Public invited to ‘History of the R.I. diner’

Woonsocket Call

07-26-2009

Public invited to ‘History of the R.I. diner’

By JON BAKER

LINCOLN — It wasn’t coincidence but pure luck how Dr. Tom Shaker and Daniel Zilka became friends, not to mention authorities on Rhode Island diners.

“Daniel had already started the formation of the American Diner Museum in Providence back in 1996, and I had been a diner enthusiast all my life,” said Shaker, not only a member of the museum’s Board of Directors but also the communication arts department head at Franklin’s Dean College.
“I used to visit diners every weekend, and during one stop, I read in a diner magazine about Daniel doing some work in that realm, so I contacted him.”
Joked Zilka, an architectural conservator from Lincoln: “We broke bread at the Modern Diner in Pawtucket, and chewed and chatted. We discovered we had some mutual interests, and, obviously, the diner was the clincher.”
Over the last four years, the tandem has conducted numerous presentations, naturally coined “The History of Rhode Island Diners,” and will do so again on tomorrow (7 p.m.) at EPOCH Assisted Living, 1 Butler Ave., Providence.
The public is invited to the free event, which will feature film clips of diners in the movies, photographs of area diners past and present and songs about the unique eateries. They also will discuss such “hot spots” as Haven Brothers, Silver Top and the Seaplane, etc.
While Shaker always had an interest in the subject, Zilka just happened upon it.
“I was in graduate school at the University of Vermont, studying architecture and historic sites preservation, and I took a particular interest in roadside architecture,” said Zilka, 53, during a break in restoring the Saylesville Finishing Co.’s former main office building, which he owns. “I loved checking out drive-in theaters, diners, old gas stations, creameries, motels and ‘dive’ bars.
“I like rehabilitating these old places. Why? Why not?” he continued. “The materials that this (Saylesville) building are made of are much better than contemporary materials. I mean, the foundation is granite, the walls are brick and there’s oak trim inside. It’s a beautiful old building. The same holds true for diners.”

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If someone has a question as to a certain diner’s background, chances are excellent Zilka or Shaker can answer it. And, make no mistake, the duo have fun doing it.
“Yeah, we’ve read a couple of books on the subject, so I guess you could say we know what we’re talking about,” Zilka laughed. “Honestly, I’ve been to 600 diners all over the United States, India, England and Canada … Fact is, the definition of a diner is it must be built in a factory, then transported to a permanent site.
“It must have a counter, stools and possibly booths, and all cooking must be done directly behind the counter,” he added. “The word ‘diner’ is a derivative of the railroad dining cars, and they should resemble them in styling and design.”
Not far from the old Bleachery sit the remnants of the former Russell’s Diner of Quincy, which Zilka claimed was built in 1940 by the Worcester Lunch Car Co. The windows now boarded up and paint peeling, Russell’s was a famous place for people to grab a scrambled egg-and-bacon breakfast or a grilled cheese at lunch.
“Russell’s was moved to Amesbury, Mass and became part of a truck stop in the 1970s, but when the truck stop went under, it became a laundromat,” he said.
Shaker, at 50 an always-smiling Woonsocket resident, admitted he and Zilka have traveled the East Coast and points west to provide help, or purchase diners for restoration.
“A couple had bought some property at a former private summer camp, and found this old building,” Shaker recalled. “They asked us to check it out, and we discovered it was a diner from the 1920s. They wanted to know if it was worth saving, and – obviously – we said it was.
“We get a lot of calls from folks who want to save diners that were relocated to properties they purchased,” he added. “We go out and try to identify marks to learn who made them and when.”

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Both men noted that thousands statewide don’t know the “diner” concept originated in Providence in 1872, thanks to Cumberland resident Walter Scott.
“He created the first lunch wagon,” Zilka said. “Scott worked as a pressman for the old Providence Star, and he needed more income, so he originally carried around a basket of sandwiches, pies and coffee and sold them in between shifts. He also went into private men’s clubs.
“The business did so well, he quit his job and started selling his items full-time,” he continued. “Eventually, he put everything into a horse-drawn wagon, and every night he parked it outside the old Journal building.
“When we give our multi-media presentations, we communicate with the audience, because they have very vivid memories of the diners they used to go to. We feed off that.”
Contributed Shaker: “One of the first things we do is ask people what diner they remember, and they shout out dozens of names. We ask them their recollections, and inform them about those spots.
“We also discuss some of the old diner lingo, like ‘Adam and Eve on a raft,’ ‘Pigs in a blanket,’ ‘ Two sinkers and a cup of mud,’ ‘Walk a cow through the garden, and put legs on it,’ etc. Of course, I’m not going to tell you what they mean. If people want to know, they should come to our presentation.”
Zilka”s favorite five diners around the state: Modern Diner; Star Diner in Rumford; Jigger’s in East Greenwich; The Prairie Diner (built in 1926 and formerly located at the corner of Prairie and Public avenues in Providence); and Liberty Elm in the capitol city.
Shaker preferred to mention his New England Top Five: Almac’s and Shawmut in Fall River; Modern Diner; Capitol Diner in Lynn; and Wilson’s in Waltham.

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As a sneak preview, Zilka offered up some fun facts about the famous Modern Diner.
“It was built in 1940 by J.B. Judkins Co. in Merrimack, Mass.” he stated. “It was moved to Dexter Street in Pawtucket that same year, and there was a threat to demolish it in 1978 due to urban renewal, but then it was moved again to East Avenue. It’s been there ever since.
“I like it because it’s got that 1930s’ streamline styling – the ‘Machine Age’ look; very few know this, but it’s one of only three existing Sterling Streamline models in the world,” he said. Shaker added, “It’s the first diner listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s a national treasure.”
Now that Star Diner on Newport Avenue has reopened, Zilka explained it used to be named “Keenan’s,” and was built in 1950 by the DeRafelle Dining Car Co. of New Rochelle, N.Y. Keenan’s later became a Chinese food restaurant before being renamed “Star.”
“It did quite a business decades ago because of the Narragansett Park racetrack,” Zilka stated. “All the jockeys used to hang out there. In fact, they built a dining room to handle all of them, and called it the ‘Terry Room’ – the word ‘terry’ refers to ‘tack.’ The best way to describe it? Standard model.’”
The pair also are involved with locating a permanent American Diner Museum at Heritage Harbor Museum in Providence, and assembling a “virtual” (online) exhibit. They also work with the New Hope Diner Project, where youths at the R.I. Training School and area high schools (East Providence, Smithfield) preserve old diners.
“For me, diners have always been a huge part of my life,” Shaker said. “They were places to go to get a sense of community, a hometown flavor, and meet the locals.”
Stated Zilka: “It’s a great equalizer for the masses. Everyone gets the same type stool, and everyone is welcome in a diner, regardless of race, creed or religion. They’re terrific places.”