Illuminating our Sky ~

Our onetime pride.

Thomas Rutkoski ~ BHS '62 ~ Evangelist

+June 7, 2011 

Butler Evangelist who founded Gospa Missions. Thomas Rutkoski is a speaker in demand in churches throughout the world. His Mission has grown to include worldwide retreats, conferences, prison ministry, healing ministry, speaking engagements, publishing and humanitarian efforts. His books have had inspired many to conversion.

Viaduct Market ~

Everything we needed for a good Italian meal.

Photo: Pat Gallagher

With famous misspelling on the side.

Early Downtown Car Dealership ~

Cadillac, Buick, Chevrolet

Corner of Main and Brady Streets

American Bantam Car Company of Butler ~

Manfacturer of our famous small cars, and the Jeep.

Photo: Thanks DeWayne Johnston

Graduation ~ St. Paul's School ~ 1939

Click: Enlargement

Normandy ~ 6 June 1944

Butler Mother

Normandy
June 6, 1944

She was standing
on the porch
that day in June
watching her youngest
come running up the steps
and across the lawn
when it happened
on the beach
at Omaha
where her eldest lay,
face down, no longer
clawing at wet sand.

She stood there, quiet,
holding him close,
fingering his hair.


from: The Butler Pennsylvania Poems

Soap Box Derby ~

An annual affair.

Photo: Thanks DeWayne Johnston
[click on photo to enlarge.]

On the Diamond ~

Served us faithfully for so many years.

Butler from the Air ~

Aerial view looking west, 1977.

Butler Architecture ~

Elegance, next door to the Court House.

Butler ~ Bird's-Eye View

Viewing Butler from South Main Street hill.

Butler's YMCA Swimming Coach ~

John. F. "Pump" McLaughlin
† March 28, 2004
Swimming teacher, coach, mentor, friend.
Left: Eric Namesnik, right: Alice Ann McLaughlin, Pump's niece.

[photographed in front of the YMCA]

An Old Butler House Restored ~

The Lasky House
215 W New Castle Street

Carol Foster bought this house, refurbished every inch of it.

August 15, 1945 ~ Butler Rejoices

The day the Second World War ended.

Main Street at the Courthouse

Howard M. McClung ~ Butlerite

Howard M. McClung

Butler poet, artist and inventor.

† 1939

Isaly's ~ Ice Cream

Our Downtown Isaly's
The stop-off on Main Street.

YMCA ~ Today

At the corner of Penn and Washington Streets.

Eric Namesnik learned to swim here.

Viaduct Replacement ~

People like it.

Msgr. Wm. J. Spiegel ~ A Good Shepherd

Msgr. William J. Spiegel

Pastor St. Paul's Church [1944-1964], builder of St. Paul's School, friend and helper for many.

BHS Football 2007 ~ 0 Wins ~ 9 Losses

Sophomore Cole Harvey was 8 - 15 for 102 yards and 2 TDs

BHS 0 [L] – Kiski 31
BHS 7 [L] – Norwin 35
BHS 17 [L] - Fox Chapel 19
BHS 13 [L] - Bethel Park
BHS 14 [L] - Erie 28
BHS 14 [L] - Shaler 35
BHS 0 [L] - North Hills 20
BHS 0 [L] - North Allegheny 34
BHS 13 [L] - Seneca Valley 27

Downtown Clock

Photo: Butler Eagle 

New clock, new location.
June 2007

Bill Saul ~ Football Great ~ BHS '58

+ September 16, 2006

Bill was a '58 graduate of BHS. At Penn State he played basketball and football. In the NFL he played for the Baltimore Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers, then one year for the New Orleans Saints and one year for the Detroit Lions. Bill was inducted into the Butler Sports Hall of Fame in 1968. We all looked up to Bill.

Ed Vargo ~ Major League Umpire

Ed Vargo of Butler, National League umpire from 1960-1983, is the only Major League umpire to call one no hitter and one perfect game for the same pitcher. Vargo was behind home plate for Sandy Koufax's no hitter on June 4, 1964 and his perfect game on September 9, 1965.

+ February 2, 2008

Robert McClung, Author ~ BHS '34

† June, 2006

Robert M. McClung was born in Butler, he was a graduate of Butler High School. His first book, "Wings in the Woods," a fictionalized version of his summers on this grandfather's farm, was published in 1948. He received a master's degree at Cornell University and began his dream job by working at the Bronx Zoo in New York. In 1955, he left the zoo, where he was curator of mammals and birds, to devote to his writing. In 1958, he moved to Washington, D.C., as a natural history writer and editor for the National Geographic. In 1962, he moved to Amherst to devote his time to the writing of his own books. He published 66 books, including "Green Darner," "The Story of a Dragonfly;" and "Bufo, the Story of a Toad."

Inseeing ~ Some Strange Photos of Butler

On a recent visit home I walked around and made these rather strange photos.

Greetings to fellow Butlerites,

Charles
Strange photos

Catholic Daughters of America -

CDofA Marching Band
ca. 1945

Harvey Trader ~ Butler's Music Store

As it was back in the 40s and 50s. Located on East North Street. A delightful store.

Beautiful Butler Home ~

Thompson Residence ~ Belmont Road

Butler Public Library ~

The new Butler Public Library.

Butler Cub Scout ~

Signed by the Cubmaster: Paul F. Dugan

Our Town Landmark ~

Our forefathers conceived of this. We take pride in it.

East Jefferson Street ~

This was once a highly frequented Butler establishment.

Hill United Presbyterian Church

A dignified structure at the corner of Brady and Second Streets.

Institute Hill School ~

Built 1901 at the corner of Eau Claire and First Streets. Today it is a professional medical building.

Our Old Main Street Viaduct ~ Gone

We fancied the straight thrust of Main Street from the northern hill to the southern, right through the center of town.

Seen on a Boxcar ~

Main Street Clock

1947

... It was in our very center
in those days
when uptown was where
all our paths crossed.
From: The Butler Pennsylvania Poems

Goodbye Army-Navy Store

On Jefferson Street, one block down from Main Street.
Photo: Tom Menchyk

Remembering Butler's Streets

[Click on the map to enlarge it.]
Poem about Butler Streets

Butler Woman ~

She would come every day

to visit her son, thirty-seven now,

who had been sent

to the County Prison

for murder.

I am only doing

what a mother does, she said.

At night she would dream

she had seen him

coming home from school

with books under his arm,

smiling, waving to her

standing at her kitchen window,

waiting.


from: The Butler Pennsylvania Poems 

Bill Morgan's First Diner ~

The the corner of Jefferson and Washington Streets.

Institute Hill Mustangs ~ 1950

The Mustangs won the championship in 1950 defeating the Penn Street Cardinals.
Ed Eicholtz, Wayne Anthony, Nick Newcaster, Dan Murphy, Dick Smith, Diantonio, Dom Monteleone, Mike Newcaster, Ken Mills, Dan Coyle, Lanny Pride, Jack Lokhaiser, Bill Saul, Dale Stetzer, Dick Haron, Charles Leitem, Ray Natili, John Houston and Coach Ed Pickett.

[Photo thanks to Michael Newcaster]

McConnell's Mill ~

A local beauty spot near Butler on the Slippery Rock Creek.

Butler Area Senior High School

The new High School was built in the early 1960s.

This area was known as Fairground Hill.

Deshon VA Hospital ~

During W.W.II soldiers who had suffered hearing loss were treated here. Butler is proud of its service to the military.

The Butler Farm Show ~

A Summer Highlight

J.F.K in Butler, 1960

J.F.Kennedy [podium] and Lyndon Johnson [right] campaigning in Butler in 1960 in front of the Court House.

Butler Police Officer Eugene Heath

is standing to the left just above the Pa. State Trooper [center]

in charge of controlling the crowd.
JFK stayed at the Willard Hotel while campaining in Butler. He walked, escorted to the this location.

[Picture thanks Mary (Heath) Gordon]

Snapshot of Butler, Sept. 2006

Downtown Butler Today without Woolworth's. 

Corner of Cunningham and Main Streets looking over to the steeple of St. Paul's Church. 
Woolworth's is no longer.

Butler Library Activities

From the Butler Eagle, July 5, 1939

[Click on the picture to make it somewhat larger.]

Brian Minto ~ Butler's Prized Prizefighter

Brian “The Beast” Minto, now 38-7, Butler's Prized Boxer, keeps on winning! Brian boxed and played football in Butler High School, went to college on football scholarship and soon returned to boxing. He had 25 amateur fights and was the 2000 Golden Gloves winner.

Update

Butler Architecture ~ T. W. Philips Gas & Oil Co.

An aesthetic pleasure every time you pass by.

Poem about this building