Plymouth Manufactured a Car In Erie

Champion ad in Erie Daily Times, Aug. 23, 1935.
The Times Publishing Co. is located on 12th and
Sassafras St., near the old Plymouth dealership.

Can't make it to Detroit to tour the automobile factories? No problem. Plymouth hooked up a trailer and traveled around the U.S., stopping in Erie, PA on August 24, 1935, to show off the: 

"World's Greatest Miniature Manufacturing Exhibit."

The country was in the midst of the Great Depression, but that did not stop Plymouth from promoting its brand. This enticing free show was held at Champion Auto Sales Co., the local Plymouth dealership, at 12th and Sassafras St., near the other car dealers. 

It's like a trip to Detroit!

"See how the railroad cars bring in the various materials for the automobile, and then the various steps of manufacture that take place in the building of the car. At one end of the assembly line- the bare frames; at the other end of the line- finished automobiles ready for the road. And here is a duplicate of the amazing 18-mile long conveyor lines of the great Plymouth factory."                

Come and see it! 

"It's one of the most elaborate mechanical exhibits of modern industry...It is the marvel of modern industry. Come tomorrow and see this operating miniature factory at our salesroom. The public is cordially invited. The display is for one day only. Don't miss it."

There is one thing I would like to know. Since this was a miniature manufacturing exhibit, did Plymouth make a miniature car in Erie?

As a sidebar, when I saw an illustration of the old Plymouth plant on Lynch Road in Detroit, Michigan I did a double take. At first glance I thought it was a drawing of Central Tech High School / Tech Memorial High School in Erie, Pennsylvania.  

Find more fun facts about the old days in Erie, PA at Old Time Erie

Hammermill Bird's Eye View

Bird's Eye View of Hammermill Paper Co. from a linen card.

Just dropping a quick note to let you know that I haven't forgotten about you. I decided to research my Irish ancestors on St. Patrick's Day and discovered that my great-great-great grandfather, Patrick F. Donnelly, was a veteran of the Civil War! Having survived that harrowing experience, he was one of 17 men who were killed in an explosion in a coal mine in Clinton County, Pennsylvania in November of 1888. So, you can see why I have been neglecting my Old Time Erie duties as of late. 

As I ease back into a routine, I thought you might enjoy a bird's eye view of the Hammermill Paper Company on East Lake Road in Erie, PA. The plant was purchased by International Paper and, as was the fate with many industries in the region, no longer exists.

Stay tuned for more historical facts and old photos of Erie, PA following this brief intermission.

Sigsbee Reservoir near the Erie Cemetery

Old Time Erie: Sigsbee Reservoir on West 26th St. in Erie, PA.

This photo of the Sigsbee Reservoir on West 26th Street in Erie, PA contains a couple optical illusions. At first I thought the upper portion of the caretaker's house was built on stilts, but the poles are actually on the north side of the fence. I also thought 26th Street was covered in grass. However, since this photo was taken from the ridge of Erie Cemetery, the elevation masks the presence of the road. Regardless of the angle, I think think it's a pretty cool old picture. 

The reservoir was built on the property of the old Cochran estate on West 26th Street, about halfway between Chestnut and Cherry Street. The property was purchased by the Erie City Water Works in 1871 and the reservoir was completed in 1874. The commissioners of the Water Works borrowed $176,632 on their own to finance this project. Those men included Mr. Reed, Mr. Barr, Mr. Gensheimer and Mr. Liebel.- Erie, Pennsylvania Illustrated (1888).

"The pressing need of an early completion of the reservoir, and the difficulty of selling bonds, has led the commissioners to shoulder a responsibility which could not have been demanded of them, and for which they certainly deserve great credit." -Report to City Council by the auditing committee of William A. Galbraith, Judah Colt Spencer and G. T. Churchill.

The Sigsbee Reservoir, which holds about 34 million gallons of water, exists to this day. The caretaker's house looks neat at night when the exterior is lit up.

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

Conneaut and Erie Traction Co. Schedule

Conneaut and Erie Traction Co. schedule circa 1906 courtesy of Mr. Eagley.

All aboard! Today we're going to travel back in time to 1906 and talk about Ken Springirth's favorite subject: Trolleys. Ken is a walking encyclopedia of trolley trivia (check out this interview in the Jamestown Post-Journal), so if you want to read more about trolleys and trains, view a list of Ken's books from the Erie County Public Library's catalog. And while I'm on the subject, Ken Springirth will appear at the Lincoln Community Center in Fairview, PA on Saturday, April 12, 2014 at 1 p.m. to talk about his new book, Remembering the Pennsylvania Railroad. Call (814) 451-7085 for more information.

Back to the topic at hand. What I find most interesting about the Conneaut and Lake Erie Traction Company is that you could travel from Perry Square in downtown Erie, PA all the way to Conneaut, Ohio. Never mind that it took one hour and 55 minutes. 

The printed schedule was very straightforward and easy to decipher. Board the trolley at 7:05 a.m. on North Park Row, travel south on State Street, turn right on West 12th St., turn south at Peach St., then right on West 26th St. to Weigeltown (on which Skip Niebauer is the go-to man). The next stop, as we continue to travel west, was the Poor House (Alms House) near Pittsburgh Avenue, and then on to Swanville.

After stopping in Fairview, it would arrive in Girard at 8:04 a.m. and then turn right and travel to North Girard, which is now Lake City, PA. Traveling parallel to Route 5 for a short distance, the car would make a left, a right, a left and another right. The trolley cars were carried over Elk Creek by a wooden trestle. Elk Creek being a destination for steelhead fishing. 

Next stop, East Springfield at 8:30 a.m., then on to West Springfield, and East Conneaut, reaching the final destination- Conneaut, Ohio- at  8:55 a.m. Ten minutes later the trolley would turn around and head back to Erie following the same tracks. The last trolley to cover the entire distance left Conneaut at 9:05 p.m. and reached Perry Square at 10:55 p.m. It took two hours and 20 minutes to make the trip in 1904.

An average of 4,000 passengers per day rode on the Conneaut and Erie line in 1904, and it was quite scenic in the west county. "Probably the most beautiful sections are along the gorges near Elk Creek, Crooked Creek and especially in Walnut Canyon, between Swanville and Fairview." - Street Railway Journal, February 6, 1904.

There were occasional delays when Northwestern PA experienced extreme weather events like lake effect snow. Strong winds of sustained speed would cause huge snow drifts across the trolley tracks in wide open farm areas, and winter maintenance was accomplished with a rotary snow plow or a box car fitted with a ball-nose snow pusher. If there was a really high drift, the work was sometimes done by men with shovels!

Want more information about Erie, PA? Find it here.