Woolworth's and Kresge's on State

Classic Downtown Erie. This looks like a scene that Tom Hanks would have used in the move "That Thing You Do." This is the west side of State Street. Woolworth's was located at 818 State, between 8th and 9th St. Kresge's was on the southwest corner of 9th and State, and Murphy's was to the south of Kresge. The five and dime stores attracted tons of shoppers, old and young. Woolworth's had a lunch counter where you could get a cup of coffee, a burger and fries, a milkshake or a cherry phosphate. The little kids thought it was fun to spin around on the floor mounted stools until their mother gave them "the look" and they stopped misbehaving immediately. Ahh, the good old days.

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

Dailey's 1955 Chevrolet Super Service Ad

How many classic cars did your family buy from Dailey's Chevrolet? The lot was on the corner of 21st and State for years (pre-Hallman's), so I bet someone in your family tree shopped there. The ad shown above was mailed to customers to promote new cars, including the '55 Chevy crossing the tracks on the cover. A series of these four-page flyers were sent out to potential buyers to promote new vehicles and also to remind people to service their cars. Need new brakes? We've got 'em. An alignment? Check. Tire rotation? Yep, we do that too. 

"The wise driver doesn't take chances, either in the way he drives- or in the condition of his car. He makes sure it's in tip-top shape through periodic check-ups. You, as a Chevrolet owner, will drive with greater peace of mind once your car has had the benefit of our Chevrolet 10-point Safety Check...Better not wait. Come in now."

The inside of each flyer had practical information for the home owner. This one included examples of common nails, finishing nails, household tacks, cut nails, roofing nails, spikes and casing nails. I could have used this chart when I redid my garage roof. In the hot sun. Not fun.

Enjoy more fun facts and glib comments about Erie PA history at: Old Time Erie

Duquesne Marine Terminal Crane

I just found this awesome shot which documents the important role that Erie played in Great Lakes shipping in 1960. There were at least 15 piers, wharves or docks in Erie at that time. We'll focus on one of them today.

"The Duquesne Marine Terminal Pier is owned by the Port Commission, City of Erie, and operated by the Western Stevedoring Company for handling general cargo in foreign and domestic trade. This pier is located between German and Holland Streets extended and provides 1,130 feet of berthing along the west side and 1,335 feet along the east side; water depths along the sides range from 22 to 27 feet at low water datum. A one-story 783 by 72 foot steel frame, metal-covered building is located along the rear of the west side of the pier and provides a total of 56,376 square feet of space; part of this building is used as a transit shed, and part as a public storage warehouse. In addition to covered storage, about 5 acres of open storage are available on the pier." -U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report.

Look closely on the right side of this picture and you'll see a large truck being lifted by the crane. This shot looks south toward the city of Erie. Here is a modern shot of DonJon Shipbuilding and the Intermodal Transportation Hub which appears on the Port Erie website.

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

Commerce Building on State Street in 1926

I found this cool shot of State Street taken in 1926, so I took a break from my studies to write a new post. This photo shows the east side of State from 10th to 13th Street. The tall cream colored building on the left is the Erie Trust Company (later the Baldwin Building  or Renaissance Center) at 10th and State. It still stands. The tall building to the right is the Commerce Building at 12th and State, which has since been demolished. 

The sign for Lawrie Brothers Furniture, at 1207 State St., is partially visible. Reliable Furniture was located next door, at 1213-1221 State St. The Wayne Furniture Company, at 1223-1225 State, rounds off Erie's original Furniture Row. Erie Sea Food House was located at 1227 State, and Erie Window Glass Co. was on the corner of 13th and State (1229 State St.). 

The New Commercial Hotel was across the street at 1301 State, Schneider Hardware was next door at 1303 State, and Joseph Erhart sold harnesses, horse supplies, trunks, bags and leather goods at 1305 State St. Most of the buildings south of 12th Street still stand.

In case you're curious, I'm studying the human genome. Be thankful I'm writing about State Street rather than bombarding you with details of DNA, nucleotides, cytosine and histones. 

Enjoy more fun historical facts about Erie, Pennsylvania at: Old Time Erie