Walnut Creek Hotel in Kearsarge, PA

Walnut Creek Hotel postcard courtesy of Tom DiLuzio.

Here is a real photo postcard of an old Erie County hotel, complete with several pieces of luggage sitting in the dirt. The Walnut Creek Hotel, if it existed today, would sit at 5701 Peach Street, on the southeast corner of Peach and Biebel Avenue in Millcreek Township. The site is currently occupied by Roth Cadillac. It's across the street from the Millcreek Mall.

The Walnut Creek Hotel was also a tavern. There are three Erie Brewing Company corner signs on this wooden building, advertising beer, ale and porter. Kids who grew up in Kearsarge referred to this building as the 'Haunted House.'

There are three men in this photo, two on the porch (one in a white apron) and one standing next to the horse-drawn wagon. Unfortunately, there is no postmark on the postcard. At the turn of the century, Peach Street was called Edinboro Road, or the Erie and Edinboro Road. Biebel Avenue was called Zauniger Lane. (Zaunnegger St. now runs parallel to Peach St.)

My theory is that the Walnut Creek Hotel was owned by George and Mary Biebel. They were the parents of William and Edward Biebel. William died in his home at 5637 Peach Street on May 14, 1929. The headline of his obituary read "Well-known Kearsarge Merchant Succumbs at His Home." William and Edward owned a general store near the hotel. 

I'm hoping that one of the descendants of the men shown above will drop me an e-mail to solve this mystery. 

Enjoy more historic Erie, PA facts and photos at: oldtimeerie.blogspot.com

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