Monthly Archives: November 2008

Aetna Standard 1941

     Aetna-Standard Engineering Company in Ellwood City was a vital part of the World War II effort. The heavy industry plant was for a period during the 40’s converted to the production of vitally needed military equipment. These pictures were taken during the production of thirty-seven millimeter anti-aircraft guns. Carriages were produced down an assembly line with a very large bullseye painted on the wall to sight in the targeting mechanisms in the final stages of production.

1941 Aetna-Standard lunch wagon

      Bud Dimeo recalled an interesting story about these guns even though he himself did not work on them. A shack used to be located on the site of the current Elks Club lodge. One day while testing the guns at the shack, the Aetna employees managed to either catch the shack on fire or with the guns it may have been more than just a simple fire.

Antiaircraft gun Aetna-Standard 1941

    Today, Edro Specialty Steels is located in this portion of the Aetna mill. If you stand in the Lincoln High School parking lot and look away from the school, the big blue building you are looking at is Edro. We currently do not have any names to go along with these photographs. If you recognize any of the pictures below, please email us so we can share the information with everyone.

Assembly line Aetna-Standard 1941

All photographs were taken by the late Alfred T. Palmer for the United States Government War Program. All pictures are part of the Farm Security Administration – Office of War Information Photograph Collection (Library of Congress).

1941 Aetna-Standard lunch wagon Ellwood City Pennsylvania

Helling Stadium

    The Ellwood City Wolverines Football field in Ewing Park is named Helling Stadium. The Stadium was named 1969 after Dr H.E. Helling. The much smaller current stadium was built in the very early years of the 21st century.

United Presbyterian Church

The United Presbyterian Church was originally built April 7 1892 before building the current building on Cresent Ave.

    We can list the history of the church in Ellwood City, date the locations were built, list the pastors, so on and so on. However that is not really what we started this site for. We need MEMORIES. Funny stories, touching stories, you know, the good stuff. Stories like the time the shepard had toilet paper stuck to his foot in the Christmas play, the memories of the children that grew up in the church, or the entire church coming together as one to help another. If you have a story you would like to share about United Presbyterian Church, please EMAIL us or click on the “comment” link at the bottom of this post.

Immanuel Reformed Church

     The Immanuel Reformed Church originally rented the Welch Church in the West End of Ellwood City. It wasn’t until August of 1907 that they moved into their own building on the corner of Cresent Ave and 8th Street. The church quickly outgrew their building and built a new church April 17, 1911 and is still in use today.

    We can list the history of the church in Ellwood City, date the locations were built, list the pastors, so on and so on. However that is not really what we started this site for. We need MEMORIES. Funny stories, touching stories, you know, the good stuff. Stories like the time the shepard fell down the stairs, the kids growing up in the church, or the entire church coming together as one to help another. If you have a story you would like to share about Immanuel Evangelical & Reformed Church, please EMAIL us or click on the “comment” link at the bottom of this post.

     Perhaps the greatest team of all time from our area is the undefeated Ellwood City High School football team.

     Led by 6’1″ – 228 lb fullback/linebacker Tom “Big Train” MacMurdo, the Ellwood squad did not allow a single point until the National title game. The WPIAL champions outscored their opponents 313 to 0 during the regular season. 

     The biggest game of the year was against defending WPIAL champions New Castle who were riding a 43 game undefeated streak. New Castle’s Coach Phil Bridenbaugh’s team was led by local legend Ralph “Scooter” Day. 10,000 people packed the area around the old field in Ellwood City including people standing on the roofs of the houses that stood next to the old field where the current High School stands.  Both teams had yet to be scored upon 7 weeks into the season.

     New Castle started the game kicking off to Ellwood City, but Ellwood turned around and punted the ball back to New Castle on first down. New Castle took the ball and drove down to the one yard line before being stopped one foot short of teh goaline on fourth down. Ellwood City got the ball back inside New Castle territory on an interception and Tom MacMurdo punched the ball into the endzone and took a 7-0 lead into the second half. In the 2nd half Ellwood City opened things up against a desperate New Castle team capped by a 26 yard touchdown run by MacMurdo and won the game 14-0. After the big win, Ellwood City was acclaimed the best team in the state.

     After the only other undefeated team Jeannette tied Latrobe on Thanksgiving Day, Ellwood City was awarded the Syrcuse Cup and crowned WPIAL champions. The season did not end there for Ellwood City as the two time Illinios state champions Freeport was inline to play Ellwood for the National Championship at the brand new Pitt Stadium.  Freeport, who had not lost a game in five years, beat the Ellwood City team 13-7 if front of the 2,454 fans in attendance. Ellwood’s only score coming late in the game by Tom MacMurdo.

Hal Wilson has a great site about the 1925 team

Ellwood City – 60    Evans City – 0

Ellwood City - 12    Monaca – 0

Ellwood City - 20    Beaver – 0

Ellwood City – 20    Beaver Falls - 0

Ellwood City – 20    Woodlawn – 0

Ellwood City - 64    New Wilmington - 0

Ellwood City - 14    New Castle - 0

Post Season

Ellwood City - 31    Homestead – 0

Ellwood City - 72    East Palestine (Ohio) – 0

National Championship

Ellwood City – 6     Freeport (Illinois) – 13

Starting Lineup:

Quarterback – Ross Parker

Halfback – Johnny Sanders

Halfback – Harold Johnston- All WPIAL first team

Fullback – Tom MacMurdo – All WPIAL first team – Ellwood City Single season record (120 pts)

End – Bill Marsh

End – Jim Fitzgerald – All WPIAL first team

Center – Jim MacMurdo – Played three years with Philadelphia Eagles

Guard – Bill Herge

Guard – Art Applebaum- All WPIAL first team

Tackle – Bob MacMurdo

Tackle – Curt Neff

*note – a sub on this team was later famous L. Butler Hennon who coached the Wampum Indians basketball team which included the Allen brothers to three State Championships.

Hotel Oliver

     Hotel Oliver, located on the grounds of Lincoln High School, was the first major building project in Ellwood City. Planned to be among the best hotels of western Pennsylvania, Simon Harold of Beaver Falls built the hotel with all the most modern conveniences that were available. When Hotel Oliver opened May 2nd of 1891 it marked the “official opening” of Ellwood City. The hotel itself had electric lights and bells, steam heat, and top of the line sanitary arrangements and fire escapes.
     The hotel, named in honor of Henry W. Oliver a Pittsburgh capitalist and steel manufacturer, was an important part of the early life of Ellwood City. The town was able to secure a reputation as a resort town thanks in part to picturesque Glenn Park, Rock Point Park, and Hotel Oliver being built as a summer resort.

    Hotel Oliver Grove was located directly behind Hotel Oliver on Crescent Avenue. The park extended from 4th St. to 6th St. and all the way to Oak Ave on the South. The popular picnic area was the site of first murder of Ellwood City, an apparent robbery.
    The southside of Oliver Ave at 6th St behind Oliver Park was a building shaped in the form of a letter “T”. The building housed Hotel Oliver’s billiard room & bowling alley. A hotel’s Bar-room was also located in a separate building to the rear & west of the main building & connected to the main building by a small hallway.

     At least ten Presidents of the United States have come through our little town. Not all of them were President at the time but were President none the same.

     The first President of the United States to come through Ellwood City was the first President George Washington. In 1753, while surveying western Pennsylvania, he and his brothers stayed some time in what would later become the Fourth Ward of Ellwood City. A descendant of the Matheny family has a handsaw that dates back to the mid 1700’s given to Moses Matheny by the future President’s survey crew. It is thought that this saw was used in the construction of the Matheny Inn.

     In 1847, President James A. Garfield came through the locks at Rock Point as a teenager. Actually he came very close to drowning there after tumbling overboard into the muddy waters on a dark rainy night. Mrs. Moses Mathany took care of him that night with some hot coffee, hot bath, and a warm bed in the old “Matheny Tavern”. Three years later in the early summer months of 1850, Mrs. Moses Mathany also hosted President Zachary Taylor at the tavern on his way to New Castle.

    The funeral train of President William McKinley slowly came through Ellwood City September 1901. Pictures of the train passing under the old wooden bridge that crossed the railroad tracks at Second Street are quite amazing. Then on May 29, 1907 President Teddy Roosevelt came to Ellwood City. He stood on the rear platform of the Baltimore and Ohio coach shaking hands and chattering for some time.

    December of 1918 saw President Taft visit the National Tube Company in Ellwood City. Originally the plans called for President Taft to spend the night at the Offutt home but the Presidents plans were changed at the last minute and he was forced to leave on the 10 pm train headed East.

     The funeral train of President Harding came through town on August 4th, 1923 and his successor President Coolidge is noted to have come through Ellwood City a couple of times.  On one such occasion, his special eight coach train came through town on his way to attend President Hardings funeral on August 7th, 1923 and again during his bid for re-election in 1924.

    George Bush was in town to present a check from the federal government to the Ellwood City Forge Nov 3, 1984 while he was Vice President and people still talk about how he did not receive the warmest of welcomes from some local citizens.
    On Aug 3, 2000 his son George W. Bush & Dick Cheney came North through Beaver County and Rock Point by train waving to people in their back yards and stopped in Wampum to give condensed speeches while campaigning for office.

    If anyone has a picture of any of these events, please contact us. Please EMAIL or visit our guestbook.

    Additional Presidents may have been in our town as they were in the area including President Truman who was in New Castle Oct 21, 1958, Herbert Hoover campaigned from train in New Castle, and Harry Truman stayed the night in New Castle Oct 21, 1958. Richard M Nixon campaigned for VP to Eisenhower in New Castle in 1951 and J.F.K. campaigned in New Castle and Beaver Falls in 1960. Then in August 1992 Bill Clinton & Al Gore swung through the area and stopped at the Lawrence County Fair to make speeches but did not get an opportunity to get a Leroy’s hot sausage sandwich.

What Was That Restaurant: Thank you to Bob Stevenson and Susan for supplying the information on the El-Mar Restaurant (owned by Ray Gillespie) across from the Ferndale trailer court in the 1950′s and 1960′s.

Mysterious Letter – There is a letter sent from Ellwood City by Samuel Hayden on October 8th 1945 in possession of Mr. George Bannister from South Yorkshire England that sends the news that Mr. Haydens grandson has retuned safe from the war in Europe and additional information. If you are related to Mr. Hayden, Mr. Bannister would like to get in contact with you. Email us and we will give you his email address.

Ellwood City Tobacco Pickers – Local teenagers traveled to New England every summer to work on the tobacco fields there. We would like to thank Denine (Jinar) Rough, Beverly Greenberg, Janice Sodergren, and Mary Joe Davis for their contributions and for setting us straight on the facts.

Fallout Shelters: Thank you to those who have pointed out a couple of the fallout shelters in town. We know there were more so anyone who knows more or has any pictures of them, we would love to hear from you.

Early Tube Mill Products:  Thank you to the Champalin Valley Transportation Museum for supplying pictures of the bicycles made from the tubes Ellwood City produced.

U.S. Steel Conference Table: Thank you to those who helped us to track down this treasued relic that represents a very important part of Ellwood City’s past.

Grimm Bridge:  Thank you to Bruce Wells at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum and Wayne Cole formerly of Ellwood City and author of Ghost Rails VI: The Harmony Route for helping us identify the old Harmony Line Bridge that crossed the Connoquenessing into Ewing Park after running along the East side of the Tube Mill.  However, we are still looking for anybody that might have a picture of this bridge. We originally thought the Interurban Bridge was the bridge in question, but that bridge was a quarter mile downstream from the current railroad bridge in Frisco and also called the Knox Bridge.

Unmarked Indian Grave: In the back of an Ellwood City yearbook from the 1920’s, there is a small article on the legend that Col. Isaac Ellwood, whom our town is named after,  accidentally shot and killed a Native American somewhere behind the old Ellwood City Hospital. The story goes on to say that people came from as far away as Pittsburgh to visit this “Indian’s” grave and to honor him. The mystery, “where is the grave site”?

Friday’s Dairy: Thank you to the many people who helped with this mystery including Kirk Zikeli who pointed us to the actual Friday Dairy’s shop.

Blue & White Restaurant: It was located on 6th Street across from the current ESB bank between Lawrence Ave & Beaver Ave. There was a drugstore on the corner and then the Blue & White Restaurant. They were not exactly positive about the dates but believed it to be open late fifties and early sixties.

Roundheads: Thank you to Bob Stevenson for his information on the roundheads and the Sons of Veterans.