Group photo: Park Road School kindergarten, 1963 - 64

This photo of Park Road School kindergarten students from the 1963 - 64 school year, came from Bill Orlowski, who is in the second row from the bottom, second from left. Bill would like help remembering the names of his classmates. Can you help Bill? If you can identify anyone, please let me know.

You can enlarge the photo for better viewing by clicking on it if you're viewing this on a PC, or tapping on a mobile device.

Park Road School kindergarten students
1963 - 64
photo owned by Bill Orlowski

Students identified so far:

Bottom Row:
Unknown
Alex Vasilakis
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown

Second row from bottom, left to right:
Unknown
Bill Orlowski
Josie Gagliardi
Unknown
Cheryl Martin
Unknown
Unknown

Third Row from bottom:
Unknown
Unknown
Leila Gill
Tammie Stanasolovich

Top Row:
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Stephanie Koukounaris
Tom Gulish
Unknown

Group photo: Ambridge High School's first basketball team, 1911

Ambridge High School's first basketball team
1911
Laughlin Memorial Library archives
used with permission

Oh, look, they wore long shorts back in 1911. Who knew that current uniform shorts were retro?

Some of the players' names appear to originally have been typed below the photo, but they are faded. Local historian William (Bill) Bowan rewrote them on the back of the photo:

The back says: 1911- Ambr. H. School Basketball Team

1st Row L R

1 - Sid Parsons
2 - ?
3 - ?
4 - Bill Cooper
5 - Harry West

2nd Row

1 - ?
2 - Bert Bianchi
3 - Sid Cadmus
4 - Bill Hutchinson


If you know the names of the unidentified players or the coach, please let me know.

Aloe's Market and Frank's Pizzeria

Aloe's Market, 802 Duss Ave., owned by the late Salvatore and Giuseppina Aloe, was one of the many small markets that once could be found throughout Ambridge. The market sold fruit, vegetables, and groceries, specializing in Italian products. According to Salvatore and Giuseppina's grandson, Bobby Aloe, Aloe's Market was open from about 1945 through 1955.

Aloe's Market business card
circa 1945-55

The handsome couple standing in front of the market in the photo below are Costanza and Frank Aloe, the daughter-in-law and son of Salvatore and Giuseppina.

Costanza and Frank Aloe
Aloe's Market
802 Duss Ave.
circa 1950
photo courtesy of Bobby Aloe

According to Bobby Aloe, before coming to the U.S., Salvatore, his brother, and Frank were fishermen in Italy. After immigrating to the U.S., Salvatore and Frank worked in New York, operating a push-cart selling produce. From there they came to Ambridge, worked at Pressed Steel in McKees Rocks, and then for A. M. Byers in Harmony Township.

While Salvatore and Giuseppina owned the market, Frank often worked there.

Frank Aloe behind the counter of Aloe's Market
circa 1950
photo courtesy of Bobby Aloe 

Between strikes and layoffs, mill employment was unstable in the mid-1950s, so Frank decided to open his own business. Since he had been a fisherman in Italy, he opened a fish market in a storefront on the lower level of his home at 618 Duss Ave.

When the fish market turned out to be less profitable than Frank had hoped, he opened an Italian pastry shop in the same location. That too failed. And then came business #3.

In 1958, at a time when most pizza was made at home, Frank saw an ad placed by a New York pizza equipment company in an Italian newspaper, offering pizza-making training and equipment for $600. Frank went to New York, took the training, and used the equipment in his new business, Frank's Pizzeria. That business, and its cheese-under-the-sauce pizza, was a success. And how! After almost 60 years, the phone at Frank's rings almost constantly during business hours, and lines of people picking up pizzas can be long.

Frank Aloe tossing pizza
photo courtesy of  Frank's Pizzeria

Frank's Pizza became a family business, operated by Frank and Costanza, with children and grandchildren helping out.

"Bob and Sal Aloe check pizza orders."
Beaver County Times
December 26, 1988

Despite its success, and fame beyond the Ambridge area (so much so that Frank's offers "Pizza Packed for Travel"), Frank's never expanded beyond its original Ambridge location, and the only item on its menu besides pizzas and toppings are calzones--a perfect example of a business that does one thing and does it very well.

Frank died in May 2010 after a short illness. Bobby and his brother Sal now run the business.

802 Duss Ave.
May 2, 2015

Frank's Pizzeria
618 Duss Ave.
March 22, 2014

Then and now: 600 block Park Road

600 block of Park Rd, looking north

Then:

600 block Park Rd.
postcard
circa 1910

The large tree on the right side of the postcard hides most of the apartment building on the corner. On the west side of the street, you can see a bit of the American Bridge park that once ran from 4th to 8th Sts.

I'm not sure how old the above postcard is as it's unmailed, so there's no postmark. But if you enlarge the card*, you'll see that there are horse-drawn carts next to the curb. This pre-linen card has a divided back, so it was printed by "H. C. George, 5 and 10 cent Store, Ambridge, Pa." after 1907, but probably before 1915.

Now:

600 block of Park Rd.
May 2, 2015

Unfortunately, I didn't have a lens with me that would allow me to take a photo wide enough to capture both sides of the street as the postcard does. The homes on this block are remarkably unchanged except for color.

The park has been reduced to a single block from 7th to 8th St. The west side of the 600 block of Park Rd. is now a parking lot for St. Mary's Byzantine Catholic Church.
_____

* To enlarge photos: if you're using a computer, click; if using a mobile device, tap.

Harmony School

Harmony School
5th St. and Duss Ave.
Daily Citizen supplement, August 10, 1929
Louis Vukovcan collection
courtesy of Jackie Vukovcan

Harmony School, which once stood on the northeast corner of 5th St. and Duss Ave., wasn't built by Ambridge; it was built by the school district where it was located in 1912--Harmony Township. At that time, Ambridge's eastern boundary in that part of the borough was Duss Ave.

The school originally had four rooms, expanded to eight rooms in 1915.

The Ambridge Golden Jubilee Program says that Ambridge took over Harmony School in 1916 "by order of the Beaver County Court, Ambridge paid the outstanding indebtedness." I haven't been able to find anything that explains why Ambridge was ordered to take over Harmony School and pay Harmony Township's debt. However, based on an October 18, 1916, article in The Daily Times, I suspect that the school takeover was connected to Ambridge's March 16, 1916, annexation of some Harmony Township property. The brief Daily Times article says that an auditor had been appointed to adjust the indebtedness of Harmony Township and Ambridge after the annexation. Based on the auditor's report, apportioned right down to the penny, Ambridge was to pay $7,473.31, and Harmony Township was to pay $8,440.05.

After Liberty School was built in 1917-1918 on adjoining property to the east of Harmony School, Ambridge appears, for at least a number of years, to have administered the two schools as one, with one principal overseeing both schools. The 1937 photo I posted on February 2, 2016, shows the faculty of both schools. My mom said she went to Harmony School for grades 1-3, and to Liberty School for the upper elementary grades.

At some point which I haven't found yet, Ambridge stopped using Harmony School as a public school. While it remained Ambridge school property, the building was used by St. Veronica High School from 1945 through 1965. In 1968, the school was razed and is now part of the property of the Ambridge Tower Apartments for seniors.