Times Square and Harris Ford Receipts 1959

Here are a couple of auto parts receipts from 1959. Times Square Motors sold Lincoln and Mercury cars, along with all the parts and accessories used by auto repair shops and vehicle owners. Times Square was located at 144 East 12th St. in Erie, PA. Harris Ford, which sold and serviced Fords, was located at 150 East 12th St. It's cool to come across old paper items like this because this is the type of item that most people would have throw away. The one on the left was for an item that cost 36¢ and the bill on the right was for a hose which cost $1.22. 

If you find an old receipt for a new car that was purchased in Erie, send it in and I'll post it here.

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Harris Ford Service Reminder Card

Harris Ford in Erie, PA used to send out postcards as reminders to customers when services were recommended for their automobiles. There are at least six different postcards from this Ford dealership, each having a color photo of a classic car on the other side. This card had an 1893 Benz Velo. 

Harris Ford was located at 150 East 12th Street. One of the cards that I have is postmarked June of 1964. The unused card shown above has boxes that could be checked to recommend chassis service, check brakes, change oil filter (which appears not to have come with an oil change), tune engine, inspect tires, check wipers, inspect cooling system and test lights. Harris Ford sold Pennzoil Z-7 motor oil.

Remember the old car batteries...the ones with that you had to add water to? I sure don't miss those.

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Blackburn at Hullabaloo in Erie PA

Old Time Erie photo of Blackburn courtesy of Sam Orrico.

The Hullabaloo at 3619 McClelland Avenue in Erie, PA was the place to be in the late sixties. Blackburn, whose members hailed from the New Castle/Ellwood City, PA, played at Hullabaloo around 1970. Blackburn included guitarist Jon Zedick, the late Jerry Wiley on bass guitar, drummer Sam Orrico, and keyboardist David Maranaccio.  

Hullabaloo was a national chain which included 87 clubs as of January of 1968. The one pictured above was located on the east side of McClelland Avenue. The backdrop included the logo from the Hullabaloo TV series painted on the wall, complete with the outline of a television screen. The building has since been demolished. Locals remember it as the home of the Place, Gadsbys and the Alternative. The Bayfront Connector runs through a portion of the old Hullabaloo parking lot.

You could purchase a Hullabaloo Scene franchise for as little as $17,000 in March of 1967, depending on the size of the local market. Booking was done on a national basis, and the deal included training, business forms, advertising, and a sign out front.

Ad in Billboard magazine, March 18, 1967.

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Mace Electronics West 8th Street Store

Mace Electronics had a retail 'super store' at 2631 West 8th Street in Erie, PA. The store had its grand opening on September 19, 1968. This postcard was mailed June 16, 1977 to let a customer know that their cassette recorder had been repaired and they could pick it up at their earliest convenience. I'm not sure when this photo was taken, but you'll probably recognize some of the old cars parked out front. The Colony Plaza sign is visible in the reflection in the window above the red car.

Here is an article about the Grand Opening Sale: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/08/mace-electronics-grand-opening-w-8th-st.html
Enjoy more historic facts and photos of Erie, PA at: oldtimeerie.blogspot.com