An anonymous OCThen reader submits the following question about "Old Irvine Store", asking if anyone has any memories to share...
Does anybody remember the Old Irvine Store? I can remember going there as a kid and buying candy. My brother had a cool t-shirt with their logo on it. I think there was a small post office attached to it and the Old Irvine Hotel was across the street. I actually went to kindergarten at the Old Irvine School before Los Naranjos was built.Post a comment below if you have anything to share...
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Yes, I remember it when it was on Sand Canyon just off the 5 freeway. The building still exists, but has been moved across the street. It's one of the buildings in the parking lot of the La Quinta Inn / Tia Juana's restaurant. Last time I was in it (years ago now) it held some kind of curio shop or something on the first floor.
ReplyDeleteYep - we used to call it the "general store" because it looked like an old-time general store from the 1800s/wild west. I remember the huge jars of pickles on the counter near the cash register and the post office. When our Mom stopped there, we got to pick out candy.
ReplyDeleteWe used to call it the "Irvine Store." I remember it had old wooden floor boards and good candy. When I was little I used to pretend I was going back in time when we went there.
ReplyDeleteI had forgotten about the store. We used to go there when I was stationed at MCAS El Toro. ..yes the pickles, great stuff there. I loved the smell of the orange groves in the spring.
ReplyDeleteFrom 1970 to ~1973 we used to ride to the old store, via the railroad tracks, once there we would pet the owner's/postmaster's german shepard and have our candy and coke.
ReplyDeleteChris Mizar
Yes there was Post Office inside and there was a lady by the name of Mrs Poh who ran it. it was moved to make room for the new freeway expansion. It was always a cool spot to stop and get a soda.
ReplyDeleteToo bad the freeway expansion didn't actually affect the land the store was originally on. It's just an empty lot last time I was through. I really wish that Irvine would have kept some of its old town charm and not yuppiefied itself....
ReplyDeleteI went to Mission Viejo High School with her son Mike.
Deletethe schoonovers were the owners of that store. I grew up in Irvine until I was 19. so much has changes now. I lived on Roberts which is now Walnut. It was beautiful back then
ReplyDeleteI went to school with their daughter.
DeleteYes I remember, I went there from Kindergarten to 5th grade. We used to walk down the train tracks from the Ranch and turn in empty soda bottles for candy and drinks.
ReplyDeleteScott P
ok i just need to know, am i remembering this wrong when i was in 3rd grade on a school field trip we went to the city of irvine back then there was a visitor center off the 5fwy close to jamboree the year was 1969 or 70 we picked up a tour guide she got on the bus and started her info speech passed out some pamphlets we followed a route to certain points of interest like the blimp hangers,lake and so on. the tour guide told us about some big old cowboy gun battle and where it may have took place, then picos hanging tree oh and some ghost rumors that ties in the to storys, the agriculture and lots more. so now the one thing that sticks to me the most is turtle rock, i remember we drove by this area as we slowed down as the guide talked about this rock out in the distance and it looked like turtle, any way years later me and a bunch of friends were going to the drags races at OCIR, i tell this story to my girl friend at the time who now is my wife and friends so we had some to kill and we went to look for it. i drove by the area where i thought it was because on the school trip we never got off the bus and almost everything was visible from bus back then, so much had changed even at time and now wow if only i could upload the pictures in mind. so then did i dream this because i can't even find this info on the net or photos of what i remember seeing,i still see some of the school mates that i knew back then. we always talk about times when we were kids some remember that field trip that took but not in detail just certain things, i think some off these school mates killed one to many brain cells. any way thats a ghost story in itself, they kept fading in and out at times. where the heck is this rock so i can prove it to my wife who still gives crap about it when we visit her sister as we take the 5fwy. poking fun at me she said oh i know how the story went the rock was hanged and became a ghost,ha, ha, ha, so please can any one show or tell me if the rock is out there then show her ha,ha
ReplyDeleteI worked there stocking shelves back when the drag strip was still open, around 1980. It was actually haunted by the ghost of the man who built it in 1908, who died in the rear service porch. I've often wondered if he still haunts the building at its new location..............
ReplyDeleteYes I remember very well. The Hotel was behind the store and a blacksmith was across the street.I have some pictures I could post if anyone would like to see them.
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