Milam County Historical Commission
Milam County, Texas
Milam County, Texas
All Credit for this article
goes to Mike Brown
and the
Rockdale Reporter
goes to Mike Brown
and the
Rockdale Reporter
Still a ‘Sweet Spot’ for Legendary Business
Editor's Corner by Mike Brown
Rockdale Reporter - 2014-04-24
Two weeks ago in this space we reminisced about a pair of “early Rockdale” businessmen, Fred Palmer and Max Ferrari.
Now comes the nicest note from Dr. Carolyn Ferrari of Boerne. Yes, she’s the granddaughter of Max.
She’s also the great granddaughter of Enrico Ferrari, Max’s father, who emigrated from Italy to work on the Texas Capitol in the 1880s.
Dr. Ferrari’s father was Max’s son Gene and she remembers going to the legendary Maxie’s Sweet Shop, southwest corner of Bell and Main, with her father and grandmother, Hattie Ferrari Woods. (Hattie Ferrari remarried after Max died of a heart attack, way too soon, at age 56 in 1950.)
The business was actually established by Enrico 100 years ago this week, in 1914.
I’m not sure exactly when Max took it over and named it Maxie’s Sweet Shop but it was already a Rockdale institution by the mid-1930s.
It continued through the 1950s.
Dr. Ferrari’s reminiscences date from the time that the building—which now houses Rockdale Sports & Embroidery— was still in the Ferrari family, but had been rented.
“The juke box selection, flip cards at the booths and the stools at the bar were favorites,” Dr. Ferrari writes.
“As a child I was amazed that people would watch movies on the roof of the building. My dad said he ran the projector on weekends during his college days and at times ate only popcorn for dinner” she added.
“I think it must have been very tough for many people in Rockdale during the 30’s and 40’s. It gives me a small sense of pride knowing that my ancestors (Enrico, Max, Gene, Hattie, and my mother) all played a part in the history of Rockdale,” Dr. Ferrari said.
She noted that her mother, Millicent “Milli” Ferrari is the last surviving employee of Maxie’s Sweet Shop.
“She still remembers the Sweet Shop, the long hours of working there, and the many, many people she met and served,” Dr. Ferrari wrote.
“During the Depression, my mom said that it was not uncommon for food to be served free of charge for those who could not pay,” she added.
Told you Maxie’s Sweet Shop was a special place. Reporter Publisher Bill Cooke remembers Max Ferrari during World War II hunched over the counter listening to war news.
Son Gene was overseas.
That interest in war news would lead to how Rockdale was advised of the D-Day invasion about midnight June 5-6, 1944.
Max had an agreement with night watchman C. E. Landis to ring the fire alarm whenever news was received of the invasion.
They did, long and loud.
It’s not difficult to imagine them as excited little boys, up past their bedtime, doing something exciting, then looking at each other and going, “okay, now what?”
They waited 10 minutes and rang it again. Long and loud.
Max said he wanted to be sure everybody heard it.
Editor's Corner by Mike Brown
Rockdale Reporter - 2014-04-24
Two weeks ago in this space we reminisced about a pair of “early Rockdale” businessmen, Fred Palmer and Max Ferrari.
Now comes the nicest note from Dr. Carolyn Ferrari of Boerne. Yes, she’s the granddaughter of Max.
She’s also the great granddaughter of Enrico Ferrari, Max’s father, who emigrated from Italy to work on the Texas Capitol in the 1880s.
Dr. Ferrari’s father was Max’s son Gene and she remembers going to the legendary Maxie’s Sweet Shop, southwest corner of Bell and Main, with her father and grandmother, Hattie Ferrari Woods. (Hattie Ferrari remarried after Max died of a heart attack, way too soon, at age 56 in 1950.)
The business was actually established by Enrico 100 years ago this week, in 1914.
I’m not sure exactly when Max took it over and named it Maxie’s Sweet Shop but it was already a Rockdale institution by the mid-1930s.
It continued through the 1950s.
Dr. Ferrari’s reminiscences date from the time that the building—which now houses Rockdale Sports & Embroidery— was still in the Ferrari family, but had been rented.
“The juke box selection, flip cards at the booths and the stools at the bar were favorites,” Dr. Ferrari writes.
“As a child I was amazed that people would watch movies on the roof of the building. My dad said he ran the projector on weekends during his college days and at times ate only popcorn for dinner” she added.
“I think it must have been very tough for many people in Rockdale during the 30’s and 40’s. It gives me a small sense of pride knowing that my ancestors (Enrico, Max, Gene, Hattie, and my mother) all played a part in the history of Rockdale,” Dr. Ferrari said.
She noted that her mother, Millicent “Milli” Ferrari is the last surviving employee of Maxie’s Sweet Shop.
“She still remembers the Sweet Shop, the long hours of working there, and the many, many people she met and served,” Dr. Ferrari wrote.
“During the Depression, my mom said that it was not uncommon for food to be served free of charge for those who could not pay,” she added.
Told you Maxie’s Sweet Shop was a special place. Reporter Publisher Bill Cooke remembers Max Ferrari during World War II hunched over the counter listening to war news.
Son Gene was overseas.
That interest in war news would lead to how Rockdale was advised of the D-Day invasion about midnight June 5-6, 1944.
Max had an agreement with night watchman C. E. Landis to ring the fire alarm whenever news was received of the invasion.
They did, long and loud.
It’s not difficult to imagine them as excited little boys, up past their bedtime, doing something exciting, then looking at each other and going, “okay, now what?”
They waited 10 minutes and rang it again. Long and loud.
Max said he wanted to be sure everybody heard it.