Buffalo in the 60s: Van Miller calls first sports contest at ‘War Memorial’

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

The Bills’ first and second home games were played in the same stadium — the Rockpile — but that stadium changed names in between.

It was 55 years ago tonight– Aug. 24, 1960– as the brand-new Buffalo Bills played in their second-ever preseason game, that the athletic field known by most as “The Rockpile” was rededicated in “tribute to living veterans and the dead of all U.S. wars” as War Memorial Stadium. Previously, the Rockpile had officially been known as Civic Stadium.

A Congressional Medal of Honor winner from World War I was on hand to speak on behalf of all veterans.

Van Miller was behind the mic as the Bills and Oakland Raiders became the first team to play on the newly christened field. Both teams were only a few preseason contests into existence in the new American Football League.

As appeared in the Buffalo Evening News, Elbert Dubenion, Rob Barrett, Richie Lucas, and Tommy O’Connell standing on the Bulls sideline at the newly named War Memorial Stadium– forever known as The Rock Pile. (Buffalo Stories archives)

As seen in this photo, the Bills’ uniforms during the team’s first two seasons are nothing like future Bills uniforms. Among the Bills’ early equipment were cast aways from the Detroit Lions– blue and silver with jersey numbers– but no Buffalo insignia– on the helmets.

Van Miller died July 17, 2015, at age 87.

Buffalo in the ’60s: remodeled Howard Johnson’s opens at Delaware & North

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

Generations of Americans remember the home-style dinners and 28-flavor ice cream selection at the more than 1,000 Howard Johnson orange-roofed locations around the country.

Buffalo’s most popular HoJo’s was on Delaware and North — part of the sometimes strange development of Delaware Avenue. Working class families piled out of wood-paneled, American-made station wagons right across the street from the home of News Publisher and Buffalo aristocrat Mrs. Edward Butler.

Walgreens purchased what was Buffalo’s last Howard Johnson’s location and built a drug store at the site on Delaware and North in 1994.

17 aug 1960 Howard Johnsons
Buffalo Stories archives

Buffalo in the ’60s: boys’ back-to-school shopping

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

The week before the return to school in 1960, The  Buffalo Evening News’ special back-to-school section featured articles on the latest in education inside and outside of the classroom, and, of course, plenty of back-to-school ads.

AM&A’s Back-to-School 1960. (Buffalo Stories archives)

Clothes shopping was a much more gender-specific endeavor in 1960 — while many larger department stores and discount stores obviously offered accouterments for both sexes, there were also plenty of specialty shops that catered to only boys or girls.

Burns Bros., 529 Main St at Genesee. Charge your tweed using Marine Shopper Credit Service (Buffalo Stories archives)

Boys buying school clothes 55 years ago were far more likely to be looking for sports coats and ties than jeans and T-shirts, as reflected in these ads.

Campus Corner, 3262 Main Street. (Buffalo Stories archives)

Burns Bros, Campus Corner, Cresbury’s, H. Seeberg’s and Kleinhans all offered clothes for men and boys.

Cresbury’s had six WNY locations. (Buffalo Stories archives)

AM&A’s, Kresge, CG Murphy’s and Penney’s all offered clothes for both sexes.

H. Seeburg’s five Buffalo area locations offered S&H Green Stamps. (Buffalo Stories archives)
Kleinhans, Downtown Buffalo and Thruway Plaza in 1960. (Buffalo Stories archives)
In 1960, Kresge’s had locations in Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Lockport. (Buffalo Stories archives)
C.G. Murphy’s Buffalo locations were in Central Park Plaza and Broadway near Fillmore. There were also locations in Lancaster and North Tonawanda. (Buffalo Stories archives)
Penney’s Thruway Plaza location had it’s own specials. (Buffalo Stories archives)

Buffalo in the ’60s: $2745 for a flaming red ’58 ‘Vette

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

You can almost hear the guttural laments of car enthusiasts everywhere.

Few cars are more sought after than early Corvettes, and there likely haven’t been many available at $2,795 since Mernan Chevrolet put this one out on the Bailey Avenue lot 55 years ago this week– August 24, 1960.

With a “flaming red” finish, this car, the folks at Mernan promise, had never been raced.

While many among us can see ourselves peeling off the hundreds to buy such a classic at such a rare price, it must be noted that the National Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator says this ‘Vette actually cost about $22,500 in 2015 dollars. Still a great deal, but maybe it doesn’t sting as bad for having missed it?

Buffalo Stories archives

Buffalo in the 90s: The changing face of Hertel as a temple becomes a church

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

Today, Hertel Avenue has a hip, cosmopolitan vibe, with many blocks dotted with trendy bars and shops.

Twenty-five years ago, Hertel was in a state of flux, still transitioning from the center of Jewish culture in the Buffalo area.

For several generations before, interspersed along Hertel and surrounding streets were Jewish shuls, temples and synagogues, and storefronts that were home to Jewish bakeries, delis and other institutions catering to the needs of the Jewish community there.

By 1990, declines in attendance at services saw the merging of remaining congregations and the outright moving of several to Amherst. One sign of that was the building that was once Temple Brith Israel becoming Faith Good Shepherd Chapel 25 years ago this week.

Buffalo in the 90s: Buffalo’s FBI informant blowing smoke

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

When the FBI turned to Buffalo’s Joe Sacco to help take down organized crime in Buffalo, they must have had some inkling of what they were getting into.

Sacco, after all, was the same mob associate who, when discovered in a pool of blood by police, denied knowing that he’d been shot.

Twenty-five years ago this week, federal law enforcers were looking to pull back a deal with Sacco, who they say had not only been giving them ever-changing information but was also still involved in the underworld crime syndicate as it operated in Buffalo and Western New York.

Buffalo in the 90s: Maitre d’ celebrates 50 years at the Park Lane

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

The Park Lane is a well-remembered and much-beloved Buffalo institution. So was “Victor of the Park Lane,” as the maitre d’ of the landmark restaurant was known to generations of Buffalo diners.

A “Maitre d’ with a maestro’s touch,” News Food Editor Janice Okun called him in 1990.

After a brief battle with cancer, Victor Mole died in 1991 at age 69.

Buffalo in the 90s: Searching for the fragments of Buffalo’s polka culture

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

For decades, Buffalo’s East Side was the cradle of the city’s Polonia culture. As people and institutions of Polish descent left the East Side, Buffalo’s unique blend of Polish and American traditions became spread out and not as easy to identify.

Twenty-five years ago, The News was asking whether Buffalo’s polka music culture was dead.

Buffalo in the 90s: Three Plymouths are selling for less than $10k at Cheektowaga’s South Union

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

South Union Chrysler Plymouth was at the corner of Union and Losson roads in Cheektowaga. Its main building has been replaced by a drug store, and across the streets, the space that was its lots are now McDonalds and Tim Hortons.

Twenty-five years ago, the Horizon, Sundance and Acclaim — Plymouth’s versions of the Dodge Omni, Shadow and Spirit — were all on that lot for under $10,000.

Buffalo in the 90s: Gas futures reach $1 for the first time

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

On this date 25 years ago– Aug. 20, 1990– gasoline hit a dollar in futures trading for the first time in history.

With the Gulf War just starting weeks earlier, gas prices would continue to rise past a buck in the coming months. It was the first time most folks had paid more than a dollar for a gallon of gas since the oil crisis of the late ’70s, although New York State taxes had bumped Buffalo-area gas prices above the dollar mark for at least a couple of years by this point.