Local fairs and carnivals were and continue to be the source of late summer, homegrown fun. Churches and fire companies hold these events to raise funds.  My church has a Harvest Home Dinner and Fair, and it is a lot of work for a lot of people.  Usually, approximately 3,000 people are fed at the dinner.  Many fairs are held in August and September. 

As a boy, I went to the Butler Fair and the County Fair in South Park.  These were all-day events.  Another thing I enjoyed as a boy growing up in the 30s and 40s was going to see a movie.  The neighborhood movie houses were steeped in history.  The Gerard in West View was our usual haunt.  We had to hitchhike to get there when we didn’t have a ride.  The city people had it all over us when it came to theaters.  Until I learned to drive, I had never been into Pittsburgh to see a movie.  When I could drive, I made up for it.  I went to movies in Bellevue, Etna, Millvale and Mars.  The North Side had a bunch of theaters—The Perry, The Kenyon, The Arcadia, Beaver, Brighton and The Paramount.  I think I was in all of them at least one time. 

On date night, the place to go was downtown.  The Stanley, The Fulton, The Loewes was the destination for many a date. 

The film industry started in Pittsburgh more than 100 years ago in 1905.  At the first showing, 450 people watched a movie at a new theater the owners called the “Nickelodeon.”  The second day more than 1,500 people stood in line to see the movie.  Eventually, this Smithfield Street site became known as the world’s first modern movie theater.  Boy have we come a long way with the multi-screen cinemas. 

Amusement parks also provide much enjoyment.  As a boy, West View Park was a great place for a picnic and a day of fun. Now that West View Park is gone, Kennywood is the favorite destination.  It opened in 1898 and is still going strong.  Other local amusement parks to visit in the area are Idlewild Park, Hershey Park and Dutch Wonderland. 

No doubt, there is a lot to do in August.  The late Gilbert Love once listed in his travel column ten great area sites that deserve a visit.  Among those are Niagara Falls, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania Dutch Country, Shenandoah Valley, Lake Chautauqua, Erie and Presque Isle State Park, Hershey and Pennsylvania’s Grand Canyon.  

I’ll conclude with a few historical facts.  On August 2, 1909, the first U.S. coins bearing a portrait of a president, Lincoln head pennies, were minted to commemorate the centennial of Lincoln’s birth.  Thomas Stevens rolled into Boston on his Columbia bicycle on August 4, 1884, after 104 day of pedaling from San Francisco to complete the first cross-country bike trip in the U.S.  Finally, on August 24, 1944, French and American troops liberated a besieged Paris from Nazi occupation.

Enjoy August.  It’s a great month and see you in September.

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Joe welcomes any ideas, suggestions or interesting stories.
Email him at northcon@nauticom.net. Please put "Town Crier" in the subject line of your email.

To contact Joe to schedule an appointment to tour his museum at McKnight Elementary School, call the Northern Connection office at (724) 940-2444 or email northcon@nauticom.net. Please put "Museum Tour" in the subject line.

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