Plymouth Manufactured a Car In Erie

Champion ad in Erie Daily Times, Aug. 23, 1935.
The Times Publishing Co. is located on 12th and
Sassafras St., near the old Plymouth dealership.

Can't make it to Detroit to tour the automobile factories? No problem. Plymouth hooked up a trailer and traveled around the U.S., stopping in Erie, PA on August 24, 1935, to show off the: 

"World's Greatest Miniature Manufacturing Exhibit."

The country was in the midst of the Great Depression, but that did not stop Plymouth from promoting its brand. This enticing free show was held at Champion Auto Sales Co., the local Plymouth dealership, at 12th and Sassafras St., near the other car dealers. 

It's like a trip to Detroit!

"See how the railroad cars bring in the various materials for the automobile, and then the various steps of manufacture that take place in the building of the car. At one end of the assembly line- the bare frames; at the other end of the line- finished automobiles ready for the road. And here is a duplicate of the amazing 18-mile long conveyor lines of the great Plymouth factory."                

Come and see it! 

"It's one of the most elaborate mechanical exhibits of modern industry...It is the marvel of modern industry. Come tomorrow and see this operating miniature factory at our salesroom. The public is cordially invited. The display is for one day only. Don't miss it."

There is one thing I would like to know. Since this was a miniature manufacturing exhibit, did Plymouth make a miniature car in Erie?

As a sidebar, when I saw an illustration of the old Plymouth plant on Lynch Road in Detroit, Michigan I did a double take. At first glance I thought it was a drawing of Central Tech High School / Tech Memorial High School in Erie, Pennsylvania.  

Find more fun facts about the old days in Erie, PA at Old Time Erie

Nine Voter Registration Rules In 1902

Election rules were much stricter in 1902 according to the voting regulations for the City of Erie, PA. Women were ineligible to vote at that time, and could not do so until the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1920. 

Voting in Erie, PA in 1902 was restricted to men who met the following nine Qualifications of Voters:

1. He shall have been a citizen of the United States at least one month.

2. He shall have resided in the State one year (or, if, having previously been a citizen of the State, he shall have removed therefrom and returned in six months) immediately preceding the election.

3. He shall have resided in the election district, where he shall offer to vote, at least two months immediately preceding the election. 

4. If 22 years of age, or upwards, he shall have paid within two years a State or County tax, which shall have been assessed at least two months and paid at least one month before the election.

5. The naturalization of the father, ipso facto, makes his minor children, then residing in the United States, citizens.

6. Any foreigner residing in the United States, from the age of 16 or under, may at the age of 21, become a citizen, without any previous declaration of intention.

7. Any foreigner, 21 years of age, who has been honorably discharged from the U.S. Army, may become a citizen after a residence of one year in the United States, and without any previous declaration of intention.

8. Any foreigner (except Chinamen) three years on board a U.S. merchant vessel, may, after he is honorably discharged, become a citizen, providing he has declared his intention three years previously.

9. Any foreigner coming into the United States after he is 21 years of age may become a citizen, after a residence of five years or upwards, provided he has declared his intention to do so at least two years previously.

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

Western Provision Market 4th and Cherry

Old Time Erie photo ©Sandra K. Sagala. Published with the permission of the photographer.

Western Provision Market was on West 4th St. near Cherry in Erie, PA when this photo was taken around 1960. Again, another shot with some cool old cars! ('57 Chevy?) Check out the prices for meat: round steaks, sirloin steaks and t-bone steaks were only 75¢ per pound. Ground beef was 3 pounds for $1.25. Chuck roast was 39¢ per pound and ground chuck was 69¢ per pound. 

There were a number of Western Provision stores in Erie, including this one at 560 West 4th St. The store had a butcher in a white apron who would cut meat to order. You could also ask for ham, bacon, sausage or meat from the chilled display case. The butcher would measure out a specific quantity on the scale, wrap it in butcher's paper, seal it with a piece of masking tape and write the price on the package with a black mechanical grease pencil. The people who ran these stores knew everyone in the neighborhood by name.

City Hardware was located next door at 558 West 4th St. The Gem Social Club, which is not visible in this photo, was a few doors away at 552 West 4th St.

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

Gone Fishing at Four Mile Creek

When I look at old postcards I find it odd that people dressed so well to go fishing, to a picnic or to the beach. Take these young boys for instance. No hip waders here. They look like they just went to church and decided to catch dinner on the way home. Maybe that's why they are using tree limbs as fishing poles.

This scenic photo was taken near the Lawrence Park Gold Club, which was established in 1921. Are these young men spending some quality time with their fathers at the mouth of Four Mile Creek? The man in the middle looks like he is standing in the water all by himself, looking out at Lake Erie. I hope the boys had a bucket to carry their fish home in.

The S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie sponsor a pretty cool program to encourage sport fishing in Erie County. You can check out a fishing pole and a tackle box for free at the Blasco Memorial Library on the Bayfront or the Iroquois Avenue Branch Library in Lawrence Park. 

And here's a little bit of fishing history: A new fish hatchery was built in Erie in 1914. Fishing licenses were first required in 1922, when a resident fishing license cost $1. The fee was raised to $1.50 in 1928 and to $2 in 1948. The Pennsylvania Fish Commission collected $207,425.53 the first year. The daily creel limit for trout was set at 25 in 1925. Other limits were: 10 bass, 10 walleye, 15 pickerel and 3 muskies.

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

Thanksgiving Snowstorm 1956 Headlines

Erie Daily Times Nov. 23, 1956.

When Erieites talk about the Thanksgiving Day Snowstorm, chances are they mean THE snow storm from 1956, when two feet of snow brought the City of Erie to a standstill.

Back then, life was a lot less complicated. The entire family got together for a home cooked Thanksgiving Dinner. There was no 24 hour marathon of "A Christmas Story" on TV. If your family had a television, it probably had a tablecloth draped over it and excess food sitting on top of it. 

There was no such thing as Black Friday or Cyber Monday. People did not miss Thanksgiving dinner because they had to work at a big box retail store. People did not camp out for three days in front of Best Buy waiting for a great sale on a big screen TV or a personal computer. 

Isn't it fun to reminisce about the good old days?

Click here to leave a comment on the 1956 snowstorm. 

Subscribe to the Erie Times News here.

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

Hanging Out at the Erie Boys' Club

Hey, Billy, what'd you do today?
"Nothing much. I was just hanging out."

It looks like Billy was really hanging out when this photo was snapped at the Erie Boys' Club. This building, which was was located at 112 East 7th Street in Erie, PA, near 7th and French, was constructed in 1901. The Erie organization had the distinction of being the 31st Boys Club founded in the United States, and it was a charter member of the Boys Clubs of America.

The Erie Boys' Club had an enrollment of 537 boys in 1916, with an average daily attendance of 121. During the 1915-1916 season, 14,790 boys used the gym, 10,196 boys used the game room, and 4,656 boys used the library.

The Superintendent reported that "Every department is crowded to overflowing in the busy season. We have not nearly enough class rooms. This congestion has been noticeable for some time, and can only be overcome by the addition of another story or building an addition on the rear of the present building."

The Boys' Club Camp was held for one week at Shorewood. The club had a Lunch Company which sold sandwiches, cookies, pies, milk and candy and a Printing Company which printed odd jobs. The library got mixed reviews. "We are sorry to say the library is used for a game room most of the time. The library is now the midgets game room, and unless we get more room soon, we will have to go out on the roof to play."

I think it's a fair bet that some of the boys were already sneaking up to the roof. I remember climbing onto the roof of Wilson Middle School and the old elementary school near 26th and Peach in Erie to take pictures, and boosting my sisters onto the roof of the school in Wesleyville to get tennis balls. Good times.

The old Erie Boys' Club has since been demolished and is currently occupied by a parking lot.

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

Charles H. Strong Log Cabin

The Log Cabin, owned by Charles Hamot Strong, was an exclusive getaway nestled deep in the woods north of the present-day Frontier Park. Strong was a shrewd businessman and a member of a prominent family in Erie, Pennsylvania. He held and interest in the Erie and Pittsburgh Railroad, the Erie County Electric Company, the Erie Dispatch-Herald newspaper and a number of other entities. 

The 47-acre tract on which the Log Cabin sat was family owned for more than 125 years. President William H. Taft visited the Log Cabin on September 17, 1911 as a guest of the Strong family. Taft stayed at the Strong Mansion in Erie, PA. Charles Strong moved into this vacation home when he separated from his wife in 1918 and died there in 1936. The property was sold at auction many years after he passed. The Log Cabin, described in an ad for the auction, was incredible:

The living room and dining room, for example, have open beam ceilings using uncut tree trunks for the beams with a wood ceiling laid in a lateral pattern. The great center hall is A-shaped, with 2-story cathedral ceiling reflecting the same dramatic design found throughout. There is a log-burning fireplace and many windows offering panoramic views of the grounds.

Dining Room: has a brick wood-burning fireplace
Kitchen: is ample in size
2nd Floor: has a U-shaped upper hall, built-in bookshelves and hand rubbed wall paneling
Master Bedroom: has builtin-in cabinets and a bathroom
Basement: has two boilers for the hot water oil-based heating system
Extras: several family and guest bedrooms and baths and domestic quarters.

The Cabin was situated on a bluff overlooking Presque Isle Bay and was built of stone boulders and frame siding accentuated by the use of tree trunks inside and out.

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

Erie Centennial Baby

Doesn't this baby look cute smiling for the camera? It's little Phillip A. Currie, the official Erie Centennial baby. Even though he was much too young to grow a beard, he's got a "Brothers of the Brush" button pinned to his cloth diaper.

I'm not sure what events he was involved in back in August of 1951, or how he was chosen to represent Erie. I have not been able to find a family member to ask. Phillip was born around '49 and was the son of Clyde Currie.

Phillip Currie, where are you?

Find your friends at Old Time Erie

Electricity Cures Nervous Debility

Are you suffering from a acute or chronic disease? Are you nervous and weak, frightened by every little noise or shadow? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might find the cure to be quite shocking.

Electricity Cures When Everything Else Fails

Or so claimed Doctors John E. Scanlan and Mary Scanlan in a classified advertisement in the Erie Morning Dispatch on Sept. 9, 1878. The couple operated an "institution" at 163 East 12th Street in Erie, PA. It appears that they treated medical conditions and neurological disorders "by application of galvanism, magnetism and electricity in its various modifications." 

Medical Electricians were not taken seriously by actual Medical Doctors, or by many other educated people. Check out the book "The Medical Electricians: Dr. Scott and his Victorian Cohorts in Quackery" by Robert K. Waits for more information about this field of study.

I'll have to look through the old city directories and see how long John Scanlan's business venture lasted. The house where the Scanlan's practiced is now the parking lot of the Family Dollar store on East 12th and Holland St. in Erie.

Enjoy more random facts about Erie, PA at: Old Time Erie

Downing Building on 9th and Peach

The Downing Building was a refined structure at 9th and Peach Street in Erie, PA. It was built in 1883 for $40,000, and later demolished for the redevelopment of Downtown Erie.

"The interior is in keeping with the exterior, elegantly and conveniently arranged...finished in attractive hard woods, and provided with stained glass windows. The ceilings are lofty- thirty feet from the floors- tastefully decorated. 

The office force comprises some twenty-five clerks and assistants, a number of whom have been connected with the office for from ten to twenty years. To this office over 2,000 local agents, comprising fourteen states and five territories, render their reports, and are subject to the direction and control of the manager, Mr. Downing.

Jerome F. Downing is a native of Massachusetts, and a lawyer by profession. In 1863 he was elected District Attorney of Erie County, and it was while performing the duties pertaining to that office that he was offered the important position of general western agent of the Insurance Company of North America. In 1872 he accepted the general western agency of the Pennsylvania Fire Insurance Company. He is president of the Keystone National Bank; vice-president of the Erie Dime Savings and Loan Company, and a prominent member of the Board of Trade."

Here's a picture of the Downing Building 75 years later

Enjoy more historical facts and pictures of Erie PA at: Old Time Erie

Earl Lawrence Taught Many Musicians

Earl Lawrence taught music to thousands of people in Erie County before he passed away in 1969. He was so popular that the Fairview High School Class of 1942 dedicated their yearbook to him. He retired as a high school teacher in 1951.

Mr. Lawrence was born in Erie, PA in 1881 and was the son of John and Emma Lawrence. He graduated from Erie High School in 1901. Earl was an inspiration to many students, a number of whom went on to become professional musicians. Bruce Morton Wright and Mary Alice Brown were prodigies. Harry T. Burleigh was a personal friend, and he stayed at the Lawrence home at 221 West Front St. when he visited Erie.

Earl was highly respected in the local community. "Mr. Lawrence spent many years as a performer in bands of various types in dance halls, parks, hotels, and in the homes of prominent Erie citizens." Learn more details about the life of Earl Lawrence at: Erie African American Wiki

Enjoy more facts and photos about the rich history of Erie, Pennsylvania at: Old Time Erie

Top 40 Erie Industries in 1950

As I was coming home last night on East 12th Street, a couple of things caught my eye. The setting sun looked like a blazing ball of fire in the sky. The three smokestacks were a sad reminder of the old Hammermill Paper Company on East Lake Road. I turned north on Downing Avenue and captured this scene just before the sun disappeared below the horizon 

The stacks also got me thinking about what a great manufacturing town Erie, Pennsylvania was. Coincidentally, I found a list of the principal industries of Erie in a 1950 publication. Thousands of skilled workers were employed in these shops. Just a handful of these businesses remain.* See if you can name them.

Alsco, Inc. made aluminum windows and doors
American Sterilizer Company
Henry Althof & Sons specialized in iron and iron works
American Hollow Boring Co. made forgings
Bliley Electric Company
Bucyrus-Erie made steam shovels
Burke Electric Company made motors
Bury Compressor Company made compressors
Cascade Foundry Company made castings
Continental Rubber Works made rubber goods
Erie Brewing Company made beer
Erie City Iron Works
Erie Concrete and Steel Company fabricated steel
Erie Forge Company made machinery
Erie Foundry Company made machinery
Erie Malleable Iron Works
Erie Meter System made meters for gas station pumps
Erie Plastics Company made radio parts
Erie Resistor Corp. made radio parts
General Electric Co. makes locomotives
Griffin Mfg. Company made hardware
Hammermill Paper Company made quality writing paper
Hays Mfg. Company made brass  products
Jarecki Mfg. Company made valves and fittings
Johnson Metal Products made metal items
Kollman Mfg. Company made sewer and drain cleaners
Lord Mfg. Co. made rubber mountings
Lovell Mfg. Co. made wringer washers and mouse traps
Metric Metal Works made gas meters
National Erie Corporation made machinery
Nosco Plastics manufactured items out of plastic
Nubone Company made items for undergarments
Odin Stove Company made stoves
Pelham Electric Manufacturing
Penn Brass and Copper
Perma-Lite Displays made neon tubing for signs
Protane Corporation made items for gas
Reed Manufacturing Company
Skinner Engine Company
Standard Stoker Inc.
Talon Inc. made zippers
U. S. Printing & Lithograph Company made circus posters
Wayne Brewing Company made beer
Weil-McLain Company made radiators
J. A. Zurn Company

*some companies merged with others or operate today under a different name

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

Koehler's Neon Sign and Clock

Old Time Erie: Koehler clock photo ©John Baker 2013.

Stark. Bold. Stately. The old Koehler clock on State Street. How sad it was to watch this old sign suffer a slow and agonizing death. Its paint peeled. Rust dissolved the iron. The hands stopped turning. Time stood still. No one seems to remember the exact day when the Koehlers first flipped the switch. It lit up the skyline for many years.

The old red and white building at 2121 State St. was constructed in 1863, at a turbulent time when the Civil War was in full swing. The brewery was established in Erie, Pennsylvania by the Koehler family in 1847. The Erie Brewing Company sold the Koehler brand to C. Schmidt and Co. of Philadelphia in February of 1978 and stopped brewing beer in Erie. The five building complex sat vacant from '78 until it was leveled in the spring of 2006.

Did you know there were several Koehler beer references in the movie That Thing You Do featuring Tom Hanks? Click the movie title for a cool article with stills from the scenes in the motion picture.

Reminisce about the old days at Old Time Erie

Accidental Pawn Shop Shooting

She was told not to touch it, but she couldn't resist.

"Laura Trusky, who lives at No. 438 East 14th St., yesterday afternoon about 5 o'clock learned a lesson which she will not soon forget and will never again handle in a careless manner, a loaded revolver. Her carelessness nearly cost her life.

She and her escort went into Althof's pawnshop on Turnpike, near State Street, to look over some things. The lady saw the revolver lying on the counter, and picking it up began toying with it, telling her friend she was going to shoot into the ceiling. He told her to be careful of somebody would get hurt.

Suddenly there was a report and the girl gave a shriek. Blood flowed from her left arm and breast. Her companion hurried her to the office of Dr. A. Z. Randall who probed for the bullet in vain, and dressed the wound. The ball had passed through the forearm and caused a slight wound in the breast. The fleshy part of the arm stopped the force of the bullet and saved the girl's life.

After the young lady had been sent to her home, Dr. Randall found the bullet lying on the floor. It probably did not penetrate the flesh, being stopped by the clothing. The young lady/s condition is not serious, but her escape from instant death is next to marvelous." -Erie Evening Herald, Monday, May 23, 1904.

Dr. Alvin Z. Randall had an office at 1606 Peach St. in Erie, Pennsylvania.

I have two questions...
What ever happened to Laura Trusky?
Why would someone leave a loaded revolver on a counter?

Enjoy more interesting facts about Erie PA at: Old Time Erie

How to Identify Old Erie Business Photos

Erie City Hotel photograph courtesy of Tom DiLuzio. Oldtimeerie.blogspot.com

Are you curious about unlabeled photographs that you have in your possession? It is possible to identify the location if you do a little detective work. I found the location of two old photos in the past couple of weeks, and I thought I would share the my secrets with you.

1. Examine the photo closely. This example is 7" x 9" mounted on heavy card stock. The name of the business, assumed to be 'Erie City Hotel,' is our first clue. Was this hotel located in Erie, Pennsylvania? Unfortunately, no address or street names are visible. Nor is there a name of the photo studio on the mounting card.

2. Determine the year that the subject was photographed. The horse and buggy, telegraph poles and trolley tracks narrowed the search to approximately 1890 to 1910.

3. What street could this business be on? The hotel sits on a corner. It is most likely on a major street such as State, Parade or Peach Street, because of the trolly tracks and high utility poles. State and Parade Streets are relatively flat, so I wondered if this hotel was on Peach St.

4. Get out the magnifying glass. I saw a reflection in the large window on the right side of the building. OITAN= NATIO. There is also a poster in the left window that says Majestic. Erie, Pa had a Majestic Theatre.

5. Head to the library. I checked the 1903 city directory and found a National Hotel at 1801-1805 Peach St., but no Erie City Hotel. I found the Erie City Hotel listed at 1725 Peach St. in 1906, across the street from the National Hotel. They both appeared in the directory from 1906 until 1913.

The Erie City Hotel was run by Louis Behr. Chances are pretty good that he is holding the reins of the horse in this picture. In 1904, Louis worked at the Hotel Colegrove at 1725 Peach St., the same address where the Erie City Hotel was later located. Louis Behr died in his home at 1811 Walnut St. on June 26, 1924.

The old Erie City Hotel took on a different look in later years. Brick was added to the facade, and the peaked roof was removed. Here is a more recent picture of the building: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/06/dees-cigar-store-18th-peach-street.html

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