The Corner Market

Although I doubt that there will ever be a show at the Historical Society, or brochures at the Visitors Bureau, perhaps nothing encapsulates the history of Allentown more than the corner grocery stores. Allentown proper, is mostly comprised of rowhouses built between 1870 and 1920, long before the era of automobiles and suburban supermarkets. Most of the corner markets were built as stores, and over the years many were converted into apartments. Up until the late 1940's, there may have been well over a hundred operating in Allentown. Some specialized in ethnic food. The bodega at 9th and Liberty was formally an Italian market. Live and fresh killed chickens were sold at 8th and Linden, currently H & R Block Tax Service. A kosher meat market is now a hair salon on 19th Street. The original era for these markets died with the advent of the supermarket. In the early 50's some corner stores attempted to "brand" themselves as a "chain", as shown in the Economy Store sign above. That market is at 4th and Turner, and has been continually operating since the turn of the last century. Ironically, as the social-economic level of center city has decreased, the corner stores have seen a revival. Most of these new merchants, many Hispanic and some Asian, know little of the former history of their stores, but like their predecessors, work long, hard hours.

above reprinted from March 2012

photo of Yost Market by Carl Rubrecht, 1970 

ADDENDUM: The enamel Economy Stores sign has been removed.  I hope that the owner sold it,  because it was valuable. As for the A-Treat sign, the era of painted signs on brick buildings is long over, although some ghost images still remain in Allentown.

Allentown's Orange Car

While the Orange Car went out of business over twenty years ago, the building sat there vacant, fading away.  Although recently demolished, there's a story behind the slow demise.

When the Lehigh Valley Railroad went bankrupt in 1976, its rolling stock and track went to Conrail. However its other assets, such as real estate, were tied up in bankruptcy.  The Orange Car building was owned by LVRR.  Many years ago there was a small six track rail yard between the Orange Car and the meat packing business to its east.  Carloads of fresh citrus fruit would arrive weekly from Florida. After the rail service ended, the lessee continued operating the fruit stand for another twenty years. 

I labeled this post Allentown's Orange Car, because there was an identical looking sister store in Reading.  That location also had a major event in 1976,  a major flood from which it never survived.  

Seat Too Hot For South Whitehall Commissioner

South Whitehall Commissioner Matt Mobilio got himself in trouble the other day about Trump. He apparently posted on facebook that people who support Trump, should be hung for treason.

Although a number of his constituents requested that he resign because of the statement, he declined. He and others feel that such statements are within his right. I also had an issue with Matt, and I posted about it last week.

During a discussion about Wehr's Dam, he wondered how the commissioners could get out from under the obligation to keep it.

That obligation is from the Wehr's Dam Referendum of 2016, when the voters decided that they wanted the township to retain the dam, even through it would cost $600,000, That figure at the time was based on an engineering estimate of possible repairs, plus a hefty increase. The referendum itself wasn't designed to save the dam, but rather condemn it, with no political consequence to the commissioners at the time. Lo and behold, the iconic dam meant so much to the residents, that they voted to keep it anyway. That vote caused the Wildlands Conservancy to go back to their scheming, and inform the Pennsylvania DEP that they know of more problems and expenses, that could be foisted upon the structure.

The current township director of public works, himself no friend of the dam, but rather the Conservancy, has in turn not defended the structure with the state. With the dam being the property of the township, and the subject of a voter's referendum, that defense should be his mandate.

Anyway, back to the troubled commissioner. Apparently, Matt Mobilio thinks that democracy is a pick and choose menu. He defends his election this past November, but not the referendum from 2016. 

above reprinted from June 4, 2020

UPDATE APRIL 5, 2021: The above post's title was changed.  In June it was S.W. Commissioner on Hot Seat.  Apparently Matt found the seat too hot, and he has resigned.  In an overly long resignation speech he blames everybody and everything except himself. In a further demonstration of self delusion, he praises his accomplishments on the board.  I welcome his departure, and wish that his mentor, Tori Morgan, joined him in resigning. 

ADDENDUM:  Brad Osborne also reacts to Mobilio's resignation on Ramblings.

Bill White's Chocolate Cake Recipe

Yesterday I took Bill White to task for writing that the Morning Call used to do investigative reporting, before the industry cutbacks.  As a student of Allentown for more decades than Bill White was here, that was news to me.

The Morning Call never really did investigative reporting, because more often than not they were part and parcel of the shenanigans.

The Morning Call owner/publisher was an owner of Park & Shop.  When shopping went suburban,  the Allentown Parking Authority was formed to bail the publisher out from all the lots.

When the NIZ was formed, the Morning Call building was included, even though they were on the wrong side of the street.  A former reporter who keep writing one glowing article after another about how successful the NIZ was, is now formally writing public relations for the local development agency.  Yesterday I drove down Hamilton Street at 12:30 PM.  Although offices are scaled back because of Covid-19, I only saw three people between 10th and 6th Streets.  Hamilton Street is truly a dead zone.

The paper was missing in action for over a decade on Pawlowski's misdeeds.  Only after the indictment did they wake up on that topic.

Bill White may know about chocolate cake recipes,  but his recollections about the Morning Call are fudge.

Blogger Gets Side Effects

Today a well worn blogger got his first Covid-19 injection. Unfortunately, he suffered an unusual side effect, he became a nice guy. Because it happen in the first 15 minutes, and he was still at the hospital center,  he was admitted for observation.  Get Well wishes can be sent to Bernie O'Hare, c/o Lehigh Valley Hospital Center, Muhlenberg Campus.

Although I was also vaccinated, I suffered no such personality change.  As proof, allow me to once again beat up Bill White.   In White's column today he wrote,  Meanwhile, we were producing outstanding investigative and other in-depth stories that made a difference in our communities.  White was getting carried away about how great the Morning Call was until the bean counters started slashing this and that. 

Like White, I also hope that the Call lands on its feet after whomever ends up buying it.  I hope that staff levels do get restored.  However, if they start doing investigative reporting that wouldn't be restoration, that would actually be a whole new venture for the newspaper.

Parkway Memories

We who lived in the Parkway during the 1950's have a special bond. We know we grew up in one of the most nurturing neighborhoods possible. Slow driving parents would keep a sharp eye out for dashing kids. The Halloween Parade would start and end at our own elementary School. The Easter Egg Hunt would take place on an open slope of our beloved park. 

reprinted from April 2010

photo courtesy of the Williams' family