This always has been the complaint of young people in their teens. Every generation seemed to complain that there was nothing to do, and no place to go! However, in talking to a number of people from different generations, it seems that in Tyrone there were indeed lots of things to do, and, looking back, they were some of the highlights of growing up in a small town such as this.
Kids Made Their Own Fun
“We didn’t need a TV set or expensive toys. We had great fun. Let me tell you about ‘the paper chase.’ On a Saturday morning, seven or eight neighborhood kids would get together and form two teams of three or four each. They’d get two paper bags and tear sheets of paper up into little pieces. Then, the first team would strike out through the woods, either up across Laurel Hill or occasionally go all the way to the top of Bald Eagle Ridge to the fire tower. After ten minutes the second team started out looking for and following the trail of pieces of paper that had been left. It was fun and gave us lots of exercise.
“Even if we weren’t playing ‘paper chase,’ we spent lots of time hiking to places like Hagg’s Farm or the fire tower. If we went up to the top of the mountain, usually we’d go on down the other side to what is called ‘Sunnyside’ and then come back to town through Nealmont. Sometimes we’d ride our bikes out through Vail and up to Camp Anderson Scout Camp, taking a sandwich along for lunch. On the return trip, we’d come by way of Decker Hollow, which was downhill all the way. It was great!”
“Kick the Can”
Another inexpensive, yet fun, game was “kick the can.” This game was played at night under a street light and could involve a dozen neighborhood kids, or just a few. Everybody would hide, except the person who was “it” and he or she would then try to find one of the individuals who was hiding. As the person who was “it” moved away from the can, others would try to sneak back to the light without being seen, kick the can, and yell the sound of victory.
The game had a regional twist. In the area around 14th St. and Pennsylvania Ave., it was called “kick the wicket.” If you lived in a neighborhood with a lot of kids, perhaps you can recall in your mind’s eye, the sound of a can rattling across the street and someone yelling out, “All-ee all-ee, in free!”
“Cops ‘n Robbers”
This game usually involved only boys, but occasionally a tomboy (a girl who fancied herself as an Annie Oakley) would be allowed to play. Another version was “cowboys and Indians.” The characters were straight out of the Saturday matinees at the Wilson or El Patio Theaters, where you could get in for a dime. If you are older, you might remember the “Bucket of Blood” — as the Pastime Theater on 10th St. was called.
Roller Skating
Can you remember when the giant floor at Bland Park was used for roller skating? And, can you recall when “Hogan,” the ticket seller, used to wink at some of the pretty girls and let them in free? Some of the younger kids spent hours riding the horses on the merry-go-round.
Sandlot Sports
“In football or baseball season, there was a sandlot team at each end of town. It wasn’t formally organized as today’s Little League or youth football, but it was still fun. The kids would play hour after hour, until one of the moms would call her kids for supper. This broke up the game pretty quickly. Nobody ever played to defeat the opponents; it was just fun, exercise, companionship, and a great pastime.”
Sitting and Watching the World Go By
In the old days, almost every home had a nice big front porch, complete with a swing and some easy chairs. It was fun for kids to sit on the porch and watch people walking by, or cars and trucks as they made their way up the street. One of the lucky groups was the families who lived close to the railroad tracks. Although the dirt and grime from the smokestacks on the trains made it hard for Mom to keep the house and the family’s clothing clean, it was a sheer delight for the kids of the family. They loved to sit on the porch or sit on a bank overlooking the tracks, and to wave at the engineer and fireman as the train approached their house. The railroaders always waved back.
Another lucky group of kids were those whose family homes were along the parade routes in town. They could have the entire world passing by their front door.
Paperboys
Tyrone was fortunate because three newspapers were published in Tyrone. Early in the morning, it was the Altoona Tribune printed about 4 a.m. Later in the day, the Tyrone Daily Herald and the Altoona Mirror came off the presses, and other crews delivered these. Also, a crew was needed to take the Clover Farm circulars to each home in town. These were printed at the Bayer & Gillam building, off 10th St. and South Logan Ave.
Downtown Hangouts
As kids grew up it was no longer “cool” to play cops ‘n robbers. Instead, it was more fun to go someplace. In the ’40s there were several places that catered to teenagers. The Corner Room was started in Tyrone just about the same time as the popular eating place in State College, which still is going strong. Tyrone’s Corner Room was in the Masonic Building at the corner of 11th St. and Pennsylvania Ave., just about where the Pennsylvania House sign is now located. The main distinction about this place was its balcony, which made it possible for one to see everybody who was crowded in to enjoy a soda or milk shake.
If you wanted a great soda, Mac’s Soda Shop next to the Wilson Theater was the place to go. Years later, Bob Sullivan operated Sully’s Sweet Shop at the same place. Tom Albright had a confectionery in the same block. Kids would go in with a penny and spend ten minutes deciding which piece of candy to get to take to the movie. But Tom was never impatient.
Annabelle’s was also located in the “Wilson block.” But, without any question, the outstanding place for teenagers to hang out in the ’40s was Paul’s Diner, located at the time in the left side of the Searer Building. Paul Wallace and his wife Martha ran the diner, and it was constantly crowded with teens. Later, after Paul’s death, she built Martha’s Diner where the Sassafras Café is now located. The specialty, according to one of the “kids” now in her ’70s, was a chocolate frost with extra ice cream. It was, at 15 cents, the most expensive ice cream item on the menu. Hotdogs were 20 cents.
Another popular hangout was Artie’s, which opened in the late ’40s. It was located on East 10th St., across from Rupert’s Chevrolet dealership. Artie Keppler owned and operated this restaurant until the mid-’50s. The kids would jam this place on Friday nights after the football game and Saturdays after the dance at the “Y.” There was nothing better than a 25-cent hamburger and listening to your favorite song on the jukebox, which cost 5 cents per tune.
There were lots of other places to go and get refreshments. Charlie Waple’s Dairy building on 9th St. was the place you could get delicious ice cream, fresh from the mixer. Rudy Reinschmidt’s place (located at the corner of 14th St. and Pennsylvania Ave.) featured delicious chocolate-dipped cones, with extra nuts.
We don’t want to miss Martin’s Corner, located beside the railroad underpass at 10th St. and Washington Ave. It was small, but had the most delicious goodies. Still standing is the little building across from the Washington School that housed Keefer’s Store, where goodies were available for kids with a penny. Who all remembers The Pantry, located on 13th St. between Lincoln Ave. and the railroad tracks? Artis and Chink (Charlie) Snyder provided all kinds of goodies to the students attending Lincoln Junior and Senior High School.
The Family Car
If you were lucky, you could fix up an old clunker into a working vehicle, or perhaps Dad and Mom would let you use the family car to go out after supper for a while. The Lion Inn along the road to Nealmont was a favorite for their “bun dog.” The Givlers operated Gib’s Place at Bald Eagle. In the ’40s, the Smith family operated The Village Dairy Store in Nealmont. And many Tyroners went to Logan Bell, where Proctor Silex was later built along old Route 220 near Bellemead.
The Dairy Dip
But the greatest legend of all in the Tyrone area is that of the Dairy Dip, located along Old Route 220 where the Uni-Mart is now. It was more than a frozen-custard stand. It was woven into the fabric of the area for fifteen years, and today, is part of lots of warm memories of the innocent days when rock and roll was born. The reason was the nightly broadcast over WTRN. The late G.C. Wilson III conceived the idea of having a broadcast each evening from the small pavilion next to the “Dip,” and kids would come from miles around to request favorite records, and of course, order a shake, cone, or soda. This three-hour show became a magnet that drew kids from Altoona, Huntingdon, Philipsburg, and of course, from all of the Tyrone area. After the show, they’d stay around to mingle with others and listen to the jukebox. Jitterbug contests were held, and the winners got great prizes. Every year, the grand prize was a trip to New York City! The winners were properly chaperoned by “Honey” Wilson; they flew from Martinsburg Airport and stayed at New York’s Astor Hotel.
Among the disc jockeys who broadcast directly from the Dairy Dip were Gretta Lynne Rorabaugh Czap (“Red With Records”), John Eschbach, Ron Elder, Bill Duey (who also worked behind the counter as a soda jerk), and Johnny Knorr. The unfortunate announcers who were stuck back at the studio downtown and away from all of the excitement and glamour included Jerry Woodring, Dave Forcey, Mac Rorabaugh, Gary Ammerman, Dave Frye, and Will Walk.
Many young people worked at the Dairy Dip part-time in the summers, such as Larrie Derman and Dr. Bill Miller (who drove the Dairy Dip truck to neighborhoods in Bellwood and Altoona). Each recalls the fun of being part of a legend. In the early ’60s, the land was sold to Laurel Cooperative (Long’s Dairy), which tore down the legend, replacing it with a dairy store and bakery. Thus vanished the magnet that drew hundreds of Tyrone kids as well as those from miles around.
Dances at the Pavilion
Here’s something that evokes nostalgia for Tyrone people. The old jukebox ground out the songs and the kids used to love to dance at the pavilion at Reservoir Park. The pavilion was covered, but open on the sides, and until a heavy snow caused its collapse twenty-some years ago, thousands of Tyroners loved to go and dance on Tuesday and Friday nights. Benches surrounded the dancing area, and a painted line on the floor kept onlookers from crowding the dancers. This was necessary because it was usually packed. “You’d need to go outside to get a breath of fresh air,” remarked one who never missed the dances.
The amphitheater has replaced the pavilion, and the location still brings forth musical sounds. But these days it’s live music and there’s no dancing. They say that if on a clear quiet night, you walk over to the area where the old pavilion once stood and listen carefully, you will hear the quiet strains of “Jukebox Saturday Night” or “I Had The Craziest Dream” or “Stardust,” and the memories just begin to tumble from your mind.
“Doin’ a Hard Man”
This phenomenon of the ’70s is now a distant memory. But for many who were growing up then, the main social activity each evening was driving up Pennsylvania Ave., loop around to drive back down, while waving and yelling at other teens in the giant stream of cars coming the other way. In other communities it was called “cruising.” But here it was “doin’ a hard man.” In Tyrone, so many cars came from other places that action had to be taken. Signs were put up outlawing “cruising” until 4 a.m. The signs are still there.
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