Kids Raised Cash For Kennedy

Kids from the Schley Avenue neighborhood where Babe Harkins lived in Erie, PA.

The summer after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, the youth of Erie raised money to commission a bust of JFK to be placed in City Hall. Kids went door to door in their neighborhoods to collect money for the Greater Erie President John F. Kennedy Memorial Fund. Canisters were placed on the counters in local corner stores. Kids set up lemonade stands, had carnivals, bike races and other creative activities to add to the fund. Black crape paper was placed on old JFK campaign posters such as the one in the photograph shown here as the community was still mourning the death of the charismatic President Kennedy.

Find more historical photos of Erie, PA at Old Time Erie

Steel Beams For City Hall

The new Erie, PA City Hall under construction in 1963 with the old City Hall in the background.

The steel beams arrived for the new Erie City Hall in June of 1963 and the crew of the H. Platt Company started to construct the frame on the southwest corner of State and South Park Row. This was the site of the original Erie Trust Building and later the newer Elks Club. The old City Hall, seen in the photo above, was on the southeast corner of Peach and South Park Row. Gannon's Old Main (the Strong Mansion) is visible in the lower right hand corner of the photo.

The new City Hall was 245 long on the South Park Row side and 160 feet in length along State Street. Parts of the building were five stories high with a basement, and other parts were one story high with a basement. There was surface and below ground parking on the Peach Street side. The Erie Police Department shooting range and the Erie City Jail was located in the northwest portion of the main building. The office of Erie Mayor Lou Tullio was also located in this structure.

Architects Nelson, Goldberg & Heidt designed the building. Perry Truck & Erection Company rigged the I-beams. William T. Spaeder provided heating, cooling and air conditioning, and Church & Murdock installed the electrical work.

Find more historic photos and facts about Erie, Pennsylvania at Old Time Erie

Federal Courthouse, State St. circa 1913, Erie, PA

This image, which is missing the Boston Store at 716 State Street, was taken around 1913 in Erie, PA. The photographer was standing in State Street near South Park Row, looking south. The old Federal Building, which was torn down in 1937 to make way for the new Federal Courthouse, is on the far left. The old Isaac Baker building at 629-633 State Street, which was destroyed by fire in 1943, is the reddish building next to the courthouse with the 'Baker's' sign.

The red building across the street from Baker's to the south was later torn down for the new (now old) Erie Sport Store.

The trolley tracks down the middle of State Street were either torn out or paved over around 1935-36.

The old Elk's Club on the corner on the right side of the picture was torn down to make way for the new Erie City Hall, as were all the other buildings between South Park Row and West 7th Street on State.

For a veiw of the Boston Store in the skyline from 1932, click here: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/08/state-street-boston-store-circa-1932.html

For a view of the Elk's Club and the Boston Store from the Richford Arms Hotel, see this article: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/05/boston-store-elks-club.html

For a view of the new Federal Courthouse and the Boston Store circa 1945, click here:
http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/07/august-1945-state-street-looking-south.html

State Street, Boston Store circa 1932 Erie, PA

This image of the Boston Store at 716 State Street was taken around 1932 in Erie, PA. The photographer was standing in State Street near South Park Row, looking south. The old Federal Building, which was torn down in 1937 to make way for the new Federal Courthouse, is on the far left. The old Isaac Baker building at 629-633 State Street, which was destroyed by fire in 1943, is the pink building next to the courthouse with the 'Baker's' sign.

The red building across the street from Baker's to the south was later torn down for the new (now old) Erie Sport Store.

The trolley tracks down the middle of State Street were either torn out or paved over around 1935-36.

The old Elk's Club on the corner on the right side of the picture was torn down to make way for the new Erie City Hall, as were all the other buildings between South Park Row and West 7th Street on State.

For a view of the Elk's Club and the Boston Store from the Richford Arms Hotel, see this article: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/05/boston-store-elks-club.html

For a view of the new Federal Courthouse and the Boston Store circa 1945, click here:
http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/07/august-1945-state-street-looking-south.html

Cathay House Chinese Food West 7th Street Erie PA

Ad from 1959 GenTel phonebook on left; photo on right by Chester Wasielewski ©Debbi Lyon 2012.

The Cathay House was one of the few places to get Chinese food in Erie, Pennsylvania in the late fifties. The restaurant was located at 12 West 7th St. and was open seven days a week. You could dine in or order a take-out meal. Chow Mein was a house specialty. This building was torn down to make way for the new Erie City Hall.

Elk's Club on State Street in Erie, PA

Elk's Club on South Park Row and State Street. Photo by Chet Wasielewski, ©2012 Debbi Lyon.

Notice anything unusual about this picture? 

• Cars used to travel in the opposite direction around Perry Square
• The Elk's Club at the corner of South Park Row and State Street has been demolished
• The Earle Hotel is no more
• There were beautiful, tall trees in Perry Square
• The new City Hall in Erie, PA was not yet built

The image that you see above was taken from the curb near Gannon's Old Main (the old Strong Mansion) on 6th and Peach Street looking east.

Here's a photo looking down at the Elk's Club from the Richford Arms Hotel.

Here's a shot of the Elk's Club sign from 7th and State before it was razed.

The Elk's Club is included in a list of the Top 100 Clubs in Erie in 1959.

Find more fun facts and old photos of Erie, Pennsylvania at Old Time Erie