Allentown's History Not Aging Well

A recent comment to this blog wondered how Pip The Mouse and the Liberty Bell Shrine were faring? Pip was the famous annual Christmas window display at the iconic Hess Brothers Department Store. The Liberty Bell was hidden in Allentown at the Zion Church during the Revolutionary War. 

Students of this blog know that the disregard for history is one of my many complaints about the NIZ. Beautiful mercantile architecture was destroyed to accommodate  the NIZ real estate scheme. Meanwhile, the art deco post office on 5th Street goes to unclaimed seed, and the Art Museum is going to abandon its important role on that street.

Zion Church gave their historic property to Gregory Edwards. Considering that his church on 9th Street has looked less than pristine since he has managed it, the future for Zion doesn't look promising. Those interested in Pip or the Liberty Bell will have to do research at the Historical Society, at least for as long as that lasts.

The Dinosaurs Of Sumner Ave

Up to the early 1950's, Allentown was heated by coal, and much of it came from Sumner Avenue. Sumner was a unique street, because it was served by the West End Branch of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. The spur route ran along Sumner, until it crossed Tilghman at 17th Street, and then looped back East along Liberty Street, ending at 12th. Coal trucks would elevate up, and the coal would be pushed down chutes into the basement coal bins, usually under the front porches of the row houses. Several times a day coal would need to be shoveled into the boiler or furnace. By the early 1970's, although most of the coal yards were closed for over a decade, the machines of that industry still stood on Sumner Avenue. Eventually, they took a short trip to one of the scrap yards, which are still on the same avenue, but not before I photographed them.

reprinted from 2011

photocredit:molovinsky

CLICK HERE for this baby boomer memory and 35 others in my booklet at the Amazon bookstore

Hamilton Street's Golden Era

By the early 1950's, our major department stores were operated by the second generation owners. Max Hess Jr. become a merchandizer of national reputation. His store windows presented displays as sophisticated as any major city. One holiday novelty exists to this day, Pip The Mouse, and can be seen at Zion Church. The fourth floor toy department had eye popping, life sized, automated stuffed animals from Germany. Needless to say, Santa Claus was on duty at Hess's.

Families had their favorite department store. While my mother patronized Hess's, others were loyal to Leh's and Zollingers. Although I'm sure that their Christmas displays were also top notch, I have no personal memories. While we now charge citizens to drive through a park with lights, downtowns used to compete with attractive displays. Allentown was famous for the Bell Lights on our iconic light posts, which would rock back and forth, as if ringing. Although times have changed, this blog will remind those few who remember.

reprinted from December of 2012

CLICK HERE for this baby boomer memory and 35 others in my paperback at the Amazon bookstore

The Little Bridge of Lehigh Parkway, Part 3

The little bridge is just off the parking lot by Robin Hood. When I started my blog, the small spring pond and raceway to the miniature bridge were completely overgrown. I prevailed upon the then separate Watershed Dept. to allow it to be cleaned up. Although the bridge is being currently kept cleared, the pond and raceway is again very overgrown.

The deviation away from our traditional park system began in 2006, when during Ed Pawlowski's first term, he hired a park director not familiar with Allentown, and its iconic park system. Worse for the traditional park system, was that several members of the Trexler Trust were part of Pawlowski's kitchen cabinet, and didn't assert themselves in regard to the parks.

Nothing has been more detrimental to our traditional park system than the park department cooperating with the Wildlands Conservancy, starting with a weed wall in Trout Park. The Conservancy has no interest in parks, but rather nature. Worse, the Trexler Trust is now funding this desecration. THEY SHOULD BE TAKEN TO COURT FOR VIOLATING TREXLER'S INTENTIONS. THE FEATURES NOW BEING IGNORED WERE COMMISSIONED BY TREXLER HIMSELF.

The Little Bridge Of Lehigh Parkway, Part 2

In yesterday's post, Part 1, I mentioned that Tyler Fatzinger would be co-administrator of WPA Of Allentown Facebook group. Tyler has lent considerable energy to the Fairview Cemetery situation, and now wants to also address the WPA neglect.

Likewise, Tom Banotai will be joining me as an administrator on Allentown Chronicles Facebook group. Tom has been an active moderator on the group for several months. He is a former city employee, and not bashful about opining on city issues.

So far this blog has no succession plan. If you know someone who remembers when Allentown was known for clean and quiet streets, and an iconic park system, let me know.

the photo in part 1 showed the miniature bridge before the cleanup, above I'm standing on the cleared bridge.

The Little Bridge Of Lehigh Parkway, Part 1

As a baby boomer who grew up above Lehigh Parkway, I remember when all the WPA structures were pristine. I remember when the park department valued them as the irreplaceable icons which they are. In 2007, when I started this blog, championing for their upkeep was one of my missions. 

Over those early years I managed to get the little bridge cleared a couple of times. I managed to get the spring pond cleared, and dug out the Boat Landing with some volunteers.

Although I started a Facebook group dedicated to the WPA, it has been on the back burner. I have invited Tyler Fatzinger to be co-administrator, I expect his youth and enthusiasm to ping the cause. He recently asked me which local agencies might help the effort. He will soon learn that if these groups had a proper appreciation of our traditional park system, our efforts would not be necessary.

I've assembled 36 of my posts about growing up in Allentown during the 1950's, and have made the paperback available at the Amazon Bookstore.

An American Physician In Japan

I had become acquainted with Edward Stim M.D. googling about blood pressure meds.  His Physician's Notebooks is an extensive tome on practically any issue of health concern. After a few questions, I got included on his private group email list.  While the Notebooks itself is very personal and forthright,  his emails were a diary of his life, and quite a life it was.

He spent the Korean War period stationed in Japan, where he would learn the culture and meet his future wife. After med school in his hometown of NYC, and then practicing in the city, he would return to Japan, where he stayed for the remainder of his life.  For years, well into his mid eighties, he worked as an on call physician for a travel/hotel service business in Yokohama.

In addition to his Physician's Notebooks, he also wrote erotic novels. He would return frequently to NYC,  where he would enjoy family and activities from his youth in Brooklyn.  He edited medical textbooks and opined on world events. 

He remained both a student and teacher until his passing in December of 2021.