Halloween back in the day

**Dfd** · October-27-09, 09:56 PM

Anyone on here remember going out on trick or treat when the the neighborhoods were still all in tact? What was it like?

Buy American · October-27-09, 10:05 PM

It was the greatest night of all. A kid could walk for blocks, door to door and collect candy from all the neighbors. Then, he/she could hit all the stores, restaurants and markets on Kercheval, Jefferson, Charlevoix, Vernor....all over. We never had problems with fires, bully's, thugs or thieves. All the neighbors were friendly and gave out great stuff. Those were the days!
Unfortunately, our grandkids don't have the same luxury as we did because of a screwed up world.

**gazhekwe** · October-27-09, 10:21 PM

Trick or Treat? How about "Help the poor!"

**chitaku** · October-27-09, 11:33 PM

We used to hit up all the stores along Kelly in Harper Woods and Detroit, they would all give stuff out. Not to stray off topic but does anyone remember the Santa Claus house in Harper Woods? It was a small shed with Santa in it and stuffed animals all over the walls. It maybe have been on the Detroit side, I can't remember.

**faygoredpop** · October-28-09, 03:03 AM

I loved it. We also went blocks and every house was always lit up. I live in the W. Warren and Southfield area and now if we have 2 or 3 houses lit up we're lucky. There also used to be a 7-11 on Warren Ave and we knew the people who worked there so they would always give us the larger size candy bars and the other kids got regular sized candy.

My mom remembers getting homemade popcorn balls and homemade cookies, now a days nothing homemade can be given out. My mom also told me that her and her friends would hit the bars and the bar patrons would give them $1 and $5. They had a little too much and didn't remember what they were giving out.

Today kids have to have their candy put through metal detectors to make sure no one gave out a bad piece of candy. They will never know about the innocence that we grew up with were you could do Trick or Treating with a bunch of friends and didn't need a grown-up to be with as you left. [[The parents didn't need to worry that someone was going to take their child either.)

**Meddle** · October-28-09, 06:12 AM

We'd walk a few blocks up hitting quite a few houses, then hang out at the outdoor party at a church for a while, then come back down the other side of the street. Never a care or a worry. Stayed out until 8 or 9, then dumped everything on the floor and sorted it all. But even then we trashed anything that looked like it was torn or open in any way. Apples, oranges or other fruit were checked and sliced. Some precincts were offering to check everything with metal detectors for pins or anything sharp.

**Susan Messer** · October-28-09, 07:42 AM

I too remember long, safe, glorious nights of trick-or-treating on the northwest side of Detroit in the 50s and 60s. Although for me, it always felt a little bit awkward to be so bold about asking for something. Going with a group a friends made it a little more comfortable. Now I live in Oak Park, IL, and Halloween has become something else entirely. I just wrote a post about it on my blog.

http://ethnicwords.blogspot.com/2009...tion-with.html

**DetroitPlanner** · October-28-09, 08:24 AM

Ahh yes halloween... Growing up where I did we would take pillow cases full of candy up to the neighborhood Mini-Station [[These were all over the City and acted like small police stations) where the police would be there to inspect the candy with metal detectors. First things they would do was throw out all the home-made goodies, then they would scan the candy with the metal deetectors, this means they would take all of the Chunky and Crunch bars out, then they would say kids there has been word of someone putting poison in the snickers, then they would take them too.

Then I got braces on my teeth when I was 11. That took me out of the trick or treating business. By the time I got them off at 13 I was 6 foot tall and no one would give me candy because they did not believe I was still a kid.

Ahh memories.

**jackie5275** · October-28-09, 10:21 AM

I remember all the tainted candy scares of the 70s and how some police stations would use an x-ray machine rather than a metal detector to scan the candy. Looking back, it's kind of a funny thought-We'll expose your candy to radiation to make sure there's no metal in it.

**jcole** · October-28-09, 10:53 AM

Back in the '60's, we would dress up, grab a pillow case and head out. We'd walk the local blocks north of 7 Mile and up Kelly Rd. After we had a pretty full pillow case, we'd head back toward home and dump them on the bed. Then we'd head out south of 7 and do the few stores on Kelly and all the nice brick homes over there. Then we'd go home and sort the loot. My sister got all the black licorice and I got bubble gum. We'd have all kinds of coins, even silver dollars, and then of course the junk candy like candy corn and smarties that we'd unload on my dad. There were years we had candy left at Easter.

**jefferson78** · October-28-09, 11:40 AM

I grew up on the west side of Detroit and most of my memories from this time of year had to do with the week prior to Halloween [[devils week, if you will).
Although we were not arsonists, people learned to expect some kind of shenanigans from the neighborhood kids not only on Devils night but several nights before.
If you parked your car on the street you could wake up with your windows being totally soaped. Ringing doorbells and taking off was a common occurance. My brother and I used to get on top of our roof with the hose and squirt anyone brave enough to ring our doorbell or soap our windows. It was cool to go out trick or treating the next night and see all of the trees filled with streams of toilet paper.
There was the usual bunch of egg throwers and crazies but it was all in fun. There would literally be groups of kids walking around that night and if you were smart you kept all of your lights on.
We did not have the burning houses in our neighborhood and I would never condone such a stupid act. I believe that happened more on the east side where you were most likely to find an abandoned house.
It's crazy to think of all of the hijinks we were responsible for and then to come around the next day and expect those same victims to give us candy. I guess the tricks always came first.
Nowadays, I am careful about telling my two sons my exploits when I was young for fear that they may repeat it but I still look at those memories and smile.

**ImHere** · October-28-09, 12:08 PM

I grew up on the North East Side of Detroit during the '70's and my Holloween experience is just like most already discussed. We would have pillow cases full of candy without having to walk a long way. My freinds and I, when we got a little older, would start hitting up the stores along 8-mile as well.

In the early '90's my neice came and lived with us. I would take her out for Holloween and even then the neighborhood was pretty well lit up. Not like when I was young but not as bad as you would have tought. She would have to walk about 8 blocks to do what we used to do in 2, but it was still good.

I now live in the Suburbs and hand out candy. I get maybe 2 dozen kids all night. It is very depressing to think of what it used to be to what it is now.

**Meddle** · October-28-09, 12:29 PM

OK, what did those do that stayed home to give the stuff out? Did the parents dress up and decorate the house? Did the parents have parties with some of the other adults coming over to hand candy out? Anybody hand out toys like Matchbox or Hot Wheels cars?

Stosh · October-28-09, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by ImHere

I grew up on the North East Side of Detroit during the '70's and my Holloween experience is just like most already discussed. We would have pillow cases full of candy without having to walk a long way. My freinds and I, when we got a little older, would start hitting up the stores along 8-mile as well.

In the early '90's my neice came and lived with us. I would take her out for Holloween and even then the neighborhood was pretty well lit up. Not like when I was young but not as bad as you would have tought. She would have to walk about 8 blocks to do what we used to do in 2, but it was still good.

I now live in the Suburbs and hand out candy. I get maybe 2 dozen kids all night. It is very depressing to think of what it used to be to what it is now.

I've decided not to pass out anything, joining the rest of my neighbors. For years I was the only one on the block to pass out anything. Last year, I got nobody. I suppose that most people are migrating to better neighborhoods or something.

**detroitbred** · October-28-09, 12:52 PM

We have stopped passing out several years ago....Halloween just isn't what it used to be when we were kids, and it makes me sad! The last few times I even had candy, almost no kids came, and then mostly the older ones who looked like they needed a shave.!Not much fun in that! When we were kids we went for hours / blocks and blocks, somethimes even going home 1/2 way through the night to unload the heavy bag. There wasn't anything to be afraid of, just a great, fun time to be a kid. We always said thank you and never ran on anyone's lawns, mom and dad taught us right. I have wondered over the last few years if trick or treating will just die out all together at some point. Times sure have chagned

**ImHere** · October-28-09, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by Stosh

I've decided not to pass out anything, joining the rest of my neighbors. For years I was the only one on the block to pass out anything. Last year, I got nobody. I suppose that most people are migrating to better neighborhoods or something.

It seems that each year more and more of my neighbors are handing out goodies. I doubt I had anything to do with it, but the 1st year I lived in my house there were maybe 4 houses on the block passing out things. Last year there were 12 or more. I have handed out stuff every year I've been at this house [[11 + years).

For a few years we even had a mini block party amongst the neighbors, while we waited for the kids to come. That I will take credit for starting.

Still we just don't get any kids out trick or treating.

**mtm49269** · October-28-09, 01:26 PM

Like many posters, growing up in Hamtramck Heights [[Detroit with a 48212 zip code) in the 60's Halloween was fun and carefree. EVERY house was lit and we'd load our pillow cases over and over before the night was over. We, too, received home made treats like popcorn balls and, one year, my Mom een made and handed out 100's of candied apples. And, the folks would check everything before we dove in to the stash, there was never really any fear , I guess because we knew our neighbors.

As Jefferson78 also mentioned, "devil''s" night before Halloween ws more innocent fun of egging and tping. Dad was on the DFD and it would usually be a pretty busy night for him. But then, it was responding to false alarms from pull boxes [[which don't exist any more) and maybe a few trash fires.

In response to Meddle's question of what those who stayed behind to give out the treats, Dad would dress as a vampire - full makeup and everything. He would also leave the front door ungreased for a while before so it had a marvelous squeak when he opened and he'd remove the upper glass from the screen door so he could reach right out to the nippers. Luckily there wasn't much road traffic then because many children ended up on the other side of the street with their feet barely touching the ground.

I used to get dressed up for the treaters, too, but now we just dont get enough of them to be worth the time and discomfort. We give out full sized bars and by 8:00 I'm usually ready to shut down so I let the kiddies take several each.

**zitro** · October-28-09, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

Back in the '60's, we would dress up, grab a pillow case and head out. We'd walk the local blocks north of 7 Mile and up Kelly Rd. After we had a pretty full pillow case, we'd head back toward home and dump them on the bed. Then we'd head out south of 7 and do the few stores on Kelly and all the nice brick homes over there. Then we'd go home and sort the loot. My sister got all the black licorice and I got bubble gum. We'd have all kinds of coins, even silver dollars, and then of course the junk candy like candy corn and smarties that we'd unload on my dad. There were years we had candy left at Easter.

Same neighborhood, same time frame. The standard for a good haul was at least 2 full pillow cases of loot. Bazooka gum was better than the Double Bubble which always ran out of flavor fast

**12468_laing** · October-28-09, 02:36 PM

I lived on Laing between Casino and Moross. We used to go from Morang to Moross from Payton to at least Whitehill or further. Did the pillow case thing, too - usually had to empty it out 1-2 times. All the candy we didn't want, we would take to school at St. Jude the next day so the nuns could distribute it to the needy. My best Halloween memory was to knock on the back door of Sommer's Funeral Home. They always used to give out little homemade loaves of bread, potato chips and pencils painted white with their name and address in black. After my dad passed away in 1999, I mentioned it to Mr. Sommer's son who had taken over the business, and he said his mother would always make up a bunch of those loaves of bread. Yep, those were the days.

**MaxDetroit** · October-28-09, 03:12 PM

NW Detroit, 10PM Holloween night, 1950's
Head home after 3 hours of "Help the Poor!!!"
Dump shopping bags and pillowcases onto dining room table.
Sort into 3 piles.

#1 "Eat First" - Mound, Almond Joy, Butterfinger, Clark, Snickers, Baby Ruth, Heath, Good n Plenty, Junior Mints, Milk Duds, Popcorn Balls, Double Bubble

#2 "Eat Later" - Hershey Bars, DumDums, Tootsie Rolls, Holloway, Licorice Sticks, Necco Wafers, Mary Janes

#3 "Yuk--Throw it Out" - Rootbeer Barrels, Peppermint hard candy

**9936Sussex** · October-28-09, 04:43 PM

Grew up on the west side, Greenfield/W. Chicago area, in the 1950's-60's. Would go out as soon as dusk approached, right after dinner. Would go to every house between W. Chicago and Plymouth...Sussex and Coyle. There were a lot of kids in our neighborhood, so there was usually a crowd going together, with one or two parents walking with us. Sorted our stuff just as MaxDetroit said. We also went out on "Devil's Night"-- just ringing doorbells.

We also decorated our house---one year my dad carved a pumpkin, built a stand for it, made a scarecrow body--very cool, until someone blew it up with a cherry bomb [[around 1958). We LOVED Halloween in our house---and I still love Halloween today. I consider it part of celebrating my parents legacy to me to celebrate Halloween.

Nowadays, a bunch of neighbors bring out the grills, coolers, fire pit and we have a barbecue in our driveway, and hand out stuff. We give beer to the adults and candy [[full size) to the kids. It will always be a special night to me.

**Ray1936** · October-28-09, 04:51 PM

Devil's night was ringing doorbells and soaping windows. Usually we went down Grand River between Meyers and Schaefer hitting all the store windows. On a few of them, it was probably the only time of the year they ended up getting washed.

Also ran down the alleys tipping over trash cans. Seemed like a lot of fun, but, of course, I'll be danged if I know why.

Halloween was mostly as others have described above. It was a fun time of year. Today I live in a senior community, and no kids ring the doorbell or come trick-or-treating. Which is just fine with me, being a darn old grouch.

**Ltdave** · October-28-09, 05:04 PM

I suppose that most people are migrating to better neighborhoods or something.

my parents neighborhood has had its ups and downs from when i grew up. there were years they had well over 150 beggars and years there were barely half that...

we live in a newer subdivision in a nearby suburb [[it was the hottest property in the county for about 3 years 04-07) and we get A LOT of 'travelers'. probably 150-180...

for those who stay home, my dad usually was busy sharpening saws and my mom would pass out the candy. she sometimes would dress up. i never dressed up when i was passing out treats. including my time in the Air Force...

now, our church holds a TRUNK or treat where we decorate our cars either scary, harvest or whatever and have about 3,500 kids come through the parking lot. its much safer because of the lack of traffic, you can pretty much bet that none of the parishioners have tainted the candy and theres enough conscientious adults around that you dont have to escort your children by hand from 'house to house'...

all of this is NOT in detroit so i hope i dont get hammered for posting about the port huron habits...

**Meddle** · October-28-09, 05:12 PM

The common tone I see in these posts and the various other threads about growing up during that period is kids getting together to have fun. Playing outdoor games, goofing around, hanging out at stores or diners. If there were any drugs at all, it was a bit of weed, and that was rare. Ball fields, parks, each others' yards, street hockey. All until well after dark. But by 9 or 10 on weeknights, there wasn't a kid to be found outside.

Devil's Night was soaping, tossing toilet paper, ringing doorbells, everything was harmless. If you knew old folks were at certain houses, you didn't bother them.

Christmas was caroling and walking around looking at decorations.

Easter was easter egg hunts and some outside games.

Spring saw Ice Cream Socials at schools and churches.

"Greasers" had switchblades, but other than that, nobody had weapons.

What the hell happened?

**jcole** · October-28-09, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

The common tone I see in these posts and the various other threads about growing up during that period is kids getting together to have fun. Playing outdoor games, goofing around, hanging out at stores or diners. If there were any drugs at all, it was a bit of weed, and that was rare. Ball fields, parks, each others' yards, street hockey. All until well after dark. But by 9 or 10 on weeknights, there wasn't a kid to be found outside.

Devil's Night was soaping, tossing toilet paper, ringing doorbells, everything was harmless. If you knew old folks were at certain houses, you didn't bother them.

Christmas was caroling and walking around looking at decorations.

Easter was easter egg hunts and some outside games.

Spring saw Ice Cream Socials at schools and churches.

"Greasers" had switchblades, but other than that, nobody had weapons.

What the hell happened?

I've been asking myself that since I had kids myself