This past weekend I was out and about in town entertaining some old friends back for a visit. Frank and Carol attended Penn State and both graduated 37 years ago—this was their first return trip to Happy Valley since that day! Now that they had recently retired and their family was no longer all located out on the West Coast, where they have been residing ever since graduation, they are considering purchasing a second home here.
Our weekend was filled with laughs, cheers at the football game, and a few walks down memory lane. Over dinner we tried to remember some of our favorite past businesses in downtown State College, as well as some that are still around.
I have been a permanent resident in town since 1968 and one restaurant that always has been around and probably always will be is the Tavern. I believe the Tavern opened its doors in the late 1940s, and throughout the years has remained a staple here on College Avenue. My family—my wife, Katie, and daughters Marykate and Michaela—has enjoyed many a meal here. Both daughters liked it so much they both ended up being employed here at one time!
Other classic stores that entered into our discussion:
Vote for most interesting store was “The A Store.” Located on the corner of Allen Street and East College Avenue (where Moyer Jewelers is today), the store carried just about anything. I actually think that Penn State ordered its early diplomas from there! Two other overall favorites no longer around were O.W. Houts & Son and Katie’s favorite, Danks (where Panera and the Penn State Downtown Theatre currently reside).
Frank and Carol enjoyed G.C. Murphy along with Frank’s favorite men’s store, Kalin’s and Lavin’s. I actually purchased a sports coat there in 1973 and it is still very well intact. I’m hanging on to it because my wife and daughters assure me styles always come back around… still waiting! Carol’s favorite clothing store was Bostonian Ltd. But considering Pickle’s is there now, she mentioned that she can still enjoy that place!
There were several movie theaters scattered about, my favorite being the one called the 12 Trees Theatre—a name that people assumed came from the 12 trees that lined its property, which spanned the east side of South Atherton from West College to West Beaver Avenue.
On to a place closer to home for me. The original college post office was located where Schlow Centre Region Library is now. I learned recently that back in the fall of 1954, residents were asked if they wanted to change the name of this town to Mount Nittany. State College claimed the victory, by a margin of two to one. After that vote, Milton Eisenhower, the then Penn State president, requested a post office specifically for the university. At the time, Eisenhower’s brother, Dwight, was also a president—of the United States! As you may have guessed, it didn’t take long for the approval. There was a vote by faculty, staff and alumni to name the new post office. On Feb. 22, 1955, the new post office opened, and has since become one of my favorite ZIP codes, 16802.
This coming February our campus post office will be celebrating its 56th anniversary. The only way I can imagine to honor this would be for everyone to send cookies, c/o the University Park post office, University Park, PA 16802.
