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Florists, banks, lawyers, insurance, more businesses, utilities, postal workers
FLORISTS
[Thanks to Ed Merrick for additions and corrections. All photos by Chuck and Steve Tancin.]
Additions from Catholic Reference Book and Parish Register, circa 1924 come to us from Ed Merrick. Additions from the 1940 Federal Census come to us courtesy of Ed Merrick. In some instances, it's not clear whether the individual is the owner/proprietor of the store or an employee, but we'll list them here. Some of the addresses from the 1940 Census might be home addresses rather than business addresses. He adds: The handwriting was hard to decipher in many instances, and so corrections are welcome. Many of the businesses have been in the same family for years, and so the first names may differ in earlier or later years.
Buds for You - 505 Centre St. (formerly Lenny Steward's florist shop). (photo at right - note that the two photos shown below are these two different businesses, two different time periods, same building)
Tommy's Florist Shop (Bzdil) - 452 Centre St.
(Tom Bzdil, Sr., proprietor)Caster's Floral Shop - 710 Centre St. (R.S. Caster, proprietor) ('52 Minamek)
Fedorshak's Florist Shop (Ed Fedorshak, proprietor) - Alvin St.
Lenny Steward's - 505 Centre St., between Main & South Streets (Lenny Stewart, proprietor) (photo at left - note that the two photos shown here are two different florist businesses, two different time periods, same building)
BANKS[Thanks to Ed Merrick for additions and corrections.]
Citizen's Bank - Centre St., between Main & Front Streets (Organized 1890. Resources over $6,000,000. ('52 Minamek).) ("Join our Christmas Club." ('53 Minamek)) (Now Bank of America)
First National Bank & Trust Co. - 710 Front St. (Now PNC Bank)
From Ed Merrick:
The staff at Citizens Bank and his old
bankbook from 1954-1957. He later wrote: "I just came across this photo from the
Penny Saver. Francie Varilla, who worked for Citizens for many years,
identified as many of the people as he could. The men, from left, are
Bill Yannes, Emil Lang, John Wilson and Billy Fox. The only woman he
could identify is Agnes Batcha, second from the right. He guesses the
photo was taken in the late 1940s or the early 1950s."LAWYERS
[Thanks to Ed Merrick for additions and corrections.]
G. John Bruger - 527 Walnut St., attorney (age 57 in 1940 Census)
Daniel S. Buckley - 824 Washington St., attorney (age 28 in 1940 Census)
Salvatore M. DePierro - 934 Washington St., lawyer, private practice (age 53 in 1940 Census)
Jack McAfee - 820 Main St., attorney-at-law
Martin J. O'Donnell - 634 Centre St., attorney
Cornelius Rogan - 403 Adams St., attorney, own practice (age 44 in 1940 Census)
INSURANCE
[Thanks to Ed Merrick, Mike Bobby for additions and corrections.]
DePierro and DePierro - 538 Centre St.
Andrew Evancho and Anthony Evancho - 510
Vine St., salesmen, insurance (ages 40 and 29 in 1940 Census)Farm Bureau Insurance (Al F. Urenovich) - 1010 Centre St. ('54 Minamek)
Albert Goeppert - 809 Walnut St., insurance salesman (age 40 in 1940 Census)
Charles McHugh, Insurance - 527 Washington St.
Nationwide Insurance (Al Urenovich) - Centre St., between Main & Front Streets
Martin O'Donnell, Insurance - 634 Centre St.
Neil O'Donnell - 113 Main St., Eckley, insuranceman, insurance office (age 55 in 1940 Census)
North Penn. Insurance Associates (Andrew Shiner III and Rocco Amentler) - 711 Main Street (Andrew Shiner III, manager; Rocco Amentler, agent) (from 1986 St. Casimir's booklet via Ed Merrick)
Peter Pavlinko - 108 Centre St., insurance agent, Home Life Insurance Co. (1940 Census) (also 1940 city directory)
A. J. Sholtis Insurance - 824 Main St. ('51 Minamek) (or 820 Main?)
State Farm Insurance (Mickey Berta) - Freeland/White Haven highway
Paul Urenovich Insurance Agency - 517 Centre St. (from 1986 St. Casimir's booklet via Ed Merrick)
Victor Waskevich - 218 Adams St., salesman and collector, insurance (age 33 in 1940 Census)
Charles H. Wolfe - 625 Centre St., agent, insurance (age 60 in 1940 Census)
Benjamin Wysocky - 111 Main St., Highland, salesman, insurance co. (age 24 in 1940 Census)
MORE BUSINESSES
[Thanks to Mike Bobby, Ed Merrick, John J. Pitman, Charlie Rudewick, Carolyn Moering, Leslie Robin, Hank Bartol, Bill Feissner, Mary Gallagher Schriebmaier for additions and corrections.]
Joe Bradish - South Street - Pinball machines, Jukeboxes (From Ed Merrick: The ad in the MMI Minamek lists: Bradish Sales Co., Phone 109, Freeland. They lived on South Street next to the Chatterbox and ran the business from that place. They dealt in pinball machines (I would guess leasing, selling, and repairing) and probably also handled jukeboxes, although I am speculating on that item. I don't know in which category they would be listed. My Dad bought a decrepit pinball machine from them, and Tom and I had fun with it in our garage until it disintegrated.) (From C. Tancin: He also had the jukebox circuit in the area, and sometimes he would pay my dad for tires with stacks of records that were replaced in jukeboxes with newer ones. My dad would pick out the stuff he liked (e.g., Perry Como, Patti Page, Rosemary Clooney, etc.) and then would let me choose from what was left (Elvis, Bobby Rydell, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, etc.). That's how my record collection got started when I was in grade school and already kind of passionate about rock 'n roll.)
Center Electric - Centre Street, between Front and Walnut streets (Bernard Gallagher and Peter Zarosky, proprietors) (From Mary Gallagher Schriebmaier: My father, Bernard Gallagher and his partner, Peter Zarosky owned and operated a TV and electrical store on Center St. in the 40's & 50's. The name of the Store was Center Electric, across from Doc Welsh's between Front & Walnut Streets.)
Cosgrove's Studio and Camera Shop - 633 Centre St. (Max Cosgrove, proprietor) ('54 Minamek) (was this owned previously by John McMenamin?)
Cottage
Hotel - Washington and Main Streets (From Chuck Tancin: I'm
assuming that this is the oldest continuously run business in Freeland).Eldora's Dry Cleaners - Centre St., below Front St.
E. J. Edwards & Co. Inc. - Drifton store, Drifton. (Source: Catholic Reference Book and Parish Register, circa 1924)
Fairchild's Ceramics - Centre St., between Front & Walnut Streets
Family Fun Arcade - Centre & South Streets (From Mike Bobby: The Laundromat, (located on the corner of Centre and South) closed in the late 1970s, was briefly the site of an arcade called "Family Fun." This was a very popular youth hangout in the early 1980s)
Walter L. Feist - 703 Front St., printer, Flad Company (age 49 in 1940 Census)
S. Finn - 711 Main Street, Freeland. Miller’s old stand. Dealers in jewelry, musical instruments and religious articles. Grafonolas and records of all languages. (Source: Catholic Reference Book and Parish Register, circa 1924) [Ed and I have emailed about this, and we assume that Miller's Old Stand refers to Oliver Miller]
Flash Variety
Shop - Centre St., between Main and South Streets (see also The
Treasure Shop, below)Freeland Area Realty - 711 Main St. (Andrew P. Shiner and John M. Maso, salesmen; Joseph J. Brogan, broker) (from 1986 St. Casimir's booklet via Ed Merrick)
Fritz's store - (From Charlie Rudewick: Fritz's store was taken over by the Anthony family and at one time was a pet store then hobbies, and all kinds of other products.)
The Gift Shop - Main St., between Centre and Washington Streets
Herring's Sporting Goods - Freeland/White Haven highway
B.H. Horowitz - 434 Centre Street, Freeland. Reliable watchmaker and jeweler. Watches, clocks, jewelry, diamonds, musical instruments. (Source: Catholic Reference Book and Parish Register, circa 1924)
Krouse's
Hotel - 1201 Birkbeck St. (Mrs. Mary Krouse, proprietor) (From
Carolyn Moering: As it happens, I was studying the 1920 census, and
found the little Krouse family at 1201 Birkbeck, managing the hotel,
which, as per the census, Mary Krouse owned free of a mortgage. Mary's
son, Jacob Krouse, lived (rented) at 1213 Birkbeck with his wife Maria,
and managed the livery stable. Two of the non-family boarders were
teamsters at the livery stable.) This hotel was strategically located
on the stagecoach route that ran from Drums to White Haven. The old
hotel building, at left, had been empty for many years when a couple of
arsonists burned it down a few years ago. The livery stable at right
was still standing last year but I don't know whether it's still there
now.Laundromat - Centre & South Streets
Marchetti's Coin Shop - Centre St., between South & Luzerne Streets (Ron Marchetti, proprietor)
Mayberry’s Music Store - 725 Centre Street, Freeland. Behning pianos, genuine Victor Victrolas. (Source: Catholic Reference Book and Parish Register, circa 1924)
J. H. Norris Est. - 701 Walnut Street, Freeland. General merchandise. (Source: Catholic Reference Book and Parish Register, circa 1924)
John Nowak - 732 Birkbeck St., salesman, national distributor (age 56 in 1940 Census) (CT: don't know what the product was)
Michael Robin Violin Instruction - 610 Vine Street
Shane's Sporting Goods - 727 Front St. (From Hank Bartol: My grandparents and one child arrived in the US in about 1908 from the Dolomite Mountains of Austria. That Tyrolean area is now part of Italy. My father's younger sister (born in 1913) still lives in Freeland. She was married to John Shane who had a sporting goods store at 727 Front Street. The building at 727-729 Front Street was built in the 1920's by my grandfather.)
Steward's Studio - 717 Centre St. (Jonas D. Steward, proprietor) photographer, gifts, own shop (home 213 Adams St.) (age 54 in 1940 Census); Steward’s Studio, Freeland. J. D. Steward, proprietor. Art goods and picture framing. Amateur finishing and enlarging. Birthday cards and booklets. (Source: Catholic Reference Book and Parish Register, circa 1924)
Stephen Swisko - Freeland. Manufacturer of S.&S. Celebrated Ice Cream. (Source: Catholic Reference Book and Parish Register, circa 1924)
The Treasure Shop
- Centre St., between Main and South Streets (From Mike Bobby: The
former W.T. Grant store briefly became a junk/antique store known as
"The Treasure Shop" sometime in the mid-1970s. I rarely remember this
store being open and it was replaced a few years later by the Flash
Variety store which thrived for at least 15 years.)Tribune Printing Company, Ltd. - Freeland. Printing of all kinds. (Source: Catholic Reference Book and Parish Register, circa 1924)
Videomania - 532 Centre St. (Tim Martin, proprietor) (formerly the site of Newberry's variety store)
Zimmerman's Cards, Papers, &c. - Centre St., between Front & Walnut Streets
UTILITIES, ETC.
[Thanks to Ed Merrick for additions and corrections.]
Edward Bell - 833 Main St., manager, Water Company (age 58 in 1940 Census)
Pennsylvania
Power & Light Company (PP&L) - Centre & Walnut StreetsBell Telephone Company (switching station) - Centre St., below Carbon St.
Telephone company (operators) - Centre & Front Streets, across the street from Woodie's, upstairs
Railroad station - off Centre St., below Carbon St.
Paul Tucker - 947 Burton St., clerk, PP&L (age 43 in 1940 Census)
Water Company - 833 Main St., (Edward Bell, manager) (age 58 in 1940 Census)
Clifford Zierdt - 126 Ridge St., Foster Township, district manager, PP&L office (age 36 in 1940 Census)
POSTAL WORKERS LISTED IN 1940 FEDERAL CENSUS
Note: The list of postal workers from the 1940 census has been moved to the Post Office page.