Remembering Friday nights in Troy

fulton and 4th lkg west Troy.jpg

A bustling Troy, circa 1940

You can get an idea of the history of a place from books and museums, but it takes on a different flavor when you talk about it with someone who has lived there for a long time. Older people can have a different sense of the same place because of the changes they've seen -- and you can learn some pretty interesting things from them.

Back in the early 1940s Nancy Barrett was a teenager living with her father and two older sisters in Lansingburgh. Barrett still lives in Troy today, so she's seen a lot of changes in the city -- and a lot of them she likes. "I think there are people now who are getting things done," she says.

But when you ask Nancy Barrett if there's anything she misses about the old days in Troy, the answer comes quick and sure: Friday nights.

What do you mean by "Friday nights?"

Nancy Barrett.jpgFriday night. Friday nights in Troy -- where the sidewalks were so full of people you walked in the street. Friday night in Troy. It was wonderful for quick grabbing food, every store was lit up like a Christmas tree. And it would be so loaded up with teenagers with their groups of 20 people. That was exciting to be part of. You saw everyone. You'd see everybody walking on the street and say, "Hi, how are ya. Meant to call you, but I will." So it was a real melding of all manner of people and I'm sure the businesses loved it.

And you got there by bus. The 5th Avenue Bus Company in Troy was always coming. You'd see one going this way and the other would be coming the other way. Even if you had a car you took it only when you had money for gas. We had a car, but we had it only to visit my mother's relatives once a month on a Sunday.

Troy_BR_3RD_1940 cropped.jpg From the Collection of Tom Flynn, Courtesy of Duncan Crary Communications

What were some of the places you'd go?

We had stores! There was Frear's, and Denby's, the Peerless. Denby's was strictly a clothing store. My sister was a buyer for Denby's. And Peerless was the same -- women's dresses. Then there was Lord and Tan. Not Lord and Taylor, Lord and Tan -- talk about getting as close as possible to the name. (laughs) And there were a couple of other women's clothing stores. Then as I remember there was a jeweler. Hills was always there -- a stationery store -- everything that went to RPI came into Troy through Hills.

And you were never alone, you went as a group. You'd meet anyone and everyone on the balcony at Frear's. "Meet me at Frear's balcony." At the bottom of the stairs was the lingerie and when I was a girl I just loved all those lacy, frilly things. The first floor was all open with just counters, and then you went up the balcony. It was a place to meet as much as anything else.

And you would end up in The Puritan, which was a soda place on Second Avenue. Soda and potato chips... all that good foodie stuff (laughs). Kids in Troy came into town and spent money. There wasn't a lot of it, but there were lots of places you could go and eat that were very inexpensive. Of course I didn't have to pay the check so what the hell did I know (laughs).

So what was dating like on those Friday nights?

RPI had all these students in the V12, so you didn't have to wonder where your date was going to come from 'cause there they were (laughs). This town was flooded with guys in uniform. And my father, trying to get rid of these three women in his house, opened his house for Sunday dinner and through some organization at RPI he would get three guys. We would have more guys coming through the house on Sundays! (laughs) Actually that is how my sister Carol met her husband Frank ... they have eleven children.

There was a dance right after Carol and Frank got fixed up -- a very formal dance. So we're up at RPI doing our thing and I couldn't find Carol. All of a sudden these guys are running around RPI looking for somebody. They were looking for me.

Frank, being a big sport from Brooklyn, rented a boat and rowed her out onto the Hudson, and the boat had a hole in it, and the boat went down and Carol could not swim. (Laughing) And I looked and here is Carol in this formal gown. And there she was, like she had been standing in the shower. First date. And they got married. And had eleven children. My brother-in-law. (laughing) We didn't know enough to worry about anything. We just didn't know. (laughs)

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed. Thanks to the Rensselaer County Historical Society, Tom Flynn and Duncan Crary for the photos of old Troy.

Comments

Thank you. I loved it. Felt like I was there myself.

That was the Troy my grandmother grew up in, too! She was in her 20s in the 40s, and used to tell me amazing stories about those times. I made her write a lot of them down before she passed away. It's hard to imagine being from that era, and seeing what it's like now (both Troy specifically and the world in general)

Any relation to Dr, Barrett, my pediatrician or to Mrs. Barrett the principal of School 18, or the grade school art teacher, his sisters.

Great interview!

Charming--loved reading about her memories. Sounds like she was looking to get into mischief!

Mary,
This was another fabulous article you wrote.
I grew up in Troy as did my father - it was "THE PLACE" in the 40's, & 50's and even into the 60's. My father worked with Nancy B. - wonderful lady - a real resource for Troy history.
Many thanks for bringing me back in time and even before I was born.
Jane LaBelle Fairchild

My grand parents who resided on Congress St. both were employed by Stanley's Department store at 3rd and State Streets. A wonderful store for clothing for all members of the family. I remember buying my Cub Scout uniform there. Stanley's basement at Christmas was magic and included a visit to Santa..

Ahh yes it brings me back to my youth. After drinks at the Cheescake Factory on the patio in the parking lot at Colonie Center I would slowly lumber into the mall to go to Spencers gifts and pick me up some funny hats made in China and then I'd grab a pretzel at the Cinnabon Place and still feeling a little hungry I'd stroll over across the beautiful black hard top and risk my life crossing Wolf Road to end up at the IHOP so I could get my fill of the all you can eat breakfast pancakes...all the while I was NOT meeting anyone at all whom I even recognized which was good because otherwise I'd have to talk to them instead of texting them. Ahh the good old days in suburbia.

This beautiful shared conversation serves as a sweet reminder that people have a lot to say and contribute. We just need to remember how to listen.

Great article --- would love to see Troy return to the hey-day of Marshall Ray and other commerce on the River. A jewel of the Capital Region.

I came from England April 1952 arrived Friday the18th.my cousin Michael Flannigan who was raised on Bank St Troy took me to Troy on the Sunday to meet his friends,what day we had, we went back & forth and stood by Frear,s corner most of the time meeting friends & watching the girl's go by! I have lived here since, with lots of great memories.
I have meet many great people since that first week end I worked at Tom,s snack bar summer's,it was located at end of Oakwood Ave,The old Mohican Market in old Frankin Sq Troy ,Yaiser,s market up top of Congress St and retired from Bendix after 34 years in Green Island.

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