We recently shared a photo of the former Barnes Dairy, which is being razed to make way for senior housing. Several readers wrote in to share their memories of the old shop.
I worked the soda fountain at the dairy, circa mid-1950s. My favorite treat was lemon ice cream with hot fudge. We had two little boys, about 3 and 1 ½. I saved my earnings and flew them to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to visit my parents.
A memory of Allen and Betty Barnes — I think they lived in that lovely white house on the corner of the dairy and Curtis Avenue. I always thought that was a beautiful house. I believe Allen passed away in an airplane accident, but I distinctly remember one of the floral arrangements for him — a large circle, like a wagon wheel with a missing spoke. I seem to remember it being on display at the dairy. It is a lovely memory.
— Pat (Stevens) Gray
As a youth growing up in B’ville in the 1960s, Barnes Dairy was the destination every Sunday afternoon in the summer months. There would be a huge line running outside the doors for people getting ice cream cones.
My brother and I took turns each Sunday standing in line with our dad to order ice cream. There were four of us, so whoever stood in line with Dad would get to carry two cones back to the car. The trick was always getting back to the car before the ice cream started to melt and roll down our arms. This was the best ice cream ever!
— Terry Pelose
We have a quart milk bottle from the P.O. Lewis Dairy. We found it buried in our yard when we were installing a drain pipe a few years back.
— Greg Barnett
In 1957, I took my father’s Chevy and drove to Baldwinsville. I stopped at Barnes Dairy and had a big ice cream cone. It was delicious. I was 18 years old. I never knew at the time I would in 1964 become the Van Buren Elementary School physical education teacher for 34 years. I have done a lot of jobs in Baldwinsville and I have always done my best in whatever job I had. Go Bees!
— John O’Neill
I grew up just around the corner from Barnes on Curtis Avenue. It was a great family-oriented convenience store that happened to also be a dairy.
As a kid, it couldn’t get any better. Anyone who worked there recognized us kids from the neighborhood, and we would get ridiculously large ice cream cones for a dime. One of my earliest memories was being old enough to go there by myself with a little money from mom to pick up whatever things we were running low on (bread, milk, etc.). Seeing the photo with the original sign brought back some great memories. Thanks!
