By GEORGIA ELLIS

I recently received a call from a reporter for The Herald Bulletin, regarding an article they planned about Anderson Street in Elwood. The street is named for James M. Anderson, a land speculator who came to town, purchased a lot of land and helped plat the city streets. My family has a picture of his cabin, where the first church services were held. He was my great-great-great-grandfather.

After the article was published, I received calls about a mix-up regarding Mangas, who had three businesses in Elwood — Mangas Cafeteria, where Robert Kennedy stopped — an ice cream shop and The Sweet Shop. I told the callers that Elwood had a lot for teenagers: The Sweet Shop; The Panther Den, where they could dance and play music; and the Skating Rink, which was not uptown.

Long before Wal-Mart was built, Anderson Street had the Leeson Building. You could go in the front door where they displayed jewelry, makeup and linens. On one side of the store there was a shoe department. Further back was men’s wear and a large grocery department. The middle floor was children’s and upstairs was the ladies department, where you could purchase anything from a pair of hosiery to a fur coat. They also had a large furniture department and a well-kept ladies’ lounge, where shoppers could sit and rest. The store also had the only elevator in town.

At one time, the Elks Club kept a large, live elk in a pen on Anderson Street at South B Street.

Many of the business establishments had professional offices and apartments upstairs. It was “The” street to live on. I’m sure James M. Anderson would have been amazed.

Anderson Street may never be what it once was, but Elwood is working on it. A lot has changed, but most of us still love our town. We can hold on to the past, but we must work for the future.

Georgia Ellis is a resident of Elwood.