Back in the mid-50's Ray Block opened Block's Ice Cream on Milton Road in Alton, Illinois. Block's had come to my neighborhood, and that was great. At various times there were Block's in downtown, mid-town, uptown, and later in the suburb of Godfrey. My brother Ron, a listless teenager at the time, was hired to pick up trash at the new Milton Road Block's. He walked around the parking lot with what appeared to be a broom stick with a nail in the end to stab cups and other trash left behind by customers. He didn't last long. but Milton Road Block's survived over 40 years, just receiving it's death sentence in the spring of 1998.

Actually Block's did much more than survive, it thrived. In the late 50's my friends and I would stop at Block's on the way home from Milton School and later East Junior High School to get a cherry pepsi, butterscotch shake, dip cone, or other delicious treat. When my dad would take the family out to visit relatives or just to take a drive, stopping at Block's on the way home made the trip extra special. No matter how hard us kids pleaded, sometimes he would stop and sometimes he'd keep right on driving. That made the stops all the more special.

The 50's were good to Block's, but Block's was to be a 60's phenomenon. The cruising baby boom generation would overwhelm Block's. It became our Friday and Saturday night cruise joint. Traffic would literally be backed up almost a mile on Milton Road. Block's was strictly a drive-in. The building in which food was prepared was very small, I'd guess 500 square feet. To order you could pull up at the front, get out of your vehicle, and place an order at the front window. But most of us would cruise around the back of the building, pull up next to one of 25-30 speakers, and order our drinks or food to be carried out by a car-hop. The best spots were in the back row where you would back your vehicle in for an evening's view of the pararde of teenagers driving through. I think Ray Block, although business seemed to be booming, more or less coped with the 60's era at Block's. He hired a fulltime manager who, in retrospect, may have been the original Fonzie. Certainly the same hair and the same coolness. Some of us locals who be-friended him would stop by after closing hours to devour anything that might be left over. On Friday and Saturday nights Ray would hire off duty deputies for security. He even built a barrier at the exit to force cars out onto Milton Road and limit the endless cruises around the lot.

Particularly after weekend football and basketball games, Block's was virtually unmanageable. Kids would come from a 25 mile radius to cruise, see who was there, and be seen. Boys looking to pick up girls, girls looking for the right guy to cruise through. Boys looking for fights, usually precipitated by an unfriendly gesture while cruising through. Alton boys vs. Wood River boys, Alton boys vs. Bethalto boys, Alton boys vs. Alton boys. Very few fights took place on-site, usually those gesturing would be followed around the corner or across the side street to Evan's parking lot. There was a brawl or fight almost every cruise night at Evan's parking lot. I, like many others before and after, got an escort to the Alton Police station during an altercation in Evan's parking lot. To make it worse, that was shortly after taking a serious kick upside my head. Kids were typically released on their own bond.

Parking in the back row you could watch the endless parade of America's 60's generation kids, cheerleaders, jocks, party animals, hoods, nerds, girls, prep school girls, cadets, rich and poor, rednecks and an occassional hick from one of the more rural communities. Carloads came from all area high schools- Alton, Marquette, Monticello prep school, Western Military Academy, Bethalto, Wood River, Roxana, East Alton, Granite City, and the very rural communities of Jerseyville, Brighton, and Piasa. Occassionally a few would cruise through from Missouri. You could often tell their schools by letter-jackets and bumper stickers. All the hot-rodders came through too, souped-up Chevy's and Fords, some classics, rumbled loudly through. Most would exit Block's, stop in the northound lane on Milton Road, floor it, practically break the sound barrier, and power shift their way up Milton Road, much to the pleasure of those lined-up on Milton Road heading south.

Many in the prestigious back row spots would order sodas, pour them out, and fill the cup with beer purchased with fake-id's or by older friends. Sitting there appearing to be drinking a soda. Hanging out until some action started. Always looking for fun, but more often finding trouble. There was more to weekend life than Block's. There were dances, parties, dates, pool halls, sports events, and secluded drinking areas. All the things that made teenage life great. But typically, at least once during the evening we'd find our way through Block's.

By the 70's, traffic through Block's had slowed tremendously. They took out the speakers from the back row. An evening stop-in would find only a few cars. I can't imagine how Block's survived into 1998. Just barely I imagine. Last winter they leased it out, but that didn't work either. On my last stop-in, one of Ray Block's daughters waited on me. I wasn't sure if that was good or bad, but I knew it was different. By the way, they had great food at Block's. Cheeseburgers, chiliburgers, Blockbuster's, onion rings, and shakes, especially butterscotch shakes. All made after you ordered them.

The closing of Block's has not even been a footnote in the local paper or radio station. The Alton Museum of History and Art didn't seem to take note. The local economic development people didn't try to retain those jobs. No counselors are being sent in. Anyhow, it is expected to re-open as a yogurt business. Of all things, yogurt. Well, they probably won't need any security. Such is the nature of progress. I do wish I could have placed one last order.

"Can I help you"?

"I'll take a chiliburger, onion rings, and a butterscotch shake."

"What size shake"?

"Your biggest. And cheese and onion on the chiliburger".

"OK, it'll be just a few minutes".

"Great!"

"OK thanks. And would you like that for here or to go?"

"To go. Guess I better move on".

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