1947 – 72 YEARS AGO
Bell Telephone advertised the sign of good sportsmanship and fair play when using the party-line telephone meant better service for all concerned. “You’re playing fair when you keep calls brief, and when you space calls so that others may use the line as well. If you take the lead in party-line courtesy, others will follow suit!” Party lines were common in the early 1900s. Having more than one subscriber to a “local telephone loop circuit” sometimes caused problems with neighbors who took more than a fair share of conversing with friends and family. In 1991, the last party line was phased out in Woodbury, Connecticut.
Ready Kilowatt announced the new two-temperature refrigerators could hold enough food for 76 meals, having a capacity for more than 170 pounds of food.
The summer was not producing the temperatures and sunny weather conducive to the usual demand for the latest summer fashions. Nathan’s A Dress Shop on North Main Street, Pittston, decided to hold a store-wide sale on clothes and accessories. It was reported that “Women jammed the sidewalk and the street and generally upset the equilibrium of the businesses in that district as they joined in a mad dash for bargains.” Chief of Police George Turner assigned officers to the area to “prevent the women from rushing pell-mell through windows and all.” Witnessing the frenzy, other businesses in the area quickly made signs and joined in sale-day hysteria.
1953 – 66 YEARS AGO
Avoca Borough officials discovered that not only would they be able annex a portion of land situated in Pittston Township but a section of land belonging to Duryea, as well. Luzerne County officials discovered some Pittston Twp. property in Houston City originally was the property of Avoca. After the discovery, there was a suspicion that some property in Duryea might also be included. Borough officials were pouring over old maps to confirm their belief. Council was planning to move to adopt an ordinance requesting the return of the land in Pittston Township and, if the parcels in Duryea were discovered to belong to the borough, they would also be included in the ordinance.
1962 – 57 YEARS AGO
The Dial Rock Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution focused its attention to clearing the area surrounding the Harding Massacre monument which commemorated the event that occurred on July 1, 1778, three days before the Wyoming Massacre. The Harding Monument is on Route 92 in Harding, the site of the former Triple Springs Farm owned by the late Patrick Joyce, state senator. Joyce donated the land to Dial Rock for the purpose of erecting the monument.
1966 – 53 YEARS AGO
John P. Wanalista Jr., MM2 (SS) nuclear power plant operator aboard the first Polaris submarine the USS George Washington, returned home to Avoca. While serving aboard the nuclear submarine, Wanalista participated in an exercise in which the ship successfully fired 2 A-3 missiles from Cape Kennedy, Florida to a target in the South Atlantic Ocean. Wanalista graduated from Duryea High School in 1960 and served on two other submarines, the USS Torsk and USS Thomas Edison. The A-3 missile could deliver three 200-kiloton warheads 2,800 miles.
The Pulaski School Building in Dupont was razed after being sold to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Holy Name Society. The building, which was erected in the early 1900s, was used for a hospital during the 1918 flu epidemic and then converted to a four-classroom schoolhouse. In 1950, the building was partitioned into more classrooms and served as Dupont’s High School until the forming of the Northeast School District in 1962. The world-wide 1918 flu epidemic lasted from January 1918 to December 1920; between 50 and 130 million people died, making it one of the deadliest outbreaks in human history.
1970 – 49 YEARS AGO
With the first half of the West Side Slow Pitch League season under its belt, Shangri-La Cafe of West Wyoming heralded a 7-1 record. Gorki’s A.C. was the only team to beat Shang-Ri-La and took second place at 6-2. Members of the Shangri-La Cafe team were Robert Foy, Bobby Knowles, Bob “Scooter” Nardone, Leo Hiedacavage, Joe “Bam” Rutski, Bernie Cagelka, Nate Webb, Jack Beacham, Frank Conniff, George Risko, James Dennis, Bob Gadomski, Paul Gibblets, Joe Ford, Frank Risko, Joe Fischi, Joe DeLucca, John Lukasavage and Bill Morgan.
1976 – 43 YEARS AGO
As part of the Wyoming Bicentennial fundraising project, the Wyoming Historical Society sold copies of a map of the village of Wyoming. Originally published by H.H. Rowley in 1885, the extremely detailed map showed the community as it appeared at the end of the 19th century with houses, factories, coal breakers, churches and other historical structures. The 23 x 35-inch map featured the Wyoming Monument, Swetland Homestead, Payne Pettebone House and Wyoming Presbyterian Institute and church buildings. The map remained on display at the Swetland Homestead and Franklin Federal Savings and Loan office at the Midway Shopping Center. According to John William Reps, author of “Views and Viewmakers of Urban America,” H.H. Rowley is a rather mysterious character because there is no definitive information on the gentlemen and, since there were only 17 maps produced by him, they would appear rather rare. The author states, “Rowley, whoever he may have been, left only a graphic trail, devoid of biographical clues.”
1983 – 36 YEARS AGO
Arnold Gordon, owner of a general store in Dupont, told Kevin McDonnell, writer for the Sunday Dispatch, how he amassed his baseball memorabilia, which included a Louisville Slugger, numerous signed photographs and autographs of baseball greats like Steve Carlton, Stan Musial and Pete Rose. A baseball enthusiast, Arnold was on hand at Yankee Stadium for such history making events as Lou Gehrig Day in 1941 and at Veterans Stadium where he saw Pete Rose hit number 3,631 to break Stan Musial’s National League record. He also witnessed Yankee pitcher Don Larsen’s perfect game versus the Dodgers in the 1956 World Series. A signed baseball from Philadelphia Athletics’ manager Connie Mack was Gordon’s most favored item in the collection. Mack traded the ball for a piece of coal Arnold had from the No. 9 Colliery in Pittston. In a story featured in Sports Illustrated, Connie Mack mentioned the piece of coal as one of his most cherished possessions.
1985 – 34 YEARS AGO
Tom McGuire received the Scholastic Award presented by the Professional News Media Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania for his professional camera work in producing a three-minute film showing presidential candidate Walter Mondale’s visit to the Wyoming Valley. Without benefit of a press pass, McGuire acquired close access to the candidate as Mondale greeted 10,000 supporters on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre. He, along with co-producer Annette Winski, wrote the narration, over-dubbed voices and edited the film, using techniques to provide a home movie appearance.
1995 – 24 YEARS AGO
Alyssa Leandri, of Wyoming, was crowned Tiny Miss Luzerne County at the Luzerne County Expo Talent Competition. Leandri was set to represent the Luzerne County Recreation Dept. in various events throughout the area.
In his weekly column, “Passing Tones,” Joe Limongelli announced the Staircase Lounge in the Pittston Mall would experience the “party of parties” when the area’s top band Flaxy Morgan celebrated its first anniversary. Band members included drummer Rich Kossuth, guitarist/vocalist Lou Marino, guitarist Gene Onacko; keyboardist Jean Pisano and bassist Cathy Silveri. The group’s set list included hits from bands such as Boston, Collective Soul, B-52s, Green Day, Styx, Tom Petty, Eurythmics, Melissa Etheridge and En Vogue.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
1777 — American troops give up Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain to the British.
1863 — Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Hagerstown, Maryland reports his defeat at Gettysburg to President Jefferson Davis.
1941 — Although a neutral country, the United States sends troops to occupy Iceland to keep it out of Germany’s hands.
1969 — The first U.S. units to withdraw from South Vietnam leave Saigon.
BORN ON THIS DAY
1887 — Marc Chagall, French painter and designer
1906 — Leroy “Satchel” Page, baseball pitcher
1940 — Ringo Starr, musician, one of the Beatles
