Back to the 50's--Mom and Pop stores near Perrysville

    

     In my elementary school years there were several Mom and Pop stores we frequented.  Walking home from Perrysville Elementary School, if we took the Perry Highway route, we had to pass by Wall's Market.  Wall's was a "real" grocery store, not a chain, and I believe probably owned by....the Walls ;-)  It handled produce, meat, paper products and CANDY.  Back in those days one nickle would buy a large chocolate candy bar.  Very strange that my dentist, Dr. Keopke's office was almost directly across Perry Highway from Wall's.  That fact did not deter me from purchasing a Clark bar or Sky Bar....probably my two favorites.  Another candy I loved was Sugar Daddy....now that one occasionally did pull a filling out of a tooth and then I had to go see the dentist.  I learned early on that Sugar Daddy's were to suck on.....not bite into ;-)

     When my childhood friend and I received matching bikes from Santa one Christmas, we were more mobile.  Two authentic Mom and Pop stores we frequented were located in Perrysville and in Laurel Gardens--both local to our houses on Washington Drive.

Heiber's looked the same in the 1950's, except for the buggy's.
Credit:  Images of America:  Ross Township by John D. Schalcosky, page 34.

     I have finally found out the name and a photo of the Perrysville Mom and Pop store we frequented.  Now an abandoned lot next to H.P. Brandt Funeral Home which is used for parking, it once was the home of the Heiber's General Store.  I remembered it as wood framed and having to go up several wooden steps to the entrance and now that I have a photo, my memory served me well.  It was the destination, in the summer, for bottles of flavored syrup which we used to cover crushed ice. Yes, we were young entrepreneurs who had one of those neighborhood beverage stands in front of the house....only we served ice cones.

     The second Mom and Pop store we loved to bike to was in Laurel Gardens.  At one time there was no road that connected North Hills Estates, where we lived, to Laurel Gardens. Then an extension was made, several new homes built and voila.....we were off and biking to explore a new area near home.

     I can't remember whether we discovered this new store ourselves or perhaps some of the older boys in the neighborhood told us about it...nonetheless, we peddled there on a regular basis.  My memory is going on either First or Second Street, which to an elementary school kid was like peddling a roller coaster.....gliding down and then peddling hard up the hill.  A zig and a zag and there we were, in front of the store.  Again, the name of the owners is long forgotten by me; however, I did join a group on Facebook of folks interested in the history of Ross Township, asked the question of who owned the store and was thrilled to have a multitude of answers. From what I gleaned, Laurel Gardens actually had two Mom and Pop stores during the time frame I was interested in, but the folks who owned the one we biked to was probably either Lavine's (Levine's) or Pelusi's. The goal of our trip was the HUGE stock of penny candy....the pot of gold at the end of an elementary kids rainbow ;-)  Typical of the 50's.  The penny candy was stored in large glass jars tilted forward so we could choose our own wrapped confections.  Those that were not wrapped had lids, which the owner would open and remove the candy with a large metal scoop.

     Another wonderful 1950's childhood memory.

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© 2016, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser



Family Gathering 1917 VanGilder/Pool Style

     Two days before Christmas 2016.  Frankly, I should be busy in the kitchen preparing two dinners for family for the next two holiday days.  Instead I decided to spend some time cleaning out the favorites saved on my google site.  Percolating there for some time was a page from The Charleroi Mail which was found out on the ancestry newspaper site.  Saved and forgotten.....until this morning.

     My paternal great grand aunt, Sarah Pool Pinyerd, must have had a "hot" line to the local newspaper and thankfully, for me, so many of my ancestors are out on the ancestry newspaper for me to peruse.  Unfortunately, the spelling of surnames printed in the paper leaves a lot to be desired.  Van Gelder/VanGilder/ Van Gilder, Pool/Poole, Pinyerd/Pinyard. Often I would find some little family nugget looking up a new surname and an article I have never seen pops up. This was probably the case with the above clipping.  I was undoubtedly searching for the Bashaw surname and voila.

     This gathering of family and friends was probably in celebration of the new year.  Oddly, my paternal great grandmother, Jessie Pool VanGilder, was not present.  She was a younger sister of Sarah.

     The party attendees as I know them:

1. Mrs. Jennie Wood--married sister of John Pinyerd and sister in law to Sarah Pool Pinyerd.
2. Mrs. William Murphy--married maternal cousin of Sarah Pool Pinyerd, Jeannette Harner Murphy.  
3. Miss Sara VanGelder--my paternal grandmother and niece to Sarah Pool Pinyerd.  Should be Sara VanGilder.
4. Miss Virginia VanGelder--my paternal grand aunt and niece to Sarah Pool Pinyerd.  Should be Virginia VanGilder.
5. Paul Drummond--have no idea who this man is.
6. Thomas Reese--have no idea who this man is.
7. Mr. and Mrs. Albert Pool--brother and sister in law of Sarah Pool Pinyerd.
8. Evelyn and Dorothy Pool--daughters of the above and nieces to Sarah Pool Pinyerd.
9. Mrs. L Bashaw and baby--Mrs. Leon Bashaw, married sister to Sarah Pool Pinyerd and her daughter Olive Petit Bashaw, niece to Sarah Pool Pinyerd.
10. Miss Mary Louise VanGelder--my paternal grand aunt and niece to Sarah Pool Pinyerd.  Should be Mary Louise VanGilder.

     The two unknown men are not in my genealogy data base.  Perhaps more research is needed to figure out why they were at this family gathering.  

Sarah Ann Pool Pinyerd on Flipside

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.    PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2016, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser



Back to the 50's--This is pretty elementary ;-)

     The Northland Public Library in Ross Township, Pennsylvania via their on line website has been an exciting find for me for the past week.  I can't seem to stop pulling it up.

     I was working on more land related blogs earlier in the week and then I saw a link for a 1950 Perrysville Telephone Directory and here is what I found.

     Yep, that would be my Dad and our new house on Washington Drive and the phone number.  I don't remember PE4-7241; however it then became FOrest 4-7241 and then 364-7241 and we took that phone number from Washington Drive to our new home in McCandless Township in 1960.  It was always our home phone number until my Mom and Dad moved from that McCandless address.

     I did spend some time browsing the directory and did not find very many of our neighbors listed.  I do remember that the Arthur's had a WEllington and not a PErrysville phone number.  I don't know why.  

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.    PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2016, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser



Ferdinande Weiss Olesen

Ferdinande Weiss Olesen
circa 1870
West Hartlepool, England
carte de visite

     I seem to be finally getting around to blogging about my Olesen roots.  To be fair, I have only had bits and pieces of research until recently, especially on the two who remained in West Hartlepool, England.

     This lady, Ferdinande Weiss Olesen, did immigrate to the United States and lived with several of her adult children in Aliquippa and Monaca, Beaver County, Pennsylvania area.  She is my paternal great great grandmother.

     So many names.  It is somewhat difficult to actually know what her first name was.  I have seen Ferdinande, Ferdinando, Ferdinanda.  Nickname--Ann, Anne, Annie.  Comparing the documents I have found to date, it appears that my great great grandmother was called Ferdinande in England and it changed to Ferdinanda when she lived in the United States.  When she signed her marriage license, it was Ferdinande.

    Ferdinande was born on November 14, 1855 in Hamburg, Germany.  Her parents were Frederick Heindrich Adolph Weiss and Ferdinande Lehman. She joined brother, Adolph Herman W. Weiss. I do not know when the Weiss family immigrated to England, and in particular to the town of Hartlepool, They are enumerated as residents there on the 1861 census.  Oddly, Ferdinande is listed as 18 months old on that census, which would make her birth date about 1859 and not 1855.  Later census reports and her marriage license show her birth year to be 1855.

      Ferdinande's father was employed in various shipping positions in Hartlepool, which was an important business industry during the Victorian era to this active port town.  It also appears that the Weiss family had boarders in their home for additional income.  The boarders were also involved in the shipping industry.

     On November 27, 1870, when she was fifteen, Ferdinande's father died.  To provide income for the family following his death, son Adolph was employed as an apprentice to an outfitter and Ferdinande worked as a dressmaker.  Additionally, three male boarders were living in their home on Victoria Station, Stranton, West Hartlepool, England.  One of the three, Christian Invart Olesen, married Ferdinande four years later.

Marriage License for
Christian Invart Olesen and Ferdinande Weiss
1874

     

     On August 30, 1874 Christian and Ferdinande married at Christ's Church, West Hartlepool, England.  The marriage license gives a glimpse into my family genealogy.  Both of the father's names are listed for the newly weds.  The two people who signed as witnesses are Ferdinande's brother, Adolph Weiss, and Mary Middlemass  This couple married two years later.  Both Christian and Ferdinande were literate and could spell their name.  Of note:  My paternal great great grandmother's name is spelled Ferdinande with the final e written over.

     Seven children were born to Christian and Ferdinande:

1. Frederick Adolph Olesen, March 4, 1875-after 1946.
2. Elizabeth Ferdinande Olesen, October 16, 1876-October 11, 1961.  Married John George Hughes.  My paternal great grandparents.
3. Christian William Olesen, March 18, 1880-December 1, 1946.
4. Emily Maud Olesen, April, 1883-July 25, 1958.  Married Rowland Richards and Peter Leo Brown.
5. Adolph Heindrich Weiss Olesen, April 27, 1885-Jan 24, 1901.
6. George Invart Olesen, December 4, 1887-December 1888.
7. Ernest Alfred Olesen, April 19, 1891-After 1947.  Married Ann Wanless.

     From various newspaper articles found in both Hartlepool and Middlesbrough, England, it appears that Ferdinande did not lead a calm domestic life.  Her husband, Christian's ship chandler business, was bankrupt by 1877.  Several articles indicate that he had a volatile temper that lead him to serve time doing hard labor.  Her eldest son was also in trouble with the law, brought before the local court and served time doing hard labor. One 1894 article exposed him as threatening her and the police were summoned. She also had to deal with the sorrow of losing to young sons.

     Ferdinande's husband died on October 17, 1892 from somewhat mysterious circumstances.  From newspapers articles, he left for work in good health, stopped at the Victoria Hotel for a whiskey while waiting to catch a train for Middlesbrough.  Before he could enjoy his drink he dropped over dead. The cause of death was ruled syncope.

     On March 19, 1898, George Henry Hughes, Ferdinande's first grandchild was born, in West Hartlepool, England, to her daughter Elizabeth Ferdinande Olesen Hughes and her husband John George Hughes.  This is my link to the family.  George Henry Hughes is my paternal grandfather and John George Hughes and Elizabeth Olesen Hughes are my paternal great grandparents.

     The Olesen family lived at two different residences on Bolton Street during the 1890's and early 1900's.  To provide for the family, Ferdinande worked outside the home.  Son, Bill was employed as a sawyer (a person who saws lumber) and daughter Emily, a dressmaker.

Ferdinande Weiss Olesen
West Hartlepool, England
Photo post card
Circa 1899

 
     My guess is that this photo was taken in the front yard at 7 Bolton Street in West Hartlepool.  Unfortunately, Bolton Street no longer exists, so I was not able to see the house when I visited in 2003.

Immigration of the Olesen's to the United States

     On May 8, 1906, Ferdinande's daughter, grandchild and son in law (the Hughes family) left Liverpool, England for the United States.  Bill, Emily, Ernest were still living at home.  A year later, Elizabeth and nine year old son, George Henry returned to West Hartlepool for a visit.  In July 1910, Elizabeth Hughes returned to West Hartlepool and her brother, Bill Olesen accompanied her back to the United States. At that time Ferdinande was living at 73 South Parade in West Hartlepool.  

    On February 26, 1920, son Ernest (Ernie) along with his wife Ann and young son, Oscar sailed from Liverpool, England for the United States and made their home in the New York City area.

     Bill Olesen crossed the pond and prepared for the final crossing of the Olesen's.  This included Ferdinande, her daughter Emily Olesen Richards accompanied by Bill Olesen aboard the Aquitania on July 1920 leaving Liverpool and arriving in New York City on July 24, 1920.  Emily was detained due to illness.  The family stayed with Ernest Olesen and family in Brooklyn until Emily was well and able to travel to Woodlawn (now Aliquippa, Pennsylvania).  Son, Frederick Olesen remained in England.

     It must have been a full house at 131 Spring Avenue, Woodlawn, Pennsylvania.  The house was owned by Jones Laughlin Steel Company (a company home) and rented to John George Hughes.  In the house lived, John, Elizabeth and George Hughes; Bill Olesen; Ferdinande Olesen; Emily Olesen Richards and her husband Rowland Richards.

     Following the death of John George Hughes on May 20, 1921, the Olesen family remaining at 131 Spring Avenue were Elizabeth Olesen Hughes, Bill Olesen and Ferdinande Olesen.  From the 1940 United States census, it appears that the group remained at the home in Aliquippa at least until 1935. Bill Olesen was also employed by J&L Steel.

My Dad with his great grandmother Olesen

     By the 1940 United States census the family had moved to 1298 Washington Avenue, Monaca, Beaver County, Pennsylvania.  Stories and memories of this house have been supplied to me by my Aunt Faith, who lived here from about 1946-1950.  She does remember both her great grandmother Ferdinande Weiss Olesen, her Grand Uncle Bill Olesen and Grand Aunt Emily Richards/Brown.

     

Map showing where the Olesen's moved after
leaving Aliquippa, Pennsylvania

     On February 15, 1942, Ann Olesen died at home in Monaca, Pennsylvania at the age of 87.  She is buried in the Hughes family plot, Woodlawn Cemetery, Aliquippa, Beaver County, Pennsylvania.

Other Blogs on Flipside for Ferdinande Weiss Olesen:

-Tombstone Tuesday--Ferdinande Weiss Olesen

-Ferdinande Weiss Olesen with family dog in West Hartlepool, England

-Marriage Record of Christian Olesen and Ferdinande Weiss

-Ferdinande Weiss Olesen Psalms Bible

Other Olesen Blogs on Flipside:

Christian Invart Olesen--Anne husband

Frederick Adolph Olesen, son of Christian and Ann Olesen

Elizabeth Ferdinande Olesen Hughes, daughter of Christian and Ann Olesen.  Search for her too.

William Christian Olesen, son of Christian and Ann Olesen

Emily Maude Olesen Richards Brown, daughter of Christian and Ann Olesen

Ernest Alfred Olesen, son of Christian and Ann Olesen

 

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.    PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2016, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser



Back to the 50's--745 Washington Drive Where My Childhood Memories Live

     

Dad busy putting in the grass out front
Mom's writing in the photo album

Front door
Note the North Hills Dairy box.
Every so many days the milkman would deliver bottles of
milk and I would go out and take them out of the box.
Occasionally I would trick the milkman and tell him
Mom wanted a bottle of chocolate milk ;-)

     

     This was my childhood home.....my parent's first house.  We moved here in the fall of 1950.  I do not know how much influence my parents had in designing this house or if it was built and they purchased it.  It was a small three bedroom, one bath house.  There was a basement and a one car garage.  When my folks moved in, it was a family of three.  In the fall of 1951, Dad was called into service in the Korean Conflict and was stationed at Camp Carson, Colorado.  At the end of December, Mom closed up the house and she and I traveled by train out west to Camp Carson.  Ken was born on the Army base on February 12, 1952 and we lived there until after my fifth birthday on May 1.  Mom, Ken and I returned to Washington Drive so I could begin Kindergarten at Perrysville Elementary School near our home.  Dad returned for a brief time in the summer of 1952 and then left for Korea.

     As I mentioned in a previous blog, family times seems to bring back memories.  So many of mine revolve around this house and street.....my elementary and junior high school years.  I decided to do a little background search on the property.  Whatever did we do before the internet and it's development over the past decade.  I plugged in Perrysville, Pennsylvania and was easily able to find maps and also a few answers to some nagging questions that have been hanging around in my mind for, whew.....many decades ;-)

     Well, here we are.  1906.  Hiland Presbyterian Church, my childhood church, listed on the map and Perrysville, Pennsylvania with numerous businesses and farming lands.  My childhood home was located in a 1940 plan called North Hills Estates.  Believe me, the homes there were NOT estates, just comfortable family homes.  The land in the 1906 map belonged to John Thompson and is listed as Lot 30.  Checking another map that takes the view down into the borough south of Perrysville, West View, John Thompson's land stretched down to West View.  A goodly majority of the Thompson farm was sold by 1940 to developers and it became North Hills Estates.

     Of course I had to do a little research into the Thompson Family.  I was not able to determine who John was or who he "belonged" to.  There was an early John Thompson who settled in Ross Township.  Perrysville was located in Ross.  It appears from an article I found, that the older Thompson lived in what is today Shaler Township. John and his wife, Ellen Davis, were the parents of fourteen children who lived to maturity.  (Cushing, Thomas, A Genealogical and Biographical History of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania,Genealogical Publishing Com, Jun 1, 2009, page  744).  The land on Lot 30 could be additional land formerly owned and deeded by John Thompson the parent or to his son, John Thompson.  

     There is a Thompson Cemetery (listed on Find A Grave as Oak Grove Cemetery) in Shaler Township.  Ross Township was at one time part of Shaler.  Later in life I lived off Thompson Run Road....again, same Thompson family.  And when living in North Hills Estates, one had to drive or walk down Thompson Drive to get to our street.  Odd that as we moved to our second home, we still were close to the pioneer Thompson family land.

     Moving ahead to 1940 and a map showing the development of a new housing plan called North Hills Estates.  The 1906 John Thompson Farm was across Perry Highway from Hiland Presbyterian Church and then ran south along Perry Highway.  Thompson Drive, named in honor John Thompson, former owner of the land, divides North Hills Estates.  The red star marks the lot that my parents purchased and in 1940, no house had been built.  As I mentioned earlier, I am not certain if our house was already built and my parents bought it or if they had some input into its design.  

     Of great interest to me was finding that the woods behind our house actually had a name....Thompson Drive Park.  This woods was my entertainment for most of my elementary school years.  We just called it "the woods".  Who knew it had a proper name....lol    I know every kid who lived on Washington Drive spent countless hours playing in the woods and in the creek that cut through it.  A little additional research did not give me a name for that creek....yet ;-)  however, I did follow it to Girtys Run.  Our creek appears to be a feeder water that flowed into Ginty's Run and eventually through Millvale and into the Allegheny River.  

     Lot 192 became 745 Washington Drive.  A house we lived in from 1950 until my parents built a new house in McCandless Township which we moved into in 1961.  Several houses on my street were already completed in 1940.  The house beside our lot belonged to the Woodward Family when we moved in.  Dorthy Woodward operated a dance school in her basement for many years and I was a member of her school during my elementary school years.  The Arthur's home was also already standing in 1940.  The Arthur's purchased their house from a previous owner since Joe Arthur and my Dad were in their freshman year of college in 1940.  

   When I was researching this blog, I decided to google search the address of our Washington Drive address and was happily surprised to see it recently sold and there was a zillow listing with PHOTOS!  Certainly there has been some updating over the decades; however most of the interior features remain.

Current look at the living room with the
same railing on the steps.

1957 Standing on the steps
Christmas

     A Hughes classic photo.  The three of us seated in front of the fireplace in the living room for a Christmas photo in 1956.

Living room showing the fireplace today.

          Photos showing the front of house when we lived in it and more recently.  Shutters are a nice addition.  Still deciding about the cover over the front porch ;-)

     Talk about a walk down memory lane.

North Hills Civic Association:  North Hills Estates A Brief History and Profile.

Zillow Listing:

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/745-Washington-Dr-Pittsburgh-PA-15229/11441236_zpid/

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.    PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2016, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser