It’s time for beaver county memories, presented by St. Barnabas Beaver Meadows.  The Christmas season is a time when many of us fondly remember heading to the main streets of the towns in Beaver County and visiting some of the grand old stores that, at one point in time, made going to the main street, how we did our holiday shopping.  Today, we take a look at Beaver Falls.

Anyone over the age of fifty can recall a time when finding a parking spot on Seventh Avenue was difficult, and walking on the crowed sidewalks in Beaver Falls during the busy Christmas shopping season, as a youngster, meant holding on to your parent’s hand, much like visiting a busy amusement park or other big attraction.  Beaver Falls was like a mall without a roof with hundreds of stores large and small lining the main drag of town.  Men’s clothing was available at Shepperd’s and Ziedens, and if the garments didn’t fit correctly, there was Vince’s or William’s tailoring.

At the corner of twelfth and seventh, where a medical office now sits was another popular shopping destination in Benson’s Department Store, which sold a wide variety of merchandise.  After shopping, one might take in a movie at the Granada Theater located right next to Benson’s on Seventh Avenue.

For the women, Beaver Falls had several shops including Sakridas Dress Shop, Taylor’s and Wolfe’s Shoes and Women’s Clothing, which is still open and continues to be holiday shopping favorite!

Larger purchases meant visits Gross Furniture, or who could forget the three story Daquilla Buick Dealership at the corner of Fourteenth and Seventh where shopping for a car meant riding an elevator before riding in the vehicle.  Just two blocks north on Seventh Avenue would put you behind the wheel of a DeSoto at the Rawling Motors showroom.

Stocking stuffers and toys of all types could be found at Bonnage’s Toy Store, located in the fifteen hundred block on the main street, or a quick stop at the two level G.C. Murphy store just a few blocks down the street.

If love was in the air and an engagement was forthcoming, A young lad could venture into Allan Jewelers, Lane Jewelers or Gerson Jewelers to pick out a ring without ever leaving the main street.

All that shopping would make one hungry and Beaver Falls had plenty to offer there as well from the Rio Grille and the Red Bull Inn to Lou Pappan’s Sweet Shop, The Ideal Spot, Eat N’ Park and the Brighton Hot Dog Shop.  One would never leave town hungry after a big day of shopping.

And of course, shopping in Beaver Falls usually meant listening to the sounds of Christmas music being played by WBVP over the airwaves, as well as through loud speakers mounted on the front of the original radio station building in the twelve hundred block of town.

This has been a holiday shopping edition of Beaver County memories, brought to by St. Barnabas Beaver Meadows, on Tuscarawas Road in Brighton Township.

If this has gotten you thinking about shopping for gifts, you can sign up and give a gift to someone who would really appreciate it at this time of year by clicking this Presents For Patients Link. Tune in for more Beaver County Memories at this time from St. Barnabas Beaver Meadows right here on beaver county radio, 1230 WBVP and 1460 WMBA.