We All Scream For Ice Cream! (Part 2)

(Ed. Note: This article is the second in a three-part series by guest poster Frankie The K. You can read the Part One at the original post.)

We continue our ice cream store tour…

Driving on Route 61 and heading toward Shamokin, shortly after you leave Green Ridge, there is a semicircular cream-colored brick building on the left side of the highway. I vaguely recall at one time that it was a dairy and store that sold ice cream, but I have no firm recollection of it, or what it was called.

(Readers?)

A little farther down the road, and on the right, is a new ice cream place called Moosetracks. They serve ice cream and milkshakes and such, and their products are good.

Just beyond them is Pete’s Restaurant, but when I was a kid and older that was Carl’s Custard Stand.

Carl’s Custard Stand

Carl was a friendly fellow, and he started his business with just a takeout window for ice cream and the usual fare of hot dogs, etc. If he saw you at his stand more than a few times he would always be happy to see you and call you by name.

Later Carl expanded his business by adding an indoor seating area where you could get your ice cream and other foods, and sit comfortably.

My family patronized that place many times when I was growing up, and as a teenager I’d often stop there with my girlfriend to have something to eat.

I-81 & Route 61

We’re passing through Kulpmount now, but I don’t know of any place that sold ice cream. There may have been, and perhaps one of my readers might remember and let me know.

The Scoop

As we climb the Maysville hill, opposite the Wal-Mart Supercenter, is a little shopping plaza that contains The Scoop, a fairly new place, owned by the same folks who own Spangenberg’s (more on that place later) and serve the usual ice cream, but with an eclectic variety and the addition of their own homemade ice cream cakes.

There are a few tables for seating if you want to relax and enjoy your cold treat, or there are plastic containers to take out pre-dipped or hand-dipped ice cream.

Chillers

Coming into Shamokin, on East Independence Street near the first railroad crossing, is Chillers.

Chillers is a very small place with only a takeout window for service. It’s only open in the warmer months, but the milkshakes sold there are simply fantastic!

Farther down the street and on the right is Little Tommy’s, but many years ago it was Tharp’s, a place that sold ice cream and other goodies.

I really don’t remember Tharp’s too well, but I’ve seen pictures of Shamokin from a half-century ago and Tharp’s is there, right next to the Capital theater. The old Capital theater grounds is now a parking lot and part of Wendy’s (the rest of the store sits on land where Guinan’s Department Store once stood, where my dad worked for many years).

On the left side of the next street was Woolworth’s, and that store contained a soda fountain and booths for eating. Now that store has been converted into a CVS pharmacy, and there’s definitely no soda fountain.

Sad, isn’t it?

Mauer’s, Martz’s & Reed’s

On South Market Street, either Al Povish’s or the store next to it has become Mauer’s Restaurant, where they still sell their own homemade ice cream and also hand-made ice cream cakes.

On West Arch Street across from the Shamokin band shell is an empty lot that was formerly the site of Martz’s dairy store. It was a fairly large building (with a soda fountain!), and quite a well-appointed interior.

Martz’s survived well into the late ’70s or early ’80s before being torn down.

On the east side of First Street, between Chestnut and Spruce, sits the empty building that once was Reed’s dairy and store.

It was a family owned business, and they even gave tours of the ice cream-making facility to groups.

I remember my sister going with her Girl Scout troop, and watching the employees make chocolate ice cream. She thought the process was “icky” and refused to eat anything chocolate for many years.

Spangenberg’s

Going out of town in the direction of Sunbury, you make a right turn at the light for the Shamokin Hospital, go down a short hill, and on your left you’ll see Spangenberg’s ice cream store. Spangenberg’s has two takeout windows, separate ones for ice cream orders and food orders).

“Spangy’s,” as it’s affectionately known, is only opened seasonally, but fortunately their season lasts a long time!

Those are the local coal region ice cream places, but I can recall a few others in somewhat more distant towns.

(Ed. Note: Part 3 of Frankie The K’s series “We All Scream For Ice Cream!” will conclude next week. Thanks for reading —we welcome all your comments below!)

Tell us what you think! Please leave a comment below. We LOVE comments!