For Rent - 1894

April 22, 1947: Diary of a Johnstown Housewife

From the diary of Mrs. Elizabeth Oldham of Moxham

Tuesday, April 22, 1947

I washed and hung the clothes in the cellar and then cleaned the fruit cellar.

And put some of the cans on the shelves and burnt a lot of stuff. I sure do wish we was done cleaning. 

Easter Greetings

Eleanor Kisha Donovan sent in this picture today. An old candy box her mother kept from Penn Traffic. She says that every year the Easter Bunny would drop off one coconut cream egg in dark chocolate and one mixed fruit egg.

Bottom of the Hill

Bottom of Prospect Hill

April 21, 1947: Diary of a Johnstown Housewife

From the diary of Mrs. Elizabeth Oldham of Moxham

Monday, April 21

Rained this morning and cloudy all day. Alice was here a few minutes and Eddie come after school and put oil cloth (linoleum) on the cellar steps and Clifford was here a little while.

He goes to work in the morning. He is doctoring with Kahl.

Harry called and was at work 4 till 12 to nite. He was down at Margarets home to day and left her down there. 

April 21, 1943: BRITISH EIGHTH ARMY OCCUPIES ENFIDAVILLE

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The Johnstown Tribune - April 21, 1943

To read larger - CLICK HERE.

Film Archive Now Online

This isn't exactly Johnstown related - but I thought some of you readers might be as interested in this as I am. British Pathe has released its entire archive of 85,000 newsreels, documentaries and raw footage on Youtube. My dream job is to restore old films - so if you have a company that does that - call me and I'll come work for you. I can only imagine just how long this must have taken!

 British Pathé was once a dominant feature of the British cinema experience, renowned for first-class reporting and an informative yet uniquely entertaining style. It is now considered to be the finest newsreel archive in existence. Spanning the years from 1896 to 1976, the collection includes footage – not only from Britain, but from around the globe – of major events, famous faces, fashion trends, travel, sport and culture. The archive is particularly strong in its coverage of the First and Second World Wars. 

To enter the past - just CLICK HERE to go to their Youtube page. I know I shall be spending quite a bit of time there.

At the very end of this - is a shot of Mrs. Betty McAllister from Johnstown being crowned Mrs. America of 1950.
This one has sound:

April 20, 1943: ALLIES SHOOT DOWN 24 MORE AXIS PLANES

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The Johnstown Tribune - April 20, 1943

To read larger - CLICK HERE.

April 20, 1947: Diary of a Johnstown Housewife

From the diary of Mrs. Elizabeth Oldham of Moxham

Sunday, April 20, 1947

We got up and got our breakfast and I helped with the dishes then got ready and went to sunday school and stayed till after church. Nancy & Joan come with me home. Ida had dinner ready when I come home and then Betty & Harriett come and took us up to Grandview Cemetery to see dads grave. The first time we was up since he was burried. I just think it cant be he is up there. Well it won't be too long till I will be up there too. 

Leona was here a while this evening. Joe was home and went back today.

William Oldham - husband of Elizabeth. She calls him 'dad' in the diary. This picture is courtesy of Win Macintosh.

Something I know you readers will enjoy - we are going visiting with the family today on this Easter Sunday - thanks Elizabeth's great-granddaughters. It means a lot to me personally that they are willing to share with us - pieces of their grandmothers life. A woman we have come to know and care about through her daily words....from the death of her husband - William - to the daily aches and pains of life in 1947. I look forward to her everyday!

This is dear Elizabeth - Easter Sunday - 1947 - sent in by great-graddaughter Diane Pellow. 

Leona's daughter Nancy - Easter Sunday - 1947 - sent in by her daughter Win Macintosh.

And here we have Joan - Easter Sunday - 1947.

Grand Program for Grandparents - 1948

Mr. and Mrs. George Wise, 924 Bedford Street, beam with pride as they listened last night to their grandson, 17 year old George Pheasant, playing "When Yuba Played the Rumba on a Tuba" over an NBC hookup. Young Pheasant is the Dale High School senior who won himself a berth with the Horace Heidt Musical Knights. He played before an audience of 14,000 last night in Cleveland Arena. Heidt said the youth is on "of the greatest finds in all my travels through America". The famous orchestra leader predicted a bright future for the local youth. 

Note: I have almost this exact Zenith radio. Up until I moved - it sat in my living room. Wish I had the room for it now.

April 19, 1943: ALLIES DOWN 58 JUNKERS TRANSPORTS, 16 FIGHTERS

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The Johnstown Tribune - April 19, 1943

To read larger - CLICK HERE.

April 19, 1947: Diary of a Johnstown Housewife

From the diary of Mrs. Elizabeth Oldham of Moxham

Saturday, April 19

I worked in the yard all fore noon.

Planted flowers and spaded a place to plant tulips and lillies and planted the bulbs and then scrubbed outside. And Ida got dinner and as we was eating Lottie & Clay come. They stayed till after supper.

Clay took me down to the shoemakers to get my shoes and we went to the drug store and up to the American stores. 

Elizabeth and Ida - courtesy of Win Macintosh.