State Street from 10th to 11th with old Koehler sign

Tenth to Eleventh and State St., Erie, PA. Photo by Chester Wasielewski, ©Debbi Lyon 2012.

State St. from 10th to 11th with Koehler Beer clock and Baldwin Bldg.

Let's see how many businesses you recognize along the east side of State from 10th to 11th Street in Erie, Pennsylvania. We'll begin our tour with the old Koehler Beer clock on Tenth Street. The clock was perched atop a building just north of Tenth St. The Baldwin Bldg. anchors this shot on the left, with a sign for First National Bank. Next are a couple of buildings that have since been torn down, one of which housed Shooter's Tavern in the late eighties. Then the State Street Food Market. 

The Winter Co. is notable because it had a curved front window that was a perfect place to shove your friends into. There are still tiles in the sidewalk in front of this building bearing the Winter Company name. Babe Harkins had a City Council election office in the next space, and then the One Hour Cleaning and Sherman's Mens Wear. H&R Block and Seaway came next, along with a skinny shoe-shine shop. The Nut Kitchen was next, and the Hutch's Billiards Shop was on the corner. It's the place with the Pepsi signs. There is an EMTA bus on the left side of the photo. This was taken before the pedestrian safety islands were torn out.

Here is a copy of a Koehler Beer ad from 1952: Koehler Beer ad from 1952

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

Grants Outdoor Furniture 1972

Grants ad from Erie Press June 24, 1972.

Grants Fights Inflation

Nothing says summertime in Erie like a webbed aluminum chaise, a redwood picnic table, and an olive green hammock. And jarts. Everyone played jarts in the yard in the seventies, right?

Grants was located in downtown Erie on Peach Street, with entrances on West 8th and West 9th Streets. The store was so big that people would use it as a path to cut through to get from one street to another, especially when it was raining or snowing. 

The chaise lounges and chairs had webbing that scratched your legs if your wore shorts. If you had a worn out or frayed piece of webbing, you could go to practically any hardware store and get a replacement. And you could chose several colors, such as white, blue, green or yellow. 

Oh, and the aluminum chairs were light enough to throw in the back of the station wagon, ready for any picnic or drive-in movie!