August History post.

One more verified Ward & Dickinson. [past]

I have known about a Ward & Dickinson existing in Palmyra due to a postcard, but knew little else. The historian did not know of this diner. Fortunately, I found this July 6, 1950 newspaper article.
I believe that this article may be the perfect article to explain the brief history of Ward & Dickinson, and why so many of these small diners do not exist today.
At one time, Ward & Dickinson diners were top of the line. They had a couple of booths, ready for that family who was on the road, and needed a place to eat. Especially people who did not like stools, but really did not want to go into a full blown restaurant, or deal with city traffic. But even by as early as 1930s, booths and tables were becoming ever increasingly popular. Downtown diners could survive with stools, but diners out on the road needed booths for those families who were traveling. The truckers and such were happy at stools, but not many families liked stools.
As the 1940s rolled around, diners were ever increasing in size, especially in width. some diners were even sold in two pieces. In some cases, this allowed for dining rooms to be added. Plus, this also meant bathrooms, something tat did not come with any Ward & Dickinsons. So by the 1940s, Wardies were being viewed as small and cramped diners. Not as many people wanted them, and they were becoming tougher to maintain and make a profit in. This article tells that story perfectly.