Pieces of Emporia
Cheryl Unruh
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
I remember driving past Rose’s Grocery when I moved to Emporia.
But I had other interests and distractions and I never entered the mom-and-pop store. The building still stands on Ninth Avenue near West Street.
Singer Kelley Hunt remembers the place. Hunt’s memories of Rose’s were dear enough to her that she wrapped music and lyrics around that little grocery store and offered a song to the world.
That song, “Roses,” recounts memories of a store that Hunt ran down the street to when she was 7-years-old. In the lyrics, she recalls the smell of coffee, the sound of laughter and the kindness that Mr. and Mrs. Rose showed to a neighborhood girl.
“I’d give a million dollars to go back to that place,” Hunt sings in her warm, rich voice.
Hunt, a nationally-respected R&B recording artist, grew up in Emporia and lives in Lawrence. In 2005, she sang “Roses” on “Prairie Home Companion” when the show was recorded live at the Kansas State Fair.
Hunt carried fond memories of Rose’s Grocery with her when she left Emporia. As I listened to her song again the other day, I wondered what would stand out in my mind about Emporia if I ever skipped town.
I haven’t been around for its entire lifetime, but Emporia has been a city for exactly 150 years. In 1857, five guys from Lawrence rode into the area and said, “Yup, let’s build us a town here.”
Emporia is, for whatever reason, where we’ve decided to lay our heads at night. Some of us were born here and some of us merely wandered in off the highway one day and decided to stay.
Some landmarks, buildings, and infrastructure stand out as Emporia icons to me. These are things I would always remember.
I like the train whistles. My home is far enough away from the tracks that the blaring horns are comforting when I’m falling asleep. The whistles tuck me in at night.
The old arch bridge on the Cottonwood River is a great place and also the small but energetic Emporia Zoo.
I appreciate the sturdiness and apparent permanency of Plumb Hall, the W.L.White Civic Auditorium, and Anderson Memorial Library.
One of many Emporia traditions I’ve enjoyed is the noisy and colorful parade for St. Patrick’s Day. Because it’s in March, the temperature is not Christmas-cold; I like that in a parade. Attending city band concerts on summer evenings at Fremont Park is also a favorite memory.
Peter Pan Park is rich in history. Not wanting to profit from the death of their daughter, William Allen and Sallie White used the proceeds from the “Mary White” editorial to build a place for children to play — including those of us who refuse to grow up.
Peter Pan Park has a stream, a lake and a river, a bit of woods, picnic tables, horseshoes, disc golf, a ballpark, and tennis courts. This is a park that loves company.
It was here that I first read that renowned editorial “Mary White” which is part of the White Memorial near the lake.
That editorial breaks my heart, but here’s the line that chokes me up every single time:
“It would have made her smile to know that her friend, Charley O’Brien, the traffic cop, had been transferred from Sixth and Commercial to the corner near the church to direct her friends who came to bid her good-bye.”
Whenever I read that, I picture Charley O’Brien standing in the street, bravely tormented with grief.
If I ever leave town, these are but a few images and memories of Emporia that I’ll take with me. I won’t be writing a song about a time and a place; I’m no Kelley Hunt.
But maybe, just maybe, when Hunt performs at the July 3 celebration for Emporia’s Sesquicentennial, she’ll sing “Roses” for us.
“Flyover People” is online at www.flyoverpeople.net.
• Cheryl Unruh can be reached at cheryl@flyoverpeople.net.
Comments
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Posted by Phil_Dillon (anonymous) on February 20, 2007 at 3:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Cheryl
I also like the St Patrick's Day parade. My family can trace its roots to County Meath (also known as Dillon's Country) in Central Ireland. I grew up with the parades in Boston where March 17th was always a grand affair. It's a bit more muted here in Emporia, about 7 or 8 pickup trucks, a few high school bands, and lots of Hispanics sporting "kiss me,'m Irish" buttons, but great fun nonetheless. One day we Irish believe everyone will be part of our great family of politicians and merrymakers. Emporia seems as good as any place in the Heartland for it all to begin.
Posted by westaber (anonymous) on February 20, 2007 at 3:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I can remember as a young teenager the duchess it had the best chile footlongs in emporia. Me and my brothers & sister got to go their on saturday for lunch also we got a real coke in glass bottle.
Posted by mythoughts (anonymous) on February 20, 2007 at 4:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Emphasis on "my home is far enough away" from the train whistles. For those of us who aren't far enough away, it's a living HELL! A decades-long exercise in sleep deprivation! If I could afford to move I would do so in a heartbeat! Let's hear it for the wayside horns!!!!!
Posted by joetho (anonymous) on February 20, 2007 at 10:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I kind of miss the big (well, they SEEMED big) walls along 12th ave in front of the campus. A great place to sit during parades.
And the "Rose Broes" Grocery store got me in a lot of trouble one day. I was sent there with a five dollar bill to get a loaf of bread, and came back with no bread and no five dollar bill either. I lost it on the way. I bet if I had told Mark Rose my sad story, he would have at least sent me home with the bread...
I can't see a Rainbow Bread screen door without thinking about that old place.
Posted by truelovecharlie (anonymous) on February 21, 2007 at 6:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I had forgotten al about Rose Bros grocery, until I read this article. I grew up on Constitution street and would pass by many times going to or from Walnut school. They closed sometime in the mid 70's and then someone opened a ceramic store in there. My mom (Eva Robison) took classes at the shop and we still have the clock she made.
Posted by athertok (anonymous) on February 21, 2007 at 9:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What a shame the festivities could not have been held on a weekend so more people could taken part in the event.
Posted by Becca (anonymous) on April 7, 2007 at 7:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
My moms family is from Emporia so I spent a lot of time there. My Grandfather and Grandmother knew the White family and I remember them taking me to Peter Pan Park and telling me all about Mary. I still remember Monkey Island and feeding the ducks.
Was the Rose Bros store a green one story on the North side of the street not too far from State Street? After my grandmother sold her house on Washington she moved to a apartment on State Street. I remember walking to a little neighbourhood store to pick some things up for her.
Wow....I may need a to take a trip back to Emporia. I'm getting overcome with a flood of memories.
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