1948 – 69 years ago
Jack Loughney of Duryea had not seen his brother, Tom, for 34 years. Tom Loughney was stationed in Mercedes, Texas with the 16th Calvary regiment and fought against Poncho Villa and his bandits. He participated in many battles with factions of the Mexican Revolution as they planned to overthrow the state governments of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. In 1918, Jack, while serving in France during World War I, received a letter from Tom. It was the last time he’d heard from his brother. After a time, Jack had given up hope Tom was still alive. It was then a great surprise when Tom showed up at Jack’s door in 1948. Tom related that he’d retired from the Calvary after serving 24 years in the Coast Artillery and moved to Oregon. No other explanation was given as to why Tom had not contacted his brother Jack during those years.
Pittston Chief of Police, Francis Linnen received a letter from Katica Stancin of Zagreb, Yugoslavia. The letter requested information on her brother Roy Stancin, whom she had last heard from when he lived in Pittston Township. Checking into the issue, Linnen discovered all the known members of the Stancin family were deceased. Linnen turned the letter over to the Czar family who were friends with the Stancins.
1950 – 67 years ago
The Lehigh Valley Railroad advertised Diesel Powered Premium Service between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean offering diesel-powered tug boats to expedite freight to Jersey City and Manhattan. Known as the route of the Black Diamond due to major shipment runs hauling anthracite coal, Lehigh also offered limited passenger service between Philadelphia and New York. According to american-rails.com, The LV started to see a sharp decline in profits after the stock market crash of 1929. However it continued its service through the World War II. By 1951, in an effort to increase efficiency, the railroad transitioned its engines from steam to diesel. Profits continued to decline even after partnering with competitors. In 1970, the Lehigh Valley Railroad declared bankruptcy.
The Pittston Police Pension Fund received a check for more than $3,000 from the state, representing the local department’s share of Foreign Fire Insurance payments. An additional check was expected later in the year. The Police Pension Fund was a source of pride for the city, translating into “security in old age for the cops, which means contentment on duty.” At the time, the pension fund had $40,000 in its treasury. According to the US Inflation Calculator, that figure would be equivalent to $406,196 today.
You may be surprised at the answers given to the question posed by The Sunday Dispatch Inquiring Photographer, “Do you think a woman should continue with her career after she is married?” Max Wruble, of Pittston, answered, “Yes, a woman should follow her career; she would stay in high gear all the time and keep in top physical condition. She would be full of pep and happy.” Frank Consuman, of Pittston, added, “Positively, yes! This will make her feel happy because she is doing something useful.” Eugene Finnan, of Avoca, stated, “Positively. Modern conveniences reduce household chores to a minimum. It would keep a woman occupied. It would supply a useful outlet for feminine talent, if any.” Naomi Tompkins, of Hughestown, answered, “No, a woman’s place is in her home.” Betty Shaughnessy, of Pittston, stated, “No, A woman should automatically devote her time to her home and her family.” Mary Morris, of Pittston, added, “No, just no, A woman can’t do justice to two jobs; when you are married there is enough to do around the house.”
1953 – 64 years ago
Bell Telephone announced that Pittston would have Olympic numbers assigned for the new dial service planned for August. In 1943, it was noted Greater Pittston had 4,000 telephones in operation and the number had grown to 8,500 which was overwhelming the existing Central Office. The new service included a larger toll-free calling area, encompassing Wilkes-Barre and Kingston. The number of telephones included in the free service increased by more than 39,000.
“Operation Wading Pool” was off to a good start in Duryea. Borough residents Fritz Pawlowski, Stanley Turkos and John Yuhas campaigned for funds to help build the pool that would benefit the children of the borough. Two parcels of land were offered by John Salek and the Duryea School District for the location of the pool’s construction, which was expected to cost $2,500 to $3,000 to complete.
1960 – 57 years ago
The annual Battle of Wyoming program was scheduled to observe the 182nd anniversary of the event that tested the courage and resolve of the early colonists. The Stegmaier Gold Medal Band was set to open the program that also included the 109th Field Artillery Unit under Lt. Col. Frank Townsend, and an address by Thomas H. Atherton, president of the Wyoming Commemorative Association. The battle, one of the bloodiest of the American Revolution, took place in the area of Exeter on July 3, 1778 and was over in approximately one hour, leaving 340 patriots dead. Over 500 British troops and Seneca tribal members overtook the charging patriots led by Colonel Zebulon Butler and Colonel Nathan Dennison. This year will mark the battle’s 239th anniversary.
Mrs. Emily Romanczuk, of Duryea, thought she had been stung on the neck by an insect as she entered her car on McAlpine Street. However, when she got home, her husband noticed blood staining the back of her shirt. After a trip to the hospital, doctors discovered a portion of a .22 caliber bullet lodged in the back of her neck. Police were called to the site of the shooting and an investigation found one man and some juveniles doing target practice. The man was taken into custody.
1967 – 50 years ago
“It’s getting ridiculous” was the comment from both Hank Markowski and Sam Guarneri who operated Mary Ann’s News Stand behind Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church on William Street in Pittston. Their opinions were voiced when asked about the number of cigarette brands they had to stock for their customers. “Once there were just Camels, Lucky Strikes, Chesterfield and Old Golds; now there are more modern brand names such as Wings.” The men also had to offer various sizes of cigarettes such as king and super king size as well as normal and menthol brands. Markowski and Guarneri reminisced about the days when many boys “rolled their own smokes with Bugler, Penn and Bull Durham tobacco, some even used corn silk.“ In the days of rolling your own, Markowski commented, “Packaged cigarettes only averaged 10 to 12 cents a pack.”
1974 – 43 years ago
It started out as a as a simple day trip to the World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Muhammed Ali’s training camp at Deer Lake. Boxing fans Rocky Policare, Tommy Policare, Joe Policare, Dominick Fino and Charlie Dietrick decided they would like to see Ali’s famous camp so all made the trip but did not expect the end result. As the men toured the camp, Ali showed up and treated the men to a fun-filled afternoon of sparring and trading stories. Ali was at the camp to begin training for an upcoming championship fight against George Foreman. The matchup pitting undefeated world heavyweight champion Foreman against former heavy weight champion Ali, famously called The Rumble in the Jungle, was fought in Kinshasa, Zaire on Oct. 30, 1974. Ali won by a knockout in the eighth round.
This date in history:
1775 — George Washington arrived in Boston and took over as commander-in-chief of the new Continental Army.
1776 — The Continental Congress passed Lee’s resolution that “these united Colonies are, and of right, ought to be, Free and Independent States” and then spent two days over the wording of Jefferson’s document.
1863 — Mrs. Lincoln was thrown from her carriage and spent weeks recovering at the Anderson Cottage, Washington, DC. The seat assembly may have been sabotaged.
1874 — Colonel Custer departed from Fort Abraham Lincoln with some 1,000 soldiers and 70 Indian scouts on a 1200-mile expedition to chart the Black Hills of eastern Wyoming western South Dakota, land which belonged to the Sioux. The expedition returned on Aug. 30.
1937 — Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan left Lae in Papua, New Guinea and disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first around-the-world flight at the equator.
1961 — Novelist E. Hemingway shot himself in the head at his home in Ketchum, Idaho.
1976 — North and South Vietnam were officially reunified.
“Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.”― Franklin D. Roosevelt
