100 YEARS AGO – 1908

Residents of Lloyd Street, Chester, between Second and Third Streets, are complaining about a crowd of boys who pass that neighborhood and throw red clay and dirt on the front windows. Several windows have been broken and the police have been alerted.
The funeral car is used on the trolley line between Darby and Wilmington was in Chester on St. Patrick’s Day.
The janitors at the Chester Post Office say the hardest job they have is to keep good pens on the desks in the vestibule as people forget to disconnect themselves from them before leaving the office.

75 YEARS AGO – 1933

Two firemen were injured as a spectacular blaze wrecked a dance hall and threatened the new $200,000 Post Office building in Upper Darby. The fire wrecked the Crystal Ballroom on West Garrett Road. The injured firemen were Milton Brasher 25, and John Voltsberg, 30, truckman of the Upper Darby Fire Co.
Richard J. Baldwin of Elwyn, for several years the speaker of the House at Harrisburg, celebrated his 80th birthday anniversary recently.

50 YEARS AGO – 1958

Two warning shots fired by a patrolman paid off with the arrest of two teenagers who admitted damaging a pay telephone to get some money. The youths were in a booth ant Seventh Street and Central Avenue, Chester, and were arrested fleeing the scene. Police officers who responded to a report of the action were Capt. Edward McGuire and patrolmen William Hamilton and Timothy Gill.
Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Ruark of South Gov. Printz Boulevard, Lester, have returned from a two-week vacation to Las Vegas, Nev.
Second Lt. Edward H. Walsh, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Walsh, 3301 E. 11th St., Eddystone, graduated from officer training school at Quantico Va. He is a graduate of Pennsylvania Military College, Chester.

25 YEARS AGO – 1983

A Delaware County businessman paid $110 for an autographed football. On it were the signatures of state Sen. Clarence Bell and county councilman Curt Weldon. Tom Edwards, chairman of the board of Pilot Air Freight of Middletown, won the bidding war for the football against Art Leahy of Shearson/American Express. It was a fundraiser for the Chamber of Commerce Buy in Delaware County campaign. Why did Edwards pay such a high price? “Just so Art Leahy didn’t get it,’’ he said with a laugh.

10 YEARS AGO – 1998

John’s Doggie Shop on Seventh Street, Chester, celebrated its 50th anniversary. Owner is Pete Eleutherio, whose father John founded the business in 1948, when he opened a restaurant right across the street.

--- LEN CASTERLINE

To contact Len Casterline,

email: lencas1038@verizon.net

or lencas1038@yahoo.com

or call (610) 565-4298