[PRCo] Elevator dispatchers

[Bob Rathke]

Now there'something else you don't see much anymore - elevator dispatchers!
Did the Jenkins Arcade use elevator dispatchers up to the end?

The Grant Building converted to auomatic elevators around 1958, but they
still retained dispatchers who functioned more as information
persons/security guards.  I worked in the Grant Building until 1969, and
they still had dispatchers working in the lobby then, although they really
didn't dispatch any elevators.

A couple of things I remember about the lobby which was remodeled around
1965:

- A plaque on the wall that explained the signal light on the top of the
building that spelled "Pittsburgh" in Morse Code.  Does it still do that?

- The staircase and underground tunnel  to the City-County Bldg. across
Fouth Avenue.  Every day, more than one City worker used the tunnel to come
over to the Grant Building to have a pop at the Harlequin Lounge, a very
dark bar in the lobby.  Grant Building workers knew who they were.

Bob 3/25/05

-----------------------------
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Edward H. Lybarger" <trams at adelphia.net>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Friday, March 25, 2005 6:03 PM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Fourth and Stanwix


> The Arcade was quite a place...a community, really.  We used to joke with
> the elevator dispatchers about starting a rumor on the 8th floor just to
see
> what it would sound like by the time it reached the first.
>
> Life was simpler then.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
> [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of Matt
> Barry
> Sent: Friday, March 25, 2005 12:12 PM
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Fourth and Stanwix
>
>
> Ed,
> That is so great that you had an office in Jenkins Arcade..   My Mom
> worked at Horne's and I recall going into the Arcade for the eye doctor,
> baked goods, Palmer's restaurant, Ritter's,  and wasn't there a Gil's or
> a Rite Aid?   Plus, it was great to cut through there coming back from
> 5th Ave to Horne's when it was bitter cold outside.  Really enjoyed
> coming out of the Liberty Avenue side of the arcade to see the East End
> PCCs making that wide swing from Liberty onto Fifth.
>
> Edward H. Lybarger wrote:
>
> >Diamond Street became Forbes Avenue in 1958, in time for the
bicentennial.
> >Ferry Street became part of Stanwix in that whole redevelopment of the
area
> >around the Wabash Terminal, but don't know the year.  The T station
> entrance
> >is indeed on the terminal site.
> >
> >Yes, I had my business in the Jenkins Arcade until the tore it down
(though
> >I was operating from a branch in Mt. Lebanon at the end).  Pittsburgh
> became
> >decidedly less friendly for small business with the passing of the
Arcade.
> >It's even more so today, and look at the city's economic condition!
> >
> >Ed
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
> >[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of John
> >Swindler
> >Sent: Friday, March 25, 2005 8:57 AM
> >To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> >Subject: [PRCo] Re: Fourth and Stanwix
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Diamond St was renamed Forbes St. - sometime in early 60s?????
> >
> >and from the alignment in a 1929 map, it looks like Ferry St. was renamed
> >Stanwix St.
> >
> >
> >I remember 'Diamond St.' name, but have no recollection of 'Ferry St.',
so
> >would guess that Ferry St. name disappeared in ealry 1950s.
> >
> >It also looks like the Wabash Terminal Building sat on the ground now
> >occupied by the Gateway Center 'T' station.
> >
> >Again, thanks for posting this view.  It pre-dates my memories of the
> >Gateway Center area. Or let me correct that:  It pre-dates my memories of
> >Gateway Center area west of Stanwix/Ferry St.; but buildings to east of
> >Stanwix/Ferry St. were still in existance in early 1960s.
> >
> >Ed:  didn't you have an office at one time in Jenkins Arcade?
> >
> >John
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >>From: Bill Robb <bill937ca at yahoo.ca>
> >>Reply-To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> >>To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> >>Subject: [PRCo] Fourth and Stanwix
> >>Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2005 13:33:30 -0800 (PST)
> >>
> >>Here's another view of the Wabash Terminal demolition
> >>taken November 12, 1947 with a PCC creeping around the
> >>corner onto Fourth.
> >>Bill Robb
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>__________________________________
> >>Do you Yahoo!?
> >>Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site!
> >>http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/
> >>
> >>-- Attached file removed by Ecartis and put at URL below --
> >>-- Type: image/jpeg
> >>-- Desc: Wabash Novermber 12, 1947.jpeg
> >>-- Size: 76k (78282 bytes)
> >>-- URL :
>
>>http://lists.dementia.org/files/pittsburgh-railways/Wabash%20Novermber%201
> 2
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