Show and Tell Tuesday | My Hometown
Today I am linking up with Andrea at Momfessionals. Today's topic is about HOMETOWNS.
This is a tricky topic for me because by the time I was 10, I had lived in various places in Pennsylvania and New Jersey before my family ultimately settled down in Small Town, Ohio. As I am sure you can imagine, this move brought some culture shock to our family - but ultimately it brought us a great reward - living in a close-knit small town where our friends became family to us - since all of our family lives out of state. It's a great place to live. Such a great place that Mike and I moved back here after some years away to raise our family.
Even so, I don't think I will ever call this my hometown. My husband was born and raised here, as were our boys - and to them, this is their hometown in every sense of the word. But I have always thought of my hometown as Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Both sides of my family are from there, my parents met and married in Johnstown, my maternal grandparents lived there forever and raised their family there - it was the one constant place in my years of seemingly constant change. My paternal grandparents also spent some years there before doing their share of moving, but they always came back to visit my great-grandad who still lived in that area until he died in 2000.
My grandma and grandpa lived a simple life there. They built a charming Craftsmen-style house that my mom grew up in. My grandparents built a beautiful pitch and putt golf course on a side of a mountain and an adorable miniature golf course that my grandpa was always thinking up of new obstacles. We visited my grandparents often. My mom and I were just saying that we think we went every once every two or three months, sometimes more, while I was a kid. It was a six hour drive but one that I still know like the back of my hand.
Johnstown is infamous for its flooding - In 1889, a flood destroyed the city and killed over 2,000 people. The second flood occurred on Saint Patricks Day in 1936. My grandpa remembered that flood well. He had heard that the dam was breaking, and he loaded up people in his car an took them to higher ground! And then the flood in 1977 which happened when my parents were newlyweds.
Unfortunately Johnstown has been economically depressed for awhile, and allegedly there is a huge drug problem there.
But even so, it's my favorite place to visit. Some of my family still live there, and the boys and I were just there in June and hope to return again this summer.
My grandma died when I was 12, and my grandpa passed away in 2007. I was really close to my grandpa, and I miss him every single day. They were such neat people! I am so glad Mike got to know my grandpa, but he would have hit it off with my grandma for sure. And my grandparents would have adored our kiddoes
This is a tricky topic for me because by the time I was 10, I had lived in various places in Pennsylvania and New Jersey before my family ultimately settled down in Small Town, Ohio. As I am sure you can imagine, this move brought some culture shock to our family - but ultimately it brought us a great reward - living in a close-knit small town where our friends became family to us - since all of our family lives out of state. It's a great place to live. Such a great place that Mike and I moved back here after some years away to raise our family.
Even so, I don't think I will ever call this my hometown. My husband was born and raised here, as were our boys - and to them, this is their hometown in every sense of the word. But I have always thought of my hometown as Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Both sides of my family are from there, my parents met and married in Johnstown, my maternal grandparents lived there forever and raised their family there - it was the one constant place in my years of seemingly constant change. My paternal grandparents also spent some years there before doing their share of moving, but they always came back to visit my great-grandad who still lived in that area until he died in 2000.
My grandma and grandpa lived a simple life there. They built a charming Craftsmen-style house that my mom grew up in. My grandparents built a beautiful pitch and putt golf course on a side of a mountain and an adorable miniature golf course that my grandpa was always thinking up of new obstacles. We visited my grandparents often. My mom and I were just saying that we think we went every once every two or three months, sometimes more, while I was a kid. It was a six hour drive but one that I still know like the back of my hand.
Johnstown is infamous for its flooding - In 1889, a flood destroyed the city and killed over 2,000 people. The second flood occurred on Saint Patricks Day in 1936. My grandpa remembered that flood well. He had heard that the dam was breaking, and he loaded up people in his car an took them to higher ground! And then the flood in 1977 which happened when my parents were newlyweds.
Unfortunately Johnstown has been economically depressed for awhile, and allegedly there is a huge drug problem there.
But even so, it's my favorite place to visit. Some of my family still live there, and the boys and I were just there in June and hope to return again this summer.
My grandma died when I was 12, and my grandpa passed away in 2007. I was really close to my grandpa, and I miss him every single day. They were such neat people! I am so glad Mike got to know my grandpa, but he would have hit it off with my grandma for sure. And my grandparents would have adored our kiddoes
We spent many many many hours on this porch with family.
This sign used to have a teed up golf all on it :) It was in their front yard for many years, advertising their golf course that was just down the road.
Johnstown used to be a big coal and steel town. These are the entrance gates to the Bethlehem steel mill downtown.
Just down the road is Windber, a coal mining community named after Berwind-White Coal Company. This particular mine town is Mine 40.
Johnstown has an inclined plane! It's the world slowest rollercoaster ;) but the views are spectacular.
My grandpa was born in this house over a century ago. It's vacant now, and probably condemned!
When we visit we like to eat at our favorite places. Leone's Market for subs - or sometimes Em's for subs - dinner at Rizzo's, gobs from Dutchmaid Bakery - the only other gobs I will eat other than my mom's....we always go to the Galleria and get Gardner's candy and do some shopping at Boscov's.
I am ready to visit my "hometown" again soon :)
It looks like a quaint little town.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post--I look back so fondly on my grandparents' homes for many reasons, one being that very little changed year to year which was always comforting. Although they are sadly long gone I can still vividly recall where every knick knack was placed :) Liz at familyoffoley.wordpress.com
ReplyDeleteLoved reading about your town! It looks very cute!
ReplyDelete