Marx Little Wheel at Millers 1972

The people at Marx Toys knew they had a hit on their hands when they came out with the Big Wheel in 1969, so they scaled it down a bit for the younger kids. 

Before you knew it, the Little Wheel was on the market. The Big Wheel was 38" long and the Little Wheel was 30" long and 19" high. 

The Little Wheel was on sale for $7.97 when this ad ran in the Erie Morning News on November 15, 1972, just in time for children to add it to their Christmas wish list. 

Millers Discount Department Stores were located in the Eastway Plaza and at 2330 West 26th Street (near Pittsburgh Avenue) in Erie, PA. James Pettinato was the manager at the West 26th Street store in 1972. 

Marx Toys were made by the Louis Marx Company. They had a plant at 1816 Raspberry Street in Erie.

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Loblaws had 13 Erie, PA Grocery Stores in 1974

-ad in Erie Morning News, August 14, 1974.

Remember the Loblaws grocery chain? The grocery store chain had 13 stores in Erie County, PA in August of 1974. Thirteen was not a lucky number for this Buffalo, NY business. The Loblaw Inc. chain was purchased by the Peter J. Schmitt Co., which closed (or sold) several stores in October of 1982. Several buildings remain, some of which are still used as grocery stores, but the Loblaws chain is long gone from Erie.

In August of 1974, Loblaws had the following locations:
1) Erie Central Mall. Howard Roy, mgr.
2) Liberty Plaza. Bill Brandon, mgr. (Now Topps Market at 712 West 38th St.?)
3) Perry Plaza. Carl Hoffman, mgr. (This store is now Erie County Farms)
4) 3580 Peach St. Bill Ball, mgr.
5) 255 East 38th St. (at Old French Road), John Crowell, mgr. (Now Value Home Center)
6) Harborcreek Mall, Jim Mifsud, mgr. (This mall was demolished.)
7) 2203 West 12th St. Fran Forish, mgr.
8) Eastway Plaza. Ed Harrity, mgr. (Now vacant on Buffalo Rd, west of the new Giant Eagle.)
9) 5039 Peach St. Ray Welch, mgr.
10) East Erie Plaza- 838 East 6th St. Charles Kiehlmeier, mgr.
11) North East. Paul Hammer, mgr.
12) Legion Road off of West 26th St. Bruce Carpenter, mgr.
13) 3712 West 12th St. Joe Rooney, mgr. (Now Harley-Davidson of Erie.)

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Mace Electronics' Mace Spectacular at the Erie County Fieldhouse

Mace Electronics' Mace Spectacular at the Erie County Fieldhouse

I used wait all year for the big event- the Mace Spectacular- at the Erie County Fieldhouse on Route 8 in Erie, Pennsylvania. The place was jam-packed with stereo equipment and it was LOUD! Row upon row of equipment, some of which was featured in Stereo Review magazine. I saved every penny until I could afford the massive 20 watt Technics system. It had two speakers that were so big that you could sit on them. And a turntable, for crying out loud. A far cry from the MP3 players and bookshelf speakers of today. 

OK, so I'm kidding about the 20 watt system being massive, but it was loud enough to annoy my neighbors. I could pick up Canadian rock stations such as Q-104 and hear all kinds of songs that were not played here.

It was fun to walk up and down every isle and see what new systems were available. I remember one company rep selling blue cassette tapes that would not melt in a microwave. A microwave? What was that?

Mace Levin owned Mace Electronics. He had stores at 2631 West 8th Street, the Millcreek Mall, the Eastway Plaza in Harborcreek, the Meadville Mall in Crawford County, PA, the Chautauqua Mall in NY, one on Route 20 in Ashtabula, OH and stores in State College and Altoona, PA. (Mace had a previous location at 24th and French that was destroyed by fire.)

Al Jenkins and Pete Zesinger were salesmen at the W. 8th Street store.

Read about the Mace Spectacular 5 at the Erie County Fieldhouse.

Now all the music fits on one MP3 player.

Enjoy more fun facts and photos of historic Erie, PA at: Old Time Erie

Dipson's Eastway Twin Theatres in Harborcreek, PA in 1972

Dipson's Eastway Movie Theaters in Harborcreek, PA in 1972

Dioson's & Blatt Bros. ad in Erie Daily Times June 21, 1972.

Dipson's Theatre was an anchor in the West Erie Plaza in Erie County, PA for many years. The theater sat on the north end of the plaza near West 8th Street. But, did you know that Dipson's also owned the theater in the Eastway Plaza on Buffalo Road in Harborcreek? Here's the proof, an ad in the Erie Daily Times on June 21, 1972 announced the upcoming opening of the twin theater.

The Eastway Twin Theatre, at the very east end of the Eastway Plaza, closed a few years ago. The Eastway Plaza has been refurbished and renamed the Giant Eagle Plaza.

Dipson's also ran the Skyway Drive-In Theatre at 5133 West Lake Road, just west of the airport in Millcreek Township, PA. The movies 'Airport' and 'Andromeda Strain' played at the Skyway in June of 1972.

Blatt Bros. ran the Star Drive-In Theatre at 2515 West 12th Street. Before it closed, it was located across the street from the current location of the Regional Cancer Center. This drive-in featured two Disney hits, 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks' and 'The Wild County.'

Here is a map showing the location of  Dipson's Dipson's Theatre in the West Erie Plaza.

Enjoy more fun historic facts, ads and photos of Erie, PA at Old Time Erie