WALNUT STREET BUSINESSES II
by Ann Angel Eberhardt
A look at ads in publications such as the Sharpsville High School yearbook, The Devil’s Log, (1956-1958), a 1955 directory, and The Sharpsville Advertiser (a small weekly newspaper published by August Angel) inspired the following list of old-time Sharpsville stores. Please feel free to enter any additional memories or corrections you may have in the Comment form at the end of this blog.
Lee Supply Company: Donna DeJulia remembers “…the old stores especially Lee’s Supply [with its] creaky hardwood floors and the three rooms: one was housewares, one was hardware and the last, my favorite, was toys and coloring books!”
McFarland Pharmacy, Prescriptions, Fountain Service, Hospital Supplies, 5 West Main Street.
Dr. Theophil Tyran, 121 West Main Street.
Burke’s Dairy (“Hurley’s”), corner of Main and Walnut streets, owned by Dick Hurley; One of the town’s few red lights was located at the conjunction of these cross streets.
Johnson’s Market, on the corner of Main and Walnut streets.
C. A. Shannon Hardware, Plumbing and Heating Supplies, 2 East Main Street (corner of Main and Walnut streets), owned by Clair A. Shannon.
Mahaney’s Clothing Store, men’s wear, 5 North Walnut, owned by George D. Mahaney (1878-1966). The building was razed in 1971 and replaced by a car dealership, Jason Black Chevrolet Inc., later known as (M.Bruce) Hofius & (James) Black Chevrolet Inc. [Right: Mahaney’s Clothing Store, Sharpsville, PA. Photo courtesy of Donna DeJulia.]
Dentist. According to Irene Caldwell O’Neill: “I know we saw a dentist on Walnut Street, upstairs above one of the shops on the same side as Mahaney’s building, but can’t remember his name.”
Mehler Insurance, 5 Walnut Street (still in operation and located at Sharpsville Plaza on E. Shenango Street).
Phil’s Luncheonette, 7 North Walnut Street.
Foster Shoppe, 8 North Walnut (women’s wear); My 1955 diary mentions that Mrs. Foster presented a couple of style shows of clothing at Angel’s Casino. My four-year-old brother Patrick Angel and his younger pal were among those who modeled children’s outfits.
House of Time, 9 North Walnut Street, Fidelity First Lady Diamonds, Watches and Jewelry, Repair Work; owned by S. Pushcar.
C. D. Shaner Jewelry, 12 North Walnut Street, owned by Clinton D. Shaner; where many Sharpsville High School graduating students bought their class rings.
Ben Franklin Store, 14 North Walnut Street; Irene Caldwell O’Neill remembered “…its squeaky wooden floors.”
Gorel’s Gunshop, Hunting and Fishing supplies; Buy, Sell Trade; 18 North Walnut Street (Thanks to comments by John Kukuda and Mike Angel in the last post for this addition to the list.)
Charles L. McCracken News Agency, 21 North Walnut Street.
Varsity Barber Shop, 34 North Walnut Street.
Motorcycle shop, owned by Mr. Neeley. (Thanks to a comment from Mike Olsavsky in the last post for this addition to the list.)
The Sharpsville Advertiser printshop, owned by August Angel, was located at 8 North Walnut Street c. 1949-1950 before it was moved to 29 North Second Street.
Other Shopping Venues
For bigger shopping excursions, we would take a car trip to the more urban Youngstown, Ohio, just across the state line. And for most of our clothing, we visited downtown Sharon, the center of which was State Street, lined on both sides with many stores, including an upscale department store, the Sharon Store. I remember that we kids, if it was night time and my dad was driving past State Street on Irving Avenue, would beg him to slow down so that we could take in the glorious colors of the neon signs on the stores. As we got older, we often walked to Sharon or took a bus. (Then, as teenagers, State Street was the place to “see and be seen,” on weekend nights, but that’s another story.)
However, any of the stores in Sharpsville were only blocks away from home and were usually sufficient for our needs. And because we could walk wherever we wanted to in our small town of Sharpsville, we were probably the healthier for it.
— Ann Angel Eberhardt (SHS 1958), Goodyear, AZ
“Walnut Street,” and other sites depicted on a souvenir plate celebrating Sharpsville’s centennial 1874-1974. (Source: Ebay, October 2014.)
To be continued…
See Also:
Return of THE SHARPSVILLE ADVERTISER
Walnut Street: Early Businesses
Walnut Street Businesses III
Welch Hotel: Early History
Small Town Memories 