Growing Up in Noblesville in ‘60s Special for C&W Superstar

EDITOR’S NOTE: Steve Wariner, a country and western superstar, a Grammy winner, a member of the Grand Ole Opry, a member of the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and the prestigious Musicians Hall of Fame, grew up in Noblesville. Recently, he shared with the Noblesville Times some memories of what the holidays were like when he was living a few blocks from downtown in the 1960s. Like so many of us, he found growing up in Noblesville back then a very special time and place.

A black and white autographed 8×10 of Michael Landon. Little Joe! That hung on my Grandma Glover’s living room wall for years!  

One of us grand kids got it for her at the annual Noblesville Thanksgiving parade. Yes, Michael Landon was there IN PERSON in the parade! So was Barbara Eden and Fess Parker on different years in the ‘60s. What a time to be a kid in Noblesville! (I met Barbara Eden at the White House right after 9-11 happened. I was performing for President Bush at the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony on the Ellipse. I HAD to bring up Noblesville to her!)

In the mid  ‘60s, we lived down on south 8th street. Right next to “The Biggest Little Store in Town;” a Mom and Pop quickie market in a house, mainly featuring penny candy, soft drinks, milk and cigarettes. My siblings and I kept that place in business!

In the summertime, we could not wait for the daily train to roll right down the middle of 8th. As we lined the sidewalks waving, the caboose guy would throw Tootsie Pops out to us! Of course, we fought over the chocolate ones. 

But winter time was so special in Noblesville. The parade, with Santa finally making his long-awaited appearance on that last float! Santa’s little house going up soon on the courthouse lawn! That also meant Christmas decorations would be going up all over downtown. Christmas songs would soon begin blasting from the courthouse clock tower.  (Yes, back then, Christmas was respectful of Thanksgiving. waiting patiently). I always wanted to see up in that courthouse tower.  I finally did, several years ago! But that’s another story. 

This time of year, we loved loading up in Dad’s old Ford and going by Hare’s Chevrolet. They had an incredible life-size Santa right there in their store window every year! Sounds simple, but that was a big deal to us.  Yes, what a time  to be a kid in Noblesville.