Railroad Bridge at Four Mile Creek and Water Street

Steps to the New York Central Railroad tracks at Four Mile Creek. Photo ©Debbi Lyon 2012.

This railroad bridge on Water Street near the General Electric Plant in Lawrence Park Township has been covered with graffiti for as long as I can remember. The bridge was built in 1865. I took this photo in the late eighties.

The stairs used to lead to the New York Central Railroad tracks before an iron bar was welded on to block access to the steps. The New York Central roundhouse and repair shop used to be located just east of this bridge. The old roundhouse had twelve bays to repair trains.

Fishermen often cast a line over the cement wall. Fourmile Creek is now posted with 'No Trespassing' signs just north (left in this photo) of this bridge. If you look over the edge of the wall after a rainstorm you'll often see raging, muddy water. On a hot summer day, the creek runs at a trickle.

There is a footbridge just north of here that you can use to cross over the creek; it comes out at Bell Street and Napier Avenue.

Highland Park W. 26th and Evanston 1929 Lot Prices

-ad in Erie Dispatch-Hearld, August 14, 1929.

Lots in the Highland Park subdivision sold for $69 to $499 in the summer of 1929. As an added bonus, you did not have to pay interest during the first year, or taxes for the first two years.

Highland Park's southern border was West 26th, later to become much busier when Route 20 was widened. This area is a busy commercial district in Millcreek Twp. in Erie County, PA. The old McDonald's restaurant on the north side of Route 20 was part of Highland Park.

The are stretches north to approximately 21st Street and includes the cross streets Filmore, Lowell and Evanston Avenue.

Drown-Russell Co. owned Highland Park in 1929. As an enticement to get potential buyers to visit the property, the realty company gave away a ticket to win a 1929 Chevrolet Sedan, aluminum cake pans, coffee and sandwiches to all adults who visited the site. There is still a playground called Highland Park on West 22nd St. between Lowell and Evanston Ave.

Peninsula Drive is labeled as Trinity Road on this 1929 map. It also shows the location of the old West Millcreek High School, which was just west of Westminster Presbyterian Church on Route 20.

Highland Park was just west of Sportsman's Field. You can read about the races there in this article: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/08/sportsmens-field-car-races-26th-and.html

Sunset Drive-In Waterford, PA First Movie 1948

The Sunset Drive-In Theater made its debut on June 10, 1948. The outdoor movie theater was located one mile east of Waterford on State Route 97.

The first movie shown at Sunset was the Gary Cooper feature 'The Westerner.'

Sunset touted itself as Erie County, PA's newest drive-in, with the finest equipment including in-car speakers with individual volume selection. The theater had two shows nightly, rain or clear.

Here's an article about the Peninsula Drive In Flea Market.

And here is an article about the Star and Skyway drive-in theaters in Erie, PA

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