Where did you bank in 1970?

Remember the old days when you had to have your passbook with you to withdraw money from your savings account? When you had to physically go to the bank...in the days before the ATM? When the only plastic you had in your wallet was a Master Charge card? 

There were a handful of banks in Erie, PA back in 1970, and most had a main office on State Street in Downtown Erie. Which banks do you remember?

First National Bank of Pennsylvania
717 State St.
10th & State (Baldwin Building)
4645 West Lake Road (Airport office)
2895 West 26th St. (K-Mart office)
Peach & Gore (Kearsarge office)
4101 Main St. (Lawrence Park office)
West Erie Plaza (Millcreek office)
3106 Buffalo Road (Wesleyville office)
26 East Main St. (North East)
114 High St. (Waterford)

Marine National Bank
901 State St.
114 Erie Central Mall
2701 Legion Road
3608 Liberty St.
3823 West 12th St. (Powell office)
735 East 38th St. (Pine Ave. office)

Security Peoples Trust Company
801 State St.
1727 State St. (18th St. office)
21 North Garwood (Fairview office)
110 Main St. West (Girard office)
Peach & Gore (Kearsarge office)
North Lake St. (Lake City office)

Union Bank & Trust Company Erie
1129 State St.
2212 Broad St. (Perry Plaza office)
2256 West Lake Rd. (8th & Nevada office)
3835 Peach St. (Glenwood office)
1129 Parade St. 
815 East 38th St. (38th & Pine office)
1400 West 26th St. (26th & Bauer Lane office)
27 North Main St. (Union City office)

First National Bank at Albion
53 East State St. (Albion)

First National Bank of Edinboro
Edinboro office
South Main St. (McKean)

National Bank of North East
Buffalo Road (Harborcreek office)
Eastway Plaza
17 West Main St. (North East)

Pennsylvania Bank & Trust Company
22 North Main St. (Union City)
Main St. (Wattsburg office)

Enjoy more historic facts and photos of Erie, PA at: oldtimeerie.blogspot.com

12th and State, Commerce Building Erie PA

Old Time Erie: Commerce Bldg. courtesy of Ken Sidun.

The Commerce Building was located on the northeast corner of 12th and State Streets in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Twelfth and State was a very busy intersection, so its hard to believe that there was NO TRAFFIC LIGHT at this corner.

The old postcard of Erie on the right shows the trolley traveling south on State Street and turning west onto 12th Street. There is also a woman pushing a stroller across 12th Street with a group of people walking behind her. And the cars seem pretty close to each other.

There does not appear to be a radio antenna on top of the Commerce Building in this shot. WLEU and later WCCK both broadcast their stations from this location.

Richard Irwin was the architect of the Commerce Bldg. It was built by Mayer Brothers Construction of Erie, PA. Dr. Elmer Hess was an early tenant of the Commerce Bldg.

The Commerce Building was demolished in the 1980s. Click here to view a photo of the demolition of the brick-faced building.

Enjoy more historical facts and photos of Erie, Pennsylvania at: Old Time Erie