Ladd Brother's Service Station and the Soap Box Derby
Photos
Being a collector by nature this hunt for evidence of historic Maplewood is satisfying for several reasons. It is rewarding to share these images and information with everyone. Many of you have told me how much you enjoy seeing them. The feedback is 100% positive. Having been involved in a few other issues around the community, I can't tell you how much I appreciate that.
So I get to enjoy the thrill of the hunt and best of all since all of the images, documents, or artifacts uncovered during this hunt are delivered to the collection in the Maplewood Public Library, they are not cluttering up my basement. It is cluttered just not with this stuff.
Many of the photos in our growing collection arrive with little or no information attached. Such is the case with the ones in this post though as you can see they tell an interesting story on their own.
We have Jay Hardy to thank for preserving and providing these photos of the Ladd Brother's Service Station and their entry in the 1947 Soap Box Derby (I'm assuming that's what this race was. I have no more information than these photos provide.) Hope you enjoy them.
Pat Wilken Maloney
9:28 am on Tuesday, November 20, 2012
I use to love watching the Soap Box Derby. It was run on the portion of Hwy 40/64 that is now an exit to McCausland Ave off of west bound Hwy 40. It is a hill, if you noltice. The cars used to run from the old Standard station on that wedge down the hill to a finish line. We always went each year as children. Our next door neighbors in those days, the Daytons, had a lot of boys, and they always did the Soap Box Derby. Years later, when the Derby was held out of town here, those boys grew up and had girls too. They too, ran in the Soap Box Derby where ever it was run, and run year I heard that one of the girls had won. At least this is how I remember it.
Pat Wilken Maloney
9:34 am on Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Isn't that first station, the one that is still standing (as a repair shop, I think) at the intersection of Greenwood and Canterbury?? Right where the train goes over the street? The other one, at Manchester and Bellvue is also partially still standing, (Now a BP?) At least they look like they are.
Doug Houser
12:18 am on Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Hi Pat, Just from the evidence in these photos, I'm fairly certain that all of them excepting the one of race day were taken at the Bellevue and Manchester location. The Ladd Brother's apparently built a new building on the site sometime between 1947 and the early 50's.
Thank you very much for your memory of the Soap Box Derby. DH