Main Street Artery ~

Photo: Paul Johnson Jr. 

Mayor Margaret Stock ~ BHS '69

Mayor Maggie Stock

 brought to public office the values and wisdom she learned in our small town, and recently she shared some of that inspiration by releasing a volume of poetry inspired by Butler. 

“Life in a Small Town” contains 21 poems.

Broad Street School and War Memorial ~

Photo: Ken Cooper

First United Methodist Church ~

The First Methodist Episcopal Church was established as the head of the Butler Circuit in 1825. The congregation’s first church was built in 1827 on West Wayne. The congregation moved to its current location in 1874, with this church being built in 1904. It is now the First United Methodist Church. 

The Rev. Johnnie David Panther died on Sunday, May 26, 2013. 

He was 56.

Teachers at St. Fidelis Seminary ~

Capuchin faculty 1939-1940
Thanks: Mike Shuler

Troutman's ~ 1950s

They had everything including bicycles and electric trains.

Armco Workhorse ~

Judge John H. Brydon ~ Slippery Rock HS '48

† May 2011

Judge Brydon practiced law in Slippery Rock and Butler from 1959-82 and served as district attorney from Butler County from 1964-82. He then served as Common Pleas Judge for Butler County from 1982 until 2005.

Erich's Restaurant ~

Open for business and doing well.

Photo: Pat Gallagher

St. Fidelis Seminary

Thanks: Mike Shuler

Synagogue ~ Congregation B’nai Abraham

April 20, 2012

A memorable observance of 
Yom Hashoah-Holocaust Remembrance Day.

They hosted Holocaust survivor and former “hidden child”, Ms. Shulamit Bastacky who related her tale of survival in World War II in Poland, where she was sheltered by a righteous gentile. Her message was drawn from her own experiences.

North Main Street Residence ~

Home of John Berg on North Main Street around 1967, was just above the Butler Towers Apartments.

Photo: Dave Miller

Butler Cubs ~

Photo taken in the 1940s. 

Thanks: Elmer Macklin

Old Stone House ~

A landmark saved. 

Slippery Rock ~

We preferred the Rocks to the swimming pool.

Colonel Ike Scanlon ~

Photo and Question
Thanks: Bill May

Greetings Charles:
I wonder if you could place the attached picture of Colonel Ike Scanlon (real name was Michael Scanlon) on your blog. He was a train announcer for the B & O Railroad, but most people would remember him as selling newspapers at the corner of Main and Jefferson by the Hot Dog Shop. He left Butler in 1936 to move with his wife to Baldwin, Kansas. He was quite the well-known celebrity in Butler and even had his own orchestra "The Star Orchestra". He ran the miniature railroad at Alameda Park and was the first to sell souvenirs at the amusement park.
-- Bill May

Bill's Bargain Store ~

Thanks: Pat Gallagher

Herman, Pa. ~

View of seminary from the lake. 

Butler Jr. High School Classroom ~

Photo: Barbara Bloom

James Bashline ~ BHS '36

† 2008

Jimmy Bashline was Butler's sign painter for many years. He also created a superb model circus.

Patrick BHS '44 and Charles BHS '42 McCarren ~

† 8 September 2012

† 11 February 2013

Photos: Butler Eagle

They kept our Butler ladies in style. We would go into the store on Main Street not only to buy clothes but to spend a few moments talking to these loved and respected personalities.

New Viaduct Entrance in the Rain ~

Standing at the corner of Wayne and Main Streets.

St. Paul Church ~ Built 1911

 "Stand Fast in the Faith"

   Words over the entrance.

Sgt. Abie Abraham ~

The Young Sergeant

Thanks: U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs

Terrace Inn ~ Route 8 South

Main Street in the '60s ~

Photo: Paul D. Johnston Jr.

Butler Junior High School ~ 1913

A stately yellow brick building just across from St. Paul church. 

Marianne Cornetti ~ Knoch '81

Marianne Cornetti is a leading mezzo soprano who performs at the Met in New York, in London at the Royal Opera and Covent Garden, in Italy at the Scala and at many other international opera houses. 

Butler is especially proud of her.

About Marianne

Stopping Time ~

The caption reads: Stopping Time — Time on the landmark clock in front of the Pittsburgh National Bank building on Main Street stopped at 10:36 a.m. on August 8, 1968 when it was hit by a truck. Bank oficials said they planned to see if the 47-year-old toppled timepiece was repairable. Looking over the clock is Kandy Neudorfer of Pittsburgh National. ~ Butler Eagle

Poem about the clock

Martin Funeral Home ~

Founder: Ross Martin

since October 1, 1982

Burger Hut ~

Photo: Pat Gallagher

Grandparents, Great-Grandparents ~

BHS Class '28

Butler Scouts ~

Our good old days with the Scouts. 

Woolworth's ~

Dottie Randolph ~ Protector of our Children

Dorothy Randolph

† 12.28.2005

Dottie Randolph had about 300 youngsters crossing at her intersection at First and Brady Streets. She also worked intersections on Jefferson Street and Chestnut Street. Butler children, now grown-ups, thank her still. 

Photo: Butler Eagle

McConnell's Mill ~

                    

Photo: Robert Emigh

First Baptist Church ~

Corner of Church and New Castle Streets.

Pastor: Rev. Clayton Howard Gray

1950-1962

Jefferson Street School ~

Thanks: Michael McDonald

Flooding ~

Looking over to Cliff Street.

Photo: Sam Menchyk

The Hot Dog Shop ~

Gutting out.

Photo: Michael Newcaster

Butler Revival ~

  The Hot Dog Shop is Next

Photo: Michael Newcaster.

Guy Travaglio ~ BHS '45

Guy Travaglio at Butler's Ethnic Festival

Thanks: Paul D. Johnston Jr.
How many of us danced to the strains of his music . . .

The House We Never Saw ~

Elm Court Entrance Courtyard 
This is as far as we ever got.

BHS Football Scores ~ 2012

BHS Football Scores

2012

BHS 09 [L ] – Seneca Valley 24
BHS 60 [W] – Shaler 26
BHS 19 [W] - Pine Richland 7
BHS 00 [L ] - North Hills 14
BHS 00 [L ] - North Allegheny 49
BHS 03 [L ] - Upper St. Clair 34
BHS 23 [W] - Hempfield 10
BHS 49 [W] - Fox Chapel 7
BHS 00 [L ] - Central Catholic 31

Gone Forever ~ Hot Dog Shop

Icon to be razed
Hot Dog Shop coming down
By Sandy Pontius
Eagle Staff Writer 

The Hot Dog Shop building, that icon of downtown Butler from 1912 to 2004, is to be knocked down on Wednesday.
The demolition is set to start on Aug. 29, 2012 at 8 a.m., and will include the Reiber Building next door.
The buildings, which have a 101-107 S. Main St. address, face Jefferson Street.
Ken Reilly Demolition, Mars, will do the work.
The demolition will make space for the craft beer brewers known as Butler Brew Works, which will be housed in the former Eckerd Drugs red brick building that faces Main Street. Eventually, the entrepreneurs plan to build a patio on the Hot Dog Shop site.
“That is our intention, and maybe putting in a bocci ball or cornhole court,” said Greg Deal, a Brew Works partner. “We’re getting there slowly but surely.”
Cedar Street, an alley that runs parallel to Main Street behind the Reiber Building, will be closed intermittently during the demolition, said John Evans, Butler zoning officer. Cedar Street will be used as a staging area, he said.
After the demolition is completed, work on the Main Street building will begin, including roof, plumbing, heating and air conditioning improvements, Deal said.
Although an end-of-year opening was planned, Deal said that is “optimistic.” It’s more likely the tap room will be open by spring 2013, he said.
“The earlier we can get open the better,” Deal said.
The group recently bought a 10-barrel brewing system that can produce more than 1,200 barrels of beer annually, based on a two-week production cycle.
The Brew Works then must be 90 days away from opening to apply for a liquor license, Deal said.
“Basically, you have to have everything set in stone,” he said.
The Brew Works partners are Deal and Nick Fazzoni, both of Butler, Travis Tuttle of Bridgeville and Paul Hytla of Pittsburgh.
They bought the quarter-acre parcel in January and auctioned off memorabilia from the Hot Dog Shop in the last two weeks of May to help pay for the demolition. They sold Hot Dog Shop coffee tokens, menus and signs.
from the Butler Eagle

Old Armco Entrance ~

Now AK Steel 

Photo: Barbara Bloom

Looking Up McKean Street ~

From McKean and North Streets

Penn Hardware ~ 1941

Angie Chiprean 
in front of his hardware store on East Jefferson Street.
Photo: Frank Komitsky Jr.