June 16th - September 19th, 2010

The Concord cruise was Salvio and Willow Pass. The kids generally ended up in the parking lot of Rick’s Drive-in, owned by Charlie Mann, my father. Other drive-ins in the area were the A&W Root Beer, and Chaps in Concord. From 1957 until 1971 I was the night fry cook at Rick’s. I could make it from my home on Pine Hollow Road in Clayton to 2350 Salvio in five minutes flat.

The speed limit on the two-lane Clayton Road was 65 mph with no stop signs all the way to Concord! Believe it or not, there was a time when gas pumps were as common as eucalyptus trees in Clayton. Originally there was a grocery store where Skip’s is now. The Rhine Store, owned by Charles Rhine, was sold to Hans Rasmussen and became the first Clayton Cash Store; it sported a Red Crown gas pump in front of it. At Pa Rasmussen’s second Clayton Cash Store, now Cup o’ Jo’s, there was a Shell pump. The pump in front of the Growler, now Moresi’s, was another Shell. In the 1950s there was a Union 76 pump at Thelma’s Village Grocery, now TLC Pet Grooming.

--Charmetta Mann

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Clayton Classic Cars