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of Freeland, Pa. A 1964 Freeland bar tour |
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This is a 1964 walking tour of Freeland’s bars, from Bert who worked for 26 years in Freeland's State Store on Center Street. It's not necessarily a complete list, but an impressive list from his memory, jotted down as he mentally walked through the town. When he sent this to me years ago I didn't have my website organized in a way that this recollection fit, so I am very late in posting this. My apologies and thanks to Bert for sharing his memories. Bert wrote: I would like to add my 2 cents on businesses. This is as of 1964. In Resturants and Hangouts, add Al’s Blue Pines. He didn’t have a beer license. Balas’s later got one from Dude’s Ranch and then sold it to Foster Twp Fire house. Also I will list the bars by streets going north and then east. Ridge St. -- Turri, Clover Bar, Belekanich, Rivina, Ursta, Sal Laporte -- now we are at the corner of Ridge and South. On South heading east -- Tuggles, Danko, Rockie’s, Defalco’s … and one bar across the street, I think you called it Sledgeeskies. Going north on Centre St. -- Resuta’s, Dovan’s (or Rustic Lounge), the Vets, Jakey Mattis, Kostick’s, Crow’s, Cheppa’s (later Hergert, Gongaware’s), Rockie’s. And crossing South St. -- Balon’s, Lottie Kozel’s. Big Bill’s on Front St. Elks and Legion on Centre. And Nocchi’s down on Schwabe St. Back on Ridge above South St. was Proccopio’s, Cherone’s. On Vine St. between South and Main was Grega’s. On Birkbeck St. was Kuklis’s, Nowak’s. Main St. between Centre and Washington was Remak’s and of course Gene Boyle’s. Out of town a little bit was: on the west side, Hotel Romeo, and on the east side, Mickey Mike’s, Llater Foggy Mt. Inn. Top of Hemlock was Tip Top (who got his license from Zike’s on Walnut St.) Then there was Bubsy Ferdinand’s on Walnut St. Oh, and on Centre St. between Luzerne and South I missed Carsia’s (later Eddie's) and the Eagles. Also Laputka had beer distribution, mainly Schaefer Beer, Miller, Pabst, etc. Yori had Budweiser, Schlitz, etc. Mattavi had Old Reading, Horlacher, Sunshine, Bartel, Kaier Upper Lehigh, Highland and Jeddo and a number of places in Freeland sold beer ... our very own "speakeasies". Anyhow that’s the way I remember it. I came out of the Army in 1964 and worked in the State Store system for 30 years, the last 26 in Freeland. Retired in 1995. Thanks for letting me put my 2 cents in. // Bert |