REMEMBER WHEN FROM THE PAST--CRUMP MOTOR

Remember When
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Kenna Holm
 
CRUMP MOTOR

    I was driving up Main Street and  glanced  over  at  Forsey's Auto Repair which used to be Jolley Joe’s Tire Shop and I got to thinking about when  that  building  was  a  car dealership.  Jim  Crump was  the owner.  They carried  Buicks  and  I thought they were the most beautiful
car on the road. It's funny how in those days you could tell every car on the road. Now Ican't tell one from the other. They all had fun names like Buick Skylark, LaSabre, Chev Bel Air, and so on. Now they have Durango, Prisis, Outback and a million others.
  In 1923, Jim went to work for Ted Okelberry in Goshen as a car mechanic. In Goshen, the economy was very good with mines operating in Eureka but in 1932 the depression hit and all the businesses all over the country failed.  The mines closed and so many men were without work, including Jim.
      Jim then worked for Dave Shuler in his auto repair shop at 96 South Main in what was to later become Safeway.  The back part of the building is now Hope Baptist Church and the front part in now a storage area owned by Dana Dewitt.

  This persuaded Jim to start his own business in 1937. He bought the building that eventually became Jolly Joe’s Tire and remodeled the building. He had a Service Station and Repair shop until 1949 and it was then he received a New Car Dealership for Buick automobiles. My folks bought a beautiful turquoise-blue Buick and it was the prettiest car in town. Not long after Dr. Stewart bought one that was the same color except his had the sleek sloped back. I think they were like 1949's.

Ronal Crump and his wife, Zella with their daughter, Sharon in front of a beautiful new Buick (notice the wide white wall tires)

 
    I remember the big showroom they had and they always had a beautiful new Buick on show there.  They ran a machanic and auto body shop in the back.
Dee Stevenson remembers that Payson Police Department bought a gray 1953 tudor sedan from Jim and used it as a Police Car for several years.

  In 1954, he relinquished his dealership and just operated a repair serviceat the same location until 1957 then he worked as a salesman for a Pontiac dealer while maintaining his repair service.
Jim was the father of Ronal Crump who had learned to fix his own cars after working with his father. Jim was also the grandfather of Ronnie Crump who is over our  Payson Electical Department.
    When Jim's wife passed away, he left his home and lived in the back room of the shop.
We have no 'new' car dealerships now but it so much fun to look back and remember when....