That's wonderful! Would y'all ever be interested in being interviewed? There's not a lot about the history of Webb's City and the family available, but it's a story that deserves to be saved. I'd love to be able to share more of it with people. The video is one of my most popular.
I loved visiting Webb City, back in the 60’s. My grandparents took me there when I visited them. I especially liked the mermaids. A true department store. Thanks for bringing back fond memories!!!!
My unkel was the pharmacy supervisor & his wife was the supervisor & buyer for the 4th floor children's clothing & toys. Mom & dad frequented Webb city weekly...all our house hold furniture were bought from webbs. It was a one of a kind place. Ya actually felt the staff appreciated you being there. Barber shop assembly line 50 cent buzz cut with a free double dip ice cream or sherbet cone! Webbs churned their own ice cream, fried their own donuts in an automatic donut machine which folks would stand watching for minutes during their first visit. baked yeast donuts and breads...offered an in store shoe repair shop, and watch repair/ jewelry repair. Also an optometrist shop. All on the ground floor. The trading post a separate building within the webbs complex sold plants, gardening tools, fertilizers, seeds plus anything dealing with lawn decoration and patio like BarBQues, lawn furniture, umbrellas. Kids & adult bicycle, & sporting gear. Next door was webbs garage. Buy tyres, get oil changed and lite automotive repairs while shopping. Webbs was a grand moment in time..he was possibly last of the big snake oil salesmen who made it big....just not as big a J.D. Rockefeller.
I moved to St. Pete with my parents in July of '79. We had heard of Webb's City, it was only 3 miles down the road from where we lived. We finally decide to go just before school started that year, and they had just closed. :(
I first went to St. Petersburg around 1964 because my grandparents had retired and moved there. I do remember the chickens mainly but for some reason that's about it.
I remember. I also remember the first hippie shop I ever saw on St. Petersburg Beach, the Outta Sight shop on the SW corner of Corey Avenue and Blind Pass Road. It was there for years, and always a must see attraction for me when visiting.
Great information. My wife and I depended on the sales prices to get by in our early marriage days in St Pete. Hamburgers were often 9 cents each and ice cream usually 59 cents per half gallon and bread many loaves (10?) per dollar. I do remember the low gas sales. I spent many happy shopping hours going through all of the store departments and having conversations with Lorelei the mermaid during the 1960's. Thank you for compiling this tribute to a very strange and wonderful institution.
This was really interesting; thank you! While visiting Florida in the 1950s, my grandparents took slides outside of "Webb's unusual drug store," so I looked it up and found your video. Interesting stuff!
@@JOHN27398 I even remember I was wearing my cowboy boots. The place was huge. Floors dedicated to so many items. There meat and seafood section was like over half of a wall of the ground floor. I loved to go to the pet store they had all kinds of tropical fish and even Alligators, I am sure they did not come from Florida and were those look-alikes from south America.
Christmas time at Webb City was a tradition with my dad. Doc Webb hanging around passing out candy. Checking out Docs mannequin mermaids for probably the fiftieth time. Doc's famous 15-minute special on fishing poles in the women's lingerie section. Those really were the good ole days.
As a kid in the 50s, I lived on the South side below Tangerine Ave. My bedroom was upstairs and had windows I slept under. I'd lie awake watching search light beams from Webb's City and wondering about them.
I was born (in 1942) and raised in St. Pete and often shopped at Webb's. Since I grew up with it, it never seemed like anything really "special" even though I did love the mermaids who would call me by name (family or friends could tell them your name and they'd talk to you) - and it was the only place open on Sundays and Holidays (the Drug Store - not the whole place) where you could go and pick up something if you needed it (like a last minute gift). We ate dinner many times in the dining room which was downstairs in the basement. It was the only place that had restrooms for "colored" and "white" and water fountains for "colored" and "white" - and also allowed "colored" folks at the fountainette. There used to be "gas wars" and we'd get gas for 19 cents when it was 25 cents elsewhere per gallon. Many happy memories shopping and eating there and enjoying the shows - the chickens dancing, etc. I also enjoyed going by Doc Webb's house on Halloween because he had his yard decorated extravagantly and handed out candy - and at Christmas as well. Many wonderfilled memories.
Thank you so much for sharing. It's great to hear your stories! What other fun things do you remember doing in St. Pete years ago. I plan to talk about the Bounty, London Wax Museum and other places eventually.
@@StingrayTomsFlorida How I happened to find your video was because I was having brunch with some friends and I can't even remember how it came up but I was telling them about Webb's City and I think they thought I was crazy so I looked it up on the internet and sent them links to a couple of sites and your video - I also sent it to family members who will also have many happy memories . My favorite place was the Pier. Walking on the Pier, playing cards in the big open room with friends, eating at the drive in or the dining room, walking around the souvenir shops, or just sitting on one of the benches and looking at the water. I also liked watching the Yankees and then later the Cardinals during their Spring training. And just before you started on to the Pier there used to be a Pool - it was indoors and had different sizes and depths - they gave swimming lessons. and there was the beach there. I liked eating at the Tramor cafeteria (spelling?) - they had live music - organ as I recall. I loved the Green Benches - so nice to be able to sit down if you were tired or just wanted to sit and visit with someone. Munch's Restaurant was another favorite place - they used to have school supplies in the front to make it easy for folks to pick up paper or pencils for their kids when they went in to eat -t hey had the best burgers. And the Cameo theatre - they used to play all the old movies - and the Roxie theatre that always had a Western serial on Saturdays - and the Pheil theatre where you walked in under the screen - and the Sun Art theatre that used to show foreign films. Also all of the parades - there were parades for everything - in my 20's I was a Red Cross volunteer and "manned" Frist Aid Stations at the parades. So many happy memories. There used to be Coconut Palm trees there and there was a park on the south side that had them and you could pick up the coconuts - I think the freeze killed them and they never came back. And there were Indian mounds on the south side that you could find arrow heads in. I may think of more but I need to go for mow. Thanks for writing. I loved the video - again - so many happy memories - at all ages - when I left in 1989 to move to Gainesville, I had been teaching at Lealman Comprehensive Middle School which was an alternative program for drop out prevention and had a behavior modification program - I loved teaching there. Thanks again. If you do anything else about St. Pete I'd love to see it.
What happy memories. I want to talk about the shell mound by the hospital. I have postcards of it, also the Fountain of Youth which seems to have been popular years ago but is now kind of forgotten. It's near the Dali Museum.
@@StingrayTomsFlorida Yes, lots of happy memories. Yes, I remember the shell mound by the hospital that used to be called Mound Park Hospital but was changed to Bayfront. And I remember the "Fountain of Youth" that was Sulfur Water and smelled and tasted like rotten eggs - we would go and take a drink and make faces and say how awful it was. And I didn't mention the Drive-In theatres - loved those - The 4th Street Drive-In, the 28th Street Drive-In, The Garden Drive-In, The one on Park Ave I think was called the Park Drive-In. Always fun - one of them would have a special on Saturday nights for a carload for a dollar I think. I didn't mention the Florida Theatre that was really sort of elegant - it had box balcony seats and an orchestra pit. The Circus used to pitch tents in the baseball field on 13 Avenue, North across from Queen Street (we lived on Queen Street - West of 16 Street) - we walked over to the Circus. The Coast Guard and the Navy would part their ships at the Maritime Base and the city would be flooded with sailors. And Greyhound racing at Derby Lane. Those were the days, my friend - we thought they'd never end.
From The Evening Independent August 19, 1925: "R. Haworth Johnson, owner of the Economy drug store on Central avenue for sometime, announces that he has disposed of that business and has bought the Seaboard drug store at Ninth Street and Second avenue south. He will be assisted in operating the Ninth street store by Earl Webb, who came here from Indianapolis early in the summer and has since been associated with him."
I got an advance off my check for Christmas and went to pay it back I was given another fifty dollars I said I had a I I .0 u but I didn’t have to pay it back
@@StingrayTomsFlorida Thank you, Tom. Saw the brochure picture later in your video. Does not look familiar. Wanto see photographs showing detail. I remember the room being dark. Saw a woman through a small opening in back wallistening to the questions and answering them through a microphone with speaker athe mermaids. Did the mermaid's mouths move? I was not impressed. Far more interested in the railroad crossings of the track going east into one of the piers. Above the mee-mool lights *(o)T(o)* was a white light on a 4? ft metal pole which indicated to the locomotivengineer thathe crossing signals were flashing. It was connected to the same circuit as one of the *(o)* . Probably saw the dancing chicken but not impressed enough to remember.
My husband is James Earl Webb IV! I grew up with the family since I was 8 years old. They are wonderful people and so proud of their history!
That's wonderful! Would y'all ever be interested in being interviewed? There's not a lot about the history of Webb's City and the family available, but it's a story that deserves to be saved. I'd love to be able to share more of it with people. The video is one of my most popular.
I don't know if you'll see this - but I really would like to interview you about the family.
I loved visiting Webb City, back in the 60’s. My grandparents took me there when I visited them. I especially liked the mermaids. A true department store. Thanks for bringing back fond memories!!!!
You're welcome! Webb's is a remarkable and unique story and it shouldn't be forgotten. Please share the video with friends, if you can.
My unkel was the pharmacy supervisor & his wife was the supervisor & buyer for the 4th floor children's clothing & toys.
Mom & dad frequented Webb city weekly...all our house hold furniture were bought from webbs.
It was a one of a kind place. Ya actually felt the staff appreciated you being there. Barber shop assembly line 50 cent buzz cut with a free double dip ice cream or sherbet cone! Webbs churned their own ice cream, fried their own donuts in an automatic donut machine which folks would stand watching for minutes during their first visit. baked yeast donuts and breads...offered an in store shoe repair shop, and watch repair/ jewelry repair. Also an optometrist shop. All on the ground floor. The trading post a separate building within the webbs complex sold plants, gardening tools, fertilizers, seeds plus anything dealing with lawn decoration and patio like BarBQues, lawn furniture, umbrellas. Kids & adult bicycle, & sporting gear. Next door was webbs garage. Buy tyres, get oil changed and lite automotive repairs while shopping. Webbs was a grand moment in time..he was possibly last of the big snake oil salesmen who made it big....just not as big a J.D. Rockefeller.
It was certainly a unique and remarkable place. Thanks for sharing!
I moved to St. Pete with my parents in July of '79. We had heard of Webb's City, it was only 3 miles down the road from where we lived. We finally decide to go just before school started that year, and they had just closed. :(
I first went to St. Petersburg around 1964 because my grandparents had retired and moved there. I do remember the chickens mainly but for some reason that's about it.
I remember. I also remember the first hippie shop I ever saw on St. Petersburg Beach, the Outta Sight shop on the SW corner of Corey Avenue and Blind Pass Road. It was there for years, and always a must see attraction for me when visiting.
My dad refused to let us go to the Out of Sight shop. We drove right by it on our way to Ft De Soto beach.
Loved the dancing chicken ❣️
Great information. My wife and I depended on the sales prices to get by in our early marriage days in St Pete. Hamburgers were often 9 cents each and ice cream usually 59 cents per half gallon and bread many loaves (10?) per dollar. I do remember the low gas sales. I spent many happy shopping hours going through all of the store departments and having conversations with Lorelei the mermaid during the 1960's. Thank you for compiling this tribute to a very strange and wonderful institution.
Thanks for sharing! It's so great that you have those memories. Please share the video with friends, if you can. It helps a lot.
😂@@StingrayTomsFlorida
Well done! I remember visiting Webb's regularly when we lived in Pinellas Park.
Very cool!
I remember going there with my aunt and grandmother, probably around 1962. Sadly, the only part I remember is the dancing chicken.
This was really interesting; thank you! While visiting Florida in the 1950s, my grandparents took slides outside of "Webb's unusual drug store," so I looked it up and found your video. Interesting stuff!
That's terrific! Great to hear that people remember it.
Loved going there when I was young !
Woo-hoo! What was your favorite part? Did you ever meet Doc?
Interesting. I taught swimming for Newt Perry.
Cool. Was that at Weeki Wachee or somewhere else?
@@StingrayTomsFlorida His swim school in Ocala. His daughter Delee still runs it. He was famous for WW and also the stunt double for Tarzan.
I was taken there as a child with my mother and grandmother. Even saw the mermaid show.
That's really cool. I'm sure there's still lots of people who remember shopping there.
me to
@@JOHN27398 I even remember I was wearing my cowboy boots. The place was huge. Floors dedicated to so many items. There meat and seafood section was like over half of a wall of the ground floor. I loved to go to the pet store they had all kinds of tropical fish and even Alligators, I am sure they did not come from Florida and were those look-alikes from south America.
@@robertforsythe3280 i wish we could go back there now even if it were for an hour .i miss those good days.
Used to love that place!
Christmas time at Webb City was a tradition with my dad. Doc Webb hanging around passing out candy. Checking out Docs mannequin mermaids for probably the fiftieth time. Doc's famous 15-minute special on fishing poles in the women's lingerie section. Those really were the good ole days.
As a kid in the 50s, I lived on the South side below Tangerine Ave. My bedroom was upstairs and had windows I slept under. I'd lie awake watching search light beams from Webb's City and wondering about them.
I was born (in 1942) and raised in St. Pete and often shopped at Webb's. Since I grew up with it, it never seemed like anything really "special" even though I did love the mermaids who would call me by name (family or friends could tell them your name and they'd talk to you) - and it was the only place open on Sundays and Holidays (the Drug Store - not the whole place) where you could go and pick up something if you needed it (like a last minute gift). We ate dinner many times in the dining room which was downstairs in the basement. It was the only place that had restrooms for "colored" and "white" and water fountains for "colored" and "white" - and also allowed "colored" folks at the fountainette. There used to be "gas wars" and we'd get gas for 19 cents when it was 25 cents elsewhere per gallon. Many happy memories shopping and eating there and enjoying the shows - the chickens dancing, etc. I also enjoyed going by Doc Webb's house on Halloween because he had his yard decorated extravagantly and handed out candy - and at Christmas as well. Many wonderfilled memories.
Thank you so much for sharing. It's great to hear your stories! What other fun things do you remember doing in St. Pete years ago. I plan to talk about the Bounty, London Wax Museum and other places eventually.
@@StingrayTomsFlorida How I happened to find your video was because I was having brunch with some friends and I can't even remember how it came up but I was telling them about Webb's City and I think they thought I was crazy so I looked it up on the internet and sent them links to a couple of sites and your video - I also sent it to family members who will also have many happy memories . My favorite place was the Pier. Walking on the Pier, playing cards in the big open room with friends, eating at the drive in or the dining room, walking around the souvenir shops, or just sitting on one of the benches and looking at the water. I also liked watching the Yankees and then later the Cardinals during their Spring training. And just before you started on to the Pier there used to be a Pool - it was indoors and had different sizes and depths - they gave swimming lessons. and there was the beach there. I liked eating at the Tramor cafeteria (spelling?) - they had live music - organ as I recall. I loved the Green Benches - so nice to be able to sit down if you were tired or just wanted to sit and visit with someone. Munch's Restaurant was another favorite place - they used to have school supplies in the front to make it easy for folks to pick up paper or pencils for their kids when they went in to eat -t hey had the best burgers. And the Cameo theatre - they used to play all the old movies - and the Roxie theatre that always had a Western serial on Saturdays - and the Pheil theatre where you walked in under the screen - and the Sun Art theatre that used to show foreign films. Also all of the parades - there were parades for everything - in my 20's I was a Red Cross volunteer and "manned" Frist Aid Stations at the parades. So many happy memories. There used to be Coconut Palm trees there and there was a park on the south side that had them and you could pick up the coconuts - I think the freeze killed them and they never came back. And there were Indian mounds on the south side that you could find arrow heads in. I may think of more but I need to go for mow. Thanks for writing. I loved the video - again - so many happy memories - at all ages - when I left in 1989 to move to Gainesville, I had been teaching at Lealman Comprehensive Middle School which was an alternative program for drop out prevention and had a behavior modification program - I loved teaching there. Thanks again. If you do anything else about St. Pete I'd love to see it.
What happy memories. I want to talk about the shell mound by the hospital. I have postcards of it, also the Fountain of Youth which seems to have been popular years ago but is now kind of forgotten. It's near the Dali Museum.
@@StingrayTomsFlorida Yes, lots of happy memories. Yes, I remember the shell mound by the hospital that used to be called Mound Park Hospital but was changed to Bayfront. And I remember the "Fountain of Youth" that was Sulfur Water and smelled and tasted like rotten eggs - we would go and take a drink and make faces and say how awful it was. And I didn't mention the Drive-In theatres - loved those - The 4th Street Drive-In, the 28th Street Drive-In, The Garden Drive-In, The one on Park Ave I think was called the Park Drive-In. Always fun - one of them would have a special on Saturday nights for a carload for a dollar I think. I didn't mention the Florida Theatre that was really sort of elegant - it had box balcony seats and an orchestra pit. The Circus used to pitch tents in the baseball field on 13 Avenue, North across from Queen Street (we lived on Queen Street - West of 16 Street) - we walked over to the Circus. The Coast Guard and the Navy would part their ships at the Maritime Base and the city would be flooded with sailors. And Greyhound racing at Derby Lane. Those were the days, my friend - we thought they'd never end.
Ty for this
From The Evening Independent August 19, 1925:
"R. Haworth Johnson, owner of the Economy drug store on Central avenue for sometime, announces that he has disposed of that business and has bought the Seaboard drug store at Ninth Street and Second avenue south. He will be assisted in operating the Ninth street store by Earl Webb, who came here from Indianapolis early in the summer and has since been associated with him."
That's great info. Thanks!
I remember the baseball chicken, the dancing chicken, other animal games and the mermaids. How on earth did they know my name?
P.S. Thanks for this memory.
That's so great to hear!. It was quite the place. IDK about knowing your name. Lol.
Do you have anything on Africa USA?
@@B3fingers I do. That's in the works for a video fairly soon.
Wasnt there also a small webbs in pinellas park on 66th street and park blvd? And a webbs trading post at the start of gandy blvd on the st pete side?
I'm afraid I don't know. My info doesn't mention them, but they certainly could have been there.
I worked there
That's awesome! It must have been an interesting place to work.
I got an advance off my check for Christmas and went to pay it back I was given another fifty dollars I said I had a I I .0 u but I didn’t have to pay it back
In EMS, I must leave. Was it Webb's City whichad animatronic mermaids to whom you could talk? (I was there when 5 years old.) Thank you.
Yes the mermaids were there.
@@StingrayTomsFlorida Thank you, Tom. Saw the brochure picture later in your video.
Does not look familiar.
Wanto see photographs showing detail.
I remember the room being dark.
Saw a woman through a small opening in back wallistening to the questions and answering them through a microphone with speaker athe mermaids. Did the mermaid's mouths move? I was not impressed.
Far more interested in the railroad crossings of the track going east into one of the piers. Above the mee-mool lights *(o)T(o)* was a white light on a 4? ft metal pole which indicated to the locomotivengineer thathe crossing signals were flashing. It was connected to the same circuit as one of the *(o)* .
Probably saw the dancing chicken but not impressed enough to remember.