowning, as the Little Calumet was dry most of the time.
03-14-2009 ( Reply#: 2837 )	Tom J	quote: Originally posted by Paddy Yes, the bridge was there, and I often climbed its iron trusses to the top. It made me feel like I had really accomplished a feat, which made me King of the Bridge. Given the flat terrain, my climbs did not offer much of a glimpse over my realm. Also, the risk of falling was landing in muck and not drowning, as the Little Calumet was dry most of the time. Wouldn't that be the "Grand Calumet River," Paddy? A 1967 Graduate of Hammond High who cherishes his memories of growing up in the Hammond of the 1950's and 1960's. Bring back those days! [IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/tsjay/Tom%20and%20Georgeann/img014.jpg[/IMG]
04-24-2009 ( Reply#: 2985 )	tsofred	The Apple Diner...It was a great place for a "cheseborger" and fries,I grew up in North Hammond,4900 block of Pine.I attended Irving school and Hammond Tech until 1961 when I ebtered the Army.On Saturday night at Irving there was the ICE dance,afterwrds we went to the Apple Diner or the Griddle,I possess a menu from the Griddle,burgers were a quarter.Also remember the Igloo on Hoffman which is now El Taco Realand Dietrics drug store with the sods a fountain.
04-24-2009 ( Reply#: 2986 )	tsofred	Duane,that was Georges Diner on Chicago ave,it was located next to the Carnation Bakery on the west and what is now the Wishing Well Restaurent on the east,it was relocated to the 4700 block of Indianapolis Blvd for a few years and then torn down when the strip mall was built there.
04-24-2009 ( Reply#: 2988 )	tom w	The ICE dances were Irving Community Entertainment, right? Do you remember Chandlers Grocery on Oak St. near 150th? I also have a little thread somewhere in here about Brussels on the corner of Oak and Hoffman across from the library which back then was next door to the Igloo. Do you remember Dietrich's drug store and Smitty's hardware too?They were at Pine and Hoffman with the Milk Store and Shrago's grocery. Take care, Tom W Hammond Tech 55-58
04-24-2009 ( Reply#: 2989 )	duane	Thanks Fred! I don't recall the diner being on Chicago Avenue (I was maybe too young to remember) but I certainly DO remember Carnation Bakery and of course the Wishing Well. Also nearby was the hardware store and Candiano's grocery store. My Dad was the traffic cop at the 4 corners in downtown EC for much of the 1950's, all of the '60's and into mid 1970's. Carnation Bakery would decorate their windows with a big "Happy Birthday Officer Sam" for my Dad's birthday. The Hammond Times ran a picture of that one year.
04-24-2009 ( Reply#: 2992 )	seejay2	Hey Duane, is your dad still around? My mother married Frank Torok, another EC cop, after my dad died........Cj
04-24-2009 ( Reply#: 2993 )	duane	Unfortunately, no. Both my Dad and Mom died shortly after the turn of the new century, within just two years of each other. I sure do miss them. They never left EC, even tho the neighborhood changed radically. They went from knowing everybody on the South Side, to not even knowing hardly any of the neighbors. But a fine young family moved in next door and were as angels to them. They shoveled snow, cut the grass, and came over whenever my folks needed help or had an emergency. We sold the house to those people, and some of their family now lives in my folks house. REAL nice people!
04-25-2009 ( Reply#: 2994 )	tsofred	Duane.I lived at 4947 Olcott until I was 8,it was upstairs from George Lamb Ins Agency,I went to Mckinley and had Mrs Cutter for Kindergarden,(she was a mean one)My uncle was George Lamb,my mother who ran the insurance agency was his sister Eileen.My last name is Sasse.
04-25-2009 ( Reply#: 2995 )	tsofred	Tom,I sure do remember Franks (Chandlers) store,a true mom and pop grocery,I spent many hours hangin'out on the corner of Hoffman & Pine (Dietrics Drug Store)never appriciated how nice of a person he was until much later in life,he was still there until the mid 70's. Smith Hardware were run by Columbus and hid son Ralph,after they c;losed Ralph took a job at Industtrial Supply on Calumet ave,I hheard he passed away about 10 yrs ago.Brussles is now a Mexican grocery and Johnny Shrago's is a pizza place,after shrago's closed I think he went to work for Burgers as a butcher.
04-25-2009 ( Reply#: 2996 )	tsofred	Tom...it was Irving Community Education (ICE) I still have my membership card,also have my memshp card from Jim Lounsberry Record hop at Maduras Danceland.
04-25-2009 ( Reply#: 2998 )	tom w	Holy Cow; Sounds like we were in each others footsteps!! Who was your homeroom teacher? Mine was Betty Gligor. Which shops did you have at Tech? Yes Mr. Dietric was quite a guy. I remember sitting on the roof of the shed behind the Milk Store, watching a baseball game. I fooled around and fell off and cut my arm. My parents were not home so I went over to Dietric and let him patch me up. He was like that for everyone. Take care Tom W Hammond Tech 55-58
04-25-2009 ( Reply#: 2999 )	tom w	Fred: I just reread the threads above. Yes I remember you well from Irving. Mercy, what a small world. Hope all has gone well for you all these years. Take care. Tom W. Hammond Tech 55-58
04-25-2009 ( Reply#: 3000 )	Tom J	Fred: What year were you in Miss Cutter's kindergarten class? I went to McKinley for kindergarten and the first semester of first grade, and then we moved to Woodward Ave. in Hammond, and I started going to Wallace Elementary. I would have been in Miss Cutter's class in the 1954-1955 school year. We lived on Homerlee when I went to McKinley. Tom A 1967 Graduate of Hammond High who cherishes his memories of growing up in the Hammond of the 1950's and 1960's. Bring back those days! [IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/tsjay/Tom%20and%20Georgeann/img014.jpg[/IMG]
04-25-2009 ( Reply#: 3001 )	duane	More Miss Cutter students!!! After going to Kindergarden at McKinley, (remember St. Stans school was destroyed by fire and it took a few years to rebuild) I went to 1st through 5th at St. Stans. If you think Miss Cutter was strict, try an 80 year old nun, who would beat 1st graders! By the time I went back to McKinley for 6th grade, they had built a new McKinley as well and had torn down the old school. Yes, I remember George Lamb and the Insurance agency very well. I am sure that our parents knew each other.
09-10-2009 ( Reply#: 3767 )	BobK	I remember the restaurant at the corner of Columbia and 150th but I didn't remember the name. When I was going to Irving (7th - 9th) I used to go to the Cottage Restaurant on Calumet for lunch. It was a tiney little place on the west side of the street between Chicago and Hoffman. Bob [img]http://home.comcast.net/~rkekeis/Bob1.jpg[/img]