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<DIV><FONT size=4>Bob</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT size=4>My last (somewhat faint) memory of the Brass Rail is consuming
mass quantities of beer in one of their outlets after I had ridden the last ever
Rt. 21 Fineview car,</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT size=4>Dwight</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=bobrathke@comcast.net
href="mailto:bobrathke@comcast.net">Bob Rathke</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Monday, 08 April, 2013 12:23</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org
href="mailto:pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org">Western PA Trolley
discussion</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: [PRCo] Facebook page for posting photos of old and
abandonedbuildings in Western Pa.</DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV>
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style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none"><BR><BR>Fred,
<BR><BR><BR><BR>While you're remembering Fifth and Liberty Avenues, don't forget
Frank & Seder, Spear and May Stern department/furniture stores. Also
5&10's G.C. Murphy and Grants; the Brass Rail and Bards (similar to
Isaly's, but Bard stores were in the neighborhoods, not downtown ).
<BR><BR><BR><BR>My grandmother worked at Rosenbaums before she was
married. The Rosenbaum building was a solid structure , and it took months
to dem olish it before they could start building the parking garage that's on
the site now. My grandfather worked at Boggs & Buhl and was an office
boy for R.H. Boggs, but his family encouraged him to leave the store and
learn a trade. The R.H. Boggs home on the Mexican War Streets is now a
B&B. <BR><BR><BR><BR>My paternal great grandfather was fire engineer at the
City of Allegheny fire station No. 2 on Concord St. from 1868 to the early
1900's (see attached photo). I also have a photo of him working in
Johnstown after the 1889 flood (I assume that Allegheny sent fireman to
Johnstown to help out). And I have copies of his Civil War records and
pension. <BR><BR><BR><BR>About the Brass Rail: the restaurants had a large
(probably 5 'X10 ') copy of a painting behi nd the bar. The painting
depicted a 1930-style bus, but the bus was five stories tall and looked
like a cruise ship on wheels. The title of the painting was, "A bus salesman's
dream in 1960". I wonder if that painting survived the restaurants.
<BR><BR><BR><BR>Bob <BR><BR><BR>----- Original Message -----<BR><BR><BR>From:
"Fred Schneider" <fwschneider@comcast.net> <BR>To: "Western PA Trolley
discussion" <pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org> <BR>Sent: Monday,
April 8, 2013 10:43:23 AM <BR>Subject: Re: [PRCo] Facebook page for posting
photos of old and abandoned buildings
in Western Pa. <BR><BR>You know you are old, Bob, when someone asks "What's a
McCrorys?" Think of all those old store names that are no longer
there. I will confine myself to western Pennsylvania … Woolworths,
Gimbels, Kaufmans, Joseph Horne, Rosenbaums, Boggs and Buhl, Isalys.
<BR><BR>Yup…. And you now have to be in your 40s to understand what
communism was like in eastern Europe. In a way, I guess I am rather
glad that I vacationed in East Germany before the wall came down and saw
it. I guess, as ugly as history can be, I guess it was also good for
me that I experienced the segregated southern states … black and white drinking
fountains, toilets, restaurants, etc. <BR><BR>Now, how the hell do I
explain to my granddaughter and her husband, who is of African descent, what it
would have been like living in this country 60 or more years ago?
<BR><BR><BR>On Apr 4, 2013, at 1:19 PM, Bob Rathke wrote: <BR><BR>> <BR>>
<BR>> <BR>> Here's a Facebook page containing photos of old and abondoned
structures in Western Pa. It contains a few rail photos. I've posted some
of my 1956-82 photos in the section for, "Recent posts by others". <BR>>
<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> See: <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>>
<BR>>
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Abandoned-Old-Interesting-Places-Western-PA/237114536307967?sk=photos#!/pages/Abandoned-Old-Interesting-Places-Western-PA/237114536307967
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