This month’s Back in my Day is about Cruisin’ Jefferies. This past time was a favorite of the youth of Colleton County on Friday and Saturday nights. This was the time to see and be seen. The preferred loop was from Dairyland to Burger Chick. You would circle Dairyland and turn around in the parking lot of the Burger Chick. Of course, your date would be sitting close as most cars had the bench seats. The protocol for an evening of Cruisin’ was first, the car had to be polished and cleaned to perfection. Cars would be parked along the highway as everyone took turns riding between the two restaurants. If not riding, you would sit on the hood of the car and gossip and talk about news of the day. Depending on the vehicle the trunk could be open to hear the radio, of course tuned to either WALD or Q107, if not equipped then a Boom Box was the order of the day. Friday Night would be after the high school games with Saturday beginning at sundown.
Other forms of entertainment could include a trip to the Walterboro Drive-In to take in a movie. The drive in opened on July 21, 1947, by E.B Funderburke with the first movie being “Northwest Trail”. The 280-car theatre showed two movies and after getting a treat from the concession stand and hooking the speaker to your car window, it was time to have quality time with your date.
The food options were delicious. Burger Chick had great food, was located directly in front of the drive in and had a dining room with a juke box. Dairyland, a Walterboro icon since 1949, was always busy with excellent deserts and food as well the walk up drive in was a favorite with shakes and soft serve. If Dairyland was really busy, there was a back exit that went to Thompson Street. I always felt like I was driving through someone’s back yard. In later years a Sonic Drive In opened almost across from Dairyland. In those days the frozen drink came with a little plastic animal on the cup and the servers were on roller skates.
Sometimes the constant looping could get a bit dull and a trip up Washington Street would break the monotony. You could, at that time, make a stop by Burger King that was located on the corner of Jefferies Blvd and Wichman Street. The Cook Theater was another option for a movie.
Much has changed over the years, Burger Chick is long gone and the Drive-In Theatre was closed in 1990. The Sonic closed and then moved across from the Colleton Medical Center and Burger King moved to the interstate. The railroad track no longer stops your driving along Jefferies Blvd. to wait for the train, and the Cook Theater closed as well. It was a simpler time with no cell phones, Facebook or Netflix. Cars had 8 tracks or cassette players and you might actually know the local DJ from the radio station. Was it a better time, that can be argued both ways, but people actually took time to talk and spend time with teach other in person. In my opinion, it was a better time.
