Group photo: Ambridge Fire Department

Ambridge Fire Department
Ambridge Municipal Building
year unknown
Louis Vukovcan collection
courtesy of Jackie Vukovcan

The only firemen identified in this photo are Arch Fisher, first row center and Rusty Noland, third row right. If you know the identities of the other firemen or the year this was taken, please leave a comment.

Thanks to Maria Notarianni for scanning this for the blog.

Sudia Meats

This photo of the Sudia Meats market, one of many small food markets that once could be found throughout Ambridge, came from his granddaughter, Maureen Krupa.

Matthew Juricich at Frank Sudia Meats
300 First St.
pre-1930s?
photo courtesy Maureen Krupa
used with permission

Maureen says that the dapper man standing in front on the market was her uncle, Matthew Juricich. The identities of the children are unknown.

According to Maureen, Frank Sudia came to the U.S. with no money and unable to speak English, yet put three sons through college. He lost his business during the 1930s Great Depression because he had extended credit to his regular customers so they could feed their children.

From the sign at the top of the market's left window, you'll see that it offered "City Dressed Meats." As I understand it, that term was used by markets in the Eastern U.S. to refer to meat that had been locally slaughtered and butchered, and not shipped from the large meatpacking houses that had been created in the Midwestern states.

The entire First St. neighborhood was razed for redevelopment in the early 1970s.

Ambridge Christmas toy ads, 1960

Where in Ambridge did you see the toys that you put on your Christmas wish list? And which ones did Santa bring you?

And remember when aluminum Christmas trees were trendy? So modern!

Here are some of the Ambridge stores that sold toys during the Christmas season.

Toyland ad
Ambridge American Hardware
536 Merchant St.
Beaver County Times
December 20, 190

Christmas gifts ad
Big Bargain Barn
1025 Merchant St.
Beaver County Times
November 24, 1960

Christmas gifts ad
Central Drug Store
607 Merchant St.
Beaver County Times
December 8, 1960

Christmas gifts ad
G.C. Murphy
561 Merchant St.
Beaver County Times
November 24, 1960

Toy sale ad
Peoples Drug Store
Beaver County Times
December 8, 1960

Christmas toy ad
Sears
653-655 Merchant St.
Beaver County Times
December 1, 1960

Toyland ad
Sun Drug Store
625 Merchant St.
Beaver County Times
November 26, 1960

Toy City ad
Tile City
801 Merchant St.
Beaver County Times
December 14, 1960

Northern Lights, Christmas shopping season 1960

Northern Lights in Baden was packed with shoppers during 1960's Christmas shopping season. Even though the parking lot was huge, trying to find an open parking space could be hard.

A small part of the parking lot
Northern Lights Shoppers City
Beaver County Times
December 8, 1960.

Times caption:

BUSY PLACE AT CHRISTMAS -- Cars jam the big parking area at Northern Lights Shoppers City these days as Beaver County folks prepare for the Christmas season.

In December 1960, Northern Lights, which had opened its first stores just in time for Christmas shopping in 1956, had over 50 stores, many new to the area, including some that were part of popular chains. Stores, modern and bright, were open late every night. Parking was free, no meters to feed, and no parallel parking was required. Plus Santa arrived by helicopter! It's no surprise that Ambridge businesses were feeling the pressure.

Christmas shopping ad
Northern Lights Shoppers City
Beaver County Times
November 24, 1960

Now, the Northern Lights parking lot is mostly empty spaces and potholes. Many of the stores are vacant. The big Penney's building that was once its centerpiece is gone, and a road to a Walmart runs through where it used to be.

Ambridge memorabilia: Ambridge Savings & Trust Christmas card

Christmas card
Ambridge Savings & Trust Co.
1915

The Ambridge Savings & Trust Co. called itself "The Oldest Bank in Ambridge."  It was chartered in 1902 and started doing business in 1903, two years before Ambridge incorporated, on the northeast corner of 5th and Merchant Sts. in a three-story brick building said to be "the first building erected in Ambridge." In 1911, it built and moved into an elegant two-story limestone building next door.

Ambridge Savings & Trust Co. ad with 1911 building
Daily Times
August 28, 1916

According to notes left by the late Ambridge historian William (Bill) Bowan, Ambridge Savings & Trust later remodeled both the brick and limestone buildings into a single Ambridge Savings & Trust headquarters building.

At one time, Ambridge Savings & Trust reportedly had the largest deposits of any bank in Beaver County. Like many banks, it ran into financial trouble during the depression and reorganized in 1933. According to Bowan, it became The Economy Bank of Ambridge.

The beautiful stone building at the corner of 5th and Merchant Sts. that was home to Ambridge Savings & Trust and Economy Bank was razed in 1984; its location is now the drive-through of Wesbanco bank.

The above card is the same size as a typical postcard of that era, 3 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches. But it has a blank back. There's no stamp box, and no space designated for the mailing address, so I doubt if these cards were mailed as postcards.

I believe the double arcs in each corner may be marks from some kind of album mounting corners.

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In Feb. 2018, I was able to write more about the history of the Ambridge Savings and Trust Co. and its building, and provide some photos. Click here to read that Ambridge Memories Blog post.