Welcome to Tucson Arizona 1958
by Tyler Woods on Jul. 16, 2009, under LifeI was born in this great city of Tucson in 1958. My father was a carpenter and well off, making the average wage of about $4,200 per year. Considering that America was in recession and the unemployment rate was 7.0%, this really wasn’t bad money. He drove a brand-new, big gas-guzzling, light-beige truck, which in 1958 cost under $2,000, and since gas was only a quarter a gallon, he could afford it.
His truck was part of his toolset as he hauled lumber to and from different jobs, including helping build a set for “Gunsmoke” in 1958. This would be the first of many movie sets he would build throughout the years.
My mother was a housewife who took care of my sister and me on a rather tight budget, but she made it work. A half-gallon of milk cost about .42¢ and a loaf of bread about .20¢. Tater tots, Jif peanut butter, Rice-a-Roni, and Cocoa Krispies were all invented that year. Frozen foods were all the rage and 400-million frozen pot pies were sold in the U.S. Though I was just an infant in 1958, I had many wonderful foods to look forward to as soon as I cut some teeth.
In Tucson, the summers of the late 50s were a time to pack up the gear and head to Roosevelt Lake, which was an affordable way to spend the weekends. Packages of hotdogs were a quarter and cold soda was a nickel a bottle. Campers and boaters listened to transistor radios, playing “At the Hop,” by Danny and the Juniors, “Tequilla,” by The Champs, and “Get a Job,” by The Silhouettes. Elvis was singing “Jailhouse Rock” and Jerry Lee Lewis’s “Great Balls of Fire” was at the top of the charts.
More than 45 million Americans had TV sets and Tucsonans were watching shows such as “Gunsmoke”, “The Danny Thomas Show”, “Have Gun Will Travel,” “Father Knows Best,” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.” 1958 was the peak year for drive-in movies with over 4,000 outdoor theaters nationwide. Popular movies that could be seen at the downtown Fox Theater included, South Pacific, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Gigi, with Leslie Caron. Let’s not leave out such classics as The Blob and The Fly, which are not to be confused with a fly that looks like a blob.
The Hoola Hoop was introduced and sold over 20 million in four months. It was also the year the last of the Packards rolled off the auto-assembly line. It was the year that American Express introduced the charge card. In 1958, George Harrison joined a band named the Quarrymen. The lineup included a school buddy, Paul McCartney, and the band’s founder, John Lennon. Who knew that later, this team would end up being The Beatles and history would be made? This alone made1958 more magical.
July 16th, 2009 on 11:59 am
Great story. I love hearing people’s memories of growing up in Tucson. I was born here also. (1964) I love living here.
July 16th, 2009 on 1:26 pm
My son Tim was born July 11, 1958 in Tucson the temperature that day was 114 degrees. I love your story remembering the prics of bread, mik and gas. the music and movies popular then. The good ol’ days. Thanks for sharing Tyler.
July 16th, 2009 on 3:55 pm
Sweet Memories. I was 6 that year and remember pot pies, hula hoops, gas prices…thanks for sharing.
July 16th, 2009 on 7:07 pm
Great story. It gives Tucson Personality.
July 17th, 2009 on 10:48 am
This was a nice article – it gives me, an old timer, the opportunity to think about life in the late 50′s. Thanks
July 17th, 2009 on 6:13 pm
What a refreshing article! In a time when the news seems bleak and hopeless this article was fresh and filled with fun information and facts!
July 19th, 2009 on 12:54 am
The year 1958 brings back a dizzying range of memories to the surface of my mind. I was two years out of Tucson High at the time and playing basketball for the U of A, a sophomore when the year began and a junior at its end.
My second child, a son, was born in August of that year and I was finding out what adulthood was all about at a rapid pace, already having figured out that I wanted to play a part in changing the world as Jim Crow, back then, was kind of running amok in the Old Pueblo.
There weren’t too many places in those days where I could go out to eat beyond Duke’s and Jack’s, popular black cafes. There was only one pool, Estevan, where I could go and enjoy a swim or a good game of Shark Island. I think people like me still could only sit in the balcony of the picture show. We could only skate at the rink on certain days at certain times.
I remember standing before the city council with an organization called SFE (Students for Equality), in quest of a freer more just existence and how we were gaveled down before we opened our mouths, and with one of our group being an avowed “commie,” Hedi was her name, we were said to be trying to overthrow the government. (Yeah, right, with a megaphone and some trained rattlers). People would look at Hedi as though she were the shower scene in Psycho. She talked to me once about joining the party and I said “I don’t think so; it’s hard enough being a Negro. I’ve got a long row to hoe without carrying a card signed by Mao.” But Hedi was one of the brightest and most committed freedom fighters I’ve ever known and I’ve known and hit the streets with more than a few.
But, man, put me in old Bear Down Gym with a basketball in my hand and I could forget that world for a while. Stretching out with a good book in the old library or listening to a world renowned person expound on something profound at the Sunday Evening Forum did the same trick. A swim or hike in Sabino Canyon would ease my mind for days. And partying with my friends be they red and yellow, black or brown or white always seemed to make things alright. Oh, we could party hearty, we 20 somethings.
And now I look at a town that’s become so embracing over the years and I have a warm feeling (besides the blazing heat) every time I visit. A feeling that I’m home, a place where I belong.
July 25th, 2009 on 7:19 am
You are a word smith. Reading your comment made me feel as if I was standing next to you.
July 27th, 2009 on 10:46 pm
Thank you very much. I love your memories. You’re doing a whole lot of great smithing of words.
July 28th, 2009 on 5:52 am
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August 4th, 2009 on 9:31 am
came to Tucson 1948 4yrs old. Found your site by looking for history of Sunset Roll a Rama 22nd at Swan. In high school at Amphi I visited there many times when they turned it into a dance place. Chubby Checker made it there at least once. Danced there many times. loved your comments. Still in Tucson too!
December 1st, 2009 on 5:04 pm
I was hoping someone could help me. I am trying to locate someone who knew a family named Carmichael who owned a sporting goods store in downtown Tucson in the mid to late 1940′s. The gentleman in question was Chester Carmichael and I can’t find any information about him. If anyone knows the Carmichael family or Mr. Carmichael himself I can be reached at skw@polychemistry.com. Thank you.