Reminiscing 2020

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The Greenville Plaza has changed a bit in the last four and a half decades. Instead of featuring Busy Beaver and Lisa’s General Store like it does today, in this picture from 1974 are Jamesway, Farmers Market and more.

Greenville High School students gather for a bonfire in fall of 1976.

Agway is pictured off Route 18 during construction of the route outside Greenville in the 1970s.

LIFE. WELL PLANNED. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Bush Investment Group is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services. 911 Diamond Park, Meadville PA, 16335 (814) 333-2155

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The then-new R&R Roller Rink gets some finishing touches in 1976.

These young women compete in 1974 to become Miss Mercer County.

Officials gather in December 1967 to dedicate the opening of Interstate 80 from West Middlesex to the Ohio line.

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Community Counseling Center Mental Health Services available for children, adolescents and adults. Drug & Alcohol Services provided to adolescents and adults. Locations in Greenville, Hermitage and Grove City.

Call 724.981.7141 for more info

Proud Member of the United Way of Mercer County and the Grove City Area United Way Limited English Proficiency Access • Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

63 Years of Services

AN ACCOUNTING FIRM PROVIDING: • Accounting & Consulting Services • Tax Planning • Computer Services • Tax Preparation Robert C. Sherbondy, C.P.A. 108 Woodfield Drive • Greenville, PA 16125

(724) 588-6030 • Fax (724) 588-4943 e-mail: cscpa@cscpas.com

Quality. Service. Ethics.

We value the trust you place in us, and we will work to continue to earn your trust and your business every day.

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Notice the Gulf and Amoco signs as locals march up Greenville’s Main Street near College Avenue during 1975’s Memorial Day parade.

Emergency personnel battle a blaze at the National Hotel in Greenville in 1974.

This is Now

That was then...

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For those who didn’t get a chance to have a look, here are two views inside Greenville’s former Penn Middle School in 1976.

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Northwest Pennsylvania Bank & Trust is decked out for the season in this nostalgic Mercer photo.

Before the renovation of the borough building, and the construction of the new fire department, Greenville’s municipal building previously housed its fire trucks.

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The Greenville Business Men’s Association began meeting in 1944. First on the agenda was to vote to take on the responsibilities of the 7-man post-war planning committee permanently, which eventually would lead them to purchase the Camp Reynolds site from the federal government. Since they were going to take on the postwar planning, they voted to also take on the responsibilities of a Chamber of Commerce. Dues were set and committees established.

Among those committees was Industrial and Retail. The Camp Reynolds purchase, as well as other property purchases, was led by the Industrial Committee. It would take nearly three years for the committee to achieve their goal of purchasing Camp Reynolds from the War Assets Administration. As the purchase progressed, three individuals fronted no-interest loans to aid in the purchase. They were paid back a year later. In addition, the committee secured a pre-paid three year rental agreement from Westinghouse. A permanent GBMA committee was formed in 1950 to oversee and manage the assets of Camp Reynolds. To aid in this, a manager was hired in 1951.

The Retail Committee busied itself with cooperative promotions including advertising, Christmas decorations and shopping hours. In October 1946, the board voted to support a “Hallo’ween Celebration,” which included a parade.

While these were the main concerns of the directors, they also involved themselves with recreation, education, housing, transportation, and veteran’s affairs.

In 1945, several directors under the Aviation Committee were instrumental in seeking government funding for the Greenville airport.

In 1946, the Recreation Committee was active in the repurposing of the USO Building as well as other initiatives in Riverside Park. Lastly in 1946, the chamber worked with council to “secure a community tree in Central Park.” Santa’s first “landing” in Greenville was in 1947 – he arrived via helicopter in Packard Park.

At the end of 1947, December 8 to be exact, the incorporators met.

It was at this meeting, which followed the regular board meeting, that the details of incorporation from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania were read. While the group discussed changing the name to Chamber of Commerce in 1948, the name change would take another 26 years before becoming official in 1974.

CHAMBER OFFICE: 182 Main St • P.O. Box 350 Greenville, PA 16125 724-588-7150 Janice Schwanbeck, Executive Director jschwanbeck@greenvillechamber-pa.com www.greenvillechamber-pa.com

By Joining you get member-only perks, exclusive advertising and networking opportunities, and a whole lot of exposure for yourself and your business. Contact your local Chamber to learn more about the benefits of membership today! find us on social media

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Workers of Greenville Tube take to the picket line in 1971.

Former Greenville Police Chief Donald Reinhart holds some counterfeit $20 bills that had been discovered in January of 1971.

Employees of the Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad work to sort things out after a train derailment July 9, 1971, at the Shenango Yards.

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Locals celebrate the bicentennial in 1976 with song and Revolutionary costumes.

Local officials break ground on what would become the Mercer County Career Center in October 1971.

Greenville Area Historical Society

2021 Calendar

“Historical Roadside Markers” Available Mid-October at the NEWS DEPOT and VEADO’S MINI MARKET

Visit our website: www.greenvillemuseumalliance.org

Workers begin building what would become the Mercer County Career Center in the summer of 1972.

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Locals celebrate the Spirt of ‘74 with a parade in July 1974

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Chicago Bridge & Iron illustrated its prowess in creating steel tanks, with this sphere in the 1913 Industrial Parade of Old Home Week in Greenville.

Mercer Chamber of Commerce entered this float in parade in 1953.

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Greenville native Harry Lean submitted these photos of one of the most infamous winter stories of Greenville’s history.

Known as the ice harvest of the winter of 1944-45, the ice was so thick on Greenville’s streets, town leaders had to call in the help of military from nearby Camp Reynolds.

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The Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad Band poses for a photo in 1928 in Greenville.

Crews worked to build what was once the Old County Home, which sat on the same plot of land as the current Avalon Springs Place.

A group of Masonic Lodge members in Greenville pose for a photo in 1957.

At right is Anderson Coach & Travel founder O.D. Anderson.

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These photos help tell the story of Greenville’s Main Street through the ages.

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Backyard snow constructions are a longtime local tradition, as evidenced by this igloo from The Record-Argus archives from 1974.

Philanthropy is nothing new for Thiel College’s Phi Theta Phi fraternity. Here members of the organization march their way south in 1974.

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Employees of Greenville hospital demonstrate what was a new phone system in July of 1975.

Workers of Hodge Foundry in Greenville pause for a photo in 1920.

An aerial view of the Jamestown Fair midway in 1952

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Love was in the air as Greenvile High School’s marching band provides the soundtrack to the school’s homecoming in 1974.

Ice shows were a big attraction for Greenville’s former ice rink. Here, local kids gather for the show in March of 1976.

124 Main Street Greenville, PA 16125

1-866-588-5063 or 724-588-1500 Reminiscing a History Project 2020 ISSUE

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The Greenville Symphony Orchestra takes the stage in 1975.

Chicken pies have been an important Sheakleyville fund-raiser for generations. Here are photos of pie production from The Record-Argus archives in 1974.

This photo shows Sandy Lake’s Main Street in 1912.

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Greenville High School and Reynolds face off in football in September of 1967.

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Volunteers from the Mercer County Environmental Improvement Corps work in 1975.

This aerial photo from The Record-Argus archives shows the Borough of Greenville in 1958.

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Local students gather for Safari Days at Hempfield Park in 1972.

miles of smiles!

From safeguarding orphans to providing a devoted community of care for seniors...

St. Paul’s has spent more than a century and a half maintaining and enhancing the dignity of human life.

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339 EAST JAMESTOWN ROAD | GREENVILLE, PA 16125

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Officials gather to mark the groundbreaking of Interstate 79 in 1967 in Meadville.

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Officials from First National Bank open a new building in the Hermitage Square in 1968 with a ribbon cutting.

Vintage picture of Stegkamper Motors serving the area for auto sales and service.

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Locals compete in an eating contest at McDonalds in 1974.

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Local kids get a little wet and wild at the Gold Rush event in 1971 sponsored by the Greenville Rec Center.

These improvements to the Greenville Rec Center were highlighted in 1973.

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Thiel College celebrates homecoming in 1975 with a parade.

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