Knopfler, Mary Schouweiler. The View From My Roller Skates : Olympia in the 1930's and 40's as Seen Through the Eyes of a Child. Lacey, WA : Miracle of Mary Publications, c2008, rev. 2009 printing. 121 p.

Ms. Knopfler's personal narrative of life as a transplanted eastern Grays Harbor County girl to the big city of Olympia should be fun reading for anyone who enjoys OlyBlog's South Sound Stories section. Her writing style is easy and natural, and she moves along from topic to topic in an entertaining manner.

Her subjects include Little Hollywood, town characters, detailed descriptions of downtown businesses, Garfield School, Mottman's Mercantile, FDR's visit to Oly, and the social life of the area. Some of the places she recalls were still around when I was a kid. Here's her history of Heye Bros. Grocery, a place I remember as being out of a 1930s movie set with Adolph Heye as owner:

There was a grocery store on the northwest corner of 4th and Columbia. It was established by M.E. George around the turn of the century. In 1935, about the time we came to Olympia, the Heye Brothers bought the store. The 'Heye Bros.', Anthony, Adolph, and Fred wore full length white aprons with a strap around the neck and tied at the waist. They looked very tall. Of course, looking up from my roller skates, everyone was tall. They all smiled a lot and thanked me as much for buying a 3-cent apple as if I had bought a whole bag full.

Daddy particularly liked 'ground cherries' and pomegranates. He sent me to Heye's many times to buy them. We always shared. The ground cherries were yellow-green and grew on a vine. They had parchment-like husks and an unusual flavor. They were probably small, ripe tomatillos. They do grow in our climate, but are small and not common. We had never heard of tomatillos at that time. To me they were just a cherry that didn't grow up.

Heye's produce was in open window displays which extended out onto the sidewalk. Everything was so pretty. Just like going to the country fair. For a country bumpkin every fruit and vegetable was a joy to see and smell.

Adolph bought out Anthony and Fred in 1946. For all the time I knew them it was 'Heye Bros'. Adolph continued to operate alone for the last 26 of the 37 years that Heye Bros. was in business.

This book is definitely worth tracking down for anyone interested in local history.