Use the miscellaneous category when you want to post something that is not specific to any person. This can include people, places or things. Short memories, such as the ration coupons can be edited into this page.
Last updated March 6, 2021
Zenith TV. I remember the Zenith TV with the 12 inch round screen. I don’t think it was purchased new because they cost several hundred dollars. It had 
a feature called Phonevision that had not been activated in Pittsburgh. According to Wikipedia: “Phonevision was a project by Zenith Radio Company to create the world’s first pay television system. It was developed and first launched in Chicago, followed by further trials in New York City and Hartford, Connecticut “. It was this TV set that taught Bill a little bit about electronics and electromagnetism. One of the vacuum tubes needed replaced, and when he reached into the set to pull the tube without discharging the Cathode Ray Tube’s magnet to ground, he got a shock that sent a screw driver he was holding across the room.
Take-out Food.
We didn’t have much take-out food in our family. However, donuts was a different matter. Mr Thomas made donuts at his house on Royal for delivery to local restaurants. Often one of the boys would be sent out to pick up donuts from Thomas donuts. It was probably about eleven or twelve at night when we were dispatched to pick up a dozen. We’d go to the back door of Mr. Thomas’ house and enter where Mr. Thomas was busy frying large batches for early morning delivery. Really fresh donuts, what a treat.
There was a small hamburger restaurant on East Street, long before McDonalds made the scene. The hamburgers cost less than those of White Castle. On occasion, Mom would spring for burgers. I think they were 15 cents a piece. One of the boys would go head out and pick up one for each of us. Dad was not at home, probably working a swing shift.
Movies.
Saturday afternoons were often taken up by a trip to the movies. Mom would send us off with enough money for the ticket and sometimes an extra nickel for candy. There were four theaters on the North Side; the Century (a.k.a the Boom-Boom), the Sky, the Kenyon and the Garden, they were not first-run theaters.
We most often went to the Boom-Boom because it was the cheapest, 15 cents except when it was on sale for 12 cents.. On Saturdays the Boom-Boom would play a Double Feature, a single episode of a serial movie (known to us as a chapter) and two or three cartoons. The double feature usually consisted of two westerns (cowboy movies), two horror movies or two slapstick comedies. The favorite cowboys were Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy, Gene Autry, Tom Mix and John Wayne; while the favorite horror movie star was bela lugosi, and our favorite comedy team was Laurel and Hardy.
If we didn’t like what was playing at the Boom-Boom, we’d check out what was playing at the Sky , also 15 cents). Typically they also would have double features, but no serial episodes. An interesting thing about the Sky was that its ceiling contained a large number of pin lights to make it look like the night sky.
If a special movie, one which had been at first run theaters, was playing and we could convince Mom that it was worth it, we could go to the Kenyon or the Garden. It would be 22 cents well spent. Also, on special occasions such as Easter Monday, the Kenyon or Garden would have 22 Cartoons, sometimes with a feature movie.
Shopping.
- Kids. Most of the grocery shopping was done at the neighborhood stores. Gritmans, Meyerels, and Schneider’s Bakery. Often one of the kids would be sent shopping with a “store note”. Sometimes the kids would be sent to the A&P on Stockton Ave, about a mile away, to buy coffee; Eight O’Clock coffee, not Bokar (“That’s too strong”).
- Mom and Dad did the major shopping. One of their favorite places was the Pittsburgh Mercantile. Pittsburgh Mercantile Company ran a general purpose store at its South Side Flats location, including groceries, , hardware, drygoods, clothing and home furnishings. Though Pennsylvania had laws in place to keep industrial firms from owning company stores directly, these laws were easily evaded by having a separate corporation own the store; such was the case with J&L Steel and the Pittsburgh Mercantile Company. (The original officers of the Pittsburgh Mercantile Company were the same as the officers of J&L.) Employees of J&L could have their purchases deducted directly from their paychecks. Although they had to travel pretty far, I think Mom preferred it because she new she wouldn’t run out of money before the next payday.
- Happy Tooth. Pittsburgh had a dental health program that had a person go to the local schools and give a presentation on proper dental hygiene. The
person used a toy dog or hand puppet to talk to the kids. They also used a red dye that they some how put on the kids teeth. They then had the kids brush to see if they brushed properly. If the dye didn’t stick they would issue a Happy Tooth patch. I’m not sure what they did if you didn’t do a good job.
Haircuts. Every summer Bob, Joe, and Bill would get a “Bundy” haircut.
Ration coupons. We could take our grease to Staabs soap factory and exchange it for ration coupons or red coins.
Dance Floor. When the family moved to 109 Merwood Drive one of the first things dad did was to cover the hardwood floors in the living room with carpeting, He didn’t want Linda and Terri to scratch the floors while dancing.
Slaughter House and Pig Sty. Not many city kids have the opportunity to watch the activities in a slaughter house. There was slaughter house on Royal Street. We could watch the cows being herded from the trucks into the building, then stunned, throats sliced and hung and skinned.
There was a pig sty on Gershon Street. Because no one was watching, kids would climb over the fence and ride the pigs. Yes, it was dangerous and dirty but boys will be boys.