Monthly Archives: August 2010

    How many of you remember the under 12 soccer league? Teams in the league during the 1981-82 season included Arrow Electric, Tita Machine Drillers, Fabrimac Stallions, and the team pictured here is the Calgon Cosmos. We would like to thank David Cook for not only providing the picture, but also putting names to the faces. The names and spelling are to the best of our knowledge… 
     Front kneeling L-R: Kari McClymonds, Jeff Pletz, Russel Gilchrist, Anthony Toronto, Mike “Buddy” Rukoveno, David Cook.
Middle Row standing L-R: Adam Music, Shannon Sarver, John Koziar, Eddie ?, Jeff Hand, David Main, Drew Harbaugh.
Back row: Coach Main
    If you remember the league and would like to share your own memories, please leave a reply below or email us at info@ellwoodcitymemories.com

     This picture is part of a collection once owned by Harry W. Horton, Assistant Borough Engineer under Alex Main from 1920-1925. Most of the pictures show Ellwood City in an important stage of its development as it was getting more of the town out of the mud in the years following World War I.
    This picture is the North end of original Fifth Street Bridge looking West down Wampum Avenue. The house on the right as you are looking at the picture with the clothes hanging out back was once the home of Ellwood City Ledger’s Louise Carroll. Her mother rented the house in the 1940′s when it was owned by Madison Maine.
We have not had a lot of luck uncovering the business that was inside the building on the left at the very end of the bridge. Further down Wampum Avenue across from the house on the right, Morini’s built their neighborhood store. Some of the homes still remained from this picture into the 1940′s as Mrs. Carroll remembers that one of the small houses was still standing and a lonely older lady lived in one. She still has memories of her mother baking homemade bread and occasionally would take her a loaf.
    If you look closely at the picture, there a couple of odd things that kind of stand out, at least to us. The sidewalk on the bridge is paved and looks very fancy, especially since the main roads leading to and from the bridge are all still dirt roads. Another thing that stands out is the rooftop next to the business at the end of the bridge. The building looks to large to be an outhouse but we don’t know what else it could be. The dirt road just seems to drop off into the building also. Like we said, odd.
    If you see something else we missed, please leave a comment below or email us at info@ellwoodcitymemories.com

    Are you aware that the P&LE station is still standing in Ellwood City today?
     According to the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Historical Society web site www.plerrhs.org. The Beaver and Ellwood Railroad Company was organized May 20, 1890 and in April of 1892 The Ellwood Connecting Railroad was incorporated by the P.& L.E. to make the connection to the Beaver and Ellwood Railroad but did not open until June of 1893. In May of 1899, the Beaver and Ellwood Railroad was leased to the P&LE for twenty years. On a side note, July of the same year, the Beaver and Ellwood Railroad acquired the Ellwood Southern Railroad Company.
    Finally June 6, 1910 the P&LE purchased the entire issue of stock of the Beaver and Ellwood Railroad Company and merged it with the Ellwood Connecting Railroad Company in January 1911.
     The P&LE and B&O passenger station in Ellwood City off of Fifth Street beside the subway was torn down long ago, however the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Freight Station is still standing today along Beaver Avenue. In 1966, the freight station was converted into a warehouse and offices by Fotia Brothers Sales & Service owners, Sam & Joseph Fotia. After converting the old P&LE station into a business, they operated their dry goods firm there beside Vinny’s Family Restaurant for a number of years.
     The business took a big hit on Christmas morning in 1985 when fire swept through the Fotia Brothers warehouse on the 600 block of Beaver Avenue. The one story warehouse was gutted by the flames but firefighters from four departments managed to save part of the two story concrete office/store section. The firm made pillows, chair pads, and other dry goods that fueled the flames and produced a thick dark smoke visible from almost all of Ellwood City.
    The B&O freight station along Sixth Street, on the north side of the tracks, was demolished in 1982. That property is now owned by the Ellwood City Forge.
    You can leave any memories you may have about Fotia Brothers or the P&LE Railroad below or email us at info@ellwoodcitymemories.com

     We have learned that Ellwood City has been home to hundreds of different businesses through the years but few have left an impression like Pe’Wee’s Lunch on Lawrence Avenue. The menu is hanging at the Ellwood City Historical Society above one of the unique spinning metal stools that lined the counter. 
     No matter what time of day or night you were hungry, Pe Wee’s was open. You walk in and can not help but notice the assorted variety of clientele sitting on the stools at the counter and you just look for an empty seat. If there were no empty seats, you just stood behind someone and the cook would take your order. Everyone had their favorites they would order; my personal order was usually three “yappers” with everything (mustard, onion, & chili) and a chili cheese hash brown. Wow, just saying that took me back in time. Not a lot needs to be said about Pe Wee’s Lunch as it seems that it is still one of the most memorable places Ellwood City has ever seen. 
     I am sure that you have a personal memory of Pe Wee’s that you would like to share. Please leave your story below, or email us at info@ellwoodcitymemories.com

     The 1958 Merchants league was a Legion league here in Ellwood City. The Championship team consisted of – 1st row L to R. Mike Ruscille, Bill Martin, Frank Ramella, Bill Beltz, Jerry Franus, Ralph Pratt – 2nd row Steve Gorzowski, Jack Choff, Ed Wigton, John Agostinelli, Windy Shumaker – 3rd row Jim Hockenberry, John Yoho, Ron Hughes – Last Row, Roy Guthrie, Stan Platek, Bill Hall, Tom Tindall, John Ungham, Jim Ammeen.
   If you remember the league and would like to leave a comment, please do so below or email us at info@ellwoodcitymemories.com

     There has been a recent effort to make the Connoquenessing Creek a usable waterway again with the addition of boat landings from Zelienople to Ellwood City. Those that have gone down the “Conny” know that West of Ellwood City Forge to the Wild Waterways Conservancy at the site of Ellwood City’s old Amusement Park, Rock Point Park, the rapids get a “little” rough. They also know that there are places in Ellwood City that the creek gets very shallow during the summer. 
     This was not always the case. The Slippery Rock Creek that feeds into the Connoquenessing Creek in Wurtemburg used to double the size of the Conny but has dwindled down in size since Moraine State Park was built. Also, another contributing factor to the depth of the creek was the large dam built by the old power plant just west of the Ewing Park Bridge. The two pictures here were taken when the dam was still intact and according to a 1903 map the area was referred to as “the pond”. This area was the site of Foley’s famous jump and from what we hear the site of pretty good fishing including some record size catfish.
     Of course the dam failed in the early 1900′s and was not rebuilt. The creek that once almost touched the Ellwood City Nature Trail in Ewing Park is now fifty feet away from the trail and canoeing is restricted in the hot months late in the summer. We would enjoy hearing any fond memories you may have of the Connoquenessing Creek. To share your memories, please leave a comment below or email us at info@ellwoodcitymemories.com