Chacona's Chocolate Box

Chacona's candy and chocolate store was located between 7th and 8th (closer to 7th) on State Street in Erie, PA. Owner George P. Chacona opened his first store, the Erie Sugar Bowl, on October 15, 1893 at 810 State St., just eight years after coming to America with his brother Spero Chacona. In 1917 the store moved to 712 State St., where it remained until 1930, when the store moved to the ground floor of the Ariel Building. Mr. Chacona, who was born in Greece, also had stores in Ashtabula and Conneaut, OH. Chacona's became known for its hand-pulled taffy, homemade candies, chocolates, fudge and caramels. Eleven children of George and Anna Chacona were involved in the family business. 

After Chacona's closed, the building became the Carriage House Restaurant.

One of my relatives gave me a box of negatives years ago, which I had put in a bigger box with photos and other negatives. I didn't think much about it until I was looking for a picture and rediscovered the Chacona's box. I wonder if this box was a Valentine's Day gift ages ago.

Enjoy more fun and fascinating facts about Erie, Pennsylvania at: Old Time Erie

Woolworth's and Kresge's on State

Classic Downtown Erie. This looks like a scene that Tom Hanks would have used in the move "That Thing You Do." This is the west side of State Street. Woolworth's was located at 818 State, between 8th and 9th St. Kresge's was on the southwest corner of 9th and State, and Murphy's was to the south of Kresge. The five and dime stores attracted tons of shoppers, old and young. Woolworth's had a lunch counter where you could get a cup of coffee, a burger and fries, a milkshake or a cherry phosphate. The little kids thought it was fun to spin around on the floor mounted stools until their mother gave them "the look" and they stopped misbehaving immediately. Ahh, the good old days.

Click here to share your memories of Woolworth's and Kresge's.

Enjoy more fun facts about the history of Erie, Pennsylvania at: Old Time Erie

8th and State, Trask's Department Store and Trolley

The east side of State Street near 8th. Postcard courtesy of Ken Sidun.

Erieites used every available mode of transportation to get to the Trask, Prescott and Richardson Company at 825 State Street. You can see the mixture in this postcard, which shows pedestrians, a trolley, a horse-drawn wagon, and early automobiles. 

The Andrews Land Company had an office in the building on the far left. Marine Bank was located in the white building on the corner at 901 State Street. Palace Hardware was in the tall red building near the trolley car, at 913 State St.

Here is an article about the Marine Bank building, which was constructed around 1911: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/08/marine-bank-901-state-st-erie-pa-1913.html

8th and State Woolworth's and Penn Bldg Erie PA

Postcard courtesy of Erie Police historian Ken Sidun.

This postcard shows a couple of Erie, PA landmarks that no longer exist- Woolworth's on the left and the Penn Building on the right. The F. W. Woolworth Company was located in the Gabel Block at 810 State Street. In this early version of Woolworth's, the store was more prominently known as the S. H. Knox Co., a five and dime retailer. The Woolworth's that most of us remember in Downtown Erie was much bigger than the store shown here.

Check out the old Woolworth's from a different angle: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/06/knox-5-and-10-became-woolworths-in.html

The Penn Building was located at 801-813 State Street, on the southeast corner of 8th and State. The Peoples Bank was located on the first floor of this red brick building. Look closely and you can see the yellow sign for the bank, right above the frame of the awning.

"The Penn Building was erected in 1868-1869 and was known as the Noble Block, having been built by Orange Noble. In January, 1894, the Jarecki estate bought the building for $80,000 and spent $60,000 for rebuilding and improvements. In the late 1890s, fire partly destroyed the structure, after which it was then remodeled again." -Erie Dispatch, January 17, 1914.

Orange Noble, by the way, was formerly the Mayor of Erie.

Security Savings & Trust Company, the Peoples Bank and haberdasher Frank S. Bond bought the Penn Building from the Jarecki estate for $250,000 in January of 1914. Security Savings merged with Peoples Bank to become Security Peoples Bank. Isaac Baker, whose store was located at 629 State Street, was a director of Security Peoples Bank until he died in 1929. Oh, what a tangled web we weave!

First Niagara Bank currently occupies the site of the old Penn Building in Erie, Pennsylvania.

8th and State Street Bank and Library 1868 Erie, PA

The City Library was located on the southwest corner of 8th and State in 1868.

-ad in Erie Business Directory 1868-69.

This rare photo might look like Deadwood, but it's really the west side of Eighth and State Street in Erie, Pennsylvania circa 1868. The large building at 804 State St. is the Walther Block, a three-story brick building. It was the home of the Second National Bank, the Y.M.C.A. and the City Library and Reading Rooms. You could tie your horse up to a hitching post out front. State Street was a giant mud hole, so a wooden walkway stretched across the street on State and on 8th St. Gaslights illuminated the street at night.

"The Second National Bank was organized December 12, 1864, with a capital of $300,000. William L. Scott, President; Joseph McCarter, Vice President; W. C. Curry, Cashier. This bank is on the southwest corner of State and Eighth streets, and its present officers are Joseph McCarter, President; W. W. Reed, Vice President; C. F. Allis, Cashier." -Bates History of Erie County, PA.

The City Library was located upstairs of the Second National Bank. "This library was opened to the public November 14, 1867, and now contains about 4,000 volumes, nearly all new books, embracing the choicest  works in the departments of History, Religion, Biography, Poetry, Arts, Science, Natural History, Classics and Fiction; also a large collection of encyclopedias and other books of reference. All new books which are worthy of a first-class public library, are added as fast as published.

This Library is a monument to the liberality of our public spirited citizens (whose names may be found in the subscription book at the Librarians desk). It is under the control of a committee of eight persons, four of whom are chosen from among the members of the Young Men's Christian Association, and four from the subscribers to the library fund who are not members of the association. By paying $5 any person may have the use of the library for one year.

The Reading Rooms are free to all. The tables are well supplied with newspapers, magazines, pictorials and periodicals from every section of the United States and Europe. These rooms are frequented by the literary of both sexes, and are supplying a great want, long felt in this city, viz., a proper place of resort for our young men." -Erie Business Directory, 1868-69.

The Young Men's Christian Association was organized in 1860. Officers in 1868 included Charles C. Shirk, President; E. L. Pelton, Vice President; Charles E. Gunnison, Recording Secretary; C. W. Lytle, Corresponding Secretary; John L. Russell, Treasurer; A. H. Caughey, Librarian; H. S. Jones, Assistant Librarian; A. L. Littell, Jr., Acting Librarian, and a board of seventeen directors." -Erie Business Directory, 1868-69.

Boston Store & Elk's Club on State Street in Erie, PA

Boston Store and the Elk's Club on State St. Photo by Chester Wasielewski, ©Debbi Lyon 2012.

The Boston Store & the Elk's Club

Ever wonder what the view was like from the upper floors of the Richford Arms Hotel? Well, now you know what it looked like before the new City Hall was built. The Elk's Club sat on the southwest corner of State Street, back when South Park Row traffic headed east instead of west. You can see the old City Hall on the right side of the photograph. The Boston Store is the big beige building in the center of the photo; it's clock tower is clearly visible. All the buildings between State and Peach, from South Park Row to West 7th Street, were demolished to make way for the new City Hall.

The Elk's Club shown here was the old Erie Trust Company Building.

Here's an older shot of the Boston Store from around 1932: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/08/state-street-boston-store-circa-1932.html

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