Where did you do your Christmas shopping in 1963?



http://www.flickr.com/pho...291408560/

Cool Ad, Thanks for sharing.

I loved Tempo. Got all my fabric there in the 70s.

In my time I don't recall Tempo having "drive in auto service" and "auto parts installation" but it's been so long my memory may not serve me well. Does anyone know, is that something that was phased out? Where were the service bays located?

I noticed that the store was closed on Sundays. I remember how the town shut down on Sundays, with few exceptions.

I remember going to Tempo's for about everything. Then I would wander over to Kosty's Curiosity Shop to look at all the neat things they had. Not sure where I spent the most time or money. Of course, back then, if I had a 5 I felt rich LOL.

[This message has been edited by Corrina (Sturdevant) Harrell (12/25/2010)]

Remember well Tempo in Miles City. My parents bought me a sewing machine there for CCHS graduation in 1966 that lasted until I sold at a garage sale in 2002! Actually it was still working, but I did not have the room to put that portable one into a piece of furniture, but the buyer did....Hope all are well and not too cold this Christmas night. Bless you all.

Ditto what Richard said.

David, are you the youngest of the Schott children? I was just reminded that one of you boys used to watch me when I was very young. Like 1980 to 1983. Just curious!? I truly miss your dad, and absolutely love your mom for her amazing heart and compassion,

Ditto what Gunnar said. (Can I do that?)

Mandi wrote:

"David, are you the youngest of the Schott children? I was just reminded that one of you boys used to watch me when I was very young. Like 1980 to 1983. Just curious!?"

Yes, Mandi, you lived across the street from us on S. Jordan (in the same house where another milescity.com regular, Cory Cutting, used to live). I babysat you when you were just a baby. That was a long time ago, near the tail end of my babysitting years. Amazing to think about how time has flown. Your dad was a deputy for the Custer County Sheriff's Department back in those days. IMO, he was one of the best law enforcement officers in the county; very levelheaded and well-respected.

And I remember sitting on the curb yelling "David! Come get me!" because I wasn't allowed to cross the street by myself!!!

I remember that too, Cory, and because you were the pesky younger kid we probably weren't always good about coming to get you.

Oh, Tempo...loved to wander around the "tiki hut" area, all that weird psuedo-Hawaiian stuff was too cool.

[This message has been edited by poisonspaghetti (12/26/2010)]

I know you all dont know me, I worked at Tempo 64 to 66, it was a great place, I made 1.30 per hour. Bill Gaub was the mechanic that worked in the garage, he did minor work and tires. Jim Schmidt was the manager and Al Staley the software manager. Fred dont reall last name ran hardware. I was the little guy cleaning up and then a salesman, it was a job at a great time, I needed it. Do you remember that Tempo was robbed and the safe was cracked open, fun times in Miles. Thank you for the add, it brought back great memories. I also worked at the bakery at Buttreys next door.

Thanks for the info., Wayne. I wondered if there were any former Tempo employees around. It's been quite a while and some folks don't know that before Wal-Mart there was Kmart let alone that before Kmart there was Tempo.

My dad managed Tempo, and I worked there for several years while growing up in the 70's. The opportunity to buy came up, so my dad did, and the name was changed to Rasco Tempo. After several years as that, the chain overall (I believe 37 stores) was not profitable, and the store was closed. As Rasco Tempo, there was actually 2 owners. My dad owned what would be called the "soft goods" side of the store, and Roger Melchior owned the "hard goods" side. There was actually a "fence" down the middle of the store, so the different goods were separated. I always thought the fence thing was a little odd.
As a high school kid working there, I figured out that there was always lots of women in the fabric department, so I "offered my services" in that department, and actually learned how to measure and cut fabric. Pretty good gig, helping pretty ladies all day and getting paid for it. The worst job in the store was running the shoe department. The shoe racks of the day were impossible to keep looking nice, yet they were expected to look great all the time. Easily the most "lost cause" job I ever had.
I do remember the break-in we had there. There was an incinerator on the east side of the building. We would stuff it with trash, and burn it when it got full. The thieves came in thru the incinerator, and did crack the safe and make off with the contents.
I have very faint memories regarding the auto parts department and the mechanics that worked there. I do remember that there was always somebody back there to fix my bike when I trashed it. Or fix a flat tire for me.
Great memories. Thanks for the flashback.

[This message has been edited by Mathew Schmitz (12/27/2010)]

David, these are totally awesome! Thanks!

'63 was before my time but I'm pretty sure my Mom bought me my first Micronaut from Tempo a dozen or so years later. Pretty much started a collection that quickly took on a life of its own.

http://www.megomuseum.com...nauts.html

Tempo was a great store! My grandfather bought me my first bike there, a beautiful Hiawatha 24" complete with headlight and the flat thing on the back so you could "ride" someone on the back! Took my new bike for a spin down the aisle, amazing I didn't knock something over. I think my grandpa only paid $30 for it. Great memories!!!

Where was the Shopping Plaza located? I wasn't around at that time, but find this very fun to look at and curious where it was located.

The Plaza was on Valley Drive East. Bojangles Lounge and the "Omni Center" are there now if you know where those are. I saw photos from the Omni Center a while ago and it still had the same red and white checkerboard floor from the Buttrey's era.

It's on Valley Drive. I think the building is still there. There used to be an A&W, Dairy Queen and remember the disco? Valley Drive is the street that heads northeast at the underpass and is parallel to the railroad tracks.

The "disco" was a bank at first, wasn't it? Rasco Tempo had the best tee-shirt selection! I still have a few of them in my collection, believe it or not. Just the few that met my mom's approval. Most of them didn't...

My mother, Sherry Uden, worked at Tempo years ago. My cousin had this stuffed pink elephant with a blue bow on its head. I wanted one just like it so bad. My parents purchased one at Tempo for me. Back then my parents did so much business in that part of town. Buttreys, Osco, A&W, DQ, and Miles City Clinic was out there along with a bank, gas sation and hair salon. I think there was also a dry cleaning business out there that my dad would take his uniforms to be cleaned.

The girls were wearing white Go Go boots in the early 60's...
brought on by the Twiggy craze I think. I wanted a pair so bad. They had them at Smith's Bootery but they were expensive as they were white leather. I found a pair at Tempo with side zippers that were an acceptable price for my dad and I became the proud owner of Go GO Boots. That was a great shopping area. You could go to Dairy Queen, than Osco Drug, Buttrey's and browse Tempo and get there on your bike.

Plus down the little hall next to Osco to the cleaners and Kosty's Curiosity Shop. Mark Kosty was a friend and we got to go to their storage warehouse a few times. That place was a kid's heaven! They had everything!

Almost as much fun as having rubber band gun fights with Bert Elwood at the greenhouse.

Yup and by the time we turned 18 we found a new home... Barneys Bar. What a neighborhood. Remember, never go over the railroad tracks at eighty miles per hour when the cops are chasing...
What memories...

Kosty's was the local supplier of rubber vomit and dog poop. Ah, the memories.

Yes, Mandi, you lived across the street from us on S. Jordan (in the same house where another milescity.com regular, Cory Cutting, used to live). I babysat you when you were just a baby. That was a long time ago, near the tail end of my babysitting years. Amazing to think about how time has flown. Your dad was a deputy for the Custer County Sheriff's Department back in those days. IMO, he was one of the best law enforcement officers in the county; very levelheaded and well-respected.

Thanks David! It is amazing how time has flown! I will make sure and tell my dad about your compliment. He moved on to be a narcotics officer for many years, and is now retired and ranching! I really hope to meet you some time. Miss your dad with every cell of my heart.

I remember shopping at Tempo too! And grocery shopping at Buttery's and looking for fun gifts at Kosty's. My favorite was heading over the A&W for lunch after church on Sunday mornings. We'd sit inside, order our meal on the phone at the table then look at the fish in the big fishtank. Ah, the 70's in good old Miles City. :-)

When I worked at Tempo I remember one summer they had an airplane fly over and drop plastic golf balls with numbers on them the people could match up to prizes. They hit the ground and went everywhere. Tempo had a big record department, I still have records that I bought there like Petula Clark, ugh, cant believe I said that. Hve some old Somthers Brothers to.

Anyone remember when Tempo closed? I only barely remember it.

I think Kmart opened around 1979. I don't think Tempo lasted a whole lot longer after that... maybe a couple of years. Not sure.

Oh, Tempo...loved to wander around the "tiki hut" area, all that weird psuedo-Hawaiian stuff was too cool.

Oh, yeah. The Tiki Hut was the most exotic location in Miles City.

I think Kmart opened around 1979. I don't think Tempo lasted a whole lot longer after that... maybe a couple of years. Not sure.

That is my memory of it as well.

Tempo stores were called Buckeye Mart in Ohio and Tempo everywhere else. Tempo was kind of an odd chain. When it was based in Minneapolis, headquarters for parent company Gamble-Skogmo, the stores were company owned and the division was known as Tempo-Buckeye. They sold off the Tempo and Buckeye Mart stores in Ohio and Southern Michigan to Fisher's Big Wheel in 1976 or 1977 ..... those stores took the name Fisher's Buckeye Tempo.

The rest of the Tempo stores were transferred over to the Rasco division of Gamble-Skogmo in Burbank, CA, which operated a chain of franchised variety stores called Rasco. It also operated the franchised Toy World chain, and Rasco Tempo stores in the west, and took on the remaining Tempo stores from the Tempo-Buckeye division. I have an old Tempo ad and as of 1979 there were 29 remaining Tempo stores.

I agree that Tempo (Buckeye Mart here) was a great store!

Does anybody remember the large TV department at Tempo? people used to go there to watch special programing. I was at Tempo watching the big fight the night Casious Clay (Mohamad Ali) beat Sonny Liston. I actually also bought my first bike there on layaway payments. It was somewhere around $30.00. Took a long time paying for it selling the GRIT newspaper.

My sister, Donna Jean, worked for Jim in the soft lines department when I was little. Every time they had a fashion show, she made me model in it. Hey Mike (Schmitz)... were you the one that put the carpet over the run way, over a gap, that I fell through? hehe

The Grit newspaper, now that is a flashback, does anyone have a picture or copy of one.

When Tempo closed,they started taking an additional 10% off each day.In five days,everything was half price.After that,you had to gamble that someone else wouldn't buy what you were thinking of purchasing.I got a 8 track/record player for 60% off and Mr. Schmitz threw in an 8 track tape.