Soap Box Derby at the Dock

Soap Box Derby on State Street in Erie, PA on July 31, 1935. Old Time Erie photo by William Liebler. 

It's finally here! The big day. The event everyone has been waiting for. The Soap Box Derby! Hundreds of people lined both sides of State Street to see local boys participate in this race on July 31, 1935. Events like these were held all over the country, building an estimated 50,000 cars. The champion of each city went on to the national race.

"On August 11th at Akron, Ohio, the finals drew a crowd of between 75,000 and 90,000 people who watched Maurice E. Bale, Jr., age 13, of Anderson, Indiana, race down the incline to become the 1935 Soap Box Derby Champion." -Boys Life (May 1936).

There was a lot at stake for the boys. The first place national champion won a four-year college scholarship; 2nd place won a Chevrolet Master Coach and third place won a Chevrolet Standard Coach.The first boy who won the local derby in Erie, PA is shown at 5:09 in this short film of the 1936 All American Derby racing in the elimination trials Akron, OH. It's pretty exciting to watch the race, and it's no wonder so many spectators showed up. 

Find more historical facts about Erie, Pennsylvania at Old Time Erie.

Lou Tullio's Transitway Mall

Tullio's Transitway Mall. Looking north on State from 10th St.

Now you see it, now you don't. Erie mayor Lou Tullio envisioned a retail mecca in downtown Erie, PA and he secured hundreds of thousands of dollars into construction projects in the hopes of attracting shoppers to State Street. A recent study claims that 39,400 people lived within one mile of the area pictured above. The idea was to build a pedestrian-friendly area with wide sidewalks so that throngs of locals and tourists could meander from store to store and boost the local economy. And people would conserve gasoline and ride the EMTA buses to get downtown.

So, what happened? People hated it. If you look closely near the bottom of the picture, you'll see a yellow sign with two arrows, pointing east and west. Look closer and you'll see three round red circles with the friendly, welcoming words, "Do Not Enter." It worked. Erieites are quite attached to their vehicles and most of us like to park as close as possible to our favorite store, not in a parking lot several blocks away. You can't change human nature. 

Here is a photo of the Transitway Mall near 8th and State.

Find more of Erie, Pennsylvania's historical hot topics at Old Time Erie

Steel Beams For City Hall

The new Erie, PA City Hall under construction in 1963 with the old City Hall in the background.

The steel beams arrived for the new Erie City Hall in June of 1963 and the crew of the H. Platt Company started to construct the frame on the southwest corner of State and South Park Row. This was the site of the original Erie Trust Building and later the newer Elks Club. The old City Hall, seen in the photo above, was on the southeast corner of Peach and South Park Row. Gannon's Old Main (the Strong Mansion) is visible in the lower right hand corner of the photo.

The new City Hall was 245 long on the South Park Row side and 160 feet in length along State Street. Parts of the building were five stories high with a basement, and other parts were one story high with a basement. There was surface and below ground parking on the Peach Street side. The Erie Police Department shooting range and the Erie City Jail was located in the northwest portion of the main building. The office of Erie Mayor Lou Tullio was also located in this structure.

Architects Nelson, Goldberg & Heidt designed the building. Perry Truck & Erection Company rigged the I-beams. William T. Spaeder provided heating, cooling and air conditioning, and Church & Murdock installed the electrical work.

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

Peter Pulakos Chocolates at 11th and Liberty

Peter Pulakos Tradition House at 11th and Liberty in Erie, PA circa 1955.

Peter Pulakos Tradition House was located on Liberty between 10th and 11th Streets in Erie, PA. Even though the picture shown above was taken in the fifties, a decade before I was born, something about it looked very familiar. I figured it out pretty quickly, thanks to Google Maps. The Salvation Army! I spent many hours there during the summer shooting hoops, playing bumper pool and eating pork rinds.

The Pulakos family started manufacturing and selling home-made chocolate and candy in Erie in 1903. Brothers Peter, Stephen and August Pulakos inherited Pulakos Candies business at 1108 State Street from their father, George P. Pulakos, in 1913. The brothers moved to 926 State Street in 1916. Peter Pulakos always considered the windows to be the eyes of the store, and saw to it that all his stores, including the location on Liberty Street, made the best use of the display space so it was visible from the street.

The old Pulakos building on the left still stands, but has a different sign on the front. It's now the center part of the Salvation Army at 1022 Liberty Street. The house on the right was demolished years ago and replaced with a two-story brick building.

Find more obscure facts and old photos of Erie, Pennsylvania 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

John Hicks Was One Cool Inventor

John S. Hicks of Erie, PA taken about 1898.

John S. Hicks was a local businessman and inventor who lived in Erie, PA. He was born in Virginia on Feb. 14, 1845. He came to Erie around 1878 and operated a business at 1406 Turnpike St. for about three years. John later purchased a three-story building at 1216 State Street which housed his ice cream manufacturing business and retail store in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

"During the summer season his specialty is the furnishing of ice cream for his parlors and for supplying orders for private families, parties, picnic and church festivals. The purity of his ice cream has become known all through the city." -Erie Morning Dispatch, April, 1883.

Hicks was granted a U.S. patent number 801,379 on October 10, 1905 for an Ice-cream Mold. "My invention is an improved ice-cream mold for molding a brick of ice-cream with a figure of any desired form in the center thereof." 

Judging from advertisements in the local newspapers, it was common at the time for customers to buy a pint-sized block of ice cream with a shape in the center that corresponded to a holiday, such as a lamb at Easter time.  

Hicks was chosen by the Governor of Pennsylvania to be a delegate to the Illinois National Half-Century Exposition held in Chicago in 1915 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. 

Mr. Hicks was a pioneer African-American businessman in Erie, Pennsylvania. He retired from the ice cream business around 1910. He died on Nov. 13, 1933 and was buried in Erie Cemetery. His building at 1216 State Street was demolished about thirty years after he died.

Learn more facts about Erie PA at Old Time Erie

Duggan-Rider East 8th and State Erie PA

Eastside of State St. from 7th to 8th. Photo by Chester Wasielewski. ©Debbi Lyon 2012.

Check out the giant camera perched atop the Duggan-Rider Office Supply Co. at 727 State Street in Erie, Pennsylvania around 1967. If this scene does not look familiar, it's because most of these buildings have been demolished. (The facade of the smaller First National Bank building at 715 State St. was moved to 138 East 26th St. in Erie.)

The businesses that are visible in this photo, from left to right, are the Erie Sport Store at 709 State; First National Bank, 715 State;  Block's Billiards; Strub's Restaurant at 725 State St.; Duggan-Rider at 727 State St., Beneficial Finance Co. at 729 State St. Beneficial was on the southeast corner of 8th & State.

The buildings to the north of Erie Sport Store in the photograph above were torn down in February of 1969 to make way for the new Erie Sport Store building. The construction caused the collapse of 709 State Street, and damaged buildings at 713 and 715 State St. Six employees were inside the Erie Sport Store when it started to crumble on February 18, 1969. A construction worker ran inside to warn John 'Jack' Weber to get out of the building. "I yelled back one last time for anybody inside to get the hell out of there," Weber told the Erie Daily Times, "then I got out. Minutes later  the whole thing came down."

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield can currently be found at 717 State St. Here is a map of this block from 1950 which lists the names of all the stores.

Here is a picture of the east side of the 700 block of State

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

State Street, Palace Theater and Baldwin Bldg., Erie PA

This postcard, taken on 12th and State Street in Erie, PA looking north, is courtesy of Ken Sidun. The Erie Trust Company Building on the right is better known as the Baldwin Building or the Renaissance Bldg. The Boston Store is visible in the distance on the left side of the image. The Sherman's sign was still hanging on the east side of State between 10th and 11th in the early seventies. You can also see the old Palace sign on the right.

The area shown here on the right currently contains the Crooked I and the Docksider and the Plymouth.

A portion of this postcard showing the Baldwin Building is visible in a shot from the early seventies.

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

Elk's Club on State Street in Erie, PA

Elk's Club on South Park Row and State Street. Photo by Chet Wasielewski, ©2012 Debbi Lyon.

Notice anything unusual about this picture? 

• Cars used to travel in the opposite direction around Perry Square
• The Elk's Club at the corner of South Park Row and State Street has been demolished
• The Earle Hotel is no more
• There were beautiful, tall trees in Perry Square
• The new City Hall in Erie, PA was not yet built

The image that you see above was taken from the curb near Gannon's Old Main (the old Strong Mansion) on 6th and Peach Street looking east.

Here's a photo looking down at the Elk's Club from the Richford Arms Hotel.

Here's a shot of the Elk's Club sign from 7th and State before it was razed.

The Elk's Club is included in a list of the Top 100 Clubs in Erie in 1959.

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

Corner of 7th and State Street, Erie, PA Hall's Restaurant

Corner of 7th and State Street, looking north. Photo by Chester Wasielewski; copyright Debbi Lyon 2012.

Remember Hall's Restaurant at the southwest corner of 7th and State Street in Erie, PA? The businesses in Downtown Erie used lots of cool neon and Coca-Cola signs to advertise their stores. Hall's was torn down, along with the Elk's Club and everything else on the block to make way for City Hall. The billiard hall and the news room were also demolished by the wrecking ball. 

The Hotel Richford, which was the old Ford Hotel, is visible on the right side of this photo. Richford Arms is now an apartment building. It is on the east side of State Street. 

Erieites are pretty hardy. It might be twenty degrees outside, but you just throw on an extra sweater and a pair of boots, put on a pair of mittens over your gloves and head outside. 

Find more facts and photos of Erie, PA at Old Time Erie

Knox 5 and 10 became Woolworth's in Downtown Erie, PA

Knox 5 and 10 became Woolworth's in Downtown Erie, PA

S. H. Knox & Co. 5 and 10¢ store at 818 State St. became Woolworth's.
This 1915 postcard courtesy of Joanne Marchant Heim.

The old card is postmarked 1915. It shows the S. H. Knox 5 and 10¢ store on the right in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania near Eighth and State Street. This chain was owned by Seymour H. Knox and it appears to be the third store in his retail chain. Seymour later partnered with Frank W. Woolworth and changed the name to Woolworth's, said Joanne Marchant Heim. Woolworth's had a long history in downtown Erie and was a mainstay until it closed in 1994.

Woolworth's opened a store in the Liberty Plaza in October of 1955. You can read about the Liberty Plaza store here.

Woolworth's also had a store in the Perry Plaza for a brief time. The Perry Plaza store opened in 1952.

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

Central Market on State Street in Erie, PA

Central Market on 16th and State Street in Erie, PA

The Central Market was a huge retail outlet where people could buy fresh produce, fruit, meat, bread, milk and other items. Merchants could rent individual stalls, or a series of stalls, to sell their goods. Stalls on the State Street side had a door facing State so that goods could be unloaded from the trolley or from horse-drawn carts. I have the original slide of the picture shown above, so if you see it on some other site, it's a bootleg.

In addition to the Central Market, dealers could also rent stalls at the State Street Market or the Parade Street Market. It was not uncommon for a retailer to have stalls in two or three market houses. 

This shot was taken a little bit above the Erie Maennerchor Club, looking north on State St. The 'Black Label' beer billboard was on top of the building which now houses Jr's Last Laugh. You can see the railroad bridge which crosses state just south of 14th Street.

The Central Market was demolished by the Erie Redevelopment Authority. A bowling alley was built on this site. It was later turned into the Erie School District administrative offices and then became Perseus House at 1511 Peach St.

Here is a shot of the interior of the Central Market from the 1920s

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

P.A. Meyer Fire State Street Erie, PA part 1

P.A. Meyer Fire State Street, Erie, PA pt. 1

P.A. Meyer & Sons aftermath of fire. Photo by Chester Wasielewski. ©2012 Debbi Lyon.

P.A. Meyer & Sons was located on State Street in Erie, Pennsylvania, in between the Warner Theatre and Trask's department store (which was torn down and replaced by Mid City Towers, shown on the right in the  picture above.) P.A. Meyer's caught fire in the winter and was completely gutted.

See the article "Warner Theatre State Street about 1965" for a photo of P.A. Meyer's before the fire: P. A. Meyer before the fire. This article was published on Old Time Erie blog on May 21, 2012.

Bruce Moorhead was a rookie on the Erie Fire Department when the call came in. "Got called in on Friday night, around 7 p.m., got relieved Sunday morning at 7 a.m. I believe the snorkel froze with the basket hanging out over the burnt out building," said Bruce. "That was one h--- of a cold night." He responded from Station 8 at 23rd and Ash Street.

The building that formerly housed P. A. Meyer & Son caught fire on Friday, January 27, 1978. By that time State Street had been changed to include a pedestrian friendly shopping area as part of the Erie downtown redevelopment under Mayor Louis Tullio. The planters shown here are barely visible with all the snow plowed up against them.

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

Ice Fishing in Erie, PA Bay in 1978

Ice Fishing on the Bay in Erie, PA in 1978

Ice fishing on the bay at Erie, PA in 1978. Photo by Chester Wasielewski, ©Debbi Lyon 2012. 

Ice fishermen love it when Lake Erie freezes over. The proof is in the picture. This shot was taken near the Public Dock at the foot of State Street in Erie, Pennsylvania in January of 1978. The old grain elevator is visible in the background on the right. It has since been demolished. How many people went fishing on this day? It's hard to tell for sure. There are a couple of different strategies here; the simple one involves sitting on a bucket. The other involves dragging a small ice shanty out onto the ice (and hoping that a major wind-gust doesn't launch your shack to Canada.) 

The Maritime Museum and the Blasco Memorial Library were not located on East Front Street when this photo was taken. A new hotel may be in the works on the property where the grain elevator was.

On a good day, you can walk across the Bay to Presque Isle. Do you need a passport to walk across the lake to Canada? Hmmm...

Find more fun facts about Erie PA at Old Time Erie

Public Dock in 1960 covered in snow

Public Dock in 1960 covered in snow

Erie Steamboat Landing in 1960. Photo by Chet Wasielewski. ©Debbi Lyon 2012.

Here's a shot of the Public Dock on State Street in Erie, PA taken 1960, when it was still called the Public Steamboat Landing. There is a Koehler's billboard on the top of the building on the right, and an ore carrier in its winter berth. The dock is blocked off with yellow barriers so cars could not drive onto the dock when there was too much snow or ice. This photo was taken a little bit north of East Front Street. This area was under construction (in the spring of 2012) so that the bridge which takes State Street over the bay could be replaced. The Dock has always been a hot tourist attraction for locals and visitors to Erie, Pennsylvania.

The new Koehler electric sign on the east side of the public dock was installed in July of 1952. The Public Steamboat Landing is now known as Dobbins Landing. The Bicentennial Tower is part of the Dobbins Landing complex. Erie has Pennsylvania's sole port on Lake Erie.

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

Public Dock Iced Over in 1985, Erie, PA

Photo by Chester Wasielewski taken in 1985. ©Debbi Lyon 2012.

Public Dock iced over in 1985 Foot of State Street in Erie, PA

Just think of the brutal wind whipping in from the north, spraying water from the bay onto the old Public Dock. The dock is a perfect place to take in the setting sun, catch a fish or capture  a photo ducks or seagulls. Or, you can go here a shoot the breeze or get an ice cream cone. 

This tourist attraction has been renamed  several times over the years and is now known as Dobbins Landing. The Bicentennial Tower replaced the old structure shown here.

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

Sherlock's article from Erie Star Aug. 1982

During the summer between tenth and eleventh grade, I wrote for the Erie Star Magazine, published by Randy Arrowsmith. I thought this would be a great stepping stone on my way to Rolling Stone. I wrote about Sherlock's on State Street and Park Place on North Park Row. The two bars connected and formed an "L" shaped property. Given my young age, I was allowed but a brief time to gather information inside the bar, and the owners were none too happy about me being there. Think 'Drive by Writing.' You'll notice there are no quotes from anyone who worked at the bar. 

Sherlock's was located in the building that housed the old Parris Supper Club. The bar is still going strong in 2014.

View more historic photos and facts about Erie, PA at Old Time Erie

Erie Sport Store at 709 State Street, Erie, PA

The old, old Erie Sport Store at 709 State St., Erie, PA. Photo by Chester Wasielewski  ©2012 Debbi Lyon.

Erie Sport Store 709 State Street, Erie, PA

Here's a picture of the old, old Erie Sport Store at 709 State Street. The store on the corner, Perry Square Clothes, was having a going out of business sale. The other stores include Erie Discount Center at 705 State St., the Erie Sport Store (before the old/new one was built on the corner), the old First National Bank (before the facade was moved to East 26th St.). You can also see the old safety island in the middle of State Street; pedestrians could stand on this island if they got caught in between traffic lights.

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

State Street Snowstorm Thanksgiving 1956

Thanksgiving 1956 Snowstorm on State Street in Erie, Pa. Photo courtesy of Sandra K. Sagala ©SKS 2012.

The Great Snowstorm of 1956

The Thanksgiving Snowstorm of 1956 was one for the Erie, Pennsylvania record books. Twenty-seven inches of snow brought the city to a standstill. Cars were stranded all over Erie, PA. The National Guard was brought in. Helicopters airlifted food. WICU-TV on State Street. Yes, it was really THAT BIG! This photo shows the S.S. Kresge Co. on the left (on the west side) of State Street. Next is Eckerd Drugs, a chain that started in Erie on the northwest corner of Ninth and State. The Boston Store at 716 State Street is a familiar landmark, since the building still stands. Lots of Christmas decorations hang from the telephone poles.

Did you spend the snow storm of 1956 glued to your radio? What do you remember about November 22, 1956 and the great Thanksgiving Blizzard?

Click here to see a shot of Station Road (Route 430) in nearby Wesleyville, PA Thanksgiving 1956 snowstorm.

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

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