Facebook Page Rekindles Fond Belmont Memories

With one foot rooted in Belmont's rich past, and one stepping into technology and social media, Belmont historian Denny Lawhern has sparked some Belmont nostalgia with some of his postings on "You Know You're From Belmont When..." Facebook page.

The page, which was set up by Rebekah Jackson has over 1,677 friends--all of whom appear to be having a great time reminiscing and posing memory-jogging questions.

The open group Facebook page not only connects those with Belmont ties to old friends and neighbors, users jumpstart conversations with each other by posing questions such as, "What was your first job in Belmont," and "Does anyone remember Henri's Hamburgers El Camino?"

And like any good historian, Lawhern has sprinkled a few lessons throughout the site---complete with some amazing photos like the Belmont Airport (who knew?) and the old lunch counter at Messner's Store at the southwest corner of El Camino and Ralston from the early 1930's.

"I enjoy sharing some of Belmont's history with others and this is the place to do it," said Lawhern.

Lawhern, who also curates and manages the Belmont Historical Society, located in the Manor Building in Twin Pines Park, set up the page to share some of the thousands of photos he has in his collection dating back to the late 1800s.

Here are a few entries on the page that have sparked some lively discussion..

Did you know....?

"Baskin Robbins in the Carlmont Shopping Center...back in the day the owner wouldn't hire girls (was his name Bob Birdell?), then he hired Erin Bland (Carlmont '76) and what a day that was...we all came to watch her scoop and cheer."

Are you wondering what happened to an old school chum? Or a past neighbor?

"Does anyone remember Officer Whaley?"

"Anyone know Steven or Michael Hansen? How are they doing these days? They were my neighbors/friends on Wemberly Drive/Belmont Heights area. We would hike, swim and attend SF Giants games at Candlestick Park together :)"

And, do you remember…?

“The REAL golden arches at the Belmont and the red and white tile outdoor benches? Or when you ate McDonald’s hamburgers and French fries for $0.15 each?”

"The Lanai?" (see drink menu above)

“Learning to skate at Belmont Iceland?”

“The IHM/Belmont Players Melodrama? It was corny, campy and a lot of fun, especially seeing your friends parents, little league coaches, and neighbors having fun making fools of themselves.”

 “In high school we would have to shop at Picadilly but would dream of buying all our clothes at Judy's, Foxmoore, and Casual Corner at the Hillsdale Mall."

"Anyone have Israel for cross country/track and/or Yeager for shop class? I loved shop class."

“How good the Scots football team from Carlmont were in the early 80's? Man, those were some of thee best games I've ever been to in my LIFE! A lot of 56-3 games and some serious High School Spirit!”

And this one pretty much sums up Belmont "in the good old days"...

"You know you're from Belmont when... you lookup your old house on Zillow, and it's estimated for at least 5x what your parents bought it for! haha."

Join in on the conversation taking place now on "You Know You're From Belmont When...." https://www.facebook.com/groups/2263536687/?fref=ts

Have you checked out this Facebook page? Tell us about it in the comments.