Tube City Almanac

May 29, 2008

Things Ain't What They Used to Be

Category: History, Mon Valley Miscellany || By


According to some people I know, that's what McKeesport used to look like.

The streets were filled with well-dressed people, the buildings were shiny, the grass was greener and the sidewalks were freshly scrubbed.

Or, to paraphrase something John Oliver said on The Daily Show, McKeesport in the "boom years" was the kind of place where "everyone whistles all the time and women's breasts (were) a lot pointier."

Now, here's a photo that was recently given to Tube City Online by a frequent reader of the Almanac:


That's the 500 block of Fifth Avenue, looking toward the Youghiogheny River, in roughly 1970. (I can date the picture from the "Shapp for Governor" sign in the background.)

Again, here's the myth:


And here's the reality:


That's West Fifth Avenue at Rebecca Street, before the ramp to 10th Ward was completed. For everyone who thinks West Fifth Avenue looks shabby now, let's face it --- it didn't look any better in the "good ol' days."

In fact, the Mon Valley never reminded anyone of the French Riviera or San Francisco. This has always been a rough-and-tumble, gritty area. (Notice I avoided using the word "hardscrabble.")

Sure, in the "old days" people had more money in their pockets, because it was easier to find a job in the mill. But to some extent, that's true almost everywhere. Good-paying, entry-level jobs have almost disappeared across the entire United States --- not just the Mon Valley.

We're also guilty of creating a mythology about the past.

We remember how much fun it was to ride the train to Pittsburgh. We don't remember how the trains used to create giant traffic jams Downtown all day.

We remember great stores like Cox's and Jaison's and Immel's. We don't remember walking past dumpy-looking storefronts to get to them:


To some extent, everyone's memories are skewed. We remember the good, not the bad. When we were kids, candy was cheaper, music was better and the Pirates won every game.

The truth is that the Pirates stunk through most of the '40s and '50s, a nickel candy bar would cost about 50 cents today, and our parents and grandparents always thought our music was noise.

The problem for the Mon Valley is that we get trapped by nostalgia. Instead of appreciating what we have, we complain that "McKeesport ain't what it used to be."

In fact, it was never what it used to be in our imaginations, when we were 10 or 15 or 19 years old.

The danger is that we stop trying to make the present better, because nothing we do can live up to the impossibly high standards of our imaginary past.

Don't get stuck pining for something that never was. Take pride in what we have.

Let's try to make our neighborhoods, churches or businesses a little bit better, not so they can look like they supposedly did 50 years ago, but so that we can enjoy them now.

So don't worry about "bringing the Mon Valley back." Worry about what it looks like going forward.

(This sugary homily was paid for by the Philanthropic Council to Make Things Nicer.)






Your Comments are Welcome!

The 5th picture from the top shows a couple of men conversing in the alley. I’m pretty sure that their heads were turned towards the direction of that woman 10 seconds later. Wonder if she had those “pointy breasts”.
John M. - May 30, 2008



“You can’t go home again” because it is not like it really was. I guess that’s why I never felt the urge to go back home. And the times I visited mom and dad I did not ramble around the old stomping grounds because I saw the reality that was back there when I left and saw houses more than a few feet apart, how white snow could actually be, smooth roads and places without a bar on every block.
Barry Tyred (URL) - May 30, 2008



Nice postcard…is that the Yough Country Club?
The Dude - May 30, 2008



Jason,

Personally never got the “Bringing it Back” slogan. I think the Mayor won in spite of it.

I love McKeesport. It was a bustling place with a lot to do. It was also as your pictures show.

It is a new work with a new economy. Perhaps “Bringing it Current” would be a better slogan?

We focus so much on our past that we got caught ignoring the future.

We should never forget our past but we need to seriously plan and build our future. Personally, I don’t long for the McKeesport of old to come back (anymore). I want a city that is a safer and better place to live with real employment opportunities.

-Paul
Paul "Sluggo" Shelly (URL) - May 30, 2008



Councilor, thanks for your comments … I agree wholeheartedly. I wish I had been there to see the “McKeesport of old,” but I only caught the tail-end.

For the record, I didn’t actually have the mayor’s slogan in mind, and I wasn’t aiming my comment at anyone in particular. Frankly, I think the mayor’s done a good job trying to reverse people’s perceptions of the area, and he really is moving things forward in the pattern set by the late Joe Bendel 10 years ago.

But I had a family dinner this week and kept hearing over and over again, “poor McKeesport,” etc., etc., and I hear that lament all the time. It wasn’t all roses and lollipops in 1958, and it’s not all doom and gloom now.

Barry, I don’t mind a bar on every block. I don’t mind things being old or a little bit funky. Those things can add a lot of charm to a place. Why shouldn’t McKeesport be the next Lawrenceville or South Side?

But I also recognize that setting isn’t for everyone. Different horses for different courses …

Finally, Dude, you scored a hole in one. Head to the pro shop and get your picture taken.
Webmaster - May 30, 2008



Holy Mackeral!! That place was gorgeous back then! What I dump it is now! I should know, I used to work there.
The Dude - May 30, 2008



Geez, Dude, you’re rough!

I’ve had lunch and dinner there a few times recently, and I thought it was pretty nice.

I’m not a golfer, but people who are golfers have told me the course is in good shape these days, too.
Webmaster - May 30, 2008



Jason,

I wasn’t taking away anything from the Mayor either. I just never liked his slogan. Nothing personal intended on my part. His slogan was so close to your comment that I made the correlation myself.

I do like the direction Joe bendel set for Mckeesport. He was well studied and experienced in regioanl and local planning. The city suffered a loss when he decided not to seek re-election and another bigger loss when he passed unexpectedly.

It was good to hear our mayor credit Joe and his vision at the LightHouse ceremony in his honor this past Memorial Day.

Joe Bendel was one of the brightest men I have met and a true champion for Mckeesport.

I was fortunate enough to wrk for Joe for a short time and discussed politics and community service often. He is and was a mentor and role model for my own career here in McKeesport.

-Paul
Paul "Sluggo" Shelly (URL) - May 30, 2008



Of course, it has been nearly two decades since I have been to the YCC, maybe they made a few improvements since then. The golf course was great then, too. I was just talking of the building.
The Dude - May 30, 2008



A-ha! Typical Mon Valley reaction: Hasn’t been there in 20 years and wants to criticize! :-)

In fairness, I understand the main dining room was just remodeled a few years ago. Some of the meeting rooms in the back haven’t been touched since 1940, probably, except for maintenance, and they’re lacking some amenities.

It’s not the Duquesne Club, but the YCC is a very nice, family-friendly, and under-appreciated asset.
Webmaster - May 30, 2008



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