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Peeking into the past

More notes on local activities in the ‘50s

With Joanne Dahms Dispatch Intern

Question: What was described as a seasoned traveler, graceful and well designed? It’s a Stratoliner. It was also described as lightweight, comfortable, and superlative. And it sold in 1952 for $10. What is it?

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This is an old photo of Main Street, Avoca, the site of the current Hobo Base hoagie shop. Take note of the story on Avoca’s Main Street on page 3.

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January 1952

When the Army and Navy get to heaven, who is supposed to be there greeting them?

Why the U.S. Marines, of course. However, when the 109th Infantry Regiment of the PA National Guard disembarked from a train in Germany – they found Pfc. John Hafferty of Cork Lane to meet them. He met the PA boys at the train with instructions to transport them to their quarters in Germany. Among the local men were: William Thomas, Jack Culkin, Lt. Owen Golden ( Avoca); Cpt. Fred Endres, Robert Morgan, Leo Madden and Paul Leonard ( Pittston); and Joseph “Moe” Maughan (Port Griffith).

The baby crop was high in the Pittston Area in 1951: daughters born: 390; sons 364. These figures show 40 more births than 1950 – girls still in the lead.

Pittston City netted $10,000 in revenue from the 200 parking meters. This figure was up $1,361 from 1950.

Other things mentioned in the police report that year: Skunk in cellar; outhouse tipped; man at front door; neighbor making strange noises at night (may be sending messages to Communists) – this report was referred to the FBI; boys rolling oil drum down hill; odor in cellar- send a cop; chickens loose – bothering the neighbors; boys putting stones on Laurel Line tracks.

Ted Kuna, a native of Poland, displaced person, WWII served as a soldier in the Polish Army and was held by Germans as a POW until liberated by the Allied forces. Ted was captured in 1939 and was in a prison camp for five years. Brought to the US by his brother. Arrived in Dupont in 1949. Owns his own meat market on Lidy’s Road. Could be seen dancing the polkas in Dupont on Saturday nights.

In the movies… Bob Hope and Heddy Lamarr playing in “My Favorite Spy”. June Allyson and Van Johnson playing in “Too Young to Kiss”. Robert Mitchum in “The Racket”. Clark Gable and Ava Gardner in “Lone Star”. Groucho Marx in “A Girl in Every Port”. Dorothy McGuire and Dana Andrews in “I Want You”

Frank Sobol of Green Street was the master cake decorator at Levy’s Sanitary Bakery in Duryea. He started in the business at 12 and was still working at it in 1952 – 31 years later. Frank said the decorator’s job was hard because it takes great skill, patience, and is hard on one’s eyes. For a diversion, he listed his hobby as building model churches from sugar.

Duryea High School moved into a first place deadlock in the E. Anthracite League with Pittston Twp. by defeating Jenkins Twp. 79-24.

Dupont’s “Coal Crackers” copped first win of the season. Dupont 49, Moosic 46.

Avoca’s first win this season Avoca 86, Jenkins 57

Hughestown 70, Moosic 45

Duryea 79, Jenkins 24

Mrs. John Novak, 235 Simpson Street, Dupont and daughter, Lea won her parents hundreds of dollars from the Dupont Merchants Association because she was the first baby born to Dupont parents in 1952.

Several residents of Railroad Street made a ceremony out of a recent burning of one of the “flaming sweaters” found in Pittston during the week. The group held a public burning of sweaters so that all residents could identify the sweaters and see how dangerous they were. “Flaming sweaters” participants included: Joseph Volpe, Sandy La Roca, Sam Falcone. Andrew Sciandra came prepared with a bottle of beer in case the flames got out of control – but decided to drink it instead.

Members of the Dupont Hose Company voted 5 - 4 to bar the Dupont High basketball team from playing in the Hose Company hall.

The Hose Company just remodeled and decided to evict the team. The team’s response: “For years we had to go to out of town buildings for sports and now the Hose Company is prohibiting us from basketball in our own town.”

Inquiring Photographer

Who do you think is the more resourceful in time of crisis – a man or a woman? asked the Inquiring Photographer.

“Women,” said James Crane (Pittston), “they’ve got good heads on them.”

“Women,” said James Alexander (Pittston), “in crises, they become calm and though they are emotional they will stand up when a man might be inclined to go off the deep end.”

“A man is the breadwinner,” said Patrick Fino (Fino’s Pharmacy) “and when the chips are down, the burden falls on him.”

Vanston Cleaners, Water Street advertised shirts laundered for 14 cents each. Men’s suits (2 piece) for 49 cents, trousers, skirts and sweaters 29cents, dresses 49 cents, spring coats 49 cents.

Pittston’s most popular pool-shooting establishments: John Allardyce’s Pool Parlor and John Walsh’s Smoke Shop. Some of the top notch pool players in the area: Mike Mauriello ( Exeter) ; Polish Benny and Joe Baker (Plains); Andy Kelly (Dupont); Henry Meade and Owen McAndrew (Avoca); Koochie Weiskerger, City Constable in Pittston; Joe Corcoran and John McNulty, Kehoe employees; Stumpy Stonik, Plymouth High School employee.

And in politics: the breakdown shows that women Republican voters are in the majority and on the Democratic side – men and women total an equal number. The candidates of the future will have to maintain an air of dash and strive for the debonnaire attitude to attract the ladies’ votes if they want to be successful in local politics.

Answer: It’s a men’s hat – a Stetson called a Stratoliner. Perhaps the men could wear these hats for that debonnaire look to attract the ladies’ votes.