[PRCo] Re: [Fwd: Pittsburgh-Some Place Special]

[Tom Phillips]

I have on occasion bought a straight board at 84 Lumber -- but it warped
on the way home!

I don't know for certain but I always suspected that the Ryans got the
Hardy's involved in 84 Lumber -- they were great boyhood buddies -- they did
alot of playing around with model airplanes in the early '40's.  I didn't
know the eldest Hardy son but I did know Norman --and Bob was in my homeroom
class in HS -- as I recall Norman and his son were killed in a plane crash
in
the '50's or '60's.  The other Ryan company that I couldn't think of in an
earlier post is Ryland Homes -- it started when the two brothers went their
separate ways.  I still believe that the Hardy's were involved in
Meadowlands
Race Track but have no way of checking it out.


Tom

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of
Edward H. Lybarger
Sent: Sunday, January 19, 2003 1:27 PM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] Re: [Fwd: Pittsburgh-Some Place Special]



I don't recall that Joe Hardy (Lord Two-by-Four) had anything to do with The
Meadows.  The Millers (Delvin and Albert) did.  And Ed Ryan might well have
been involved.  84 Lumber's success proves that most American homeowners
don't care if their lumber is warped.  But my memory is not all that good on
the racetrack development...it didn't interest me as an activity and I was
away at school at the time it was built.

Ed

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of Tom
Phillips
Sent: Sunday, January 19, 2003 12:32 AM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] Re: [Fwd: Pittsburgh-Some Place Special]



Great recollections, Fred -- I've added a few comments for filler.

Tom

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of Fred
Schneider
Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2003 9:41 AM
To: transitmgr2 at earthlink.net
Cc: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] [Fwd: Pittsburgh-Some Place Special]



Isaly's were everywhere ... the one in the Boulevard
[of the Allies] Plant was dad's favorite place for a sandwich.  (There
is a book in print now about that Youngstown Ohio corporation ...
written by Brian Butko.  But Eat 'n Park was there before you came to
the city in 1950 ... the first one dates to the late 1940s and I think
is still open ... on the north side of old route 22 out in Monroeville.
I ate in it as early as 1950.

THE STORY, AS I RECALL IT, WAS THAT EAT-N-PARK WAS FOUNDED BY A MAN
NAMED HATCH WHO LIVED ON VERNON DRIVE IN MtLEBANON (HIS ELDEST DAUGHTER,
BETTY, WAS A CLASSMATE OF MINE IN HIGH SCHOOL).  HATCH WAS A V.P. WITH
THE ISALY COMPANY, AND, AS THE STORY GOES, HE WOKE UP ONE MORNING AND
REALIZED THAT HE WORKED FOR A FAMILY-CONTROLLED COMPANY IN WHICH HE
COULD ADVANCE NO FURTHER AND, THEREFORE, DECIDED TO VENTURE OUT ON
HIS OWN, RESULTING IN THE FOUNDING OF EAT-N-PARK, IN THE MID '40's.

IN THOSE DAYS, WAITRESSES WERE REQUIRED TO WEAR "SNOODS", A NET CAP, ON
THEIR HEADS. ISALY'S MALE EMPLOYEES HAD TO WEAR A "SODA JERK" WHITE
CAP - DON'T KNOW FOR SURE BUT, SINCE THIS WAS MORE OR LESS A UNIVERSAL
REQUIREMENT, IT MAY HAVE BEEN A HEALTH DEPARTMENT FIAT.

(AS AN ASIDE, HIS NEIGHBORS WERE THE THREE HARDY BOYS (HARDY AND HAYES)
WHO DID NOT FOLLOW IN THEIR FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS IN THE JEWELRY BUSINESS
BUT WENT OUT ON THEIR OWN TO BUY INTO AND GREATLY EXPAND 84-LUMBER CO.
AND LATER TO BUILD THE MEADOWLANDS RACE-TRACK (ED, CORRECT THIS WHERE
NECESSARY!) AND THE RYANS WHO EXPANDED THEIR FATHER'S HOME BUILDING
BUSINESS INTO TWO INTERNATIONAL CORPORATIONS KNOWN AS RYAN HOMES AND  --?
THE FATHER WAS KILLED IN A TRAGIC CAR ACCIDENT CIRCA 1941.)


I also remember the Island Queen explosion at the Monongahela wharf ...
saw a deck chair on Smithfield Street where it fell out of the air.  And
I saw the GM Train of Tomorrow at the B&O station, and the (original)
Freedom Train at Union Station.

A GIRL FRIEND OF MINE WANTED ME TO TAKE HER TO THIS SHOW-BOAT -- I
DECLINED BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS A FIRE-TRAP.  THE NEXT DAY'S EVENT
PROVED MY POINT (she didn't marry me -- guess I wasn't smart enough!)


Dad often asked me what I remembered from World War II, and the answer
was very little.

I RECALL THE MANY B-17's, P-47's AND P-51's FLYING OVERHEAD PREPARING
TO LAND AT ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT, APPARENTLY A REFUELING STOP ON
THEIR WAY TO EUROPE.  ALSO, THE MANY "BOND DRIVES", "SCRAP DRIVES",
AND, ABOVE ALL, THE FIERCE PATRIOTISM EXTANT.  I ALSO REMEMBER THE
CHROMELESS AUTOS IN 1942 AND THE 2"x8" WOOD PLANK BUMPERS ON THE FIRST
1946 CARS (THEY WERE REPLACED WHEN REAL BUMPERS BECAME AVAILABLE.)

SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE ON THE STREET HAD A "VICYORY GARDEN".