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The Old Barber Shops ?

Main Street:

In the late 1940's in a small North Dakota town - The Barber was also the man who picked up the mail from the Train at the Depot.
When the train whistle announced it's arrival, the barber set down his razor and would leave some farmer covered up in the barber's
sheet, sitting in the chair, half-shaven - As the barber would run outside and down the street, round the corner to an old shed, open the two
swing doors, and crank up an old Ford Model T with no roof or windows, with a wooden flat bed behind the cab,
and go pick up the mail from the Depot.

Kitty corner, from the Model T shed was an old Blacksmith Shop. One old hardworking Blacksmith. Across from him was an
old stable. I asked what the stable was for - In town? I was told that in the winter they kept an old horse in the stable. When
it got too cold and the Model T wouldn't start. They'd harness the horse and hitch him to a wagon that was also in the stable -
And go get the mail.

Across Main Street, from the barber shop. was a Restaurant, whose owner, also wore a white apron. He was also the town Post Master.
When the Mail Train whistle blew - You'd see the restaurant owner run next door into the Post Office as he'd go unlock the back doors
to receive the mail from the depot. Every site mentioned here is about a stones' throw from each other,

I often had dreams about my town throughout the passing decades. I once dreamed that old Hotel across the from the depot was all
dilapidated, foliage overgrown, windows boarded up or missing. But some years after, the dream, I drove through the town and the structure looked fit.
- Made me feel good.

But some years later, I traversed through the town once again. The old Hotel looked like it did when I first dreamed it,

The depot's still there - I don't think trains stop there anymore, and probably haven't in a long time. But there are Grain Elevators there -
So there has to be Trains.

I think that old Depot is now a Museum ~ to honor the legacy of Peggy Lee.

They're not dead yet. 2 weeks ago. Including the straight razor for sideburns, over the ears and neck. (Worth the cost of the haircut right there.) Oh, I gotta always tell em to please trim my eyebrows. They started growing when the solar panel appeared on the back of my head.

I use to use one here that dated way back to the 1930s. What was really cool about it, not even considering all the old rifles on the wall, and the ones in good shape in display cases, but way back then, a lot of Hollywood types and authors use to come to this area to relax and hang out...

Zane Grey the novelist and Clark Gable use to come here to fish and hunt..There are pictures on the wall from back in their days, getting a haircut in that local barbershop here on D street, across the street from the court house, and of course they are autographed.. I forget a lot of other famous type that use to vacation here to get away from it all back before I was born.

Not at the Barber Shop, but Ginger Rodgers use to come to southern Oregon a lot and even owned a ranch here... When she died and her estate here was sold, they found a deer mount of one she had shot sometime around 1940 on her property. They rated the rack, and it beat any other, ever measured in the state up until that time. So after she passed Ginger Rodgers held the record of the biggest and best deer mount in the state of Oregon...

back to the barber shop on D Street, there are a lot of pictures of notoriety that use to visit our fair little town ( little back then), and stopped in there to get a haircut.. a lot of that memorabilia is still there... despite the barber shop being sold 15 or 20 years ago...

When it gets hot in Texas, that beard must be hell to wear around in Texas heat and humidity Roger.

you're a lot tougher man than old Seafire would ever be....

I went to a shop with a father and son cutting hair. No appointments just come in a get in line. I started buzzing my head about four years ago myself so have been in to see them. Ray’s BarberShop was the name although Ray was long retired.
When I grew up I got cut at Three Guys Barbershop. The smell of cheap Clubman cologne and Barbasol was thick in the air.

I grew up going to a small town barber.

Town only had one. Or you had to go to a beautician.

He cut hair one way, regardless of what you asked him.

Wasn’t high ‘n tight. But close. Straight razor around ears and neck line.

I started going as Lil kid. When he had to put the board across the barber chair arms. And flip it on the booster side. 😂

Good old guy.

Cut hair at the funeral home for free. Said he just couldn’t charge a family for it.

Coloreds didn’t come in his shop.

What’s this “hair cut” thing y’all speak of? Us bald guys want to know.

Monday

I started at a barber shop in the little town my grandparents lived in. He sold Mason shoes and always had a stub of a cigar in the corner of his mouth (never lit) Started out sitting on the board across the chair arms and went there until I was in my early teens. Like others have said, did not matter what you told him, you were getting the same haircut (very close to high and tight). Straight razor around the ears and neck and Clubman talcum power on the neck. He would let me and my brother go out the back door after we got our hair cut as that cut a lot of walking out going back to our granddad's farm.
All the old guys form the small town, would come in and sit around and chew the fat with him (kind of like to old Mayberry barber shop). Oh the stories a little kid heard......

If I were to go now, they would charge me a "finders fee" to cut my hair......lol

Jim Conrad is your barber?


That's a long drive for a haircut.

Come to think about, I did get a buzz back in ‘19 at a shop, they just charged me half price 😂

Black Beard, got caught on his bike after having a few beers, was on probation for a DUI, so locked up now. one chair operation by appt. only, could drink some beers while getting a haircut, or guys who smoke could go out on the patio and do that.

LOL, he does look like Jim.

Seems like I paid $1.50 for a haircut at the local barbershop, west central Ks, in the mid 60s.

Except Jim uses sheep shears and does bowl cuts, you probably don't want him chopping on your hair...

Last time a barber cut my hair was 1992. Just moved back to KY. My life time barber had gone up to $10 for a hair cut. Only having half a head of hair, said screw it. Bought a set of Wahl clippers from Walmart for $15. On my third set of clippers in 30 years. No shoe. Metal on skin every Saturday morning. Less than 10 minutes start to finish. And avoid an 80 mile drive round trip.

I've been cutting my own hair for about 15 years now.

Whenever I tell someone I cut my own hair, I always thank them for not saying "yes, I can tell."