Boston Store Charge Card

It seems like there is a card for everything these days. One for insurance, the library, the bank, Master Card, Visa and one for each grocery and department store...your wallet is probably bulging with cards. But, before there was plastic, there were aluminum cards tucked into a hard plastic carrying case. These were issued by large department stores like the Boston Store and Trask's here in Erie, PA. Customers would give this card to the cashier when they wanted to put items on their account. The cashier would put the card in a machine and pull a handle down to emboss the name and address on the receipts, one original and one carbon copy for the customer. There was a paper card tucked into the back of this Charga Plate Credit Token with the customer's signature on it.

Chuck Hess found this Boston Store Credit Token, along with the steel wheat penny, while he was hunting with his metal detector recently. I'll keep the location a secret so he can go back and look for other items, but I will say that he found it in the City of Erie. 

This card was issued to Mrs. A. C. Locke who lived on West 30th Street in Erie. The Boston Store issued these in the thirties, forties and fifties. Customers would carry them when they went shopping in Downtown Erie. I will have to do some more research to narrow down the time frame for this one.

Enjoy more interesting historical facts and photos at: Old Time Erie

Griswold Sale at Trask's 1936

Griswold cookware and cooking utensils were manufactured in Erie, Pennsylvania. These items included frying pans, dutch ovens, pancake griddles, tea kettles, food choppers, skillets and muffin pans. It's hard to believe that the highly collectible Griswold items once sold for 59¢ to $4.29. The purchase of an entire set of Griswold would have made an excellent investment...if only you had a crystal ball. 

Trask's Department Store was located at 827 State Street in Erie, PA. The advertisement shown above appeared in the Erie Dispatch-Herald on October 28, 1936.

Griswold was also available at the Boston Store down the street: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/11/griswold-sale-at-boston-store-1934.html

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

8th and State, Trask's Department Store and Trolley

The east side of State Street near 8th. Postcard courtesy of Ken Sidun.

Erieites used every available mode of transportation to get to the Trask, Prescott and Richardson Company at 825 State Street. You can see the mixture in this postcard, which shows pedestrians, a trolley, a horse-drawn wagon, and early automobiles. 

The Andrews Land Company had an office in the building on the far left. Marine Bank was located in the white building on the corner at 901 State Street. Palace Hardware was in the tall red building near the trolley car, at 913 State St.

Here is an article about the Marine Bank building, which was constructed around 1911: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/08/marine-bank-901-state-st-erie-pa-1913.html

Sorry, Captain Kangaroo Fans. 1956 Trask's ad

Ad in Erie Daily Times, October 15, 1956.

Seriously? 

I came across this bizarre advertisement when I was scanning the Erie Daily Times on microfilm. There is no way I could make up something this strange. 

A kangaroo was going to make an appearance at Trask's store in downtown Erie, PA on one day, and then appear at its store in the West Erie Plaza the following day. 

"Sorry, Capt. Kangaroo fans, our kangaroo died en-route to Trask's. Watch this paper for further announcement for new kangaroo. Trask, Prescott & Richardson Co."

I don't know what to say, but I wonder if it was necessary to tell the kids that the kangaroo died on the way to Trask's. What happened to the poor thing? We may never know.

Trask's was four stores south of the Warner Theatre on State Street, where Mid-City Towers is now. 

Here is a picture of Trask's from 1965:

http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/05/warner-theatre-state-street-about-1965.html

Warner Theatre State Street about 1965

Warner Theatre State Street about 1965

Warner Theatre photo by Chester
Wasielewski, © Debbi Lyon 2012.

This shot of the Warner Theatre at 811 State Street in Erie was taken about 1965. The movie on the marquee is "Your Cheatin' Heart" starring George Hamilton as Hank Williams, Sr. 

The remainder of the stores, from left to right, are:

815 State St. ?

815 1/2 State St. Household Finance Loans

817 State St. P.A. Meyer & Sons 

827 State St. Trask's 

The Warner Theatre has been restored to its glory days and many special events are held here, including concerts, dance recitals, high school graduations and weddings. The Floral Gallery is next door at 815 State St. There are law offices at 821 State St. Mid City Towers occupies the corner where the old Trask's department store used to be. Mid City Towers, which has an address of 12 East 9th Street, has several businesses on its ground floor. P.A. Meyer was destroyed by fire and later demolished.

Here are some Erie movie theater ads from 1948.

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