Undated photograph of St. Ann’s Boy Scout Troop 118 standing with the Seneca District sign. The area that comprised the Seneca District now is part of the Tatonka district of the Greater Niagara Frontier Boy Scouts.
Boy Scout Troop 118 Seneca district
Troops in the Seneca District (circa 1934) were:
1: St. Stanislaus RC Church
9: American-Polish Scouter’s Pow Wow
17: St. Joachim’s RC Church
30: SS. Peter and Paul’s RC Church
41: Westminster House
51: Westminster House
60: St. Nicolas’s Ukrainian G.C. Church
87: Trinity United Evangelical Church
105: Lovejoy M.E. Church
107: St. John Kanty R.C. Church (still active)
111: St. Stanislaus R.C. Church
113: St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
118: St. Ann’s R.C. Church
131: St. Agnes R.C. Church
137: Pilgrim Evangelical Church
139: St. James Evangelical Church
148: Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church
151: St. Stanislaus R.C. Church
153: St. Matthew’s Evangelical Church
298: Kiwanis Community Troop
*St. John Kanty Troop 107 is the only troop remaining active in the old Polonia area of Buffalo and are planning to celebrate their 90th anniversary this year.
List of Troops circa 1934 from the Buffalo Council Achievement Round Up Program
The William Hengerer Company traced its roots back to 1876. The store was merged with Rochester based Sibley’s in the early 1980s. The downtown location was closed in 1987. Eventually the store merged (again) with Pittsburgh based Kaufmann’s. Now the stores fly the Macy’s banner.
Store locations:
Downtown (now an office building)
Sheridan Drive (demolished, now a strip plaza)
Amherst/ Main & Eggert (office building)
Seneca Mall (demolished, lot empty expect for a Tops Supermarket & Kmart)- this mall was killed by the opening of the Walden Galleria & McKinley Mall
Eastern Hills Mall (now Macy’s)- only former location of a Hengerer’s that is still an operating department store
Boulevard Mall- space was originally a Sattler’s, now Macy’s
Walden Galleria- opened as Sibley’s in the late 1980s, now Macy’s
McKinley Mall- opened as Sibleys in 1989, now Macy’s
So much retail- so little time. Or something like that. I have just discovered the browse newspapers section of Fulton History and now I will be getting nothing done.
Why 1971? Why not. Why Tonawanda retail history? Because that is the first newspaper I snagged since I know the area & remember some of the now closed stores.
The Division & Erie location in North Tonawanda would have been in the plaza that Budway’s Groceries is. No good Google streetview available.
2101 Elmwood is now an Ahold Era Tops Supermarket. Prior to it being Tops there had been a Gold Circle & other stores on the site.
I am unsure where in the (former) Bells-Park Edge Plaza that the Rite Aid would have been in. The Plaza is still standing there with a Savers thrift store in the former Bells-Park Edge store/ Curtis-Wright Airplane Hanger. (Even if Google Street view still shows Office Depot in the former hanger)
The 452 Main Street location? Still a Rite-Aid. I can’t post a Google Street view of the front since traffic isn’t allowed on Main Street- so here it is from Pearl Street.
Tops- Why Pay More? (credit to Fulton History 1 & 2)
This ad also dates to January 1971 and is North Tonawanda specific with only two locations mentioned.
1385 Nash Road is sitting empty. I believe it may have been converted to Vix at one point- Vix being Tops drug & general merchandise discount store.
Sunday Sales arrest
Remember when stores were closed on Sundays and that being open and selling stuff could lead to arrest? I don’t but there was a time when it was a big deal and against the law.
In January, 1971 charges against the manager and clerk of the Ames Department Store were dismissed. Apparently Ames and a few other stores opened the Sunday before Christmas in hopes of getting a few sales.
April 1950 was the first time that Diocese of Buffalo awarded the newly created Boy Scout Pelican award. The Most Rev. John F O’Hara (yes the high school was named in honor of him) presented the award at St. Joseph New Cathedral.
The men receiving this award were:
Buffalo Council: William F Payne, George Weinfurter, Charles F. Eichhorn, John M Gavin and William Robillard
Senecal Council: Dr. James L. Hayes (Olean)
Genesee Council: Francis J. Guppenberger (Batavia)
Niagara Frontier Council: John B. LaMunsch (Niagara Falls)
Chautauqua County Council: Bernard G. Dougherty (Dunkirk)
Lewiston Trail Council: William J. Madden (Lockport)
153 boys received the Ad Altare Dei Award. This award was started in 1926 to recognize Roman Catholic alter boys and is still awarded today.
Buffalo News and Buffalo Courier Express newspaper clippingsTop left photo- Gerald Hathaway of Our Lady Rosary parish in Niagara Falls receiving award from Bishop O’Hara, Top left photo (from left to right) William Robillard, George Weinfortner, Charles Eichhorn, William Payne and John Galvin.Boy Scouts and their families entering the cathedral for the rally
