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Helms Bakery Man: 1967

The J. David Rogers family were faithful Helms Bakery patrons the entire time we lived in West Covina, from 1952 on into the 1970s. The Bakery complex still sits there along Vencie Boulevard on the LA/Culver City border. We also had our milk delivered by Foothill Dairy of Azusa. The date of this photo is October 1967, on Portner Street in West Covina and the Helms driver is Mr. Paulson, who lived in Covina. His eldest son was among the first graduating class of the US Air Force Academy in 1960, who became a B-52 pilot. Mr. Paulson had been a truck driver, but switched to Helms so he could spend more time at home with his family. View full size.

The J. David Rogers family were faithful Helms Bakery patrons the entire time we lived in West Covina, from 1952 on into the 1970s. The Bakery complex still sits there along Vencie Boulevard on the LA/Culver City border. We also had our milk delivered by Foothill Dairy of Azusa. The date of this photo is October 1967, on Portner Street in West Covina and the Helms driver is Mr. Paulson, who lived in Covina. His eldest son was among the first graduating class of the US Air Force Academy in 1960, who became a B-52 pilot. Mr. Paulson had been a truck driver, but switched to Helms so he could spend more time at home with his family. View full size.

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Vandenberg AFB

I was an Air Force dependent at Vandenberg AFB, California in the the lat 60's and early 70's and we had a Helms truck in our neighborhod. I became friends with the driver, Paul Yenney, and some mornings he would pick me up before sunrise and I would ride with him for the whole route. My 'pay' was plenty of donuts. The driver's right arm actuated a diaphram air pump that blew a whistle mounted on the truck's hood. I think the truck was a '66 Chevy.

We had Helms in Walnut

We moved to Walnut in '64. The truck shown is exactly as I remember it. When I heard the bell or the tone or whatever it was,I was out the door. Of course,this was during the summer!

The driver would open up those back doors and WOW. There was on old lady up the street who would buy a whole bunch of stuff before the truck came by our house. I usually got the glazed doughnuts that were o-so-good.

Great picture;we lived in West Covina from '55 to '64. Our house was at 222 N. Mardina Street,east of where you were. Good times,for sure.

Cincinnati Bakery Truck

I grew up in the Cincinnati area in the 1950s we had a similar bakery truck that would come around at least once a week. I think the bakery's name was Fischer.

I can clearly remember the varnished wood drawers in the back where the goodies were stored.

The truck was a Divco, a short truck with a hood that curved down to the front bumper. The driver usually drove it standing up. That would not work today with OHSA looking over everyone's shoulder and the required seatbelt laws.

In the Midwest

In South Bend Indiana (on the west side of town) we had Flavorite Bakery running a route that went by my Grandmother's house on Wednesdays. They used a full-sized "bread truck," a GMC if I recall. This was in the late 50s and early 60s. We got to go inside and walk around. The smell was wonderful. A loaf of poppyseed and a loaf of vienna bread please...and a couple of apple slices for the kid (me).

The competition

Golden Krust was another bakery company making the rounds of southern California neighborhoods. They had great chocolate chip cookies and a baker's dozen was an after school treat for our family. Our house was a regular stop.

Helms was the best!

I loved the melodic horn and delicious treats on the Helms truck. I was fascinated by the pull out drawers and how the sides opened too. We were always on the curb waiting for the yellow van with a dime or two for an early afternoon sweet. Our Helms man was a family favorite.

Bakery Man

I don't know who we had when we lived in Diamond Bar in the 1960s, but Helm's sounds familiar. Every Saturday it was Jelly Donuts for us.

I can smell the donuts

In the late 60's, on the central California coast, we still had a bakery truck like this that would come by in the afternoon. Same style panel truck. The one for our local bakery was creamy yellow and brown. There has never since been a donut so delicious.

We had Dugan's Bakery

Growing up in Ct. in the 40's and 50's we had a similar bakery truck that delivered fresh baked goods about twice a week. When sales were slumping, the driver would bring out irresistible looking fruit filled coffee cakes, cream puffs and cinnamon rolls which never failed to seduce us into buying extras that we did not intend to buy. Fancy tea cakes, petit fours and Italian cookies also were displayed which caused lots of families to blow their budgets, especially if whiney kids got a glimpse of the luxuries.

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