I am very interested in finding any Mighty Mo memorabilia. I was at Queenstown Mo from 1964-1967. When I left the court house at Hyattsville, I went to the Marine Corps recruiting office to enlist for 6 years; fought at the battles of KheSahn and ConThien.....luckily, returned in one piece. I have many memories of Q town drive in and the Mighty Mo; grew up in College Park/Greenbelt. Now reside in the great state of Tennessee. If anyone has collectibles available, please contact me. Semper Fi.
Thanks for posting, John. and thanks for your service in the Marines. Don't know of any memorabilia from the Mo, just memories. Feel free to post any stories you remember from back then and any pictures you may have of cars, people, etc. from that era in Hyattsville, College Park, Greenbelt or PG County in general. Where in Tennessee do you call home now? I spent my first 12 yrs. in Tennessee.
The National Archives is right there in Adelphi. I bet they'd have some old newspaper articles. Surely there were articles covering the opening and closing of the Mo and the Queens Chapel Drive-in. The drive-in had the biggest screen in the world and surely would have been newsworthy. If any of you still live in the area, it might be worth a visit.
Now live in Mountain City, TN---most eastern county in the state, borders Virginia and NC. This is the greatest place I've ever seen, and I've been all over the world with 2nd and 3rd Marine Division. The first McDonalds I ever saw was in Delphi. I rode over to get a hamburger with my parents in a 49 Ford. Used to ride the trolley cars from Johnsons Drug Store to Glen Echo Park. Boy, has that whole area changed !
I know exactly where Mountain City is and you're right, it's beautiful there. Did you know that singer, Dave Loggins (Please come to Boston for the Springtime), cousin of Kenny Loggins came from Mountain City?
I didn't know that, but my wife (who is originally from here) did know. I have always loved that song ! Have you heard of Kody Norris and the Watauga Mtn Boys? He is from Mtn City and played at our wedding 2 years ago. Actually, there is more music here than in Nashville ! I have a guitar signed by Doc Watson and Wayne Henderson.
Haven't heard of Kody Norris, but the Watauga Mtn. Boys sounds familiar. Blue Grass was born in nearby Bristol. Much of Country Music can trace it's roots back to that area.
Guess you know we are only 20 miles from Bristol, which is on the border: TN and VA. State Street runs thru the center of town and one side is TN and the other is VA. They just recently opened a new country music museum in downtown Bristol. Where are you located? I had family in Waldorf at one time.
By the way, I used to go to Marshall Hall Amusement Park when I visited my aunt and uncle. The Wilson Liner used to go there from DC. Is this familiar?
One Jr. High field trip was a ride down the Potomac on a Wilson Line boat to Marshall Hall. That's the only time there for me. I'm about 25 miles North of Waldorf.
I think every school in the DC area had a class trip on the Wilson Line. If I remember right the sights they would stop at were Mt. Vernon and Marshal Hall. How about senior skip day at Carderock Park.
I missed the boat and had to come in by land. My aunt and uncle didn't live far from Marshall Hall. I rode up and down 301 with my mom, stopping at all the honkey tonks and eating crabs--Popes Creek (where John Wilkes Booth crossed the Potomac). I went to Greenbelt Junior High. Spent most of my time in Greenbelt, but rode all over PG County, with most of the PG cops AFTER me ! Fooled them......went to Vietnam......Special Landing Force Marines 67-68.
^ I was doing the same thing at the same places but about 10 years later. The area was rapidly changing even back then. Thanks for your service, by the time I was of age for the draft the War was all but over.
He didn't post any further details like where Sonny had been living or what he had been doing, just a request for any photos or stories folks might have. I directed him to this thread.
Sorry to hear this. Always a hero of mine. The above picture of his 34 Chevy sedan was state of the art for 1964. I believe he still had it. It was a milestone car for our area. I always wanted it to be displayed at the Jalopyrama but alas it never made it. He came the last few years as a spectator but the Chevy was never entered.
Your absolutely right!!! I always did the loop. Cruise thru the Shoppes, around the back, over the speed bump, turn right on Veirs Mill, down the hill, U-turn at the LT Club, then back up the hill, left turn in into the Shoppes and do it all over again. If you waited until midnight, you could go behind Wheaton Plaza and grudge race. Did it all the time. I had the Turquoise '58 Impala!
............................................Tommy, His Nephew did mention in the thread that he started that Sonny had in fact been recently living off of Carrs Wharf Rd. in Edgewater as I believe you had stated at one time.
I grew up in SE DC and District Heights. Graduated high school in '65. Rode the Wilson Line to Marshall Hall and Mt. Vernon in the late 50's. Used to cruise between the District Heights Mo, the Southeast Mo by Penn. and Branch Ave. and sometimes over to the Mo in Eastover during and after high school. Won a class trophy at Aquasco with either my '63 Olds Jetfire or my '66 Olds Cutlass (can't remember which car). Thought my Mom was going to kill me when I brought that trophy home . That was the end of my drag race career. The Mighty Mo hamburger was the best. When the Jr. Hot Shoppes opened on Iverson St. in Hillcrest Heights, they had a similar offering, not called the Mighty Mo, but close since Marriot was the parent company of both. The world was a different place back then.
Green Sea, this guy is a little younger than we are but he has a site that covers memories of your area: http://marlowheights60sand70s.com/
Hey guys, thanks for chiming in with stories from that era. Paul, I know you've been here many times, Green Sea, welcome to the HAMB. There's a Md. Social Group if you care to check it out. Thanks again. Don.
I don't remember whether I posted this pic before or not. The creek behind the Mighty Mo used to flood the area once in a while. I don't know who the 'vette belonged to. The Mustang belonged to Denise Paddrick. You can see the A&P sign and across from that (to the right) was Queenstown Motors where Tommy Kivetts worked. Behind that was the creek with the Mo on the other side.. The cops are standing in the middle of Chillum Road
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