Tube City Almanac

May 03, 2005

The Complete Variety Store

Category: default || By jt3y

A picture is worth a thousand words, eh? Well, then, here's 3,000 words for you. There is a chance that the Almanac is going to drop down to two or three times per week, because the book is sucking up a lot of my evenings right now, and is going to continue to do so for the forseeable future. I'm moving out of the "research" phase (although there's still a lot of research to do) and into the "transcribing" and "writing" phases.

One of the things I've had to do is scan some old pictures and clean them up, both for the book and the G.C. Murphy Co. historical website. So, in lieu of an Almanac, I'll share them for your entertainment. (Once again, by the way, any opinions expressed at the Almanac are not those of the G.C. Murphy Co. Foundation or any other organization.)

Here's G.C. Murphy Co. store No. 25 on Electric Avenue in East Pittsburgh, circa 1920:




Here's G.C. Murphy store No. 12 in Downtown Pittsburgh --- I think this is the Forbes Avenue side --- circa 1979-80. Mayor Murphy (no relation to G.C.) wishes Downtown was this crowded now:




Finally, here's an unidentifed Murphy's Mart, also circa 1979-80. This looks vaguely like the location on Route 51 in Pleasant Hills, between what's now Century III Mall and Southland Shopping Center, but I'm not sure:






Your Comments are Welcome!

Let me get this straight, your price is increasing, but the amount of articles is decreasing? That’s it. I’m cancelling my subscription. As for the steak knives that came with signup, I’m keeping those!
Jamin (URL) - May 03, 2005



You can’t cancel your subscription —- we’re cancelling it! Ha-ha!

As for the steak knives, our collection department representatives Vinnie “The Weasel” Goombatz and Tony “Tap-Shoes” Tuzzone will be over to get those.
Webmaster (URL) - May 03, 2005



That could be the Murphy’s Mart in the plaza by the entrance to South Park, along route 88, too.
Derrick (URL) - May 03, 2005



If that’s the one I’m thinking of, then, no, because that had a completely different front entrance. (It had been a department store called “The Mayfair” before Murphy’s bought it, and the front entrance was shaped like a big stretched-out “M.”)

It’s a Wal-Mart now:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=5055+Library+Road,+bethel+park,+PA+15102&hl=en

I was thinking it might also be the store on Route 30 in North Huntingdon Township, which was just torn down.
Webmaster (URL) - May 04, 2005



I was thinking of a Giant Eagle/Murphy Mart plaza which I thought was closer to Corrigan.
Derrick - May 04, 2005



But…. looking at your map pointer and toggling satellite, I guess closer to Corrigan is the wrong plaza, and you got the right one.
Derrick - May 04, 2005



Actually, your memory is excellent. There was a Giant Eagle connected to the Route 88 Murphy’s Mart —- originally, in fact, customers could walk back and forth inside from one store to the other, but it became an inventory-control nightmare.

Looking at the satellite view, it appears that Wal-Mart just refaced the front of the old Murphy’s Mart —- the “M” (or maybe “W”) shaped entrance way is still visible on the roof.

By the way, the parking lot of the Route 88 Murphy’s Mart was home to another commercial name long gone from Pittsburgh’s highways and byways, though not as beloved as Murphy’s. Because the restaurant in the parking lot … was a Winky’s.

Yes, there was a Winky’s in Bethel Park (but not in Wilmerding).
Webmaster (URL) - May 04, 2005



Does anyone remember the name of the plant nursery that was next to the Giant Eagle in Bethel??

Thanks,
jim
jim - January 21, 2007



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