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Saturday, April 09, 2022

Larkin & Co. ~

Thanks: Lucille Larkin
An important Butler company that serviced the early oil wells in our area.
 

Sunday, March 20, 2022

Our Midget Football League ~

 Photo: Michael Stillwagon
Penn Street Cardinals  1972
Click on image to enlarge

Thursday, March 10, 2022

Sisters of Mercy ~ St. Paul's School

St. Paul's Convent

Sister Mary Scholastica
Sr. Mary Salome
Sr. Mary Alban
Sr. Mary Raymond
Sr. Mary Luella
Sr. Mary Ethelreda
Sr. Mary Patrice
Sr. Mary Theodore
Sr. Mary Inez
Sr. Mary Fidelis
Sr. Mary Edmund

Sunday, March 06, 2022

Shane Alexander ~ BHS '88 ~ Skyway Drive-in

 

Photo: Facebook

Shane Alexander is a contemporary American singer-songwriter and musician. 
Listen to his Butler song. 

 

Saturday, March 05, 2022

St. Paul's School ~ 1963 ~ Fifth Grade

A List of my pupils in Class 5 

Adamsky, Barbara
Bellis, James
Birchbichler, Nancy
Birchbichler, Rosemary
Bohan, Denis
Campbell, Janet
Conerty, Paula
Davis, Phyllis
Dorcy, Suzanne
Duffy, Dennis
Ference, Nadine
Fogel, Randall
Forcht, Joanne
Fredette, Jean
Frissora, Gordon
Gallagher, Debra
Garber, Barry
Geibel, William
Green, Jane
Henricks, Kathleen
Hovis, Susan
Jewell, Timothy
Johns, Mary
Johnson, Sandra
Johnston, Kathy
Kaylor, Thomas
Koehler, Scott
Langland, Mary Theresa
Lucas, Mary Ann
McClelland, Vicky
McCloskey, Sheila
Mahler, Marianne
Nocera, James
Nolan, Dennis
Rehm, Thomas
Rhodeburgher, Gary
Schaffner, Jean
Schreffler, Kenneth
Sherman, Eleanor
Tanaka, Anne
Thoma, Patricia
Thompson, Patricia
Tiberi, Susan
Toth, Janet
Vero, Denise
Waldron, Janet
Zambroski, James

Sunday, February 20, 2022

Thursday, February 17, 2022

For the Sandy Hook Grade School Pupils ~


A Tribute to Sandy Hook

We could be a happy class back in 1963 and today we are all grown up and have children of our own. We want you to know we are mourning for yours. Our hearts share your sadness.
St. Paul School,  Fifth Grade. [See comment 8 for list of pupils.]

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Keith Vargo ~ BHS '88


Keith Vargo is a writer, researcher, martial arts instructor, and fighter based in Tokyo. He was a columnist and Japan correspondent for Black Belt magazine for nearly 20 years.
    Homepage


Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Skyway Drive-in Theater ~

Photo: American Classic Images
In the 1950s this was a hit, especially for teenagers.
Read reminiscences of Bob Osborn BHS '58.
 

Back in the 1950's Butler Co. had six Drive-in Theaters, Chicora Drive-in (Rt 268), Geibel's Drive-in (Rt 68 East), Hill Top Drive-in (Rt 68 East), Skyway Drive-in (Rt 68 West), Sunset View Drive-in (Freeport Hill) and the Pioneer Drive-in (Rt 8 North).
Song by Shane Alexander BHS '88 entitled: 

Tuesday, January 04, 2022

Sisters of Mercy ~ St. Paul's School

 
Other Sisters of Mercy who served at St. Paul's School:

[List composed by Fr. John Dillon] 

Sr. M. Sebastian
Sr. M. Annette
Sr. M. Reginald
Sr. M. Priscilla
Sr. Miriam Rita
Sr. M. Jolitta
Sr. M. Ann Joachim
Sr. M. Stephanie
Sr. M. Dorothea
Sr. Norbert Marie
Sr. M. Avila
Sr. M. Giuseppe
Sr. M. Patrice
Sr. M. Stella Maris
Sr. M. Clotilde
Sr. M. Giles
Sr. M. Annrita
Sr. M. Campion
Sr. M. Wendelin
Sr. M. Cornelia
Sr. Paula Mary
Sr. M. Sophia
Sr. Marisita
Sr. M. Evangelista
Sr. M. Damian
Sr. M. David

Monday, December 06, 2021

Daniel D’Aniello BHS ' 64

Forbes
A successful Butler businessman who is one of three billionaire founders of the private equity firm 
The Carlyle Group.

Monday, November 22, 2021

A Tribute from Butler, Pa. ~ 58 Years Ago

upi
J.F.K.
23 November 1963

Grief came flooding in
over every hill,
down all our streets
right into the heart of town,
the day the President was shot,
insisting that he lie in state
here with us
for three days and nights,
until they came
with a caisson,
behind which
a veiled mourner
with children walked,
taking him as we watched
out across the viaduct
and on up over
our steepest hill
until we lost them
from sight.

Then silence hung long over our town
until the morning the rains ceased
when we woke to sun
breaking through dark clouds,
and looking up we saw gently rippling Vs
against the emblazoned sky
and heard flocks of wild geese
calling down to us
to rise up, to carry on.

With spirits gladdened
we set to removing flowers
and the portraits from off the streets,
candles and lamps were gathered
from curbs and fences
and then we stripped the trees
of those long black ribbons
that during those days of grief
had been fluttering in the breeze.


Source 

Sunday, November 14, 2021

Monday, November 01, 2021

Friday, October 15, 2021

The Hot Dog Shop ~ A Longtime Butler Favorite

Out of business 
as of July 8, 2004

This is what we miss!


Saturday, September 18, 2021

BHS Football ~ 2021

 


08/27 BHS 07 [L] - Kiski 21
09/10 BHS 27 [W] - Meadville - 13
09/18 BHS 21 [L] - McDowell - 38
09/24 BHS 42 [W] - Gen. McLane 20
10/01 BHS 56 [W] - Harbor Creek - 06
10/08 BHS 34 [L] - Westinghouse - 44
10/15 BHS 07 [L] - Cathedral Prep - 58
10/22 BHS 60 [W] - Franklin - 08
10/29 BHS 27 [W] - Erie - 23

Friday, September 17, 2021

Saturday, June 12, 2021

Saturday, May 15, 2021

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 

Saturday, December 05, 2020

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

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Domenick Fratto ~

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

Sunday, September 13, 2020

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

Wednesday, August 05, 2020

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?