Uniontown Pennsylvania Message Forums - WWW.UNIONTOWN.COM

For the younger group a bit of history from Christmas past. There was a time the day after Thanksgiving Uniontown would put up Christmas decorations downtown. They were wonderful (Childs eyes) with all the street light poles with spirals of green pine like foliage and wreaths with large ornaments light in the center. At almost every pole green like branches strung across the street to the other pole with sparse lighting in the stringer. In the center of main street would be another ornament smaller in size. It was all done usually in one or two days and now was Christmastown.

We didn't have the indoor malls then and even with the Uniontown shopping center on Route 119 south towards Morgantown WV, the downtown still thrived with business. Around the middle of December especially on Friday or Saturday night there were so many shoppers bundled up to keep warm walking up and down main street going from store to store. I guess jay walking wasn't enforced because shoppers would be crossing Main street back and forth, and cars would just go slowly, with many picking up or leaving off shoppers. No one seemed to mind. There were stores for those with better tastes and bigger pockets, and stores for those not so fortunate. But then again the mines and steel mills were all paying good salaries and plenty of jobs to go around.

There was Metzlers across from GC Murphys, Kaufmans and Grants, Bensons Clothing Store, Turners Army Navy Store, Manos and State movie theaters. Downstairs by the State theater was a Bowling alley. Plenty of places to eat one I can only remember as the Pantry (something) on the corner of Main and Gallatin Avenue, then there was Tripoli's across from the Police Station (Italian food). All these were very much alive at this time of year.

I was not fortunate enough to see many movies in my younger years, but I do remember one Christmas when my uncle took us to see "Lady and the Tramp" playing at the Manos. He had his hands full with about 12 children (I was the oldest) and still its one of the things I remember most about my uncle Joe. Today I will admit I shed a few tears that night.

Even though I wasn't born with a silver spoon as a child I do have some pleasant memories of Uniontown this time of year.

Anyone have pictures or memores they would like to share or add, as I have forgot so much?

I can remember the G. C. Murphys, and I think the Kaufman's across the street and up a little. I don't remember much detail, I remember the elevator and the different departments on the different floors of I think Kaufman's. I remember being disappointed when the Manos closed, and I also remember making the jokes of when it became a church we called it the "praying manos".

Most of my younger Christmas memories were in malls unfortunately. I remember in Laurel Mall they had this Frosty the Snowman character, there was someone inside behind a 1-way mirror and he would talk to you. It had a hand that would wave back and forth.

Being a tech geek, I remember going into Hills and playing with all the video games and computers they had on display. I wrote my first little 3-line program on a TI994A computer on display there.

I can remember when the Sears or JC Penny Christmas Catalog Wish Book would come out, it had all the toys in it.

I wish I knew the classic Christmas Downtown Uniontown you are describing, I didn't move to Uniontown until I was in 4th grade or so. I think I might have caught it on the tail end of it's demise.

I would absolutely LOVE to see any old pictures of the Christmastown Uniontown of years ago, if anyone has any please feel free to post them!!!

Found this picture on my camera phone today, forgot I took it. Thought it might be appropriate to post it in this thread. It was taken this past Christmas. It was a rainy gloomy day, but at least you can see the wreathes that are put up here in Uniontown around Xmas time. This was me sitting at a red light on Main Street, you can see the Fayette Bank building in the distance. Fayette Bank building used to be a skyscraper in it's day.

Haha. I remember that talking Frosty character, thanks for helping my memory.

I'm a long way from home and I would also enjoy seeing some Utown Christmas or other pics. C'mon folks post 'em. I'll see what I can dig up.


Merry Christmas to all.

I'll see what I can snap today while I'm out and around. At least we have a white Xmas this year, few inches any way.

I can remember at at 45 somewhere in between the 2 of you. I saw movies like The bad News Bears and Star Wars at the Manos Theatre. I love the Christmas Wreathes and miss the lighted bells.

There sure was some good times especially right before 1980, after that the slide downhill was dramatic. I posted in another forum today about how bad and how fast it got bad after the steel started coming from Korea. Mill workers , went from driving Lincolns to food stamps in what seemed like no time at all.

ANd now fast forward to today and the rapid decline since very late 2007 actually the stock market jiters in July 2007 and "cramers famous outburst that the FED knows nothing" was the actual beginning of this rapid decline. The rest of the country if going through what we ..that were alive back then, saw in the late 70's and early 80's

It's nice to remember "good times" from the past because for many of us they are the only good times that ever were.

Take care guys and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.