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NEW BRIGHTON TRIVIA

By Art Madory

Milestones Vol 7 No. 1--Winter 1982

1. In New Brighton and Beaver Falls there was a street car line known as the HillTop, TunerviIle Trolley and Cross Town. What were the streets and avenues over which it traveled? There was a double track atone place only for the street cars to pass. Where was the double track located?

2. The main line tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad were removed from Fifth Avenue, New Brighton, in the 1920's. The railroad did, however, maintain a spur track from Eighth Street north and Fourteenth Street south. What were the names of these firms?

3 . The street department in New Brighton were probably the first to use a traffic dummy. It looked like a buoy and was not anchored to the street. Some of the sober drivers and most of the drunk drivers were constantly knocking it over and it became a town joke. Where was this traffic dummy located?

4. Most towns maintained watering troughs for horses. Where were these troughs located in New Brighton?

5. For many years there was a vacant red brick church, enclosed inside a very tall picket fence, located in New Brighton. What was the denomination of this church and where was it located?

6. At one time, New Brighton supported three silent motion picture theaters. One of them was commonly known as a nickelodeon. Where were they located and who were some of the owners?

7. The early days for radio were the 1920's. They were expensive and not every home owned a radio. Television was still unheard of at this time. In New Brighton, many citizens gathered in front of a drug store to hear the balloting at the Democratic National Convention. The announcement started like this: "Alabama casts for Oscar. What is the name of the drug store, year of the convention, and the last name of Oscar? Who finally won the Democratic nomination and who became President of the United States?

8. At one time there were four coal tipples in New Brighton. Railroad hopper cars were run up on them and the coal would fall down into the horse drawn wagons and trucks. Where were these tipples located? Name the owners of each tipple.

9. In the early 1920's, a prominent Doctor and Pharmicist patented a product used ordinarily by men only. This product was advertised nationally in the old Saturday Evening Post with full page spreads. Name the product, the Doctor and the Pharmicist. Where in New Brighton was the product made?

10. The New Brighton High School Football Team used to play all games on Saturday afternoon. If we won, the school bell would ring loud and clear. In what school was the bell located?

 

Answers

1. In New Brighton - Fifth Ave. at Fourteenth St. and east to Penn Ave.
North to Eleventh St. and west to Tenth Ave. North to Sixth St. and east to Twelfth Ave. North over the bridge and over to Beaver Falls North on Six Ave. to Third Ave and North to Eleventh St. East to the old P. & L.E. Station. Then back and West to the old Pennsylvania Station, then back to New Brighton. The double track for passing was on Twelfth Ave., New Brighton.

2. The William Leard Company at Sixteenth St. The Standard Horse Nail Company at 14th Street. The old J.H. Hornby Feed Company at Eighth St.
The McDanel Lumber Company at Seventh St.

3. On Fifth Ave. at Thirteenth St., New Brighton

4. On Oak Hill at Fifth Street and Fourth Street, Intersection at Ninth Street and Allegheny Street. Sixth Street and Third Avenue. Fourteenth Street at Fifth Avenue

5. A Methodist Church facing on Eleventh Street at Fourth Avenue.

6. The Empire Theatre on Third Ave. at Eighth St. The Grand at Third Avenue near Ninth Street. The Nickolocleon near the Croation Club on Third Ave. Some of the owners were Frank Hart, Charles McDanel, Dr. Ehrling, Howard Hall, David Reehl, and an Adams Family.

7. The Puritan Drug, then owned by the Fiscus Family. The year was 1924. Alabama casts its' vote for Senator Oscar Underwood. The Convention Floor fight was a dead lock fight between Governor Al Smith of New York, the first Catholic to run for the Presidency, and Senator William McAdoo of California, a Protestant and son-in-law of former President Woodrow Wilson. Governor John W. Davis of West Virginia was finally the Democrat Nominee and President Cal Coolidge won another term by a landslide.

8. Harry Calhoon had a coal tipple at Fifth Ave. and Fourth Street. Peter Shaffer had a coal yard at Thirteenth St. and Runbottom. John Carr had a tipple at Alleghany St. and Blockhouse Run. Howard Deacom had a tipple upstream on Harmony Ave.

9. The product was Pryde Wynn Shaving cream. The Doctor was Wynn Simpson and the Pharmicist was Cliff Seawright. The location was the present site of the New Brighton S.O.I. Club, Fifth Ave.

10. The Central School Building.