An Erie Irish family

Taken from an article published in the April 1987 edition of the magazine "The Erie Story".

509

I recently went to a presentation Erie Insurance held for the retirees.  They discussed the new Technical Learning Center, which they will be building on East 7th Street.  They also discussed plans to restore the building  on the southeast corner of 6th and French, which was the Erie office from 1938 to 1956.  Another building to be restored is the Armory on 6th and Parade.  It will be used for offices.  They also had many pictures of the  restored mansions at 502 and 510 Parade Street.  After the presentation I hung around and talked to the program presenter.  I told him that I lived at 501 when I was a kid, and that my great-grandmother built 509 and the five "cottages".  I told him that 509 was my grandparents house.  He then told me that Erie Insurance is buying 509 and that it will be demolished this year.  

For more information see the September 2007 blog posting that Nancy made called "The Big House"  The house was built in 1892.  The wraparound front porch was removed in the late 1940's when the gray shingles were installed.                

Then and Now

The year was 1964, it was the first day for the introduction of the Mustang. Much fanfare and publicity about it compelled me to visit the local Ford dealership that evening. There was cake and soft drinks being served and balloons all about. Lots of people and good prices for the new offering. Prices starting at around $2400 stick in my mind.

Serving in the Air Force at the time, near a community called Newburgh New York, $2400 may as well have been $60,000, because military pay was next to nothing then.

After my visit to the Ford dealer, I thought I would stop at the local Studebaker dealer and see my favorite marque’s offerings. My memory is still very vivid of that evening 49 years ago. It was a dark side street, that reminded me of a Sherlock Holmes movie scene. I was greeted by a very well dressed elderly gentleman. On display in a one vehicle showroom, that looked more like a converted horse shed, was a black 63 Hawk. This was the only vehicle they had, and it was way more than the new Mustang. Needless to say there was not going to be a purchase that evening or ever for a new Studebaker.

Like so many things in life, when you would really like to have something, you can’t have it and when you can have it, it’s no longer available or it’s not important anymore. I knew it was just a matter of time before there would be no new Studies forever!

Now to the present time as I look at Hawk’s for sale on the internet, you read ads that say was running when parked 30 years ago, ready for restoration, good glass or has small rust hole in trunk. Don’t forget that galvanized sheet metal claim. One look at the photos of these cars means there will be no new purchase in 2013 either!
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Blogged by By Tom Barron

A very special 100th birthday…

On November 20, 2012, it was the 100th anniversary of the most loved, and loving aunt for all of us. Anna would have been 100 on this day!

Mike Crotty and I talked about the anniversary of her birth, and felt that it should be noted in our blog for November.  Life, as it usually does, got in the way of our good intentions to make sure this was properly noted and honored.

I cannot think of one of us, living or not, that did not benefit from Anna’s unconditional love and extreme generosity. She truly was our ‘Auntie Mame’.

Where else but Anna’s house could kids of the ‘50’s enjoy such exotic and expensive food items such as boiled shrimp, lobster tails, pheasant, duck, and tenderloin roast. Plus you cannot forget the endless supply of Rola Cola!  Ours for the taking from the back shed!  All kinds of flavors too!  She always had peanuts for munching and the block of moldy Swiss cheese sitting in the covered cheese dish. She taught me just to slice off the mold and the cheese was even sweeter underneath!

When I turned 14 or so, Anna gave me a key to her house…as she did for several of us. She always wanted to make sure we knew we always welcome.

Anna, from all of us to you, thank you for making our ‘growing years’ ones of great memories. Love you and think of you often.

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Blogged by Dede