Downtown Johnstown
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Penn Traffic Store - about 1905
This is the old Penn Traffic Department Store along Washington Street around 1905. It started out as the company store for Cambria Iron. This is the first building before it caught fire and burned down.
Woodvale Bridge
Nice shot that shows the old Southern Cambria Railway Bridge at Woodvale. SCR was a company that provided train service to other parts of Cambria County and connected into the Johnstown Area.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Chandler School - Morrellville
Good old Chandler School. The first school I ever went to. It seemed so large and had a special smell unto itself. I'm sure some of you know exactly what I mean. It was built in 1917 and was known as Garfield Junior High before Garfield was built a couple of years later. The school district closed the elementary school in the 1990's. It now houses apartments for Seniors and I would love to just be able to go in and see what they did with the place. I often wonder when I walk past - who lives in the old Principal's office where Miss Patch ruled for years. I can still see her foreboding presence.
On a side note - the area where the power plant was - most of it is covered up with dirt. They only knocked down the section above ground.
On a side note - the area where the power plant was - most of it is covered up with dirt. They only knocked down the section above ground.
Main and Franklin - Johnstown - 1910
Summer repeat - Just a beautiful look back at downtown Johnstown from around 1910 or so.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Along Roosevelt Blvd
Nice postcard shot of Roosevelt Blvd - the Lower Works right before you get to the Stone Bridge.
Johnstown Parade - 1894
This photo shows Johnstown Fireman decked out for the 4th of July Parade in 1894.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Old Amslo Club
Hanzel - Stofko Family - Johnstown
Let me introduce you to my Hanzel Family from 94 Barron Avenue - this from around 1928. From left to right: Mary (Hanzel) Bobko, mother Mary (Stofko) Hanzel holding Dorothy (Hanzel) Kinnel, Margaret (Hanzel) Toth standing next to father Joseph Hanzel (Muranska Huta, Slovakia). The three kids in front, Frank Hanzel, my grandmother Helen (Hanzel) Lenz and Clara (Hanzel) Pynkala. Missing from this picture is their brother Joe who was the one taking the photo. The building behind them is still standing. It used to house a dry cleaner on Fairfield Avenue.
This next picture is a wonderful photo of my Stofko great-grandparentsparents:
This is John Stofko (1868-1945) from Brezovcia, Slovakia and his second wife Mary D'Zembak also from Brezovcia, Slovakia. This photo dates to around 1930 in Minersville. John, his brother Andrew and sister Anna came over to Johnstown in 1885 and settled in the Minersville section of the city along Connelly Avenue - the area near what is now the Minersville Bridge. Working in the mill - he somehow survived the 1889 Flood - which living by the Conemaugh River probably saved him and first wife Susanna Timchak. They would have seen just how quickly things can go from bad to worse - since they saw the damages from an earlier flood (1887). I know living by a crick - you pay more attention to the weather - than a normal person does.
This is the young Stofko clan taken around 1910 in the backyard of their home along Iron Street. From left to right: Sue (Stofko) Stevens, Margaret (Stofko) Patrick, John, Stephen, Mary (Stofko) Hanzel, Andrew and Joseph. My great-grandmother Mary Hanzel lost her own mother in 1896 when she was only 2 years old. Her mother Susanna Timchak died as a result of childbirth complications. It is her mtDNA that I and many of my cousins share. Since I put the results in a data base. I have talked to two people in the last year - that have the same exact mtDNA. Pretty cool! Their house is still there - you can see it directly from the Giant Eagle parking lot.
Main Street - Johnstown - 1920's
Summer Repeat - Nice wintertime view of Main Street with the old Majestic Theater on the right hand side in the 1920's. You can just barely see a trolley in the distance trying to plow its way thru the snow.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Poor Old Glory at Johnstown Middle School
Flag watch 2012 at Johnstown Middle School (Garfield). The flag was up all last night, not lighted, but made it through the rough storms that tore thru the area. Still not replaced and even more battered than earlier this week.
A Walk to Town
Today's post is for all you out of town readers. First up - the Brownstown Bridge.
Moxham National Bank
Em's Sub Shop - they have the BEST sugar cookies!
And we finish up with the small Veterans Park - across from City Hall.
