Top 10 Oliver Hazard Perry Sites

Old Time Erie photo by Debbi Lyon.

Oliver Hazard Perry was the victor in the Battle of Lake Erie and was a pivotal figure in the War of 1812. Here my list of Top 10 Oliver Hazard Perry sites in Erie County, PA, some of which were named in his honor (in no particular order).

 1. Perry Square. Make this your vacation destination. Lots of events are centered here.

2. Oliver Hazard Perry statue (show here). Located on the east side of Perry Square. Perry points south and helps drivers navigate around the park.

3. Perry's flagship, the Brig Niagara. A must see, especially when she is under full sail coming through the channel.

4. Perry Monument. Located on Presque Isle State Park. Dedicated September 10, 1926.

5. Perry Elementary School, 955 West 29th St. Opened in 1913.

6. Perry Street runs north/south on Erie's east side.

7. Perry Plaza. On Broad St. on Erie's east side. Opened June 5, 1952

8. Perry Highway. Route 19 in Waterford, Erie County, PA. 

9. Perry Memorial Building. On 2nd and French St. in Erie, across from the entrance to the UPMC/Hamot emergency room. Also known as the Dickson Tavern.

10. Commodore Perry Yacht Club and Perry's Landing Marina. A tip of the cap to Erie's maritime history with these two west bayfront businesses.

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

Loblaws had 13 Erie, PA Grocery Stores in 1974

-ad in Erie Morning News, August 14, 1974.

Remember the Loblaws grocery chain? The grocery store chain had 13 stores in Erie County, PA in August of 1974. Thirteen was not a lucky number for this Buffalo, NY business. The Loblaw Inc. chain was purchased by the Peter J. Schmitt Co., which closed (or sold) several stores in October of 1982. Several buildings remain, some of which are still used as grocery stores, but the Loblaws chain is long gone from Erie.

In August of 1974, Loblaws had the following locations:
1) Erie Central Mall. Howard Roy, mgr.
2) Liberty Plaza. Bill Brandon, mgr. (Now Topps Market at 712 West 38th St.?)
3) Perry Plaza. Carl Hoffman, mgr. (This store is now Erie County Farms)
4) 3580 Peach St. Bill Ball, mgr.
5) 255 East 38th St. (at Old French Road), John Crowell, mgr. (Now Value Home Center)
6) Harborcreek Mall, Jim Mifsud, mgr. (This mall was demolished.)
7) 2203 West 12th St. Fran Forish, mgr.
8) Eastway Plaza. Ed Harrity, mgr. (Now vacant on Buffalo Rd, west of the new Giant Eagle.)
9) 5039 Peach St. Ray Welch, mgr.
10) East Erie Plaza- 838 East 6th St. Charles Kiehlmeier, mgr.
11) North East. Paul Hammer, mgr.
12) Legion Road off of West 26th St. Bruce Carpenter, mgr.
13) 3712 West 12th St. Joe Rooney, mgr. (Now Harley-Davidson of Erie.)

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

Perry Plaza in Erie, PA turned 60 on June 5

Perry Plaza in Erie PA turned 60 on June 5

The Perry Plaza on Broad Street and Fairmont Parkway in Erie, Pennsylvania opened on June 5, 1952. Incredibly, the plaza had two grocery stores, Loblaws and A&P. The plaza still exists and is conveniently located on Route 20; the eastside Bayfront Connector runs right behind the plaza. 

Property for the plaza was selected on May 24, 1950 by Broad-Erie, Inc. Attorney Leonard P. Schur was secretary of this corporation. I. Margolin & Sons began construction on the plaza on July 27, 1951. The original plaza tenants, in addition to Loblaws and Atlantic and Pacific (A&P) included: Gray Drug Store, Quaker Dry Cleaner, Union Bank, F. W. Woolworth, Zehe's Bakery, Carter Shoes, National Meats & Vegetables, Pennsylvania Dutch Farms, Dean Phipps Store, Boston Factory Shoe Repair and a Pennsylvania State liquor store. 

Loblaws was billed as 'Erie's Most Modern 100% Self-Serve Market' and was open Thursday night until 8 p.m. and Friday night until 9 p.m. Erie County Farms currently occupies this site. Dunn Tire occupies the old Union Bank location on the right side of this drawing. 

This plaza was on the smaller side, with parking for 1,000 cars; the West Erie Plaza boasted parking for 3,000 cars (see article "West Erie Plaza Map 1971 posted on Old Time Erie on May 17, 2012: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/05/west-erie-plaza-map-1971-dipsons.html 

My parents shopped at Loblaws in the early seventies. I remember a bar on the right side of this plaza. Union Bank was in a different location than the one shown here- it was a few stores to the left of the one in this drawing, and it had a unique feature, you could drive right through the building and come out behind the plaza.

The Perry Plaza Bowling Center opened around 1953 at 2230 Broad Street, in the corner where the two sections of the plaza meet. I bowled there many, many times in the seventies and eighties. It had 20 lanes and was equipped with AMF automatic pinspotters. And, you could get pepperoni balls at the pizza shop nearby.

EMTA Wishes You a Merry Christmas 1967

EMTA drivers Christmas 1967, Erie, PA.

EMTA Erie Metropolitan Transit Association Dec. 1967

I would venture to say that most Erie, PA natives have hopped aboard an EMTA bus at some point in their lives. I used to catch Route 1 at the corner of 21st and State and ride to Wesleyville every Friday in the early eighties. Most times it was standing room only after school, when the bus was packed with kids heading home after transferring on State Street. People used to ride the bus to shop downtown in the forties and fifties, lugging home bags full of clothing, shoes, hats and other sale items.

On Saturdays, after bowling at the Perry Plaza, I'd save the .85 fare and walk to Record Country at 2905 Buffalo Road to buy a 45. Occasionally, I'd catch Route 1 at 21st and Ash, head west, then transfer to Route 9 to go to the Millcreek Mall. Those were the days when Route 1 traversed the city, and you could ride from the from Eastway Plaza to the West Erie Plaza on the same bus.

This photo shows a jovial bunch of transit workers holding a sing wishing riders a Happy Holiday Season and a Pleasant Trip. The EMTA  drivers, from left to right, include Ernest Loscar, Andrew Franz, Samuel Hayes, Roy D. Polk, Harry Gambill and William Rounds. 

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