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	History of Freeland, Pa. Clothing, grooming, wearables, variety stores
	[Photo at top left shows Ralph Pecora in the doorway of his tailor shop; photo provided by Emily Pecora. The photo of Oliver Miller in the Jewelry section comes from Nancy Paskin. The photo of Andy Prokopovich's Barbershop comes from John Zubach. All other photos by Chuck and Steve Tancin.] CLOTHING STORES [Thanks to Aileen Mattavi Evans, Emily Pecora, Ed Merrick, Pat Ferko Miller, Mike Bobby for additions and corrections.] Alice's Hat Shop - Centre St., between Front & Main Streets Army-Navy Store - 616 Centre St., between Main & Front Streets Max Besbris Clothing - Centre St., between Main & Front Streets Miss Carpenter's Ladies' Lingerie - Centre St., between Front & Main Streets Charlie's Men's and Boys' Clothing Store - 623 Centre St. (Charlie Coxe, proprietor, with son Dick Coxe) ('51 Minamek) Chenetz Men's Store - Centre St., between Main & South Streets Emil's Men's Shop - 513 Centre St. (Emil Deddy, proprietor; tailoring and men's wear) (from 1986 St. Casimir's booklet via Ed Merrick) Delvecchio's Tailor Shop - Centre St., between Main & South Streets Designs Unlimited - 359 Centre St. (Barbara Haraschak, proprietor) Clothing design, construction, alterations; custom tailoring, bridal parties, semiformals, tuxedos, costumes ... Dominick Dinovic Work Clothes - 616 Centre St. Dominic's Children's Clothing - Centre St., between Main & Front Streets Goldstein's Clothing - Centre St., between Main & Front Streets Helen Kletchko's Dress Shop - Centre St., between Front & Walnut Streets Lina Lloyd's, Milliners - 721 N. Centre St. (From Ed Merrick: This store was across Centre Street from Fairchild's News Store between Front and Walnut. Two elderly sisters were the proprietors, Lina and ____) Mary's Shoppe - 727 Walnut St. (Mary Johnson, proprietor; millinery/women's hats) Nassan's - 507 Centre St. (Louis Nassan Men's Clothing and Shoes, corner of Centre and South streets ('51 Minamek, from Ed Merrick)) J. J. Newberry's - 532 Centre St. (clothing, toys, household goods)  (site of current Videomania) Novelty Dress Store - 531 Centre St. (Lucy Fort, proprietor) Pecora's Tailor Shop - Centre St., next to Pitman's Furniture Pin Cushion Bridals - 637 Centre Street (Bernadette DeMelfi and Eleanor Banja, proprietors) (from 1986 St. Casimir's booklet via Ed Merrick) Joe Quinn's Dress Shop - Centre St., between Front & Main Streets Racussin's - 521 Centre St., (Myer Racusin, proprietor) (Ladies' & Children's Wear ('52 Minamek)) Shane's Sporting Goods Store - 727 Front St. ('53 Minamek) W. T. Grant's (women's clothing, fabric, home goods) - 520 Centre St. Veraldi's Tailor Shop - Centre St., between Main & Front Streets SHOE STORES [Thanks to Ed Merrick for additions and corrections.] Allen's Shoe Store - 601 Centre St. Belezza's Shoes - 619 Centre St., between Front & Main Streets (From Ed Merrick: Belezza's Shoe Store, "56 years of faithful service." - '51 Minamek. Helen, Nicholas, John, Anna, Katherine, and Della Belezza, owners and operators) SHOEMAKERS / SHOE REPAIR SHOPS [Thanks to Eddie Barna, Hank Bartol, Tom Lavinka, Lisa Alzo for additions and corrections.] Bartol's - 973 Chestnut St. (Henry Bartol, proprietor) (From Hank Bartol in 2005: My father operated a shoe repair shop on Chestnut Street (the building in the back yard is still there) from when we moved there from Eckley in 1942. He repaired shoes in the business his father had started in Eckley in the 1930's. He sold the equipment and left when the coal mining slowed so much that he lost his job in 1954 after 29 years. The Freeland shop was at the rear of the side-yard (building still there last month) 973 Chestnut Street. In Eckley it was the first building across the street from the Company Store. Grandfather lost his leg in a mine accident, and the only compensation was to allow him to rent the company house and act as a watchman at the breaker for the coal company.) DeMelfi's - 446 Centre St. (Jerry DeMelfi, proprietor) Dinovich's - Centre St., between Front & Main Streets Fenscak's - location unknown (From Lisa Alzo: My great-grandparents Mihaly and Ilona (Helen) Lesko Fenscak/Fencak (father's side) settled there in 1893 and one of my grandmother's sisters was born there and baptized at St. Mary's Byzantine Church. They only stayed there a couple of years and then returned to Slovakia. My great-grandfather was a bootmaker by trade.) Ferrari's - Centre St., between Luzerne & South Streets (?) Greary's - Centre St., between Front & Walnut Streets Lutz's - 428 Centre St. (Rocco Lutz, proprietor) Ravina's - 428 Centre St. (Leo Ravina, proprietor) (From Eddie Barna: My wife Maria's grandfather Leo Ravina and his wife Theresa ran the shoe repair shop at 428 Centre, and when he bought the bar at 449 Ridge Street, Maria's parents, Rocco and Katherine moved to 428 Centre Street  and Rocco ran the shoe repair shop until the mid sixties.) Williams's - 333 Centre St. (John Williams, proprietor) JEWELLERS [Thanks to Mike Bobby, Gene Abel, Nancy Miller Paskin for additions and corrections.] Bachman's - Centre St., between Front & Main Streets Bertha's Drapery Shop (jewelry, fabric, draperies) - Centre & Main Streets Chaskin Jewelers - Centre St. (later moved to Hazleton; had the clock that lit up at night???) Giovannuci's (costume jewelry and knick-knacks) - Centre St., between Carbon & Luzerne Streets Keiper's - 727 Front St. (From Gene Abel: My grandfather William L. Keiper, from Boden Boden, Germany, owned and operated a hotel, and I believe also a saloon, in Freeland. He died in 1916 at his hotel. Prior to running the hotel he was had a jewelry and watch-repair business in Freeland. He was also part owner of a marble yard (tomb stones) in Hazelton. William lived at  727 Front Street at the time of his death and I think he lived at the hotel. The Keipers had a large victorian home on west Diamond St. I do not know if that was William's home or his father Philip's home. He lived in Freeland from about 1903 until his death 26 Feb 1916.) Oliver Miller - Centre St. (Jewelry and watches, sales and repair; photo from Nancy Miller Paskin.) (From Nancy Miller Paskin: My father, who just turned 90, remembers coming every year to Freeland and to the Valley, as his mother's family were farmers in and around Drums and Dorrance. As a boy he and his brothers were sent back to PA to help the older family members with their farms and any chores that needed to be done....like painting buildings or carpentry, etc. He said that his grandfather, Oliver, always wore a suit, hat and had a big beard. He said that Oliver's jewelry store later became the location of the post office. Oliver died in 1922. … My grandfather, Benjamin Miller, went to The Woodmen of the World" school in Freeland and became a machinest. … Two other Millers were relatives and also tradesmen, one a blacksmith and one a gunsmith...both in Freeland.) (From Bob Zimmerman: One of my great uncles was Francis Miller who was either a brother or son of Oliver Miller and whom we visited in Detroit. He still repaired watches in the early 50s.) VARIETY STORES [Thanks to Pat Ferko Miller, Ed Merrick for additions and corrections.] J. J. Newberry's - 532 Centre St. (clothing, toys, household goods)  (site of current Videomania) Nocchi's Variety Store - Centre & South Streets. BARBERS [Thanks to Ed Cheppa, Sr., Ed Merrick, Mike Bobby, George Feussner for additions and corrections.] Ralph Barrett - South St., between Centre & Washington Streets Bataro - Front St., between Centre & Washington Streets Neely Carey - Centre St., between Front & Walnut Streets Della Croce (was this Frank "Birdy" Della Croce?) - Centre St., between Luzerne & South Streets Pat Delregno - Luzerne St., between Vine & Fern Streets Squint Evans - bottom of Birkbeck St. Gallagher's - 713 Main St. (Ed and Pete Gallagher, proprietors) (later taken over by Joseph Rish) (From Ed Merrick) Gordy Moore (recently deceased) - __________ Joseph Rish - (Joseph Rish, proprietor) (site was formerly Gallagher's barbar shop) (From Ed Merrick and Mike Bobby) Phil Petrilli - __________ Sal Petrilli - Centre St., between Main & South Streets Vince Petrilli (and before him, his father) - Centre St., between Carbon & Luzerne Streets Pollack's - Centre St., between South & Luzerne Streets Andy Prokopovich - Centre St., between Luzerne & South Streets (Photo from John Zubach.) BEAUTY SALONS (there were many more than these few I'm remembering) [Thanks to Ed Merrick, Pat Ferko Miller, Marie Chuckra Payne, John N. for additions and corrections.] Bonevich's - Vine St., between Main & School Streets Nan Brogan's Beauty Shoppe - 200 block of Washington Street _______ (Greco's??) - Centre St., between Carbon & Luzerne Streets Michele Mahovich - Centre St., next to the Borough Building and across the street from St. Ann's Leona Mattis - Centre & Luzerne Streets, above and behind her husband Jakie's bar Leona Nagy's Beauty Shop - 704 Birkbeck Street Mary Ann Nowak Beauty Salon - 511 Centre Street (from 1986 St. Casimir's booklet via Ed Merrick) Sue Pelot - Carbon St., between Centre & Washington Streets Elsie Peterson - Main Street between Centre and Washington Wilkinson's Salon of Beauty and Electrolysis - 833 South St. (Jean, hairstylist; Kimberly, stylist) (from 1986 St. Casimir's booklet via Ed Merrick)

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