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Description
While wandering through Guntown yesterday I couldn't help but wonder where did it all go wrong? Was is when ALCOA moved out to Merwin? Was it when the the Mob left? Was it when the government built the projects instead of the Penn State campus? Was it when they closed the Hospital? What happened to this town? You can still find post cards on Ebay of New Kensington when it was a boom town, when there were 4 movie theaters, when there was a thriving business district and shops like Gene's prospered as he cobbled the workers shoes, when the mills provided employment to the working class, long before fear, crime and crack cocaine ruled these mean streets. Back in the day you could walk the streets and not need to be armed, locked & loaded. Today even the nuisance bars are gone, vacant lots dot the Aluminum City where theaters and businesses once stood. It's not just black and white, there are shades of gray here too. This is where Eddie Adams snapped his first photos, where Willie Thrower threw his first pass, this is were aluminum was king. This is Guntown.
Image size
4200x3255px 3.93 MB
Make
FUJIFILM
Model
FinePix S5200
Shutter Speed
1/199 second
Aperture
F/3.2
Focal Length
12 mm
ISO Speed
200
Date Taken
May 25, 2009, 7:48:54 AM
© 2009 - 2024 yankeedog
Comments19
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Awesome photo. like how crisp the black is! Nice.
I remember as a kid walking downtown New Ken. We took the bus from Creighton all over, but we went to the plaza. I can't remember which grocery store was in the plaza back then. Cause "Foodland" and "Shop N Save" were in Natrona Heights. Maybe it was Kroegers.
But anyways, we would walk to the toy store on 5th. My mom would go to Franco's Hair salon back in the day.
Later on, I rem going to Bens for coats.
When I a teenager I would go down there for the one Stereo store.
In my 20's would hit Jolar's.
Now, I rarely, ever go by there. Sometimes I take my neighbor down there, but this last time. We went to the Shop N Save, there was a chalk outline for spent bullet casing, as someone was shot a day or so on the steps to the Family Dollar.
As far as what caused it to decline.
Combining circumstances.
Natrona Heights' Plaza was alive, the GeeBee's Mall was strong, Lower Burrell was thriving. The stores in New Kensington across the Tarentum Bridge.
Then the decline of the Mob, newer criminal elements, and fewer people wanting to travel "that far" anymore. As it only offered specialty stores, like Genes. The other areas now had all the department stores.
Even Tarentum suffered alot, we only went to Tarentum for Isaly's and the bank and the pharmacy.
Unfortunately, all those places have succumbed to the same fate, pretty much.
I remember as a kid walking downtown New Ken. We took the bus from Creighton all over, but we went to the plaza. I can't remember which grocery store was in the plaza back then. Cause "Foodland" and "Shop N Save" were in Natrona Heights. Maybe it was Kroegers.
But anyways, we would walk to the toy store on 5th. My mom would go to Franco's Hair salon back in the day.
Later on, I rem going to Bens for coats.
When I a teenager I would go down there for the one Stereo store.
In my 20's would hit Jolar's.
Now, I rarely, ever go by there. Sometimes I take my neighbor down there, but this last time. We went to the Shop N Save, there was a chalk outline for spent bullet casing, as someone was shot a day or so on the steps to the Family Dollar.
As far as what caused it to decline.
Combining circumstances.
Natrona Heights' Plaza was alive, the GeeBee's Mall was strong, Lower Burrell was thriving. The stores in New Kensington across the Tarentum Bridge.
Then the decline of the Mob, newer criminal elements, and fewer people wanting to travel "that far" anymore. As it only offered specialty stores, like Genes. The other areas now had all the department stores.
Even Tarentum suffered alot, we only went to Tarentum for Isaly's and the bank and the pharmacy.
Unfortunately, all those places have succumbed to the same fate, pretty much.