Remember when:

Dialing MUtual 6-0867

You shared your phone line with up to three other families, and they called that a party line? For a nominal monthly fee, you could upgrade to a semi-private line, and share with only one other family. If your family was financially set, you could afford a full out private line. . . phone numbers were preceded with two letters (MU6-0867), and if you dialed 0, you actually got an honest to goodness operator.

Households had only one automobile, one bathroom, one television, one telephone, and it was a land line?

Gas was 24 cents a gallon, and they had “gas wars?” Sometimes it went as low as 19 cents a gallon.

With just $1 you could buy four loaves of bread, a gallon of milk or five pounds of sugar, or you could get a burger, fries and a soda at McDonald’s, and still get change back?

Muscle cars were parked at the lake, and young couples were “watching the submarine races?”

There were VHF and UHF channels, every show was in black and white, and you were the antenna adjuster? “A little more to your left. . . No, back to the right. . . ”

People gave cartons of cigarettes as Christmas gifts, and they advertised them, along with beer, on television?

Beaver Cleaver was admired by an entire country, Wally was “totally cool,” and everybody knew an Eddie Haskell, in some form or fashion?

Gunsmoke - old TV set

Every Saturday night was spent watching “Gunsmoke,” and chances were pretty good there’d be a shootout in the middle of Main Street, with Matt Dillon taking out the bad guys before the show ended?

Eating out was considered a luxury, and only happened on rare occasion? Pizza came in a box, from Chef Boyardee – you spread the dough, opened the can of sauce and baked it in the oven.

Easter duds

Mama bought a Simplicity pattern and two yards of material, then made your Easter dress with her Singer sewing machine?

Kids did not carry backpacks to school, but rather toted their books on their hips, and guns were not even considered as being on campus?

If you got in trouble at school, you knew there would be even more trouble when you got home?

Stores were closed because it was Sunday?

Supreme Court Chambers

It was considered honorable to be a member of our legislature or Supreme Court, and the ultimate dream of any American child was to grow up and become President?

I could go on and on, but that would be another book for another time.

So, what do you remember? Share your stories here!