Niagara Hudson Building - 500 Third Street, Niagara Falls USA

So what's so special about the Old Stone Chimney? by Paul Gromosiak

The “Old Stone Chimney” is the second oldest masonry structure west of the Hudson River in New York State.  The only thing older is the French Castle at Fort Niagara.

Four buildings were attached to it:  French barracks from 1750 to 1759, house built by the British occupied in 1760 and 1761 by a man named Duncan, from 1762 to 1796 by John Stedman and his brothers William and Phillip, from 1797 to 1804 by Jesse Ware, from 1806 to 1812 by Enos Broughton, by US troops in 1812 and 1813; a tavern from 1819 to 1822; a house built by Peter B. Porter from 1840 to 1880.

In 1942, Edward T. Williamss, Niagara historian said, “the Old Stone Chimney is absolutely the most unique and magnificent historic relic possible on the American continent, probably in the United States, and certainly in the state of New York.  It is highly probably that no structure anywhere in America has a status such as that.”

Here is a list of famous people who spent time in one of the buildings attached to the Old Stone Chimney:

1. Philippe and Daniel Joncaire, the men who built it.
2. Pierre Pouchot, the French commandant of Fort Niagara in 1759
3. Sir William Johnson, in charge of Indian affairs for the British king.
4. John Stedman, took care of the Niagara Portage for the British army; gave Goat Island its name; survived the Devil’s Hole Massacre
5. Captain John Montressor, built Fort Erie for the British, built the tramway in Lewiston (the first “railroad” in America).
6. Israel Putnam, famous in the American Revolution.
7. British General Bradstreet
8. George Clinton, New York’s first governor.
9. Charles Lee, second in command under George Washington.
10. General John Graves Simcoe, the first governor general of Upper Canada (later Ontario).
11. General Sir Isaac Brock, killed at the Battle of Queenston Heights.
12. De Witt Clinton, governor of New York who built the Erie Canal.
13. Red Jacket, the famous Seneca orator and leader.
14. Lafayette, the Frenchman who supported the United States in the American Revolution.
15. General Winfield Scott, American hero of the War of 1812.
16. Tomas Moore, poet who wrote about the Falls.

In 1891, a song about the Old Stone Chimney was written by Thomas Vincent Welch, the Niagara Falls businessman and leader who founded Niagara Falls State Park.  That song should still be sung by all the people who love the great history of Niagara Falls!

[by Paul Gromosiak]

Catherina Shoes 1825 Pine Avenue circa 1900

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Corner of 76th Street and Buffalo Avenue

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E. Dent Lackey - City of Niagara Falls Mayor 1963 to 1975

The following excerpt is taken from Daniel M. Dumych's "Niagara Falls, Vol. II"
(text only - Photos courtesy of The Niagara Falls Public Library Local History Department):

E. Dent Lackey, mayor of Niagara Falls from 1963 to 1975. Mayor Lackey, an outgoing, ebullient man, was elected on a campaign that called for urban renewal, the re-establishment of the city as a tourism capital, and industrial expansion. Under Lackey's administration, the city actually came to lose much of its industry. Many of the city's factories were built late in the last century and early this century and companies chose to relocate their works instead of rebuilding them. Tourism, too, would falter even more during the Lackey years. Throughout the 1960s, Falls Street deteriorated and tourists lured by the flash and glitter of Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls, Ontario. City residents, too, abandoned Falls Street, choosing to shop at plazas near the edge of town instead of supporting Falls Street businesses. Lackey and other city leaders felt that there was only one answer for Niagara Falls's ills - urban renewal. By the early 1970s, much of the south end resembled war-time Europe. The properties had been cleared - an yet, there were no takers. The city waited in vain for a return to prosperity.

On a personal note, my father referred to E. Dent Lackey as the "(expletive) on the white horse," as do many of the people still to this day who lived in Niagara Falls at the time when Urban Renewal took place. Many still hold Mayor Lackey responsible for what became (or what didn't become) of Niagara Falls in the aftermath of Urban Renewal.


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Click here for more information about The Great Gorge Route

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Niagara Falls Railroads

Back in the days when rail travel was the norm, Niagara Falls had many railroad lines and yards, which today are easily forgotten. The city was served by the New York Central RR, Erie RR (and others) as well as the Niagara Junction RR which serviced our industries. 

Today what are left of the rail lines and yards are but a glimmer of what once was. What with the talk of a new passenger station being built in the north end of the city one might reflect on what a tourist attraction our old station at 2nd St and Falls St would have been if it had been restored, instead of torn down. One of the main rail lines came in from Buffalo along the right-of-way paralleling Buffalo Ave/Erie Ave. After discharging passengers at the station it continued alongside Falls St and hooked a right up along the gorge towards the north end basically following what is now the Robert Moses Parkway. Another rail line ran north up what is currently an empty space between 8th and 9th St to a freight yard located approximately where the Harry Abate School is located. There were bridges over the tracks on Walnut, Ferry, and Pierce Avenues.

Prior to and during urban renewal the city put a priority to eliminate and/or relocate the rail lines that ran through the city. Everyone couldn’t wait until the tracks were eliminated from downtown so we wouldn’t have to wait an hour for a long freight to clear the crossings at 3^rd St and others. The fire department even had to have fire halls only a couple blocks from each other in case there was a train blocking the streets. How many of us remember driving up Niagara St to try and find an unblocked path across the tracks?

During the 1960’s, before the tracks were removed, a “high-speed” passenger rail car was running between Buffalo and Niagara Falls, with the intention to bring rapid transit between the cities, but it never was profitable. There were industries where the Aquarium now stands which were serviced by the trains, and there was several businesses around Michigan Ave & 11^th St served by the yards there.

Railroads were a large part of making Niagara Falls a tourist and industrial giant and they still provide necessary service to our community. Of course, should we ever get the high-speed rail line between Albany and here in these days of high gasoline prices, perhaps some of the glory may return.



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Sumbitted by Jim Brunn

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Falls Street - Niagara Falls, USA 1954

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Falls Street 1954 - Submitted to iWitnessNiagara by the Thomas Jacob Family.

DeVeaux Campus - Carriage House (Barn)

The Present is too vivid for ghosts of the past to endure...

"... then the residue of my estate both real and personal, is to be made use of by said Trustees in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth. viz.: for a benevolent institution to train and support orphan and destitute children: to train them up to industry; to learn them trades and professions to give them a mental and manual, and a social and religious education..." (August 3rd, 1852. Will of Judge Samuel DeVeaux) Niagara Gazette July 21, 1974 P 1E:1

Built in 1863 and served as a barn and storage area for the school. Rumored to have an underground tunnel leading from the building to the gorge as part of the Underground Railroad. There is a reference that the barn may have been built in 1858 as part of the initial construction of the Van Rensselaer Hall. The building which is brick with a normal pitched and gabled roof sits on a foundation of piled, rough cut stone in regular courses.

The first floor windows have segmented brick arches and stone sills, with the exception of one round-arched window set between the carriage doors. The second and attic doors have paired and single round-arched windows with stone sills. There is some deterioration on the south side where an addition has been removed and severed deterioraton on the north facade where the brick wall is falling. (From 2004 report by Niagara Falls Historic Preservation Commission.)

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The Victory Grill

These photos were taken at the Victory Grill owned by Joey Sacco 1965. (In the pictures, from left to right: Emilio Giuandinico, Carl Fosseen and Bernie O'Donnell)

"The Victory Grill was a popular bar on lower Main Street two doors down from Defazio's bar and bowling ally. I was one of the first musicians to play there with various bands. The owner was Joe Sacco Sr. who also owned the Buster Brown shoe store on Falls street near 2nd. It was small but had a good following." - submitted by Carl Fosseen

"We were known as Mel & The CB's. During the summer months we played 6 nights a week, with a marathon on Sunday from 3PM to 1AM" - Submitted by Bernie O'.







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Niagara Frontier Masonic Lodge #132

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When you drive down Walnut Avenue and reach Main St. you probably don't even notice the vacant lot on the left hand corner. You might be familiar with the medical offices at 549-4th St which Drs. Brezing built and occupied until they retired. Well that vacant lot used to be occupied by a rather magnificent building that housed the Niagara Frontier Masonic Lodge #132 and was the site of many fraternal and social events. The building interior was resplendent with dark walnut paneling and woodwork. There was an old-fashioned, operate it yourself elevator in side the main door that took you to the upper floors. The first floor held offices and a wonderful game room, complete with many beautiful pool and billiard tables as well as plush leather easy chairs and couches. This was the epitome of a men's club (it was a male only fraternity).

The second floor held a large kitchen and dining hall and was the location where "House Parties" were held. House parties were special nights when the whole family was welcomed and kids could play pool and ping pong, and parents could dance the evening away to the sounds of wonderful live orchestras. Food was also on the menu those nights and some of us kids got our biggest kicks out of playing elevator operator.

The third floor held the Fraternity meeting room and we were only allowed to view it. The Masonic Order has always been thought of a "secret society," and their meetings were for members only. However, it was obvious to us kids that something wonderful must occur in the meeting room because they had giant thrones and other accoutrements signifying some mysterious goings-on must happen on the third floor.

With declining membership, the Lodge couldn't handle the upkeep of such a large building so it was sold and subsequently torn down. Another shameful loss of an historical and magnificent structure in our city. Currently, the lodge meets at a former church on Colvin Blvd. but even that is up for sale.


Submitted by Jim Brunn

Ground Observer Corps.

During the period following WWII, we were in what was called "The Cold War." Many of us can recall the drills while in school when we were instructed to get under our desks and "duck and cover." The overriding fear was that the Soviet Union was going to send planes over here and drop an atomic bomb on the U.S. During this time we had a strong Civil Defense Corps, which was headquartered in the basement bomb shelter of the Bollier Ave. Firehall (Engine 9). Many of our public buildings had bomb shelters that were stocked with emergency supplies and some people had well-stocked facilities in their own homes.
One of the interesting and more unknown divisions of the Civil Defense Corps was the Ground Observer Corps (G.O.C.). It was critical to the U.S. Air Force Defense Command to know at the earliest if a foreign power's airplanes were encroaching upon our fair land. All across the U.S., Ground Observer Corps observation stations were set up to observe and report all air traffic to the U.S. Air Force through a radio/telephone link. Volunteers in the Corps would sit in their stations and if an airplane were heard, attempt to spot it, identify the type of aircraft, and report its location and direction of travel. One might hear over the link that air traffic was reported over one city and that plane could be followed as other stations reported on it. If it was headed in our direction we kept our eyes and ears on alert.
Most folks in Niagara Falls were not aware that on top of our city hall there was a glass-enclosed building, equipped with a very sensitive microphone and the necessary communications equipment with which to report any aircraft. The microphone was so sensitive that on a quiet evening one could hear the conversations of pedestrians down on the sidewalks around city hall.

I was an active member of the G.O.C. from 1955 to 1959 and spent many hours in the little glass house on top of city hall. In order to facilitate the manning of the station by volunteers, NF Police Dept. cars could be asked to transport us to and from our homes and city hall. I know that the police felt they had better things to do than drive civilians around but the manning of the station was considered that important. Looking back on it today it almost seems ridiculous, but taken in the context of the absence of today's technology and what with the fear of annihilation it was community service of which to be proud. In appreciation for our service, we were issued our "wings" and a certificate of service. In the center of the wings (see photo) was G.O.C. indicating the division. I wonder if that glass building is still on the roof of city hall?

Niagara Falls Trivia

Niagara Falls Trivia - How much do YOU know?

Thanks again to Jim Brunn (the top-dog of StenzTV viewers!) for sending in this nostalgic quiz written by Frank Thomas Croisdale. This quiz has been floating around the Interweb for a few years, but if ya haven't seen it, I'm sure you will enjoy it - be sure to pass it on! Have fun!
Many businesses have come and gone over the years in Niagara Falls. Since
the last great heyday of the 1960s and '70s, numerous stores that helped
make up the cultural landscape of Niagara Falls have closed their doors for
good. How well do you recall these businesses?
Take the following quiz of 30 questions (10 each in the categories of easy,
medium and difficult) to see how well you remember the way we used to be.
Score 1 point for each correct answer.

EASY
1. This fixture of the old downtown of Niagara Falls became the original
anchor store of the Rainbow Centre. Name it for your first point.
2. What was the name of the drive-in theater on Military Road that
brought the big screen experience to Niagara Falls?
3. What bakery famous for its Italian bread and cold slices of pizza was
located at 19th Street and Elmwood Avenue?
4. What department store occupied the building on Packard Road before
Gold Circle?
5. A car wash on Third Street in the Town of Niagara garnered a lot of
press in the late '70s because of what it was built to look like. Can you
name it?
6. What was the name of the Western New York chain that was bought out
by the Bon Ton at the Summit Park Mall?
7. What was the name of the meat market that stood at 18th Street and
Linwood Avenue until it was tragically lost to fire?
8. Name the department store that stood at the site where the Prime
Outlet Mall is now located.
9. Name the family grocery store on Linwood Avenue and Main Street that
used the motto, "Where Food Shopping is King."
10. What was the name of the K-Mart subsidiary that was operated from
the building on Main Street that now houses D&K?

MEDIUM
11. What restaurant specializing in steaks was located in the Summit
Park Mall across from the movie theaters?
12. What Niagara Falls bakery had a location on 20th Street in the city?
13. What Third Street nightclub featured nationally known blues
musicians like B.B. King and John Lee Hooker?
14. Name the Niagara Falls Boulevard chicken wing outlet that had a sign
on the front that also served as its menu. The sign read, "50 Wings --
$5.99."
15. Iney Wallens has done her Friday lunch radio broadcast from the
restaurant of a Buffalo Avenue hotel -- that most recently was called the
Best Western Inn on the River -- for years. What was it called for most of
the '70s and '80s?
16. The China Garden Chinese Restaurant is located at the intersection
of Pine Avenue and Portage Road. What coffee shop occupied the building for
decades before closing up shop in the '90s?
17. What national food chain used to do business out of the building now
housing Mighty Taco on Military Road?
18. What Pine Avenue bar was reopened, in the mid-'90s, by new ownership
under the name, "Studrats?" Hint: The new owner must not have had enough
money for a proper sign because the old name was an anagram of the new one.
19. What sinfully good ice cream chain had a franchise in the food court
of the Rainbow Centre?
20. What local hamburger joint had shops on both Pine Avenue and
Military Road in the 1970s?

DIFFICULT
21. What was the name of the first head shop to "turn on" Niagara Falls?
It was located on lower Main Street.
22. This drugstore on 18th Street and Cleveland Avenue had a sign out
front that stated that they carried Russell Stover Candies. Can you name it?
23. Name the two locations of "David's Steak Hoagy" before they moved to
their current spot.
24. In the summer of 1979 a strange airplane was frequently spotted
flying over the skies of Niagara Falls. Why was this plane different from
all others?
25. Name the Italian restaurant that stood on Whirlpool Street across
from the bridge in the 1970s.
26. This hamburger chain was located on Main Street where the Burger
King stands now. Do you know its name? Hint: If you know the name of the
corporation that owns most of the Burger Kings in Western New York, then you
know the answer to this question.
27. Name the Niagara Falls daredevil who briefly set up shop in the
Rainbow Centre in 1985, selling autographed keepsakes of his plunge.
28. Name the Summit Park Mall women's clothing boutique that was managed
in the 1980s by Niagara Falls television host Lori Caso.
29. The site of the current Fichte Eye Associates on 24th Street and
Pine Avenue once had a brief and disastrous incarnation as a drive-through
spaghetti house. Double garlic bread to you if you can name it.
30. The parking lot at Trusello's Bakery featured a billboard that had a
cartoon rendition of one man choking another. What did the caption that
accompanied the drawing read?


Answers
1. Beir's Brothers
2. Starlight Drive-In
3. Trusello's Bakery
4. Twin Fair
5. The Blue Whale Car Wash
6. AM&A's
7. Meranto's
8. King's Department Store
9. Slipko's
10. Kresge's
11. York Steak House
12. DiCamillo's
13. The Imperial Garage
14. The Chicken Coop
15. The Red Jacket Inn
16. The Wedge Coffee Shop
17. Wendy's
18. Stardust
19. Haagen-Dazs
20. Henry Hamburgers
21. The Fevertree
22. Stine's Drugs
23. Pine Avenue and Portage Road across from the old high school and in
Pine Plaza on Niagara Falls Boulevard
24. It had a scrolling dot-matrix advertising board mounted under its
wings and ran ads for businesses
25. The Checkerboard
26. Carroll's Hamburgers
27. Steven Trotter
28. Ormond
29. The Spaghettory
30. "What did you say about Trusello's bread?"
Scoring Table
27-30 points: You are a dyed-in-the-wool Niagarian. Congratulations.
20-26 points: You know your stuff.
15-19 points: You win the 10th cigarette prize -- middle of the pack.
9-14 points: You must have lost your long-term memory after drinking some
bad Love Canal water.
0-8 points: You're not from 'round these here parts, now are you?

Building The Schoellkopf Power Plant circa 1921

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Building The Schoellkopf Power Plant circa 1921... The actual plant construction in the gorge (about where Howard Johnson’s Hotel is now). Click the following link to learn more: http://www.niagarafrontier.com/schoellkopf.html


Submitted by JB

Brief History of First Presbyterian Church of Niagara Falls

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On April 3, 1824, five citizens met under the leadership of the teacher-educator Rev. David Smith to form the First Presbyterian Church of Niagara Falls. The persons who were the actors in this scene were Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Smith, Mrs. Isaac Smith Jr., Mrs. Stephen Childs and Abraham Mesler.

The original Board of Trustees of the First Presbyterian Society of Niagara included some of the area's most prominent citizens and founders of Niagara Falls. In addition to the original five organizers were Augustus Porter, Samuel DeVeaux, Ira Cook and Ziba Gay.



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Judge Porter was the first permanent European settler of the area, and along with his brother General Peter Porter, owned Goat Island and all the lands in the area. The famous Native American Orator, Chief Red Jacket and General Lafayette were frequent visitors to the Porter household.

After building a wooden church where "Old Falls St." now runs, the present church was erected at its current location out of native stone in 1849 at a cost of $8,000, including the cost of the lot. Judge Porter donated the land and much of the furnishings for the new church, that sports 2 foot thick walls. The original bell still rings in the bell tower today.

The original church building had a steeple and in 1850 a clock was installed in said steeple. It was known as the "town clock" and had it been allowed to run down, the whole village would have been thrown off schedule. Therefore, Max Elbe, the son of the village jeweler, was hired for a dollar a month to climb up every week and wind and oil the clock. Once the church wanted a lamp post installed in front of the building to light up the doorway, so they advised the village officers that they had the use of the clock free, therefore, the least they could do in return was to install the lamp post. Later, the village appropriated $52 per year for the clock, but this was eventually cut from the budget and the clock allowed to stop. It never ticked again after 1896 and was taken down with the steeple in 1914.

In 1879 a large addition was constructed at the rear of the church to house the ever-growing Sunday School. Said Sunday School was begun by Judge DeVeaux in 1827. DeVeaux, an Episcopalian, transferred to that church when one was formed in Niagara Falls. A growing congregation necessitated the enlargement of the Sanctuary in 1889 when a large addition was constructed on the south side of the church.


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Members of First Church have been instrumental in founding several of the other churches in Niagara Falls. Among those was the Presbyterian Church at 10th St. and Niagara Ave. in 1853; and other members also founded the Congregational Church at 822Cleveland Ave. In 1893, Pierce Ave. Presbyterian Church was founded, and in the late 1920's the spirit again moved First Church to mission work at home and led to acquisition of property in the DeVeaux and Evershed sections of the city for branches of First Church. Third Presbyterian was merged into First Church and the new facility on 59th St. was named Bacon Memorial Church, in honor of Rev. Albert S. Bacon, who was pastor of First Church from 1890-1925, the longest serving pastor in in the church's history.

In 1970 the church was scheduled to be demolished as part of the city's Urban Renewal program. Fortunately, the congregation's fight to save the building was successful and this magnificant facility still proudly stands as the symbol of Niagara's oldest church.



(Submitted by JB)

The Master Plan for Urban Renewal

Found in the Niagara Gazette - the Master Plan for the Urban Renewal project of the late 1960s, early 1970s.

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Winter on Main Street early 1970s

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Grand Opening of the Rapids Theatre

Grand Opening of the Rapids Theatre - December 4, 2009

It isn't an often occurrence these days to be invited to a gala Grand Opening in Niagara Falls, so when the email came in from John Hutchins and Carl Labate to attend the grand opening of the Rapids Theatre (1711 Main Street, Niagara Falls, USA), I circled the date on the my calendar and began looking forward to December 4th. Wouldn't you be as intrigued as I was? Anyone receiving the invite in their email boxes (and also those with previous knowledge of the plan in place) had to be all thinking the same thing, "I gotta see it to believe it."



I had the pleasure of meeting with John Hutchins during the tail end of last winter and he took me on a brief tour of the theater while construction was just underway. Looking around and seeing the place in the state it was in at that time, you would think that the cigar he was puffing on was filled with something other than tobacco, for the grandiose design he spoke of couldn't be nothing more than a optimistic hallucination, right? Or maybe it was another dream from another developer looking to fill the resident's skulls with hot air, take some seed money from City Hall only to leave all plans dangling and all plywood-over-the-windows intact for another decade or two. Well, Dear Readers, let me tell you, that isn't the case by any means...

The grand opening on Friday night of the Rapids Theatre was IMPRESSIVE. The exact moment when the doors opened and welcomed the guests in, was the exact moment that a brighter future for Main Street, Niagara Falls USA began. This particular landmark here in little ole' Niagara Falls, laying dormant and dead for so many years has officially been resurrected from the dead! Not only was the atmosphere perfect and the sights visually stunning, but the sound from the stage was excellent as well. For me, it was shocking that this was happening on Main Street. Hallelujah!

I could write on and on and share the many stories (everyone has a few) about times I spent in the theater in the past - when it was The Late Show, or Center Stage, or The Pleasure Dome II, or the Dome Theater or whatever it was called when I was drinking underage and the walls were painted black and purple. Lost were the days that the elders of the community speak of remembering fondly times from their youth watching Disney movies on the big screen and munching popcorn in one of the finest theaters in Western New York. [For some history tid-bits, please click here to visit my iWitnessNiagara Blog here on StenzTV and you can catch a small glimpse of the fond memories they speak of] So, now things are set right, the nostalgia of the past has been recaptured. Run and tell your parents and your grandparents that there is something on Main Street in Niagara Falls that they can once again be proud of, and who knows, maybe you'll be sitting watching a theater production or a concert in the near future sharing popcorn and experiencing new memories together at the Rapids Theatre.

Just a few photos - please submit any you have to be archived in the iWitnessNiagara Blog:










(this photo submitted by Niles J Fuller - Niagara SHOUT Magazine)

Do you have some old photos or some memories from yesteryear of 1711 Main Street you'd like to share? If so, send them in to stenztv@gmail.com and I will post them and update the blog entry. We'd love to hear from you! If you have any photos or stories from the Grand Opening Night (Dec.4, 2009) please send them along too!

(This article will be updated - stay tuned!)

Elderfield-Hartshorn Hardware Store circa. 1919

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Here is a photo of the inside of the Elderfield-Hartshorn Hardware Store circa 1919.

>>

"Packard Court" by Jim Brunn

I grew up in the projects. Today, when someone says that phrase you usually think of poverty, crime, drugs, and guns. But in the 1940's and 50's, growing up in the projects was a great place to live.

Although known as the "Honeymoon Capital of the World, "Niagara Falls, New York, was a center for war-time industry. As a result of the influx of war-time workers, primarily from Pennsylvania, Alabama, and other southern states, housing was at a premium. Packard Court was built in 1941-42 and was meant to house families whose bread-winner was working in factories such as DuPont, Hooker, Carbide, Carborundum, Vanadium and others, producing material for WWII.

Due to a high school football injury, my father was deferred from military service and went to work at the Chemical Warfare Plant operated by DuPont Chemical here in Niagara Falls. Our family was the first to move in to the still-under-construction project, settling in apartment 8E right after the building was finished. The day was bleak, rainy and muddy, but the excitement of relocating from a farming community to the "big city" was palpable. And to make it even better, we were going to have our maternal grandparents in the next apartment, 8F.

Packard Court was a near-perfect community, with buildings in circles of about 6, and each center area holding a playground for the children. On the west side of the project, extending from the main road about a mile back was a dense hickory forest with a creek running through it. On the north side of the complex were fields that included wild strawberries and many areas of high brush, into which we could venture and see various wild life, as well as create our "forts." And this was in the city (long before the power authority conduits destroyed the forest)! The fields extended to Porter Road which was the site of the LeValley Stables (yes, with horses) and the SPCA. We would frequently venture there to pet the horses or spend hours in the SPCA playing with the dogs and cats. The horses were available for riding on the bridle paths that extended throughout Hyde Park.

Green space not only surrounded us on three sides but was included within the project. Many a football game (mostly tackle - and no helmets or pads!!) was played on the expansive lawns maintained by the management.

Our 2 bedroom apartment was tiny by today's standards, but we thought it was great. We had coal-fired furnaces and the outside coal bin had a slanted, hinged, cover that was the perfect angle for winter "skiing." We had both a front porch and a back porch, and our mothers would sit out on nice days with their coffee discussing the news of the day with the neighbors.

It was a friendly place. On weekends our parents would have card games around the kitchen table with their friends. Although when television came along, Friday nights were made for walking to Eli Roffle’s gas station & the Packard Diner to watch the Friday night fights. Saturdays evenings were saved for the 'Rasslin' matches watched over a freshly grilled cheeseburg and milkshake. Very few residents had a personal TV of their own. The Packard Diner became our gathering place for television and Eli’s service station was a great place to “hang out,” and Mr. Roffle was very kind to us kids.

Street lights made it possible to have evening games of kick the can, or hide and seek, with our parents simply having to hollar or whistle when it was time to come in for the night. Summer days were usually spent in the woods climbing to the highest branches of the hickories, swaying in the wind, or perhaps playing a game of "war" with sticks for our rifles and plenty of good cover. We frequently would collect hickory nuts that our parents would crack and extract the nut meats for cookies or brownies or just nibbling.

Winter provided a chance to ice skate on the frozen creek, which extended several miles north before doubling back into Hyde Park Lake, where the city would clean the snow off with a bulldozer.

It took quite a few months for the completion of construction and the filling of the apartments, but when they were occupied we had a ready supply of friends our own age, many of which were kept for years afterwards. We lived in the projects for 11 years before our parents bought their first house.

Today Packard Court is a subsidized, low-income housing facility, recently renovated, and looks better today than it ever has been. The hickories are gone, replaced by baseball and soccer fields, and a new high school sits on the strawberry fields, but the great memories of a wonderful place in which to grow up will never be forgotten.

Jim Brunn


Apt 8F – at the time was one story 3 room apt.


Children outside - note the cars in the background!


Harold and Kay Quinn sitting on their back porch – Harold was an owner of Quinn and Keller Appliances in the 300 block of Third St.


Having morning coffee on back porch of Apt. 8E – Note the coal bin


Herold Woodring (visitor) and John Brunn standing outside Apt 8F c1945


Jim Brunn hiding behind great-aunt Eva Woodring c. 1946


Judy Brunn c1944 – buildings in background are around #20-22


Mary Woodring standing by the family sedan



Bob Woodring, who was a welder at DuPont following service with the US Army during WWII built the basketball “net”. Bob was an outstanding player in the Industrial Basketball league.


Circa 2009


Circa 2009


Circa 2009