Palmer Alaska Buzz remembers

Forty years ago, it was a major day when the Palmer Carrs Mall opened in 1985. It was a big, big building with a big, big parking lot. It had well-designed and developed entries with a conestoga wagon welcoming you at the front highway entrance. Perhaps the official name was actually the Pioneer Peak Shopping Center or Pioneer Square but everyone knew it as the Carrs Mall. Prior to the opening of Carrs, Palmer had much smaller stores including D’n A and the Piggly Wiggly on main-street.

There are tons of memories, dredged up about this place on Facebook and Palmer Social Media. All of this discussion was started by the Palmer Historical Society; many resulting conversations have been highly nostalgic and reminiscent.

Here are some of the great crowd sourced observations.

The new 1985 Carrs grocery store was big but limited and just about the right size for food shopping. It wasn’t everything in the consumer world although it had a lovely VHS rental department, pharmacy, floral section and film developing at one time. The produce aisle was impressive.

When important Russian dignitaries visited Palmer, they were shown all the sights around town. But by far, their favorite and the one where they took most photographs, in was the Carr’s produce aisle and holding up chunks of beef at the meat counter.

People loved the bulletin board. It was located just in the front door before you walked into the actual store. It was jam packed with flyers including knitting lessons, Community Councils, puppies, bike-a -thons, tree cutting, guitar lessons, babysitting, and Mary Kay lipstick samples.

It was also in this area where you would always see people fundraising, information offering, or selling cookies or peanuts. Of course this was where the red kettles were stationed and usually accompanied by Christmas carolers.

Outside the grocery store was a large mall area with big black and white mural photographs chronicling the growth of Palmer including Colonists. This was a wide area wh ere strollers or walkers would often traverse.

There were side stores too with a variety of choices, although many changed over time. There was the Oaken Keg, Kinney’s Shoe Store, Neighborhood Video and Book cache for a time. At one point there was a little thrift shop who had a karaoke set up machine and folks would stop and sing. There was Jeans West; Fun and Fancy—a well-loved clothing shop, happily remembered as a boutique for its fashion, fun and even wedding dresses), Mad Matters Framing Store, a bible Bookstore, and Travel Services. The other end of the “mall” was anchored by a department store named Hammachers.

On the second floor was Representative Ron Larson’s legislative office and Total Look Hair salon. Apparently the elevator between the floors had some interesting activity which no one really knew or talked about.

Nearly everyone went to Carrs to shop or just walk and meet or visit the food court. The food court was well developed with a magnificent horse fountain statue and water feature where we would all make wishes and leave our pennies.

The various food offerings were memorable. There was Jack and Tracy’s Peking Garden with their famous Peking Rice and Garlic Chicken. There was ice cream counter at one time probably named the Red Balloon. Rosalies was one of the originals in the food court. She made everything fresh. There were delicious fish and chips and shrimp and a place named El Perrico, Star-vin Marvins, and Just Chicken.

It is important to note that the very original Vagabond Blues opened in the Carrs Mall with wonderful Mark and Kim at the helm.

Many memories have been jogged loose from this story but overall it was a well-loved place, known for its safety and courtesy. You always saw people you knew and sometimes your fountain wishes came true.

It lasted 30 years and was closed in 2015 when Fred Meyer began to build a $28 million dollar store to replace the “undersized 10 year old building. Thanks to everyone and Palmer Historical Society for helping to remember this great place in our cultural history.

Barbara Hunt is both Palmer writer and artist. She works hard to keep the robust pulse of Palmer, Alaska. She shares the good stuff in the weekly Palmer Alaska Buzz Column in the Mat Su Valley Frontiersman and daily on the Palmer Alaska Buzz Facebook Group. Contact at bhunt@mtaonline.net or text 907.315.3222.