How's Nanticoke??

[GUESSIAM]

[quote=GUESSIAM;4823696]I forgot to add in yesterdays post:

In 1963-64,was the last time we visited Nanicoke.Several months ago, we visited.
It just brought back memories I treasured all my life.

St.Joseph Slovak Church,I always felt is beautiful.

It was nice to see the area.

I visited the cementary. I do want to visit again,and walk in the area.
is there a website,I can view?
(In the 1950s and 60s? )Thank You

[Polaris]

Enjoyed reading GUESSIAM's messages. My family were coal miners to. My father worked in the Wanamie Coal Mine. Nanticoke was great in the 50's and 60's. So many corner stores you didn't need to go to the Acme or A&P for everything. The store we went to was Uczen's on E. Grand St. I was born on E. Grand. Grew up on E. Washington St. I grew up knowing almost every family in Nanticoke. My mom lived all her life there. You mentioned the cemetery. I was just on Channel 16 here. Was walking in the cemetery on the day it was vandelized. 16 saw me and asked me for an interview. I go down to the cemetery alot to walk around. I grew up across the street from it. It was like a playground to us kids. I belonged to St. Marys Church there. So sad that they are talking about closing all the churches but Holy Trinity.
You want to know anything about Nanticoke, just ask me. Especially from the 50's through the 80's.
I remember my mom and I always walking downtown to the stores. I even remember every store that was there. We'd walk back up by St. Francis Church and stop in for awhile. I loved going to the State Theater. And going to Dimonds for candy at Easter. Then Fullers.
Remember the big thing in Nanticoke in the 60's was hiking to the Second Resi and to Concrete City. Built forts and flew kites and picked pusseywillows where the college is now.
Used to go swimming at Harvey's Creek in West Nanticoke.
All that was fun. Would love to go back in time and relive all that again.

[GUESSIAM]

Thank You Polaris.

You have a great memory.
I did spend 2 summers in Nanicoke and did visist my grandparents many times.
To me It was beautiful.
I am so sry to hear about the cememtary.Do you know which one was hit?How sad.
I really was amazed at the different "Nationatilies"or "Ethnic" groups so to speak.
(In the cemeteries)

You also mentioned your grandparents were across from the cementary>Could this be on Market Street?
I remember many children my age visiting/living there.

Okay,My grandparents house was "Pink." But always beautiful in my eyes.I beleive that color was popular back then,in the 60ss.Or 50ss. lol

They lived on market Street. I also remember animals in their backyard. Oh how I loved to visit there.

But I moved to PA.I just loved the state.

[GUESSIAM]

LOL.
I am laughing,forgive my spelling.
I am not wearing my glasses right now.

Oh,yes,my UNcle died in the Coal Mine.I am not sure which one, (I mean which coal mine) but I can find out.
It may be in nanicoke.
I remember they also had "lung" diseases.
It was so sad. But,I will always cherise them all.(

[Polaris]

To GUESSIAM
My grandmother lived across from St. Stan's Cemetery on E. Grove St. I knew alot of people from Market St. The only streets around the cemeteries were Chestnut, Grove, Washington, and Prospect.
Looked like all the cemeteries in Nanticoke were vandelized. It was a shame. Candle all smashed and flowers thrown all over. And I think a few tombstones pushed over.
Think I know all those cemeteries like the back of my hand. St. Marys & St. Stans are all Polish people, St. Francis is Polish, Irish, & Italian, and then there is the Russian Cemetery next to St. Marys. St. Joe's, the Slovak Cemetery, is on the side by itself. And then there is the Nanticoke City Cemetery which is for other religions.
The funny thing about the town years ago is that the families all lived by eachother. Uncle, Aunts, Cousins all bought houses by one another. I myself grew up with all my family around me. Thats what I liked about the town. You were never alone. And when you made friends there you made them for life.
I remember some homes in town being pink. In fact there was one on Grove St. to. Might still be pink. Have to check it out.
Sounds like you might be around my age, 50ish?

[Polaris]

Just remembered Field Street is also on the side of the cemetery. Went for a walk there every day until the day I left Nanticoke when I got married. How could I forget that street!

[bobconan]

I suppose the easiest way to explain Nanticoke is to imagine a town that had its last real infusion of cash in the 70's(agnes flood, goverment) and has basicaly been idling along ever since. That holds true for alot of the area as most people say it took a real nose dive after agnes. I would fathom a guess and say at least half the houses still have shag carpeting. Mine did when I bought it 2 years ago and so did my friends a year ago. And paneling.....

[NJPegPA]

I just joined the boards - hello everyone! i enjoyed the posts about nanticoke and the cemeteries -- i found this post on line re: the vandalism at the various cemeteries - i hope it is of some interest.6/19/2008Vandals hit 5 Nanticoke cemeteriesHeadstones toppled, American flag sticks broken and other damage reported at sites.elewis@timesleader.com Paul Kankiewicz and his friend Dan Kotsko noticed broken wooden American-flag sticks at St. Francis Cemetery earlier this week.Thinking the damage was caused by recent thunderstorms and high winds, they continued with their summer job of updating cemetery burial records.But, when they arrived at the cemetery Wednesday morning, they noticed 16 headstones had been toppled.Police said the damage is widespread and involved four other city cemeteries -- Nanticoke City, St. Stanislaus, St. Joseph’s and St. Mary’s -- that are adjacent to each other in the area of Washington and Prospect streets.Capt. Detective William Shultz said more than 100 tombstones were knocked over at the five locations. Most of the damage was found in Nanticoke City Cemetery on top of the hill.A few reports of toppled headstones were reported to police earlier in the week, he said, noting the vandalism became more widespread. Flower pots, religious statues and solar lights were also vandalized, Shultz said.A toppled headstone was reported on Monday by people who left the cemetery to buy topsoil, only to return to find additional vandalism at the site, Shultz said.“Based on that report, we can’t say for sure all this vandalism took place at night,” Shultz said.Shultz believes more than one person is responsible.Tom Roman, who was cleaning his parents’ burial site in the Nanticoke City Cemetery, said he didn’t notice any veterans’ grave markers missing from other plots.Contact policeAnyone with information about the vandalism is asked to contact Nanticoke police at 735-2200.

[Eyes]

I see the last post discussed the problem with the cemeteries.
That is hardly just a Nanticoke issue.
It is all over the entire region.

I don't spend much time in the Main street area.
I am most familiar with the Hanover section.
This area is a small pocket south of LCCC
The area has always been on the quiet side.
It has great access for the college, the industrial parks and the highway.

The city had been like most cities before cars ruled the world.
Stores and restaurants and services .. all you would need.
On every corner.

As coal became difficult to mine things slowed a bit.
Sewing went to third world countries taking the jobs.
The final blow to the valley was a hurricane called Agnes in the early 70's.

The baby boomer left in droves .. the entire valley demographics shifted.
The stores closed .. mostly old people ..then they died or went to nursing homes.

With many empty properties the prices dropped.

I have in the last year seen the Hanover Section of Nanticoke starting to come back.
Many of the properties on Front Street are newly rehabbed or in the process.
At the moment the old Pelesas is to become a high end woodworking shop.
I will not be able to see how the story ends as I am looking to sell my bar/restaurant as I am moving.
The area needs a restaurant but I can no longer continue.
So .. if this is a good idea to you .. drive by and get the phone number off the building ...

It may be time for Nanticoke to become the "New Hope" or "Jim Thorpe" of the area