Long-Running Music Box Restaurant Moves To New Cedar Square, Eventually Becomes Home To Golden Lion
Harold’s Music Box, later to become the Golden Lion, started back in 1947 when its original location was referred to as the “Watertown-Sackets Harbor,” or Arsenal Street Road. At that time, it was replacing another popular business, the Hy-Land’s Inn.
As written by the Watertown Daily Times in 1947–
Ray LaBounty‘s Music Box Restaurant will open Thursday at the former Hy-Land’s Inn, Arsenal Street Road. The Music Box is owned by Ray LaBounty, 1015 Ferguson Avenue, and John Simpson, Black River. The grand opening will be on Tuesday, May 20.
The restaurant has been completely remodeled and redecorated. The color scheme has been done in green and cream. The drapes and other parts of the restaurant are trimmed with musical designs.
The name “Music Box” was a tribute to Ray’s love for music, as he was a popular musician and led an orchestra playing various venues all over Northern New York, including the Woodruff and Brownville Hotels. He also served as president of the Local 734 Musicians’ Union for many years and operated the restaurant. Before that, Ray led the Avon Symphony Orchestra, which played matinees at the Avon Theater.
On December 5, 1958, Ray LaBounty’s Music Box Restaurant, Inc., was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Harold C. Dains. It was reported in the Daily Times that–
Mr. and Mrs. Dains, who were stockholders in the corporation, have purchased the stock of Mr. and Mrs. LaBounty and will continue to operate the business under the name of Ray LaBounty’s Music Box.
The new owners will specialize on meals and banquets. They will continue to have dancing at the restaurant, as has been the practice under the management of Mrs. and Mrs. LaBounty.
In 1965, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond R. Myers purchased the property where the Music Box operated under a lease. The couple, who also operated the Brown Shanty on Mill Street, planned to have a grand opening for the restaurant while continuing to manage their business on Mill Street.
Interestingly, the Myers’ (also spelled Meyers) request for a liquor license for their newly purchased restaurant, to be named the following year “Judy’s Wishing Well,” was turned down specifically because they already were granted one for their Brown Shanty location. Meanwhile, the Dains were approved for their liquor license in moving the Music Box to the former Thruway Market at 1250 Arsenal Street.
In 1967, Harold Dains took advantage of the new construction occurring on Arsenal Street to relocate the Music Box yet again. Situated in what was to be called Cedar Square, the new facility would have a capacity for 210 and feature an open charcoal broiling pit in the dining room. Mr. Dains also took advantage of the relocation to officially change the restaurant’s name to Harold’s Music Box.
Unfortunately, tragedy would strike the Dains only a year later when Mrs. Dains passed away after a stay in the hospital. A year later, in 1970, Harold Dains passed away at the age of 58. The restaurant continued in the location, owned by the Black River Valley Development Corp., but closed in 1975, after which an auction was held for a complete dispersal of its contents.
The Golden Lion Years (1977 – 1992)
In 1976, the location was purchased by Louis J. Williams and Richard Wells, who also operated as managers and opened the following year as the Golden Lion. Mr. Williams, of Ogdensburg, added the property to his portfolio, which included the popular Gran View Hotel and Restaurant. The Tippler Lounge opened initially, with the actual Golden Lion restaurant following a week later.
Speaking of Tipplers Lounge, did you know Jerry Seinfeld did stand-up back in 1978 at the Golden Lion Lounge?
The Golden Lion proved to be a hit, continuing the tradition of dancing, dining, and bar at the location. It also proved to be a popular place for countless wedding and anniversary receptions, as well as civic and employer gatherings.
Of course, it was a hit with the burglars, too, who often targeted the previous establishment as well. Not barely a week after opening, burglars would hit the restaurant’s safe to the tune of $626. It was reported that Manager Richard Wells had yet to even be given the combination.
By 1981, the Golden Lion perhaps proved to be a bit too popular. An “anonymous” letter to the Watertown Daily Times editor was critical, stating–
On a recent Saturday night, I happened to be at the Golden Lion Restaurant on Arsenal Street. There was such a crowd that you had to literally fight your way to the restrooms. Extra tables were being squeezed in around the dance floor where there just wasn’t any more space. The exit door ended up being blocked.
I think this is a great place to go for a night out, but if no one bothers to take the time to look into the type of situation the old standby “it will never happen here” will end up being headlines in the Watertown Times.
With the expansion of Fort Drum and the opening of the Salmon Run Mall in the mid-1980s, the Golden Lion would face much more competition and a changing clientele–
Another popular bar and restaurant among the military, The Golden Lion, 1116 Arsenal St., has not had a surge in business like that experienced during the summer when the National Guard trains at Fort Drum, owner Richard J. Wells said. However, business has remained steady during the normally slow winter, he said.
In 1988, the Golden Lion would undergo expansion with the addition of a new meeting room and dining areas. The restaurant would feature all-new menus, kids under 6 eat free, and the new Tippler’s Pub with “the best ‘Late Night’ menu in town.” That wouldn’t be the only change, however. A new advertising agency, John Zogby Associates, was contracted to handle the restaurant’s marketing, promotion, and advertising production.
Unfortunately, in the long run, the changes proved to be not enough. The Golden Lion closed temporarily in 1991 for three months, reopening with new management and a focus on Chinese-American cuisine. The venture lasted all of eight months, with the restaurant closing for good in 1992.
Owner Louis J. Williams reflected upon the Golden Lion’s closing a couple of years later, after the initiative to turn the Cedar Square complex into office space, his words echoing co-owner Richard Wells’ from several years earlier —
During the Golden Lion’s early days as a restaurant, before the venture into Chinese-American fare, it drew a lot of reservists training on Fort Drum. Those customers seemed to dry up when the base was expanded in the mid-1980’s, he said, and the full time soldiers were younger and had less money to spend.
The Golden Lion and other restaurants also were hurt when the drinking age rose and stricter drunken driving laws were passed, he said.
1 Reviews on “Music Box – Golden Lion (1968 – 1992)”
I worked for many years at the Golden Lion for Mr. Williams and Mr. Wells. I have very fond memories of the people I worked with and thought of them as family. Richard & his wife Sharon always treated me & my wife with respect & kindness. They were always ready to help anyone who needed a helping hand.
(Does anyone know what happened to David & Lori Young?)