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These photos show the Eureka Department Store at 15th Street and Somerset Avenue in Windber, built in 1899 as the main company store for the Berwind-White Coal Co., which founded the town in 1897. Check out the fancy dresses in the window and the appliances in the top floor windows. It served as the central hub of a network of 15 company stores where miners and their families bought household goods, soap, dishes and linens. The photos are from the Windber Area Museum's Facebook page.
Readers are encouraged to send or deliver old local photographs of general interest for use in Yesteryear. Information about people and places should be included. Photos must be 30 years old or older and should be sent to Yesteryear, Altoona Mirror, P.O. Box 2008, Altoona, PA 16603, or emailed to community@altoonamirror.com. For more information, call Brenda Carberry, community news coordinator, at 814-946-7459.
Local news on this date
Nov. 7, 1951
In local elections Republican Walter H. Grove, a member of the Altoona School Board and a retired teacher, was elected mayor of Altoona. Harry Penny, Guy Pearce and Richard Barry were elected to City Council. 63.4 percent of registered voters cast ballots. Reporters were at the Blair County Courthouse all night and were still there at 7:30 a.m.
Nov. 7, 1976
The Blair County U.S Savings Bond Campaign, Marvin Terdiman Central PA manager, held a victory breakfast at the Sheraton Motor Inn upon reaching 112 percent of its goal. The theme was "Take Stock In America."
Nov. 7, 2001
In local elections, Dave Gorman was re-elected as Blair County District Attorney while Judge Norman Callan lost his retention bid by 1,000 votes.
Nov. 7, 2016
The Altoona Mirror featured the city's school crossing guards in its Monday Spotlight, Tonya Walker, stationed outside Altoona Area High having the most time in service at 21 years. There were 19 full-time and three part-time guards. Altoona Police Sgt. Matt Starr was coordinator.
Nov. 8, 1951
Butler Coal Co. and Cavalier Coal Co. asked Blair County Judge George G. Patterson for an injunction to stop the United Mine Workers of America Union from picketing.
The Blair County Crusade for Freedom, John A. Sheedy general chairman, raised almost $3,000 this year with 34,500 signing the Freedom Scroll. The group raised funds for Radio Free Europe, which was actually funded by the CIA and created the previous year by President Dwight Eisenhower.
Nov. 8, 1976
The eight-member Ruth Barnes Corps de Ballet was to be featured at the annual Music Maker Series at the Altoona Campus of Pennsylvania State University. Pauline Baker Rodgers, assistant to Miss Barnes, was to perform several numbers.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for the new Hills Department Store in the Station Mall with Altoona Mayor William C. Stouffer and Gerald P. Wolf, president of the Downtown Altoona Revitalization Effort (DARE), presiding. Dennis Lupine was to be the store's general manager.
Nov. 8, 2001
Hollidaysburg Borough requested a $377,566 PennDOT Transportation Enhancement Grant for its $1.57 million streetscape project on North Juniata Street. Diane Meling was borough director of community development.
Parents met with members of the Altoona-Johnstown Catholic Diocese Education Office to try to find a way to keep the St. Demetrius Parochial School in
Gallitzin open. Student enrollment had dropped from 128 to 63.
Nov. 8, 2016
A U.S. Marine Corps honor guard escorted the coffin of Pfc. Nicholas Cancilla, an Altoona native and U.S. Marine, to Calvary Cemetery, where he would join his parents, brother and a nephew, named for him who was killed in Vietnam, while a church organ played the Marine Corps hymn. Cancilla was killed on Tarawa in 1943 at age 19 during WWII. Researchers recently identified his remains. Father Frank Scornaienchi of Mount Carmel Church, which he had attended, gave a eulogy and called Nicholas a "Child of God."
National, world news on this date
Nov. 7:
In 1916, Jeannette Rankin of Montana won election to the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first woman elected to either chamber of Congress.
In 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt won an unprecedented fourth term in office, defeating Republican Thomas E. Dewey.
In 1989, L. Douglas Wilder won the governor's race in Virginia, becoming the first elected Black governor in U.S. history; David N. Dinkins was elected New York City's first Black mayor.
In 1991, basketball star Magic Johnson announced that he had tested positive for HIV and was retiring.
Nov. 8:
In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln won reelection as he defeated Democratic challenger George B. McClellan.
In 1942, the Allies launched Operation Torch in World War II as U.S. and British forces landed in French North Africa.
In 1950, during the Korean War, the first air-to-air combat between jet warplanes took place as U.S. Air Force Lt. Russell J. Brown shot down a North Korean MiG-15.
In 1960, Democrat John F. Kennedy won the U.S. presidential election over Republican Vice President Richard M. Nixon.
Local news compiled by Tim Doyle. National, world news from The Associated Press.