Here is the birds-eye view of the town I grew up in – Little Eldred, Pa. in the enchanted mountains –
Of NWPA – along the Alleghany River.
In the far distance is the border of NYS and NWPA!
When early in my life –
I learned to ride my Red Flyer – from the Western Auto – on these streets.
Before that – I would roller skate to the Slavin’s garage/furniture store!
Here is that garage today – turned into one of the finest small-town WWII museums you will find!
Back in my early days – the bays of the garage – on the second bay in front of the brick wall –
sat a coke machine.
Jack – who worked there – sometimes bought me a glass of Coke pop from that machine!
My parents would never let me skate beyond this garage – and I would race back and forth –
from my North Main Street home – all the way up to the Eldred sawmill –
which made Louisville Slugger Baseball bats!
This above was the Frisbee Insurance office – Don owned it and would send me a birthday card
every year as it was his birthday also.
In the back was the Penn Electric office where a parking area for their trucks to fix electric lines.
This has all become connected to the furniture store and is part of the WWII museum-
and on the side toward the town – a full-size Army Tank from WWII – bursts through the wall.
Many tour buses make this a must-stop – bringing our little town on the map!
I spent my entire youth here- until I was thirty years old before moving on.
Riding my bike daily to the ballpark – thinking back now – I wonder what happened to that bike?
It was and still is a small – Mayberry type town –
You know everyone and they know you!
Up Barden Brook just outside town – is where the entire family I grew up with is buried.
Just past the first tombstones on the right – my father mother and younger brother now rest.
Along with my mother’s sister and her family.
On the left side is my older brother – his wife – my sister – her husband and two of their children.
Their third child and my niece still live in their house –
and my great niece –
her son now is in the service
and she lives in the house I grew up in.
My other great niece-
and her family lives in Portville.
My two sons still live in the area and nearby.
I also have aunts – uncles, and cousins who are buried here,
and a sister I never knew –
who died at birth five years before me-
is somewhere at the top of the cemetery buried.
It was never talked about
and I found out through my brother before he passed away.
I was raised a couple houses before that tall pine tree at the top of the picture and after H.S. –
I rented an apartment in the tall brick building next to the post office where the flag flies –
above the Western Auto for five years.
This is the main street of Eldred, Pa. where I roamed as a child.
SMALL TOWN USA – I skated and rode a bike here in my early youth.
Thanks for reading PAPA’S WORLD – my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog
PAPA’S WORLD – LIVINGLIFEDOINGITMYWAY.BLOG – WHEN LITTLE – RIDING MY BIKE – ELDRED, PA.
