Main Street Parade ~ 1941

Many a soldier marched this street. Many never returned.

Insight

Capitol Theater ~

Spent our Saturday afternoons here. 10 cents. We loved it.
[Now the Brick House restaurant]

At the turn of the last century, the two properties that The Brick House now occupies, housed vaudeville theaters. The Lyric Theater occupied the space where the main bar and dining areas are today. The Capitol Theater is above the game room / banquet room. In the 1940's the Capitol was converted into one of Butler's five movie houses. Legend has it that Houdini performed and Herbert Hoover campaigned there sometime along it's storied history. Movie house records, found in the rafters, indicate that hundreds came to see movies on a nightly basis.

The Capitol Theater is still intact today on the second floor. In the early 1970's the Capitol side of the building was purchased and renovated into a restaurant by The Eat 'n Park Corp. where it remained until it's late 70's move to New Castle Road. Their renovation carefully protected the key elements of the Capitol Theater thus preserving this Historic site.

from: brickhousebutler.com 

Bridge to the South Side ~

 Photo: Robert Emigh

Made in Butler ~

Bantam Station Wagon 1938

Photo: Bantam Club

Alameda Park ~ Pavillion and Lake

Postcard dated 1912

Thanks: Dennis Moffitt

First English Lutheran Church ~

Linda Randig ~ Butler Author

Hello, Charles, Thank you for posting about my new poetry book. I lived in Connoquenessing until I was twelve in the 1950s and that is what the book is about. I did make it general enough that people from any small town should find things to relate to. Those who did not grow up in a small town might enjoy reading what that experience was like. The price of the book is $10 but there is also a $1 per book postage charge if anyone would like me to mail it to them. 

Linda Randig    joeswife803@gmail.com

Made in Butler ~

Coupe 1940

Photo: Bantam Club

Domenick Fratto ~

44 years ago this morning, we lost an amazing man... my father. I remember the day well . . .

Bruce Fratto

Worsley's

Photo: Gerald Bundy

BHS Golden Tornado Band !

Photo: Butler Eagle

BHS Football ~ 2020

 

09/11 BHS 21 [L] - Cathedral Prep - 55

09/18 BHS 07 [L] - McDowell -  45

09/26 BHS 25 [L] - Erie - 35

10/02 BHS 06 [L] - Cathedral Prep - 56

10/16 BHS 55 [W] - Erie - 14

10/23 BHS 28 [W] - Slippery Rock - 03

10/31 BHS 33 [W] - Erie - 0

Butler Memorial Hospital ~ Original Edifice

How many mothers
walked down
the sandstone steps
from our hospital
overlooking town
with babies in their arms
singing silent songs of joy?

Jr. High School Gym ~

Where memories of great games linger . . .

Photo: Barbara Bloom

Catholic Daughters of America - Marching Band

Parade 1958

Photo: Pat Gallagher

J.F.K. in Butler ~

Thanks: Joe Cammisa

Happy Butlerites ~ Before Coronna

Photo: Butler Eagle

Home of the Jeep ~ Doing Our Part

Poem about the Jeep

Brian Minto ~ A Butler Fighter

Latest update.

Jack Bowman ~ Butler Musician

Photo: Paul D. Johnston Jr.

Jack Bowman

played drums in the BHS band then went on to play in the U.S. Air Force Band. Upon returning home he did union jobs with various groups and started his own big band style group which played all over Western PA and Ohio for many years. Jack played drums in several Butler Musical Theater Guild productions. He was also well known as a barber at the Point Barber Shop. He retired from playing recently and donated all the charts from his many band years to the Butler High School Music Program.

Our Courthouse ~

Photo: Butler Eagle

Grateful Marianne Cornetti ~

Coming Home Concert
Photo: Rome Sentinel

Opera singer Marianne Cornetti performed on February 9, 2020 at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Herman.

It was her way to give back to the church and community that helped her career get a start, she  performed “Then Sings My Soul: Celebrating 30 Years of an Operatic Career and a Lifetime of Music”.

Class Reunion ~ Class of 1953

June 12, 2020

Miss USA ~ 1971

Michele McDonald

Our Butler Beauty

Photo: Miss Universe Organization

†23 January 2020
Obituary

Winter in the 60's ~

Keeping Main Street clear . . .

Thanks: Brian Crouch

Made in Butler ~

Pick Up 1938

Photo: Bantam Club

Fr. Simon Conrad O.F.M. Cap.~

† 2013

Before entering the St. Fidelis Seminary in nearby Herman, Fr. Conrad lived on Polk Street in Butler. He was ordained a priest in 1946. Fr. Simon is widely remembered as a teacher, communicator and confessor. And till the end he was best known as a consummate gentleman and professional. Through all of his years of ministry, Father was known for his well-crafted and thoughtful preaching. On two occasions his audience was a national one. In 1954, he and fellow Capuchin Fr. Bertin Roll conducted the nation’s first televised youth mission, which was broadcast live for eight weeks on CBS network television’s “Look Up and Live.” In 1958, he also preached on CBS network radio’s “Church of the Air.” Father wrote two books: Master and Model, a life of Christ, and Brothers of the Sun, a brief history of the Capuchins, which had press runs totaling 40,000.

Glenn Crytzer ~ BHS '99 ~ Butler Musician

Glenn is a prominent guitarist, bandleader, arranger and composer. His music features in several films and documentaries. 
Some of his recordings:
Chasin' The Blues (2009)
Harlem Mad (2011)
Skinny Minne (2012)
Focus Pocus (2013)
A Little Love This Christmas (2013)
Uptown Jump (2015)
Aint' It Grand? (2018)

BHS Golden Tornado Band ~ 2019

Photo: Butler Eagle

BHS Football Scores ~ 2019

                             
                        23/08 BHS 21 [L] - North Hills - 46
                        30/08 BHS 21 [L] - Baldwin - 42
                        06/09 BHS 07 [L] - Mount Lebanon - 63
                        13/09 BHS 07 [L] - Pine-Richland - 56
                        20/09 BHS 00 [L] - Seneca Valley - 55
                        27/09 BHS 21 [L] - Norwin - 49
                        04/10 BHS 14 [L] - North Allegheny - 49
                        11/10 BHS 06 [L] - Pgh. Central Catholic - 55
                        28/10 BHS 28 [L] - Hempfield Area - 55
                        25/10 BHS 07 [L] - Canon-McMillan - 35

Nicole Luttrell ~ BHS '

"I was telling stories as soon as I had words to tell them with. But I started writing when I was thirteen when I came to the dawning realization that this was something that could be done for a living. That people could make their lives all about telling stories."

The Berg House ~

Photo: Joe Randig

The Berg House located on North Main Street on the right hand side

going up the hill. Joe wonders if anyone remembers or has any information on the Berg house.

May's Music Shoppe ~

Photo: Brian Loch

Looking Down Walnut Street ~

Photo: Brian Loch

Made in Butler ~

Hollywood 1940

Photo: Bantam Club

Butler County National Bank ~

Beautiful Butler Architecture

Butler Artist ~ Claus Leland ~ BSHS 2009

"A painting I did of Butler (I wish I had a better quality, but the painting is no longer in my possession), it was an acrylic 3 by 5 foot and was displayed at the Art Center and the Brick House restaurant."
Claus Leland

Springdale School House ~ Built 1890

Photo: Pat Gallagher

The Swinging Bridge ~

Photo: Chris Solari

Favorite Stop-off ~

Thanks: Laura Kosht

Graduates ~ St. Paul's School

1940
Photo: Mitchell

Click on picture to enlarge

South Side Fire Department ~

Photo: Brian Loch

Made in Butler ~

American Austin

Photo: Bantam Club

The perfect  Christmas present.

Armco Veterans ~

Thanks: Dick Gamble

View of Butler ~

Photo: DeWayne Johnston

Building the first Wayne Street Viaduct ~

Thanks: Barbara Bloom

Hot Dog Sandwich Shop ~

Matchcover

Thanks: Butler County Historical Society

Butler Train Station ~

Thanks: Barbara Bloom

Under the Wayne Street Bridge. 

It was a busy place.

Autumn in Butler ~

Photo: DeWayne Johnston

BHS ~ Friday Night Games ~ 2018

                                 18/08 BHS 00 [L] - Kiski Area - 00
                                 24/08 BHS 07 [L] - North Hills - 42
                                 31/08 BHS 58 [W] - Baldwin - 13
                                 07/09 BHS 21 [L] - Mount Lebanon 44
                                 14/09 BHS 00 [L] - Pine-Richland - 63
                                 21/09 BHS 00 [L] - Seneca Valley - 37
                                 28/09 BHS 00 [L] - Norwin - 42
                                 05/10 BHS 03 [L] - North Allegheny - 55
                                 12/10 BHS 10 [L] - Pittsburgh Catholic - 45
                                 19/10 BHS 14 [L] - Hempfield Area - 31
                                 26/10 BHS 13 [L] - Canon-McMillan - 44

Ray Andre ~

Photo: Charles Bashline