Crotty, Erie, PA

In 1924 our grandfather's brother, P.D. Crotty, opened a store at 6th & Parade Street (P.D. Crotty's Confectionery). He sold penny candy. I can remember going there with a nickel or dime and spending a lot of time choosing the candy I wanted. The candy was in display cases. You pointed to the pieces that you wanted, and the clerk, possibly Lucy Crotty, put them in a little white bag. The other thing I remember about the store was the large pendulum clock that hung on the wall.

Sometime after P.D. died in 1947, his wife Mayme (grandma's sister) sold the store, and it became Vine's Cut-rate. About 1952 it was bought by the Filipkowski's, who had also bought grandma and grandpa's house in 1946 at 509 Parade Street.  The Filipkowski's named the store Harriet's Dairy Bar. The Filipkowski's also had a place called Harriett's Ice Cream on Glenwood Park Ave. Ext., and also Harriet's Confectionery at 1435 Parade St.

In 1955 the store became Bernie's Dairy Bar, and in 1956 it became Dan Borden's PX.

Many years later the location became the Emmaus Soup Kitchen.

A few years ago, the large front windows at the store were removed, and the dark red brick was painted a light green. This is how the place looks at this writing. 

Bricks and mortar from our past...

Places made of brick and mortar, but forever in my memories. Those of you that still live in Erie, still see some of these places that have not been torn down or ‘re-purposed’.

…do you remember the Josephinum on 5th & Peach Street?
…Old, old St. Joseph's orphanage on 3rd between German and Holland? When I went to St. Pat's the nuns lived there during that time (I think it was torn down in the late 50's)
...The old orphanage on West 6th which is now where Willie lives. I went with some of the girls in my 8th grade class to the orphanage to deliver presents to kids that had gone to St. Pat’s. I remember that the kids were always dirty and hungry, and the nuns would feed them lunch as it was their only meal. I have thought of the two of them through the years and I wonder what happened to them.
…Intrieri's drug store at 4th and German
....Sullivan's tavern……3rd and French……old time tin ceiling…
…Koehler brewery on state street……
...The library on South Park Row.
…Warner Theater!! How I would love to see it again!
…Other theaters…Strand, Shea's, Columbia and Colonial. When I was a kid, Nancy used to work at Shea’s candy counter. She took me to the movies and I had to sit in the last row (behind the candy counter) so she could keep an eye on me. One night I went with Dad to go pick her up. Walking down 10th street was Archbishop Gannon and another priest. I guess they walked every night.
…The Old Customs House on State Street.
…The Brig Niagara and part of the hull of another ship (the Wolverine)
…The restored tall ship Niagara…….I have a 16 x 20 picture of this in my house…courtesy of Uncle Tom.
…Dickson's Tavern at 2nd and French.
....Rayl's drug store on Parade Street between 6th and 7th. (straight out of 'It's a Wonderful Life').
…There was also a store on the SE corner of 4th and Parade (shoe repair shop). Anna told me a very sad little story about that place.......she was a little girl and it was Valentines Day. She had made valentines for everyone in her class and she did not get one in return!! On the way home from school she stood on the porch and cried and cried, her heart was broken. As a child my heart broke for her and even now it makes me incredibly sad for her.
…I also remember the store (Eddy's, later Ronnie's) at SW corner of 4th and parade. The store was owned by the mother of a kid in my class at St. Pat’s.
...The store by St. Pat’s at 4th and Holland (now an insurance agency for Erie Insurance),
…Sophies down the street from Julia's.
…The top of the dock (when it was larger)
…Riders on the bay.
…Nolan’s ferries to the peninsula.
…Who could forget Kraus' dept store on Parade St?
…East Erie Turners, Turnwald.......(AKA Turner's Farm).
…The Boston store and it's fancy clock, nice dining room at the top and the cafeteria in the basement........such a fascinating place. Maybe I will move there!
…The real old city hall…looked like a castle and I just knew there was a dungeon in the basement!
…Candy stores with home made chocolate—Stefanelli's…...Chacona's.........Pulako's.
…Mr. Peanut walking outside the peanut store at 10th and State.
…Anthony Wayne blockhouse
…The armory at 6th and Parade
…Our collective recalled vague memories (or remembrances from our parents) of Shug's (always regret that I never went into the place......I think maybe it was still Shug's back in my day..but, maybe had changed names)
…The train station. Another classic piece of architecture.
…New York Lunch (the Greeks).
…Rainbow Gardens at Waldemeer.
…The schoolhouse owned by Lucy C in North East and the 4th of July picnics there. Per our cousin Judy: The schoolhouse was built in 1898 and closed in 1946 or 1947 and Lucy bought it that fall and it took 2 years to remodel it to what you knew. She designed the whole thing. No one lived here full time until we moved in in 1998.

…Last, but certainly not least, the incredible beauty of St. Patrick's church!! The magnificent Stations of the Cross. Does everyone have a set of the pictures that Uncle Tom took? I have been in a lot of churches (believe it or not!) and it is hands down the most beautiful.