Thursday, October 30, 2008
Memories
Maybe you remember the old Painesville and were looking for a place to put your fond memories. Tell us about something you know about old Painesville that makes you think of your childhood. Maybe a family member stayed at the Parmly Hotel? Maybe you shopped downtown Painesville and you remember a funny story about one of the traffic cops directing traffic. Who knows, but here is the place to write your thoughts. Have fun, keep it clean and yes the delete button still works over here.
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80 comments:
Growing up in the 60's and early 70's we lived in the township and my mother would take my brother and I "downtown" to shop and it was great. I remember going downstairs to the toy department at Carlisles and working our way down Main Street to the be all end all for a kid, TOYLAND. Also remember the Skillet restaraunt, Marshall Drug and going into the Newstand / Bus station to buy a copy of the Sporting News or Mad Magazine.
Also movies at the wonderful Lake Theater that had a machine that would dispense a cup then spray the soda in to it (was a big fan of grape pop back then). Angelo's Pizza was right next door.
I am sad that I did not get to experience "old Painesville," with the stores and hotels and movie theatre. I love the old pictures at Hellriegel's and other places around town; it's really cool to be able to at least see what it was like.
One of my fondest memories is from just a few years ago when the Red Raider basketball team had such a great run. It was awesome being a student at Harvey during that time and seeing the student body and community as a whole so excited about our team.
I remember Heck's Department Store (where Job and Family Services is now) and all the one-way streets! My mom and I always used to go to lunch at Carlisle's and then browse around in the store.
The old jail and the grocery store where the new jail stands (I believe it was a Fisher Fazio's)
These are great contributions! I see many different ages here that really give a good look at the City from many perspectives, interesting to read. Thanks again. JT
The Fisher Fazios (I think it was where the jail now sits) sparked a few more memories. A&P Grocery was where the post office is and Lawblaws Grocery (can remeber store but not spelling) was where the annex to Lake East is at. I likewise remember Carlisle always has a terrific lunch also. Sears was in building where Favors on the Square and down the main Street was Kresgees and Newburys which both had lunch counters. Newbury you can get a sundae and then pop a balloon to pick the price you paid. Newburys also had a pet department in the basement and I think Santa was upstairs.
I would like to comment on the number of people posting with their "blogger identities" available. Very refreshing and nice to see, thanks. JT
Remembering seeing my first Ford Mustang in 1964 at Frank Stanton Ford . {where Burger King is now}
Good thought I purchased my 66 Pontiac GTO at Merrick Pontiac, strange you cant buy a new car in town now.
Come downtown on Tuesday, November 18th for the annual Painesville Holiday Open House.
More information at:
http://www.downtownpainesville.org
Now these posts are what I was talking about! You guys, and or gals, are great! Thanks for making my day by posting the nice things hat you remember here. And to "Painesville" Feel free to make posts here about other events. I get email updates and can repost your events in their own area. JT
I remember a Vetrans Day when the Harvey High School Band walked down Washington and Liberty Streets into Vetrans Park. There was 5 inches of snow on the ground and it was bitter cold. There they played the Star Spangled Banner. They thanked the Vets and the Vets thanked the students. I remember this same band walked down Wood Street, through the double doors of Homestead Nursing Home. There they played to the delight of the patients and staff. The people of Homestead told the Marching Band how much the enjoyed listening to their outside practice seessions. This is the same band that opened every football game with the National Athem.
These memories didn't happen years ago but days ago.
God Bless our Vetrans.
God Bless the patients and staffs of all the nursing homes.
God bless our schools, our City and the best dam band in the land of Painesville. The Red Raiders Marching Band.
Last poster, I got chills reading your post, very nice comment, Thanks so much. JT
I am so excited to find this site...I grew up in Painesville in tbe 50's and 60's. I can remember a few other stores along Main Street prior to the "New Market Fiasco"...Hughes Jewelry, Isalies Ice Cream, John Rich Jewelry Store, Christian Science Reading Room, Whaley's Hardware, Gale G. Grant Dept Store, Woolworths, Jennette Julieane, Sterling Shoes, Standard Drug, Ash Milinary, The Parmly Barber Shop. On the side streets I remember Howard Hotel on St. Clair St. On State Street along with the great old Lake Theater (anyone remember "Bank Night" on every Saturday Night?) and Angelos Pizza along with Phillipbars Paint, Jochins Hardware, Miller Jones Shoes, Bill Brown Furniture, Model Bakery, The Telegrah, The Kiddie Shoppe, A&P Grocery Store. Also on the park use to be the YMCA, The Park Theater and Bill Stanton Lincoln...Along with Carlisles. Does anyone remember the name of the apartments right on the park I think next door to the old Post Office?
Thanks for doing this site...Its great to take a walk down memory lane.
I am glad that you enjoyed reading the site. I have tried to keep it fresh but it can be difficult at times. You sure did have much good information on "Old Painesville", glad to see that you have such "positive" memories of this good ole town. Take care and I hope you have a good holiday season. JT
I was thinking about businesses around town this morning...There were some others I remembered...Walters Diner on State Street, a Dodge dealership on State Street, Phobes Music on St. Clair Street along with Bitzer Furniture, The Brass Rail (which as I recall was in a basement, and there was a bowling alley on the first floor...Use to go eat dinner in there with my grandparents when I was a little kid. Right down the hill from Thayer Drug on Main (going toward the river) there was also a car dealership...Maybe Oldsmobile?
Been gone from P'ville for over 30 years, (my husband got transferred when they closed the Diamond), but have family there, so visit at least 2 or 3 times every year. It is really sad to think about what our Main Street could have been if the city leaders years ago would have recognized the potential it had for a historic town.
Does anyone remember the old Lawn Fete each year at St. Marys? My grandma use to work for months dressing dolls to be raffled off in the doll booth there. And now, from what I hear, St. Marys school has been permanently closed. Had 8 good years there with lots of good memories, and even a few classmates I still keep in touch with...
What a great site! I found it while looking for someone my Mom used to know. Joe Pizzi had a shoe repair business on Main street, down the hill going towards the river - across from where the old Holiday Inn was. My Dad and brother worked on construction of Holiday Inn (originally called The American House), and I was the dining room hostess there for several years.
I lived in Painesville in the fifties and sixties, and reading these posts brings back so many memories of a dear old town that was watonly murdered.
If I may be so bold, I'd like to correct a couple spellings. The pizza place next to Lake theater was called Angela's, not Angelo's. And the music store behind Newberries was Pfabe's Music. I went to Harvey with Bryan Pfabe. Also, the store the hospital annex replaced was called Loblaws. The Brass Rail was indeed in the basement, but I don't recall a bowling alley up top. Perhaps there's some confusion with Mar-Val lanes on the corner of Jackson and Richmond streets?
Toyland, Isleys, Marshall Drug, Lake Theater - yes I remember Bank night vividly, who remembers Harold Kaye, the man who ran the place? But perhaps my favorite place downtown was the coffee shop attached to The Parmly. Every day after school I'd go there and sit in the bay window in front. I'd sip a Coke and watch the people of my beloved old town going about their business.
I left Painesville in 1977, but I still have visions of the town that used to be.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed the reading. That was the intent of this page and the hope that more would gather, read and realize that while the grass is not always greener, sometimes it is nice to look over the fence once in a while. I enjoyed reading your post and I hope that your memories of a Painesville long lost, will someday be a similar feeling for the youth of today. If you ever need any current info. on Painesville, feel free to let me know and I will try and help.
This site may get up and running again someday...we will see. the nay sayers and downers of this town gave way to much time bashing Painesville here than anything else. I did not like to see the negative posts here, but also refused to delete them simply because I wanted others to see that even mean people deserve the right to speak their minds. If I get things going again, I will attribute it to you and your warm friendly post directly. It is people like you that I started this in the first place. I love this town that I have transplanted into and you made me realize that. Thank you!
Wow, I never expected a response to an obviously old thread.
But I insist - Thank You JT! It was indeed a rare, fair treat to find this site, and you are due much appreciation.
Thanks to the nostalgia you spawned, I just spent a bittersweet morning on Google Maps looking over my old hood and finding photographs of Old Painesville.
Sadly P'ville has always had its detractors - it had them in the fifties too. But the real deal-breaker was that New Market Mall debacle. Things really went south after that.
But I remember the real Painesville and often wished I could turn back the clock if only for a day. Thanks to you and the posters here I kind of did that today. I'm glad to see others too look back fondly on what we had.
I hope you do revive the site. If so may I suggest adding some vintage pictures? I scarfed some great ones off the net a while back and would be glad to share. Since they're posted online, I doubt that they're copyrighted.
By the way, I lived on Jackson St. in front of what was then Kismit Products. It's called something else now and the house has been gone for years, but I loved it there. Later we lived up the street across from Lathrop School (also recently torn down).
An interesting tidbit regarding Lathrop. It was named for a famous artist, William Lathrop, who once resided in Painesville. Check out his bio:
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohlake/bios/lathropwl.html
I'll be back and reading more posts here - even the negative ones.
It was a nice surprise to find this site. It's good to know that other people remember how special of a city Painesville was back "in the day"...
I grew up in Painesville in the 1960's and 70's, and graduated from Harvey H.S. in 1979. I have so many positive memories of the "old Painesville" (prior to the New Market Mall..).
Painesville of that era was absolutely beautiful. The town looked like it was taken right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. It was pure Americana, yet even back then, had a real nice blend of ethnic and racial diversity. In spite of its traditional look, it also had just the right amount of quirkiness and "funk" to make it a fun place to live!
My most vivid memories are of the beautiful downtown square. The courthouse, church, post office, Parmly hotel, Carlisles, Kresges, and Newburys department stores, Lake County National Bank.
I also have many fond memories of how the downtown looked on warm Fall evenings with the leaves changing color, or on a cold Winter night after a fresh blanket of snow. It was really beautiful!
Just off the square you could walk down Main St, there was Citizens Bank, John Rich Jewelers, Toyland, Marshall Drugs. On St. Clair street, there was the The Skillet restaurant, Puritan's bakery..
I remember many Saturday afternoon matinees at the Lake Theater movie house. After the movies, would often stop at Angela's pizza, or go to Thayers drug store for a "tin roof" sundae.
Walking down State St, I remember Gartmans bakery, Nemeth's Lounge, The Newstand, Sanborn's Auto Parts, the Telegraph newspaper, Fritz' Firestone tires, Lynd's Hair shop, Morely Library, The Episcopal church, Redman's Pontiac, St Mary's church, Jeffrey's Broaster chicken. I even remember the old Fisher Fazios and A&P grocery stores that were located off of St.Clair and Jackson streets.
Lastly, I remember a lot of good times at Recreation Park and Harvey High football games.
The Painesville P.D. used to always let us get away with "murder"!.. :-) (It was the 70s!..)
My family moved to California in the 80's, and I have seldom returned. However, I often think back to those days growing up in Painesville, Ohio, and it always puts a smile on my face!.. :-)
I lived in Painesville from 1958-1981, as child I saw the set up for the movie One Potato, Two Potato ('63 or so) and I refer to the pre- New Market days as the One Potato downtown. I saw Capt. Penny at Toyland, bought our furniture at Browns (remember the creaky wooden upper floors?)worked at Carlisle's, tried to sneak into the restricted section at the Bookworm, the whole bit. I bought a cool book published by the Telegraph in 1965, commemorating Lake County's 125 Anniv. Its printed on newsprint, filled with ads. Great for research and nostalgia.
I worked for Bank One Painesville 1981. Can anyone tell me the name of the restaurant that used to be inside Carlisle's downstairs? I have long forgotten and would love to have that name. Many lunches at Carlisle's. The Vogue! What great memories. One time a friend and I went to lunch at the Vogue, stayed for like 2 hrs., and drank too much wine with lunch. We had to inch our way back to Bank One as there had been an ice storm and the sidewalks/parking lots were a sheet of ice. There was a guard at the Bank One parking lot who helped us get back to the bank. The parking lady in Painesville would ticket our cars and we'd have to be moving the musical cars around. Parking on Wood St. I remember when the Party in the Park thing first started. God, I loved Carlisle's. Those were good days. The Wine Press! Is Depot Cafe still around? The Down Under at New Market Mall - D&K Store then Ronnie Harris Store? Memories.
What a great read and an awesome trip down memory lane. Thayers Drug and their milkshakes was tops for me as youth. Nemeths became my hang out in the late 60's and 70's for their beer, friends, and fun. I also went to high school with Bryan Pfabe from Pfabe's music. Great pool parties at his house.
I've spent all but 9 of my 55 years in Painesville. I remember all the spots that you have mentioned. I love how we all feel a pain when we think "new market mall".... I guess that's the bad memory. I have so many favorite locations and memories of pre-NMM it would be really hard to pick one favorite. I collected quite a rew old postcards that have locations like the Parmly, Morley Library, the first hospital, HS, etc... Although we can never go back there, it will remain in our minds and hearts forever. Forget the naysayers! You can't change their minds.... And I agree... They have been around forever. Just smile gently when they speak and change the subject.
I remember a magazine/comic/newstand on Main St. just next to toyland, i think it was called the Town Crier(?).Mr.Kopin's Subshop and Mr.Wiggs dept.(pre Heck's i think) are a few stores i remember that i have not seen mentioned yet. thanks for the memories guys!
My Name is Steve Lauber and I have a letter written on the old Parmly Hotel's letterhead stationary. It is dated 1924 and was written by a sales agent that worked for the company I am retired from. If anyone is interested in acquiring this you can contact me at: slauber@woh.rr.com
Sincerely,
Steve Lauber
Thanks so much for your post! I have been trying to remember the name of that old toy store. It brings back such fond memories of my mom, who passed away last November.
Wow this is great!!!!
What memories. How can we expand this to more people for more input. I literaly stumbled upon this. GREAT IDEA.
Well Ken, thanks for the input. The unfortunate thing is that I started this and have little time to really maintain it the way that it needs to be done. I would think that telling old friends about it would be the first start and to subscribe would be the second. I have plans to recruit some friends of mine to be site administrators and allow them to post as well, to keep the fire going. Thanks again for the kind words and I hope that you are doing well.
Does anyone remember Page Place? A huge mansion that was later turned into 3 living quarters. My mom lived there in the 1930s. I've been searching for a picture of the mansion, but I haven't been able to find one. She also mentioned a theater called Utopia.
I forwarded this blog to my Mom and she was overwhelmed with memories. Thanks for sharing everyone!!
I’m so glad this is still an active site! I read every post and every one spawned wonderful memories. My family lived on North State Street and I remember walking past Falcone’s corner store, Laird Lumber, The Telegraph and Jefferie’s every day on my way to St Mary’s elementary school back in the 50s. In the winter I remember my mother and father taking me to the “Flats” to sled-ride down the hill (Rt 20 entrance) and ice skate on the pond. I remember how special it was to go Christmas shopping downtown with the holiday lights strung and snow covered sidewalks walking from Grants, to Newburys, Sears, Carlyle’s and especially Toyland! When I got older we moved to Perry but Painesville was still “going to town”. When I got my driver’s license Charlie’s Drive-In, Manner’s Big Boy and Mentor Drive-In were every-weekend destinations!! After high school I attended classes at Lakeland Community College in the bank building (across from Thayer’s Drug Store) and down the hill in the “flats” and spent time between classes at the Parmly Hotel Coffee Shop or grabbing something to eat at “The Skillet”. Turning 18 provided the opportunity to spend many a weekend with my peers at the Spare Room in the Painesville bowling alley and The Stables next door. I also remember, around 1969, a house a few doors down from the Lake Theater, next to Angela’s Pizza and across the street from Roy George Vending, which was turned into a two-story establishment, called “The Bar”— I remember it as Painesville’s hang out for the fledgling “hippie” scene. I remember going to the “Hullaballoo” on Rt 20 every time the James Gang (with Joe Walsh) was playing and hearing songs off their newly released “Yer Album”. I believe they also played at The Stables but I never saw them there. I joined the Navy in the spring of 1971 and when I returned on leave in 1973 my Painesville was gone. It was quite a shock. Over the past 40 years I return frequently to visit friends and relatives and always remember fondly of my Painesville. Thanks JT, for “hanging in there” and keeping this site alive. By the way, my grandfather planted some of the trees in the downtown park and my mother was a waitress at Parmly Hotel Restaurant (was it called Matches, or something like that?) in the 1930s.
Thanks for the post about Paige Place. I remember Paige Place - because I lived there as child until 1963! A three story apt. building on this small street. The mansion which fronted on Mentor Ave. was across a big gravel parking lot that separated the two buildings. Now that I think about it, someone must have cut this narrow road (Paige Place)down the property (it exits onto Washington St. across from where Harvey HS used to be.) And then they built the apartment house which is the first place I remember living, probably in the 30's, judging by the age. It had a coal furnace and it was my dad's job to keep the furnace stoked a night.
Our landlady lived in the ground floor of the mansion - it was very dark and Victorian, high ceilings, fireplaces. Wraparound front porch.
I'm a 52 year-old "lifer" of Painesville. My grandpa used to own The City Delivery Service. He delivered for all the stores downtown...Gail G. Grant, Jeanette Julianne's, Lake County Hardware, Brown's Furniture, Joughin's, Bitzer's Furntiure, Carlisle-Allen, Thayer's, Two music stores (Phabe's and Blecks?), Newbury's, Toyland, Puritan Bakery (Oooo those sugar cookies!!) Sanderson's Gifts...wow the list went on and on! I vividly remember Sunday Brunch at the Parmly Hotel, the chicks in the Easter Window display at Carlisle's and the trolley tracks around the park. Such a great town then. Going on deliveries with my grandpa gave me a glimpse into the whose-who of Lake County. Best part though was riding on the freight elevators in the different stores and getting a soda at Thayers.
My uncle owned the Nixon Funeral home and my grandfather and 2 uncles owned and ran Donewell Nurseries. They landscaped some of Kent State University when it was built. The uncles lived on Mentor Ave.(Rt. 20) in the two little brick gingerbread houses almost across from Hellregels(sp?) My Aunt Martha Kallay also decorated dolls for St. Marys and every year I went I prayed to win one of them. Never did. Loved the fair when it came to the fairgrounds and at the age of about 14 or so fell in love with Pete Stanton who's father or uncle owned Frank Stanton Ford. My dad even sold cars there for awhile. My mom and uncles went to Harvey High and one uncle knew Don Shula from high school. My other aunts went to Andrew's School for girls. Grew up in Ashtabula, but spent many summers with my grandparents and cousins in the late 50's and 60's. Thanks for the memories.
What a great little blog of nostalgia...I grew up in Perry in the 70s and remember piling into the family station wagon for a trip "downtown." Special events like: the Christmas Lights on Painesville Square. The impressive dome of the courthouse, sledding in the park (especially when they closed the hill entrance off of East Erie Street), the fairgrounds, telling our secret wishlist to the talking Christmas tree at Carlisle's, birthday lunches at the restaurant in Carlisle's too (and the delicious butter on their rolls if I recall correctly), St. Mary's School, picking out toys at Hecks (and even Uncle Bills) and spending allowances on little knick knacks at D&K. I still get back to Ohio every now and again and love to drive through the Square and along Rte. 20...still ogling the stately old homes. Thank you for some good old thoughts!
haven't seen Painesville in 40 years. Grew up there on Chestnut St. #64. Went to Cedarbrook elementary, probably when it was fairly new. Mrs. Rector (grade 1), Liston (grades 2-3), and Green (grades 4-5).
I remember: Recreation Park (little league), Lake Theatre, Lutz' Inn/Tavern there on Mentor Ave. Mar Val Lanes (bowling league), and Lake Erie College had this medieval fair each summer- fun.
- jim slotta (now in Toronto)
Jim,
I grew up on Chestnut St (the other side of the tracks) pre-Cedarbrook Elementary, but had the same teachers at Lathrop.
LEC had the Fools Faire in the Spring. Sorry it didn't last. It was a project of the Theatre Department.
I worked at Lake County National Bank on the square as a co-op student in 1967. Quite often I was elected to pick up lunch at Jeffreys Broaster Kitchen. I think it was on either State or St. Clair. They had best hamburgers called wimpy burgers. Also I met my wife at the Spare Room. I recall that many of my friends met there future spouses there as well. We always started each date at the Spare Room at the Painesville Lanes then went next door to the Stables where they had the best live bands. We spent many happy evenings at both the Spare Room and Stables.
Frank Eberling
frank_eberling@yahoo.com
Can someone please explain to me what the New Market 'debacle' was? Also does anyone know approximately how old the buildings that still exist on Main Street are? I am considering Main Street as a possible historic preservation topic for a school project.
Wow, this blog and the comments have brought back some lovely (but bittersweet) memories. I grew up and still live in Concord Township, but my family and I always told everyone we were from Painesville. Back in the 'fifties, sixties, and seventies, that was a source of pride! I have so many happy memories of old Painesville, but my all-time favorite ones are of the Old (1899) Morley Library (Heavens! that scary lavatory in the reading room!), Carlisle's, and Bitzer Furniture Store. Probably 90% of the furniture in my house comes from Bitzer's; my mother still has a bedroom suite she bought in the 1940's. I thought it was a shame that there was no newspaper story when that fine old store closed. And Carlisle's! Oh, Carlisle's Department store, I miss you so much. Back in the '90's,I worked for the Health Dept. when it was located in the Administration Center. I spent FAR too much of my lunch hour and breaks shopping in Carlisle's. It always seemed the most magical at Christmastime, when the store was decorated so beautifully. I could run downtown in the evening and spend a few hours enjoying the beautiful displays and nice merchandise. Painesville (old Painesville, that is) will always be very close to my heart and live in my memories. I still enjoy walking around town or riding my bike and remembering the businesses and buildings as they were. Painesville does seem to have a way of drawing its former residents back. I left several times to live in other parts of the country but always came back to the old hometown.
Lots of memories. I've lived, gone to school, and worked in Painesville most of my life, I'm very active on Facebook, particularly the "If You Grew Up In Painesville" group of which there are many. We've been discussing many of the same topics. Some of my questions are answered here. Come join us if anyone is interested. Lots of pictures of "Old Painesville." I'll try and check back here and stay in the loop. Thanks, Warren (HHS Class of 1972)
What a great site, which we took pics of our grand old town. One of the businesses that was left out, Hy Browns Coin Shop across from the new Cleveland Trust building
found this site while searching for the"flintstone house" as I hear it is called now-I was involved in that creation of Waynn Trapp's in the summer of 1970 on Cascade Road--spent 7 years in Painesville graduating from Harvey-my first job was at the Lake theatre and the Mentor drive in-later at the May co in the new Mentor Mall-fond, fond, memories
I remember the old coke machine on the stairwell landing in Carlise's. I grew up in that store. Last thing I bought there was the stereo I took to college. Even today I could walk that store with my eyes closed.
I remember sitting in the Park making and selling "Love Bead Necklaces" across from the Parmley Hotel in 1968.
One day my mom found me there and took me over to the Parmley. She told me how my great grandfather Burt Rogers Managed the Hotel for over 40 years and how my grandmother Helen Rogers was born in the hotel 1n 1902. She also related how her and her brother spent their summers there after my grandmother died in 1936.
I found this site googling Loblaws in Painesville. I remember the doctors offices above Loblaws where my mother took me for check-ups. It always smelled like rubbing alcohol & scared me because I thought that automatically meant receiving a shot, LOL.
I grew up in Painesville from 1958 to 1968 when our family moved to
Concord, but still went to Painesville all the time.
Some memories was the beautiful Art Deco Lake Theatre that sadly became the Agora, as they destroyed that beautiful theatre. Porostosky's shoe repair shop was 2 doors down from Thayers drug going down Mainstreet hill. The Down Under was run by my cousin, but it didn't last too long. My father always used to say the New Market Mall was the worst decision made along with the 1 way streets.
Whenever I watch Back to the Future, the town he goes back in time to the '50's reminds me of what Painesville used to look like.
Christmas was always beautiful with all the lights & Christmas trees.
At bookstores, you can find the thin Sepia toned books for many cities in Ohio including Fairport Harbour. However, there is none for Painesville. My mother grew up in Painesville from 1917 to present and would love to see old pictures of the Painesville she grew up and lived in for so many years.
I was contacted by the Publishing company awhile ago because I wrote to them asking why there wasn't a book on Painesville.
They wrote that if I could find an historian to write up something about Painesville, they would do their best to publish it.
So if anyone out there is interested, please contact me at davemclv@gmail.com
A great site and memories! My Cousins lived on Phelps street in the late 60's so trips to Toyland, Mar Val lanes, the Lake theatre to see "The Thrill of it All" with James Garner and Doris Day [Garner drove a 1958 Chevy convertible into his pool which was the whole reason to go see the movie'] and "Fantastic Voyage" with Stephen Boyd. Remember going to the Bookworm and the Town Crier but Toyland was the best [also Bargain Fair and Fun Shop in Mentor, the only big 3 for kids in the '60's]. The Painesville Shopping center had Gray Drug with it's turnstyle entrance and front window set up and Batman ride out front- which at one point someone set on fire it being fiberglass, Krogers, Sanderson's, the Bank [First Federal?], Hough Bakery [the best!], the Hardware Store, more. Back to Toyland, the bottom shelves with the Japan rubber toys and Marx Nutty Mads, the GI Joe new-on-card accessories up to the left of the cashier, the model cars, my wife says the Dolls and stuff in the back. The wooden floor made it special and never to be the same. Thanks much and long live the Boomer Generation!
In Carlisle's to the left as you entered, there was a small staircase and on the landing there was a 10 cent coke machine. When I was little my sister would get me a coke there I suppose to distract me so my mother could shop. Last time I saw that store I was buying my stereo there to take woith me to College. It was a better time.
Anyone know the address where Painesville Lanes or The Stable's Bar used to be in the 60's?
I don't know the exact address, but they were both behind the Painesville shopping center, which was on Mentor Ave. The Lanes & Stables were by Normandy Drive.
I lived in Painesville through high school. I worked for 2 years every day after school at The Skillet- cleanest 'greasy spoon' ever, bar none! Many of Lakeland's first professors used to eat dinner there, as did David Shaner- Riverside's legendary drama club leader. Pfabe's and the Buick dealer were across the street. Salespeople from Sears were regulars. I still think about those days when I pass the Bistro that sits about where The Skillet used to be. The owner, Dorothy Snoke, had a boyfriend who was the tailor at the Men's store over about where the Chinese restaurant is now. My husband and I have always lived in the area and last year moved to one of Painesville's historic districts. The thing that I think about regarding Painesville today is how much it seems to be a city in search of an identity. The choice to knock down the Parmly Hotel and build New Market was an obvious mistake even to a high school girl watching from the Park. I'm sure the urban renewal money was too much to resist, but it really did put a stake into the heart of the town center. Sure hope current leadership can find some way to revive a sense of place here.
Where exactly was the Mentor Hullaballo lacated? Thank you.
located
We were thinking there was a record store at the New Market Mall. Is that true and can anyone remember details?
Stu
I lived in Painesville from 1951 to 1977 and lived just a few blocks from Downtown. Graduate from Harvey 1969.
Summer days of baseball at the Harvey High School Yard across from Ms. Gilmores food/beverage we would pick up a cold soda or ice cream sandwich
As a young boy I would ride my bike to the Gail G Grant Department and watch the cashiers send money in the air tubes to the office for change, Whaley's hardware for the athletic supplies on the second floor, Isleys Ice Cream Parlor, Thayer's drug store for a phosphate and of course Toy Land on the corner of Main and State Street. The annual trip to Carlisles Department Store for School Clothes and the Parmaly Hotel for a hair cut. When the Cleveland Trust Bank opened on Liberty and the Park I was one of the first through the door for a tour and got a new toaster!
Worked at Lake Erie College in the Dinning Hall in High School washing dishes, worked at the Light Plant after school cleaning out coal clinkers from the oven and once the boss at the light plant asked me to climb the smoke stack to replace a lightning rod and looked at him in shock and said clime 200 feet in the air on $1.10 an hour, not on your life boss. Well he sent me to the top of the coal storage silos to shovel coal that had spilled off the rail car conveyor belt that filled the silos. Hot work!!!
My friend used to drive his car from Gilette Street to Washington at 6o miles per hour to test stopping the GTO before the intersection. One rainy night when I was not in the car my friend did not stop and crashed the railroad bridge to the tracks. I think he had to sleep at the foot of his dads bed for 60 months after that disaster. Yes , he lived.
Painesville was a great town to grow up in and so many of the places of my youth are gone like State Street Elementary, Walnut Jr High and Harvey High School, the Hospital, Lake Theatre most of the north side of main Street, Morley library, but Recreation park remains and has some great snow sled ridings in the winter. That's also where our cross country team trained and raced Home Meets.
Just sorry there was never a desire to have a passenger rail link between Chardon and Painesville (the rail line was abandoned). But Diamond Shamrock Closed and the need for coal (except the City Power Plant) was eliminated and I suppose the coal is trucked to the plant if they have not converted to gas. The rail road bridge bridge by the former Dinner Bell Café was likely too expensive to maintain. But connecting 2 County Seats with passenger service that linked both Downtowns could have been a super draw for recreation and enrollment at Lake Erie College.
What a great assortment of memories here. Thanks for all of it.
I lived in Mentor Headlands fom 1955 to 1973 and Painesville was the far away destination for my freinds and I to bike to. The city parks were a place my dad and grandfather took us to at all times of the year. i learned tennis and soccer and had fun sledding in the winter. The Xmas lights downtown are forever etched in my memory as the standard by which all happy small town holiday scenes are measured. My first job was delivering the Telegraph to Headlands customers. I later added the Plain Dealer delievry to that effort. My mom took us to the first Burger Kings.
And I will never forget the courthouse as I got on the wrong path when I was arrested at age fifteen and had a police record that would be expunged at eighteen if I stayed out of trouble. The fair judge was instrumental in helping me to see the gravity of my mistake and helped me mature into a man of character. Painsevile and the surrounding community was a great place to grow uo.
I don't know the address, but saw Joe Walsh & The James Gang play at The Stables. What memories! I grew up in Conneaut, so I didn't live in Painesville but had a girlfriend at Riverside. Now, my best lifelong friends live in Concord. Able to visit there every few years. Love the area.
I grew up in Mentor, but spent lots of time in Painsville. I remember the shopping trips to Carlisle's with my mother, and she use to take us to a discount store in the Painsville Mall, right before the tracks and pizza hut. We loved going there. It wasn't Bernie Shulmans (which was right nearby). If anyone can remember the name that would be great! We would also go to the Painsville Cinema. When I was older, I would meet friends at the bar on Main Street. Great memories, especially those with my mom. I never understood why Painsville had 2 high schools, and Mentor with its population twice the size had and has only one high school. My graduating class had 900 kids.
I live across the street from Lathrop on the Northside
I happened to stumble on this site when I was googling Painesville. My grandmother, Elizabeth Carlisle, taught 5th grade in town. I used to spend weekends with her when my family lived in Cleveland (I would have been 4th-6th grades then). Does anyone remember the name of the school? Her apartment building was on St Clair street I believe and would have been next to the old post office. She went to the Methodist Church right there on the square. She took me for my very first pizza there in Painesville and we loved to go to Carlisle-Allen's. I used to think the department store was related to my family, but it wasn't. haha. One of the best things I remember was going to roller skating, but I don't remember the name of the rink. Does anyone? Sweet grandmother that would sit on the hard benches and grade papers while I skated all night. There was a fantastic place with amazing burgers and pies that we liked.
The roller rink was Painesville Roller Rink.
Thanks Dave M. I assume the roller rink is gone now? I misspoke earlier: she was a 5th grader teacher at St Clair school. Is the old post office on the square still in business or was it moved? She had been a member since the late 1940s of the Methodist Church there on the square as well.
The painesville shopping center had Just Closeouts and later a store called D&k
I grew up in painesville in the 1980's I remember the arcade on Richmond where the old 78 gas station was.i still get the taste of an orange in my mouth because the sign being shaped like a big orange ball..I remember the old grocery store mancusos where they had the best antipasto salad ..I remember going to revco with my grandfather to get razors and thinking I was walking through a tunnel in the old Victoria place, jumping down the steps of the wine press eating the Superman ice cream I got from kurlee Kone..then going to hecks and zayres..I still live here in the city and as much as people want to shame our city I will never forget how much our town was filled with great summer nights and unforgettable memories ❤️♥️♥️♥️
I got a 66 gto at redmans. Sold it in 73 for 800 dol used to much. Sure was dumb
Does anyone know anything about a pickle factory on Forbes st in the 1920's?
I worked at Jeanette Julianne's after graduating in 1967...2 sisters owned it...does anyone know when it closed??...I also remember Hough Bakery and Carlisles...the best shopping arounf...my how Painesville has changed!
I'm trying to find
what someone looking out from Stanton Lincoln-Mercury would see on the Town Square - what stores, or what the view would have been around 1956-57-58. Anyone have an idea? It was at the intersection of St. Claire and Erie. Any help would be appreciated. --davidwhyde@yahoo.com.
David W. Hyde, Frank Stanton Ford was at the corner of Erie and St. Clair! The one on the square was J.W. Stanton Lincoln Mercury and it faced the North. The old Sears store, the Methodist Church, the Court House, the Post Office, Cleveland Trust Bank was on the other side of Sears, the Parmly Hotel, across the street from the bank. Hope this helps you.
I grew up in Painesville in the 50's and 60's. We lived in the house with the "rock" on Erie street. The rock came from a new sewer and water line construction under Erie street in the mid-50's. My dad cut a deal with the construction company to cut down a rotten cherry tree in the front yard and leave the rock there, and there it stands to this day.
My mom and I worked at Jefferies Broaster Kitchen. Jefferies was a hoppin' place, especially on Fridays with the fish sandwich special, five for a dollar. I was trained by Tom Mctaggert in ways of folding boxes, coating the chicken with SLO-BRO, mopping the floor, and how to get along with Jefferies owners Andrew and Nina. Tom and I were drafted into the army in 1969. We went thru basic training together. After basic training we hitch hiked from Cleveland Hopkins airport to Painesville at 12am, my mom did not expect us. I was sad to hear that Tom was killed, I think in a climbing accident in Colorado while training with the Army.
I learned to ice skate on the pond in recreation park with my friends Terry M. and Tom J. We played baseball and football in the park and explored every inch of it. A right of manhood was walking thru the park, and not running, with the moon shining down from the St. Mary's cemetery above Grand river, we never made it. I remember all the fun playing ice hockey with George, Tom and Tim Murphy on the ponds at recreation park. There used to be two ponds, the one that exists now and a more shallow pond where the rink is now. Any time I smell wood burning it takes me back to sitting by the warming fires at the ponds
My mom became the very first resident on Pleasant Ave in 1971. My friend Ed E. and I moved her furniture from Jackson street apartments to Pleasant Ave on the back of his Chevy Nova convertible.
For Lissa, your grandmother, Mrs Carlisle, was my 5th grade teacher at St. Claire. She was my favorite teacher. My mom and I would take her mums from our garden every year.
Painesville thrived again for a couple of years when Lakeland Community College opened in the late 60's thru early 1971. The burger joints and bars, especially Nemethe's, were packed with LCC students. My mom new the original owner of Nemethe's, I think his name was Johnny, his son later took over. My mom tended bar for him in the 50's and again in the 60's.
It's sad for me that everything I knew growing up in Painsville is now gone, except for the "rock" on Erie street.
This is such a wonderful website. I forgot about all of the wonderful memories mentioned throughout this blog :) I grew up there in the 50's and 60's. The Hill family :) My dad moved us to Perry when he took a job with Ohio Bell in Painesville. Our house and orchard were where the Perry nuclear power plan is now. My brother worked at the hospital until they tore it down too. We learned how to ice skate on the pond and sled down the hill . . . there were fires in the barrels to get warm. My dad cleared the ice off of the pond. My mom and I had lunch at the counters: BLT sandwiches. The best. It is sad that all of the quaint and charming things about the area are all gone. It makes me sad too along with everyone else. WHY did they take it all away? On ward and upward. It is water under the bridge . . . Thank you to everyone for all of the great memories.
I moved to California for years and moved back to Painesville in 1986. We raised our children in P ville for 14 happy years. I hope my children have just as many happy memories as I do growing up there. By then many of the businesses were changing again and they were being replaced. The center of business was being moved to Diamond Pointe / Mentor in 2000. Crime was moving in and the area not so safe anymore. I moved my children away from the crime and corruption to Michigan where the economy was and is thriving / better and the schools were better for them to have a better future. We still return to visit old friends that are still there and go to the lake. That can't be changed or taken away. :)
I grew up in Mentor. But we did our shopping in Painesville in the late 50s. I remember going to Carlisle Allen with my mom. The store manager used to walk thru the store whistling. In 1970 I was attending Lakeland Community College witch was in downtown Painesville in tha bank building. I got a job at Carlisles sweeping and mopping the floor with 3 other guys. We could go to our classes then come back and load delivery trucks. It was a great place to work, it felt like family. I worked for the same manager that I used to see as a little boy(he still whistled. The company Xmas party was held at Helriegles.We long hairs hung out a bar called The Bar, south state street became “creep street” with a head shop (The Trip).
Wonderful memory lane. I grew up in Painesville in the 50s, went to Andrews, got married and moved to Connecticut. Reading the blogs made me feel good in a way, life was so different, but sad because those carefree days are gone. I've spent an entire morning searching for a name of an ice cream shop in Painesville without success. The ice cream store/road side was on Liberty Street just before the intersection where George's Dinner Bell was located. Does anyone know? I've love to know the name.
for Lissa, November 2018 post, My sister told me that your grandmother Elizabeth, rented a lake side cottage around the mid-60's. She thinks it was in Geneva-on-the-lake. She invited my sister (Mary) and you to spend some time there with her. My sister remembers some strange fellow taking you on a boat ride, which really upset your grandmother, since no one knew who this fellow was. All went well and nothing happened. My sister asked me to post this and ask if you remember her.
The carriage shop
What was carlones called before 2001?
ice cream joint frezells freeze then rehburgs then carrage house
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