Finger Lakes diners
Wayne County -
Palmyra -
A Ward and Dickinson diner,
just after #100, known as the Cowboy Diner. Harry Belding ran the
diner for more than a dozen years after moving from Iowa. Diner
was well known to the traveling public. His wife rented it out
aftrwards but no one kept. It was bought by Pulcini's Farm and
used for storage/farm stand for an undetermined amount of time.
3/17/1927 - Harry Belding of Charlotte, Iowa will run l.car just east of the
trolley stn in the near future. The car will be a convenience to many
travelers.
1/14/1932 - Mrs Laurette Evans of Klaukos, Montana, who at one time was a champion
lady bronco rider of the world, called on her old friend HarrY Belding
of the Palmyra dc one day last week
11/26/1936 - Belding and Stanley Sprobe of Williamson left monday with trailer for
Jacksonville, Florida where they will join Col Jim Eskey’s Rodeo for
a winter tour of the south, Mr & Mrs Kenneth Mason have leased the
dc while the Beldings are absent.
1937 taxes in newspaper - Palmyra tax - Harry and Julia Belding, lc, bounded north by Main St,
east and south by Spencer L Knapp and west by Clifford G Adams
Mr and Mrs Raymond Burdick, sister with Mrs Belding of Palmyra, helped out at times
There
was another diner in town. The diner showed up in Tax Records.
It was near Park Drive and Canal St. Park was the main
north south road at the time before it was bypassed by a new bridge
over the Erie Canal.. There is a Greek restaurant at the location
today(2020)
1941
taxes - Palmyra tax- lc bounded by village on north, east by Railroad
Ave, south by Canal St, west by Peter and Jennie DeBrine
1/23/1941
- Gil's Diner becomes B and C Diner, Bert Tuttle and Charles Stape,
opens 1/28/1941, was said to be at the end of East Main St.
Gil's diner, Jct 21 and 31 where Greek restaurant is located today.
Matchbook shows diner, 3 windows on end if it means anything. Also got
Palmyra Home Diner given address is corner Railroad and Canal, which
may be the same place.
Newark -
4/3/1901 - Frank Farron of Seneca Falls bought new Wagon in Newark
1/8/1909 - Newark lc burned $250 damage
A Richardson built diner was
placed in Newark by George Dickinson. A photograph ofthe diner
exists, near the fire station. It sounds like it lasted into the
1960s.
10/22/1934 - Taxes - Town of Arcadia. Edward and Edna Steen, lunch car bounded
north by East Union, east by Critella, south and west by Doty.
July 1935 - Town Arcadia- lc bounded north by E Union, east by Critella, south and west by Doty
8/5/1939 - chattel-Fred G Judd & Ellsworth Burns to Grodon K Cowles, lc equip $4k
10/6/1939 - Ellsworth H Burns, lc 123 wilson(residential St) to Crosby St
There was also a Sterling diner in Newark.
9/23/1939 - Curtis C Scofield from JB Judkins $10k Sterling Diner
6/5/2003 - Jim McBride's Newark Diner, review, took over in 1985, third owner
Lyons -
7/21/1938 - Connie's D-William @ Water Sts, robbed
Clyde -
11/4/1906 - W.H. Westfall opened lc at c S. Park and Glasgow St. old car is not
ornamental and was used until dilapitated as a street car on Seneca
Falls-Geneva line
10/12/1907 - Westfall lc moved, placed at entrance to DeZing Coal Yard, near lift bridge, and is open for business
9/22/1915 - Westfall leasing out lc so he can visit daughter in Geneva
5/4/1916
- Westfall's lc, just south of the canal bridge on Glasgow St had fire
caused by electric wiring. Interior completely ruined
nov 1947 - Curve Inn Diner, East Genesee St. Ralph DeLeo mgr (unconfirmed)
Ontario County -
Geneva -
3/10/1896 - two applications for lw, one from guy from Ithaca, other J.J. Gaines (One was called a Columbian Cafe)
10/10/1896 - All night lw thriving. Another wagon, of a different kind, is also attracting crowds at Castle/Exchange
[look for May 27, 1897 article]
6/3/1897
- H. L. Suydam, a well known citizen, has written the following
communication to the TIMES regarding the lunch wagon question: To the
Editor of the TIMES : Will you allow me a few words of explanation in
your paper on the remarks of the Gazette of May 27 on the "Owl Lunch
Wagon?" The Gazette says: The fight against the Lunch Wagon is
small business. The petition purported to be the plea of a few
liquor dealers and restaurant keepers in the neighborhood who
claim that Mr. Bosworth was injuring their business. Now while I am
not in the liquor business, my name is on that petition, and is there
for a purpose. The proprietor and I have never exchanged words on
the subject, in fact have never spoken. Now that the subject is brought
forward by the Gazette as "small business," let us look it over.
Our house has been very much annoyed by the noise and commotion
at the lunch wagon. Under the present Raines Law, the liquor
saloons, and some of the poker shops close up before 12 o'clock
and then the slide door to the Owl begins to rattle and persons gather
around to relate their experiences. They usually keep this up until
2:30 or 3 o'clock in the morning. This Owl has large, stained glass
windows and is very gay and attractive for people passing on pleasant
evenings, many nights there will be a dozen or more loitering
around greatly, to the annoyance of the guests of the hotel.
The
rattling of the rolling doors, mingling with the frequent outbursts of
laughter, are altogether too much of a steady diet for those interested
in the welfare of the International Temperance house. They do not look
upon this chronic nuisance as small business. The Gazette says: "Mr.
Bosworth should have, and no doubt will receive, the earnest support
of the W. C. T. U. of Geneva." Angels and ministers of grace defend us!
Please send a committee of those ladies to investigate for themselves.
I have now made up my mind that the time has arrived for me to speak
out, and in no uncertain sound. I have submitted to this imposition
long enough. I did not want to make a disturbance, or meddle with my
neighbors' affairs. This is the reason I have not spoken of this matter
sooner. But as the Gazette has opened the door, I will now take a hand.
On the 28th of July, 1841, I began to feed the public, by starting
in the baking business on this ground. I have continued to feed and
care for them from that time until now, which is 57 years. The place
has improved under my care, although I have met with very many
drawbacks. There are five business places on the street, and two
upper stories of the block are retained as the "International
Temperance Hotel," with 21 rooms, Although that block is only 75 feet
front, the tax collector has been able to find me yearly, for 57 years,
to the tune of $50 to $250 a year.
And now let us look after the "small
business" of the owl. About one year
since, the trustees of this village licensed a
gentleman from Cortland, not a citizen of
this place, who for the sum of $50 started in
business feeding the public, directly in front
of my hotel, have kept him there for over
one year, and have just licensed him again.
All this, without consulting, or in any
way mentioning the matter to me. Let me
soberly ask the citizens of Geneva any one
of them—would you permit such dastardly
intrusion even for one moment! Let us
place this wagon before Trustee Moore's
place of business, or any of the trustees, and
say to them you must let this establishment
remain on this stand for one year. How
long do you think it would remain there? I
am most decidedly in favor of the lunch
wagon, provided there is a call for it in our
village. If it is wanted for the protection
of the bank then put it around in Seneca
street. I, for one, have given it a snug harbor as long as I propose to do. My voice is
for fair play, there are a dozen other places
where it would do as much good as before
my door, I say try some of them and give
me a short rest. ''Fair play is a jewel."
Try it! The hot days will soon be upon us
for about three months, then you will see
eight or ten baggage trucks and busses, in
the afternoon, packed up in the shade of the
International, the drivers with their dogs
and chums making things at home. Gentlemen the time has come for someone
attend to business:
H. L. SUYDAM, Geneva, N. Y. June 3, 1897
6/7/1897 - Pastor Intimates That the Assumption
Is Merely a Bluff on the Part of
Those Who Won't Want It—
At First Baptist Church.
Last evening, at the First Methodist
church Rev. Dr. A. W. Broadway delivered
an interesting sermon upon the all absorbing
topic of the day, "Shall the Night Lunch
Wagon Go?" The church was well filled and
the audience listened with intense interest.
The
doctor took for his text Genesis 45;27 "And when he saw the wagons
which Joseph had sent to carry the spirit of Jacob his father
revived." As an introduction to the subject Dr. Broadway briefly
related the story of the sale of Joseph, by bis brothers, into Egypt.
He spoke in part concerning the lunch wagon as follows: "The word wagon
is found at least a half dozen times in the Holy Scriptures. In this
chapter the word wagon is found three times. "It seems that
the appearance of a certain wagon in town has lately caused
considerable talk and a great deal of comment, or as one of the local
papers has been pleased to call it, a contest. The innocent wagon has
lately received the attention of many. It has brought out some strong
editorials, it has attracted the attention of correspondents, and has
even been argued by the city fathers."
Here the speaker referred to the traction engine
accident, when Irvin Philly was killed. Continuing he said: "I wonder
if a monster traction engine would not scare horses and endanger
peoples' lives? Why don't the city fathers consider the disposal from
the streets of traction engines? In the argument against the lunch
wagon they say it is liable to scare horses, because it has the colored
glass windows and makes a strange sight for the horse.
The street cars are brilliantly illuminated at night and
swing through the streets at no slow rate of speed. I wonder if they do
not scare horses! I remember about 17 years' ago there was a struggle
in Syracuse about the tolling of church balls. Some people wanted them
torn from the churches, but their wishes were not complied with. There
are, at all times, some cranks in this world.
About
three years ago the lunch wagons at Syracuse were attacked, but they
won out because they were right. You don't find lawyers, doctors,
merchants or quiet citizens saying anything against the lunch wagons
and not very often do you find city fathers, although they might be
drawn into it.
"I am going to defend the lunch wagon
and am going to advocate it, because it is
right. I am going to defend it because it is
harmless. I don't believe that the lunch
wagon has come to town to be a nuisance.
"I think the lunch wagon is all right. I
expect some day to go in it and come out
feeling better. The wagon is in public demand. Now if I were a wife and my husband was a merchant down town and
had to be there until 10 or 11 o'clock at
night, and if he wanted a lunch, where
would I want him to go for it, into the
lunch wagon or into a restaurant, where
liquor is sold! I would say go to the wagon
by all means . "Mothers, wives, fathers, neighbors and
friends stand by the lunch wagon! The attack is purely a selfish one. I am for the
wagon because I am for what is good and
best. I wouldn't care if there were a hundred wagons if all could do a good business.
As the lunch wagon is doing the same legitimate business aa the grocer and butcher
I am for it."
6/8/1897
- The night-lunch wagon controversy promises to wax as Warm in Geneva
as it has in other cities, and to rival the controversy as to Sunday
observance now going on in Rochester, and which is also being
considered in other municipalities. A sermon that was remarkable for
its fearless exprossion of the views of the man who gave utterance
to it and for the unhesitating commendation of Geneva's lunch wagon,
was preached in one of the city churches last Sunday. Rev
Mr. BROADWAY says that almost without exception the professional and
solid business men of the city favor the continuance of the wagon.
Beyond question this is the true condition of affairs, despite the
flimsy excuse put up by the opposers, that tin lunch wagon is injurious
to the interests of property owners. Why should not the lunch wagon
stay? Why has not its conductor an equal right to dispose of wares
which can render no possible harm to the individual, and the results of
whose effects will not entail extra costs to the community as have some
the men who signed the petition to dispose of wares that will?
We believe that these are questions
that cannot be satisfactory answered
by even the most rampant denouncers
of the lunch wagon. Doubtless every
clergyman in Geneva will unite with
Mr. Broadway in voicing the sentiments
he has voiced. The TIMES believes[belleyes??] with
him that the voices of the mothers,
fathers, sisters, brothers and wives of
the neighborhood should be raised in favor of the lunch wagon, if for no
other reason because the wares its proprietor sells ars harmless.
MR BROADWAY'S example may be
followed with profit by other clergymen of Geneva, and the Times believes
the clergymen are willing to and will
foljow it.Th is not the only direction
in which the energies of the pulpit
might be directed to the benefit
of the community. Sunday
laws are being openly violated in Geneva. Other cities, or rather the better
people of other cities, are fighting these
desecrations tooth and nail. The
pulpit, as the press, should he a means
of public education. Wake up! pastors.
The path of duty lies before you.
Would become - 292
Exchange - lunch wagon
4/1/1896 - It began its operation last night. J. W. Bostworth[Bosworth], of Cortland, opened
his new lunch wagon on the corner of
Seneca and Exchange streets last night.
It proved quite an attraction, and
many people visited it out of curiosity
as much as anything else. A delegation of Geneva citizens composed of
hotel men, lawyers, newspapermen
and merchants filled the handsome car
at 12 o'clock, midnight, and got a cup
of hot coffee which they all pronounced
delicious.
June 1897 - Bosworth moved to Seneca Bank location
1897 - Arthur Bosworth "Owl Lunch Wagon" lw at Seneca and Exchange, came from Cortland
6/18/1901
- Art Bosworth has a new lw in front of Geneva Nat Bank and is coining
money, hand over fist, what a snap. [seems like same location]
12/11/1903 - A communication was received from Arthur W. Bosworth, the proprietor of the lunch wagon, at the
corner of Seneca and Exchange
streets, requesting the renewal of his
street license for the year of 1904 at
the same rate of $50 per year. Commissioner Fisher raised an objection
to the wagon on the ground that it interfered with teams rounding the
bank comer, stating that there was
but a very narrow space between the
wagon and the car tracks.
" I believe that the wagon is a public convenience," said Commissioner
Blair, "that it is patronized by many
of the best people in the city and that
there is no better place than its present location."
"While I do not know Mr. Bosworth myself," said President Van
Auken, " I have never heard anything
against him or his wagon, and I believe that such an institution is a
public good. As to the location, there
could be no better place in the city,
for the wagon is a good protection to
the two banks,"
The license was
granted without further comment.
9/27/1906 - Arthur Bosworth leased his lw to Martin Duffy, takes posession Oct 1
11/8/1899 - A new lunch wagon will open for business
in this city today or tomorrow. It will be
located on the Jacobs lot next to B. Borgman's furniture store on Exchange street.
The proprietor will be I. L. Trout, who
proposes to run the wagon all day as well as
all night, thus catering to the public at
every hour of the twenty-four, so that any
who desire lunches can secure them whenever wanted. The wagon will be up-to-date
in every respect and will be supplied with
the best viands for the purpose that can be
obtained.
Cornelius
Lynch - 1909
Arthur Condit had in 1909
Star
Lunch - Joseph F & LeRoy P Murphy 1911 - 1913
1/6/1912 - The bank corner lw will relocated to Catchpole prop near NY Central.
Seneca
Lunch - Mrs. Gertrude M. Goetchius 1915 - 1917
Seneca
Lunch - George W. & Russell A. Underwood 1921
3/18/1898 - E Hamil, mfg of lw asked city to place lw in Geneva, no action taken
12/2/1899 - L.A. Trout lw next to Borgman's furniture store on Exchange, new in November
1907ish - John McAuliffe - White lw on lower Exchange
-425
Exchange - lunch wagon
James
A. Ferguson - 1909 - 1911
8/18/1910 - The red lw which formerly stood on the Catchpole prop on Exchange St
moved to Madia prop where White lw formerly stood. Wagon closed for
some time, reopened by Peter and Ant...
1911 - 1913 - Joseph Murphy red lw on Exchange St1909 - Emmet's lw in Exchange near Bre??t Hotel
Aug 1906 - Fred Bradford lwThere
was a diner here in 1927, that seemed to have disappeared in short
order. Next came what we believe was a Ward and Dickinson diner.
12/10/1929 - Miss Geneva Diner has made her bow to
the Geneva public at 386 Exchange street
. . . This new dining place represents the
last word in diners—superbly made—fitted to meet every need for quick dining
service it will make quick appeal to Geneva. . . . Here home cooked meals of the
most delicious kind will be served and the
finest type of service emphasized.
The Miss Geneva diner is not merely another dining place for Geneva. . . . It is a
distinctly new type of dining place and
the kind we know you will appreciate and
patronize.
Geneva
Diner - Glenn W. Bush 1931 - 1932
Bush's
Diner - Glenn W. Bush 1934 - 1946
Harry
and Franklyn Richardson, former Ward and Dickinson employee was hired
in the summer of 1940 to build Bush a new diner. They built a
barrel roof diner.
7/26/1940 - A
business never grows without the approval and co-operation of people
and It Is YOUR PATRONAGE: and satisfaction of our food and service
that has made possible this VERY MODERN .... . AIR CONDITIONED . . .
DINING SALON. We shall maintain the same VARIETY OF CUISINE ... . we
shall MAINTAIN THE EXCELLENCE Of our preparation and . . . WE SHALL
MAINTAIN the same PAIR PRICES you have hitherto enjoyed. We also
want to extend our thanks to ALL who have labored faithfully to MAKE
OUT OPENING POSSIBLE . . . and to those who have SUPPLIEDTHE
REQUIREMENTS needed for a complete DINING ESTABLISHMENT. - G. W. Bush
8/1/1940 - Richardson in Geneva for grand opening (Silver Creek newspaper)
Geneva
Dinette - I.D. Sanders(mgr) 1946
5/5/1948 - David Sanders who managed Schanaker's Elmira diner bought Geneva Dinette at 382 Exchange
8/24/1949
- The former Geneva dinette at 382 Exchange St. has been purchased by
Wallace B. Fairchild, who is also owner of Fairchild's restaurant on
Seneca St.
The Diner
will be closed Sunday for a three-day period of remodeling and
renovation, and will open officially as Fairchild's Diner Sept. 1.
The
dinr was built by Glenn W. Bush in 1939[1940 really] and was operated
by him until two years ago. At that time it was purchased by the Geneva
Dinette Co.
Remodeling
will include a new paint job but will involve no enlargement. The same
large parking lot will be maintained in the rear. Mr. Fairchild has
been in the restaurant business for 35 years.
Fairchild's
Diner - Douglas E. & Wallace B. Fairchild 1949 - 1958
Bush's
Diner - Warren G. Bush 1960 -
11/30/1977 - By JEAN JONES
Back in the hustling, bustling
wartime years of the 1940s, downtown
was the place to go in Geneva, the
Seneca or Kirkwood Hotels were the
places to stay and Bush's Diner was
the popular place to eat.
Now the hustle and bustle is gone.
The two hotels are just a downtown
memory and Bush's is about to become
one.
Wrecking crews clearing the way for
a new parking area off Exchange
Street began ripping down the old
diner a couple of days ago.
Groundbreaking marking the start
of the approximate $800,000 off-street
parking plan was to take place at 10:30
this morning.
For the more stouthearted, the
demolition of the downtown diner is
long overdue.
But for some of the more sentimental, the razing marks the end of
an era. It conjures up some almost
forgotten memories on the part of a
few.
These few include 49-year-old
Warren Bush of 378 William St., whose
father originally built and ran the
diner.
Yesterday Bush recalled it was the
diner business that brought his father
to Geneva back in the early 1900s. The
elder Bush moved here from Niagara
Falls with his family "and there was a
Bush's diner in Geneva for 48 years,"
recalled the younger Bush with obvious pride, "except for the time when
dad's health was bad and he had to
lease it out."
The leasing came about after 1945,
remembers Bush, but not until after he
personally had a crack at operating
the business. For lack of a buyer, the
younger Bush replaced his father In
the diner business for 13 years. Subsequently, the Bush diner was to
become the Geneva Diner and an
eating place known by various other
handles, the most recent of which was
"Buster's."
Bush remembers that at different
times "Buster" Buster Sacone, Curley Fairchild and Max Golos leased and
ran the diner.
As Bush recalls it, the diner undergoing demolition next door to
Demming's wallpaper and paint store
was built in 1939. It replaced an earlier
kind of diner that Bush calls "the old
streetcar type on wheels you used to
see."
"The Silver Creek Co. manufactured
them and when you purchased one you
had to go where the company had an
opening," explained Bush. "At the
time Dad got it there were openings in
Geneva, Ithaca and Auburn. That's
what brought us here. He decided on
Geneva."
The oldtime Silver Creek diner, says
Bush, was brought to Geneva on a
railroad flatcar. It was towed into
place on Exchange Street on the land
of the owners of the former Buick
Garage.
Then, recalls Bush, his father
decided he wanted a bigger diner. "So
he brought the people here from the
Silver Creek factory to build a new
one.
He recalls when the old diner was
towed out by tractor to make way for
the newer one. "My father bawled. It
was a real tear-jerker."
The newer diner was born in the
heyday of the local war boom. "It was
no more than finished when the war
broke out," recalls Bush. He chuckles.
"You might say Dad paid for it awfully
fast."
The diner opened when the Sampson
Naval "boot camp" was flourishing
and gradually it earned a reputation
"around the country" as a good eating
spot, remembers Bush.
The hundreds of recruits and other
Navy men going through the old
training camp came to know the
pleasure of eating at the diner when in
town. So did their visiting families and
friends and they spread the word.
The diner operated 24 hours a day as
oldtlme diners did, says Bush, and he
recalls "you'd run into people in the
most out-of-the-way places who would
tell you they'd eaten at Bush's."
For a while Bush says his father
owned a similar diner in Auburn on the
main drag. "That one only closed the
other day. I was there...it was more or
less the same situation as here...the
downtown's been hurting."
According to Bush, the Auburn diner
operated for some 45 years but his
father only had it for about four years.
Bush, not currently working due to
an operation, was able to be downtown
this week when the diner demolition
began.
In a way, says Bush, he's sorry to see
it knocked down. But on the other
hand, he says, "you have to realize
that things are tough down there."
27
Lake - Bixler
November 1933 - new Bixler l.c. on Lake St.
11/3/1933 - You are Cordially Invited to visit us on Opening Day Friday. Or
Whenever The Urge For An Appetizing Snack Or Big Appetite Killing Meal
Comes Over You. Our Diner Will Be Open 24 Hours Every Day Of The
Year And Only The Best Foods And The Most Satisfactory Service
Will Be Featured. PLENTY OF FREE PARKING SPACE D. L. Woodworth -»
Proprietor
Texaco
Grille - Donald L Woodworth 1934 - 1952
Texaco
Grille - F.W. Tuxill 1946
2/25/1954 - Texaco
Grill, Lake St., operated by Don-Wesley Inc. for 21 years, will be
under new management Monday. To be known as Howell's Diner, the
restaurant will be run by Harry J. Howell, 199 S West St, a salesman
for S.M. Flickinger for the last eight years.
The
diner was first located there in 1933, and leased from the Texaco
Company, according to F. Wesley Tuxill of Don-Wesley Inc, operator of
Woodworth's Restaurant.
Mr.
Howell will leave the employment of the Flickinger company Friday and
take over the business next week. Beside travelling for Flickinger, he
worked for 15 years as a salesman for Standard Brands. Mr. Howell's
territory for Flickinger will be taken over by Paul Fuller, formerly of
Rochester. Mr. Fuller is presently seeking a house in Geneva.
Mr.
Howell plans no changes in the diner for the present, he says, ecept
the name, which must be changed. He hopes to expand in the future. As
now operated the restaurant employes about 20 persons on three shifts.
It opens at 6 am and closes at 2 am.
Mr.
Howell has been a Genevan for 30 years. He lives with Mrs. Howell, the
former Betty Frank, and their two children, James 14, and Judy, 11, at
199 S West St.
Don-Wesley
Inc has no new plans for the present, according to Mr. Tuxill. In
addition to the diner and Woodworth's Restaurant, the firm once owned a
restaurant at Seneca Lake Park and the Castle Dairy Bar.
3/2/1954 - Howell's Diner, Lake St., formerly the Texaco Grill, opened Monday with Harry J. Howell, 199 S.
West St. in charge.
Mr. Howell purchased the business from Don-Wesley Inc., which
operated it for 21 years. Don
Woodworth, opened the diner in
1933.
Don-Wesley Inc. dropped the
reins of the outfit after one of
their last customers "reined in" at
the diner Saturday afternoon.
Bill and Elsie Smith, operators
of Smitty's stand at Seneca Lake
Park drew up at the diner mounted on riding horses. While Bill waited outside, Elsie
rode her horse right into the diner
for a cup of coffee. The horse,
disdaining the java, had a plate of
carrots.
3/21/1959
- Cooking by microwave has come to Geneva. A 'radarrange' which cooks a
12 ounce sirloin in 26 seconds or broils a half chiken in two and one
half minutes has been installed in Howell's Diner at 27 Lake St. the
new equipment uses no flame or electric element. Microwaves heat only
the food - the utemsils and air remain cool. Harry J. Howell, owner of
the diner, who announced the new equipment in connection with the fifth
anniversary of his operation there, said the new radarrange "will
enable us to serve our customers better tasting food in much less time
than ever before."
Howell's
Diner - Harry J. Howell 1955 - 1960
Geneva
Odds & Ends
3/31/1926
- Announcement, Opening April 1, 1926 of Geneva's Only Dining Car. A
modern and sanitary place to eat all home cooked food. See your food
cooked before your eyes. A trial will convince you of our quick and
efficient service. Try our Dinner specials, A la carte service 24
hours. Lunches put up for all occasions. Located at 390 Exchange St in
the Kimball Motor Yard.
5/28/1937- Rothenberg's at foot of lake, newly built lunch car
8/28/1942 - Mr. and
Mrs. Albert Schweizer, of Avon, opened the restaurant on the
Waterloo-Geneva Road, formerly known as "The Seneca Drums," and before
that "The Anchor Restaurant,"' Wednesday of this week. This restaurant
is located at the foot of Seneca Lake just across the road from
Geneva's Seneca Park. It is now called Schweitzer's Diner. It has a
seating capacity of seventy-five and will provide some of the needed
extra restaurant facilities in this area during the unusual local
situation. The Schweitzers have operated a diner in Avon for several
years and will continue to operate it along with the new one here.
1945 ish - Schweitzer's D at foot of Lake opens under mgt of E.L. Jorgenson
1939 - Don Renegar of Waterloo conducts a lc in Geneva (Niagara Falls newspaper)
4/26/1939 - Permit for diner on old Roger's lumber property on Lake St filed by James G Handlan and James E Bonnell 48x16
3/20/1930 - Mr & Mrs Eugene Walsh moving from Seneca Falls to Geneva to conduct lw
Canandaigua -
There were two diners in town, one at the corner of Saltonstall and Main St was a
for sure. This diner moved to West Ave, was enlarged by a
carpenter who took the time to imitate the look of a Ward and Dickinson
diner on the exterior. Over time, the diner was boogered beyond
recognition.
The second was owned by the Sequin Bros who came from
North Tonawanda. I'm leaning Ward and Dickinson, but I need
confirmation.
There were at least two more authentic diners in
Canandaigua. There was a Silk City outside of town and a
Kullman mentioned in the newspapers.
There was a Ward and Dickinson diner at Saltonstall and Main St starting February-March 1927.
March 1927 - Bruno Dining Car, Saltonstall and S Main, "the Palace of Eats"
April 1927 - Bennett, Palace Dining Car, c. Main at Saltonstall [Vince Martonis has a photo from this time]
7/26/1928 - Flora Bennett purchased Palace Diner in Canandaigua, opens Saturday
Aug 1935 - Diner on S. Main at Saltonstall moved to West St. next to Sunoco Stn
Jan
1936 - Mrs M.B. Carroll of Auburn has new d.c. 113 West Ave, West Ave
Diner [I don't know if I buy this. I think it may have just been
enlarged]
2/21/1940 - Art Hoffman has purchased the West End Diner from Bruno Ceffali.
Feb 1948 - J.R. Hopkins mgr of West End diner
Leo
F Seguin came from North Tonawanda where he ran two diners. One
could have been a storefront, but we believe one was a diner.
12/21/1934 - Leo F Seguin given permission for fire proof diner at 246 S Main in Nov
Nov 1949 - SantAngelo owns Seguins Diner-216 S. Main, could be moved due to city
An on-site Seguin's Diner would open at 239 S Main St.
May
1962 - Hopewell Diner - 3 miles east of Canandaigua on US Rt 20 and 5,
Robert Estes and Betty Campbell. Listed as Kullman for sale May 1962.
Still had 10/16/1962
10/16/1962
- Robert Estes and Mrs. Betty Campbell are the new owners of the
Hopewell diner on Rts 5 and 20, three miles east of Main St. in
Canandaigua. Mr. Estes owns two family style restaurants in Lancaster,
NY and has logged over 150,000 miles in his private plane finding new
ideas for his establishments. Mrs. Campbell was manager of a
Lancaster, NY restaurant for Mr. Estes for 10 years and is co-owner and
manager of the Hopewell Diner. The lease for the Hopewell Diner was
aranged by Herb Ellinwood of Ellinwood Realty, 28 South Main Street,
Canandaigua.
Unsure how these fit in :
Jan 1937 - Bert Week closed lcar on Main St. no plans
Aug 1946 - Clark's Diner, opp Kershaw Park at the lake. Clark Holcomb. Was "new" 4-22-1938
1941 Naples, NY ad for Clark's diner - On Lake St, Opposite Kershaw Park,
Canandaigua, Has Reopened And
Will Remain Open All Winter -
Have Dining Room And Counter
Service — Specialize In Lunches,
Dinners, Sandwiches, Chicken In
The Rough, Steaks And Cube Steak
Plates—Orchestra For Dancing On
Saturday Nights—Serve Legal Beverages—Clark Holcombe, Prop.
The people of this section are very
fortunate to have in their midst a
place of the popularity and character
of Clark's Diner.
It is located very conveniently to
the highways and downtown Canandaigua, and is one of the livest
centers of this section of New York.
People of every busines make it their
headquarters when in the city.
Clark's Diner is where you will
find modern and refreshing surroundings and the best in food and legal
beverages. They appreciate the art in
the preparation of foods and here you
can secure fresh, wholesome foods
deliciously prepared that will be sure
to satisfy you. They have a thoroughly up-to-date and modern service
bar and know how mixed drinks
should be served. Whatever drink
you call for will be served you here
as they have a large supply of all
kinds of legal beverages.
You'll more than like Clark's
Diner. An hour or a Saturday evening spent here win never be regretted.
In making this review we are glad
to call the attention of our reader to
Clark's Diner and to recommend
them upon their excellent service and
upon the enviable position and reputation their diner has attained. We
suggest that all of our readers make
Clark's Diner their rendezvous when in Canandaigua.
1956 - Mecislaus "Mike" Matuzas - Clark's Diner(Geneva newspaper)
6/21/1941 - Herbert Baye, Lake St, diner-restr
1/8/1948 - Miller's Diner 207 S Main -Margaret Miller. Bought fronm Joseph Muscato
Victor -
There
was a diner of unknown make in Victor. A gentleman who was
interviewed for an Albion, New York story said there was a Ward and
Dickinson diner in Victor. He did think a Liberty was a W&D, so it could be any of the vicinity's makes.
Aug 1935 - lcar on Loomis property, west of Bradley Hardware on south side of E Main St. Robert Bennett
March 1937 - Miss Katherine Kennedy formerly employed at Victor Lunch Car
7/7/1937 - More drivers between Utica and Buffalo plan their main lunch for Pop's
lunch cart in Victor. Pop knows how they like their coffee and who's
been through and who hasn't.(St. Johnsville paper)
April 1946 - Victor L.car has disappeared from view with walls of new cinder block bld.
8/25/1969 - Robert O. Bennett died, ran diner for 29 years.
1936 - James Jones l.c. (??) (Shortsville newspaper)
ca 1958 - Phippen's Diner- 164 W Main St
ca 1941 - Frederic Traber had victor Diner in Victor (Ellicottville newspaper)
ca 1940 - Clara Fisher to William C Loury, diner at Victor (Rochester newspaper)
Naples -
There
was a used diner in Naples. It was either a Liberty or
Mulholland. Something is just slightly off in the photo I saw of
the place.
Seneca County -
Waterloo -
5/1/1895 - An all night restaurant on wheels started in business Saturday evening. It will fill a midnight long-felt want.
4/16/1921 - Have Waited for Arches under railroad to be repaired.
Waterloo, April 14—A gang of
men have recently started to repair the arches supporting the roadbed on Washington street, which
prior to the construction of the barge
canal paased over the river. At present, the majority of the water
which previously flowed through the
old channel cut by the river passes through the canal, but there is still
some water left in the old riverbed which necessitates the use of
open arches under the road.
It has been planned for the past
few weeks to move the old lunchcar
that stands between the bank building and the Victory theater to tha site
of the recent fire disaster on Washington Street which accurred January 31st, but due to the fact that the
road-bed was noted to be sinking,
the moving of the lunch car was postponed until repairs could be made.
The
lunch car in question is one that was constructed some fifteen years
ago by Emmett Kuns[sp?], the present proprietor of the Finger Lakes
Restaurant in Waterloo. Kuns is the pioneer restauranteur of the
village and constructed the lunch car from two of the old street cars
that formerly ran between Seneca Falls and Geneva when the electric
road was first built. The car was constructed on Locust Street and
transported from there to the corner of ???? and Washington street
onthe site where the old Academy of Music stood before it was destroyed
by fire. The car was finally moved to its present site along side of
the bank, and is destined to be moved again. and once more to occupy a
space that has been cleared by fire.
Waterloo had a Ward and Dickinson diner #22 in the village after it started in Auburn, New York as the first Carrollette Diner. It was located at 33 Seneca and lasted into the 1960s I believe.
In 1965, the Current Connie's Diner came to Waterloo. It is either a Manno or a DeRaffele.
11/16/1965
[photo caption] - INER ARRIVES — Soon, the new orange and chrome
Chick's Diner will be opening, on the corner of E. Main and Swift Sts.
in Waterloo. Arrival date was to have been June 15 and it finally got
here last week in four sections. Each section was complete with table
and chairs or counters. The pictures were already hanging on the wall
when it pulled into the lot. The new diner has a seating capacity of
92. Chick Podgorny became owner of the original diner on Aug. 8, 1955
and has since became known locally for his food especially pies. Chick
started in the restaurant business by working in an ice cream parlor
in Seneca Falls as a boy. Many jobs later he became partowner of the
diner in Seneca Falls.
1/10/1966
- WATERLOO — At 6 a.m. this morning the long awaited opening of
Chick's Diner on E. Main St. took place. This diner is a far cry from
the old one which was located across the street. "Chick" Podgorney
chose Waterloo's colors, orange anf black as the color scheme. There
are 11 seats at hte counter, seven small booths, eight large ones and
two extra long ones on either end of the dining room. The back of
the counter is complete with a soda fountain and refrigerated cabinet
for salads, etc. A specially built heater and air - conditioner has
been installed on the roof, and the basement contains a fully equipped
bakery where Chick will make his famous pies. The diner can accommodate
99 people and will be open 24 hours a day
Seneca Falls -
For three years, Ward and Dickinson #27 was in Seneca Falls before heading to Buffalo, New York.
There was a Sterling Diner that was popular for a number of years.
7/16/1974
- At sometime in his life, everyone needs a 24-hour diner, a clean,
well lighted place to be alone - sadly though, because of rising
overhead and fast food competition, it may be a vanishing institution.
The scramble of conversation, waitresses moving like genies, a
cheeseburg on the way, a juke box undermining everything, all at 4 a.m.
-ah . Where else in Seneca Falls can you order eggs and bacon and find
yourself sitting next to Ronald Reagan or Arthur Godfrey or Robert
Cummings and at the same time chance to see a customer throw another
customer through a window? At the Homestead Diner one recent morning an
old man — whose nose appeared to have been the site of some fierce
battle and whose pants arret tshirt seemed incapable of covering his
considerable stomach — sat next to me and told a story of gypsies. "It
was like Ali Baba or some band of A-rabs. They cone in - at least 50 or
40 — talking gibberish -- they was over everything like ants. After
about ten minutes, when they all left, you couldn't find a grain of
salt on the counter, made off with everything in the place —
professionals," he said, being careful not to look anyone in the eye.
As he talked, Carol Addona, whose father Earl Kilmer owned the diner
for 12 years, poured coffee from a stainless pot, smiling and shaking
her head slowly from side to side. A man at a nearby table assured me
that 1 old man's story was gospel. Carol undercuts the old man's myth.
There were about 15 gypsies, they did talk a lot, but they wanted to
buy everything. They took nothing. Between trips to and from the
diner's booths, pretty, trim, well tanned Carol talked about her
work, people, changes, and frequently edited the old man's stories. "I
was brought up in a diner. My father owned one in Auburn. I love it,"
she said, adding, "I' m not saying that if I inherited a million
dollars I would stay, but . . . " A 24 hour diner makes most of its
profit on the breakfast and lunch trade — the working people, she said.
They have an hour for lunch or 15 minutes for breakfast and they want
to get in and out. But after midnight, "They're a different type of
people. You never know what to expect on nights," said Carol, opening
her eyes wide, pursing lips and nodding.
"We've had some lousy customers," she admitted,
"One went right through the pie case. Several have gone through
windows." There have been brawls, "blood all over," she said, "First
thing we do is grab all the tools and run for the kttchen. We
don't want anybody grabbing them." But then, most of the time the diner
is good for quiet conversations. Fights or arguments leave with
customers, new customers appear, it gets busy.
Afternoons and evenings the diner is
crowded with kids, either two or eight
to a booth, trying out cigarettes, taking
in Coke like air. What are they doing?
"Talking about their dates,
graduations, their friends — many of
them bring their yearbooks for me to
sign," said Carol. "They feel at home
here. They understand me. They have
a respect for me. Any one of them will help out when we get busy or when we're cleaning - for a hamburg and a Coke," she said.
Anyone
who has ever served the public knows that he must stay as fresh as his
product all day long. "Sometimes I think my face is going to fall off
when I have to smile," said Carol, but she declares that the customer
has little to do with the way a day goes. "I think it depends upon you
yourself." she said. What has changed in 16 years? "Nothing," begins
Carol, but she quickly qualifies this, "Except today everything comes
out of a can," and "Men have gotten gossipy," She won't say
whether there is any correlation between the two changes, but theorizes
that the men have picked up gossip from their wives.
What about people? "People are
good. I've had people leave a note on a
napkin. They appreciated the service
but they just didn't have the money to
leave a tip," said Carol.
A 24-hour diner will sometimes attract because it will listen. People
know enough to expect anything, but
they also know that someone will say
"Whatever they want to hear. 'That's
good . . . That's too bad,' sort of make
them feel welcome and at ease," said
Carol,
There are hazards, i.e. talkers. "They'll talk to you until they're tired
of talking," said Carol, adding, " I
never spread gossip over here. You
could get yourself in a Hell of a lot of
trouble."
The lunch crowd begins to bustle into
the diner. They don't look at the menu,
but rub their hands together and order
sandwiches and an occasional dinner.
Carol flies to the tables, takes orders
like a mindreader, going up on one leg
to wipe each table. The old man begins
to tell me about when he could buy a hamburg for five cents.
Asked why she works, she answered quickly, on the run, "Just for
my own peace of mind. I can't picture
myself sitting in an office. I think I'd
climb the walls. Especially being in
with a bunch of women."
The diner itself is like many others in
every part of the country manufactured by J.B. Judkins Co. of
Merrimac, Mass., manufacturers of
the "Sterling Diner." Several not-so-old-timers remember the diner when it
came to Seneca Falls on the Barge
Canal about 50 years ago. It is presently operated by John
Martin, an Ithacan who has cooked in
many area restaurants. Martin said
that like all small businessmen, he has
to be very careful with his buying, and
he and his wife work long hours to
keep the diner open. "I've worked as
much as 36 hours straight without
getting out of here," said Martin.
Owner Martin is not too sure about
the future of the 24-hour diner.
"They'll always be around the big
cities, but not the small towns,' he
said. "We'll always be open 24 hours, I
hope."
Cayuga County -
Auburn -
Clarence
C Close and Raymond Brady opened two diners in Auburn. One at 51
State which probably replaced an older lunch wagon and the other at 211
Clark. They sold the one at 51 State to
Stephen J Miller in 1944 and he ran it for a few years until George
Younis was listed as the owner in 1948. In 1950 Earl R Kilmer was
running the diner, followd by James Osterhout in 1954 and Alphonse
Finizio in 1955.
The
diner at 211 Clark was expanded over the years and eventually run by
the families of the original owner until roughly 1964. A 1964
article says that the diner operated in Syracuse from 1924 to 1930 when
it was brought to Auburn.
12/1/1924
- HUGE DINING CAR ARRIVES HERE AS NOVEL RESTAURANT The monotony
of Auburn traffic was broken Saturday by the appearance of a large
dining car being towed through the streets by a large truck to its
berth adjoining the Leonard sales rooms in State Street. The car is 30
feet long and 11 fee wide. It was towed from New Rochelle.
When set up it will serve as a
dining car, the chef, Harold Spinks,
formerly being associated with the
Onondaga Hotel. The interior of the
car is finished in marble, white tile
and German silver. It is the most
pretentious of modern dining cars.
All cooking, say the owners will
be done in plain sight of the customer. Fifteen chairs line the long
counter. It will operate under the
name of the Close-Brady Grill.
4/1/1964
- Workmen today began tearing the 40 year old section of the
Close and Brady Diner and restaurant at 211 Clark St, getting ready to
build a new 45-foot section to the existing dining room section.
Raymond H Brady Jr, manager, today said completion date for the new addition is May 1.
The old diner in 1924 was in operation in Syracuse with the late Clarence T Brady and Raymond H Brady, Sr.
In 1930, the diner was brought to Auburn and set up for business on its present location.
Later an addition was made.
the
new addition will be of cement block faced with tile. It will be a
dinerrestaurant with 18 stools at a counter, Mr. Brady said.
The
kitchen, located to the rear of the old diner was renovated laast
December, business will continue during construction, Mr. Brady said.
There
was a Bixler diner in Auburn. Located at 120 State Street by the
prison. Timothy J Flood ran the diner for about 10 years before
selling to Roy H Robertson who ran the diner for roughly 30 years.
Jerrimiah L Burke took over in 1975 followed by Tom R Woods and Kathy
Moonin 1984, who would become his wife in 1987. In 1988 Timothy J and
Ann M Farrelly would run the diner for a year or two before Patricia
McNabb would run the diner up until a fire in 1995 closed the place.
Amazingly, someone took the job of restoring the diner, years
later.
Diner Serves Up Memories Renovated Auburn eatery opens doors to patrons
February 13, 2003
By Beth Beer Staff writer
Tucked
in the frame of a recent picture of the Auburn Diner is a photograph of
the pre-renovated diner. The image shows the railway car diner in a
deteriorated state, panels on the outside wall either falling off or
rusting away.
"Inside, there was nothing because of a fire,"
said Toni Bianco, a co-owner with her husband, Steve. "Inside it was
all charred." It barely resembles the current diner today - where the
picture is displayed - with its light peach exterior, rose-colored
counter, flat-screen televisions and addition for the kitchen and
future ice cream stand. The Biancos purchased the diner and the land it
sits on from the Cayuga County Industrial Development Authority for
$25,000 in May 2001. Steve and Toni Bianco opened the diner's doors
Jan. 20 after almost a year and a half of renovating it. Steve Bianco
billed it as a quiet opening but received the opposite response. "We
got bombarded like you wouldn't believe," he said. "It was just by
word-of-mouth." Many of the diner's customers frequented the old Auburn
Diner when it was parked on State Street across the street from the
Auburn Correctional Facility. It was damaged by fire in May 1995. In
October 2000, the abandoned diner was moved from State Street to the
old railroad bed by the former Singer Factory on Columbus Street. The
diner is now across the street from Courier Plastics and Jacobs Press
on Columbus Street and close to Bombardier Transportation. Former
prison guards, waitresses and owners have stopped in, bearing
photographs of the diner in its heyday. "I'm just excited that the
thing still survived," said Steve Bianco, who patronized the old diner
as a child and teen. "This diner's pushing 70 to 75 years. It was
almost demolished." The diner is open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. seven days
a week. It seats 40 people comfortably and is nonsmoking. It employs
around 13 people, most of them family members. So far, Saturdays have
proved to be the busiest, Steve Bianco said. "We've had over 400 people
come through the door on Saturdays," Bianco said. "The cooks are
nonstop from 6 till 2." The menu item that has received the most
compliments is the "diner burger," a concoction consisting of a meat
patty, sauteed onions, eggs, spices and a special sauce. The menu will
expand to include ice cream in the spring when the ice cream stand
opens. Bianco said he's toying with expanding the diner's hours for the
summer. Bianco, who owns Bianco Plumbing and Heating in Auburn,
expected the diner's revival to cost between $100,000 and $150,000. He
said he has spent double that. He worked on the renovations himself
with other contractors. He's also thinking of adding picnic tables and
possibly a gazebo. "There's still things I want to do here," he said.
"I'm not done yet."
7/19/1933
- Utica. July 19,1933—Schedules were filed today in Federal Court here
in the involuntary bankruptcy petition against Margaret B. Carroll and
William H. Carroll, doing business as the Carrollette Diner,
Auburn.
They
show liabilities jointly of $6,601.50 and assets of $2,600, the latter
including a dining car valued at $2,500 with a mortgage of 51,700.
Individual schedules are listed as follows: Margaret Carroll,
liabilities of $5,514 and assets of $1,600; William H. Carroll, debts
of $4,414 and assets of $40. An Involuntary petition directed against
the partnership is filed by three creditors, the Dairymen's League
Co-operative Association of Auburn, Rublee Manufacturing Company and
Edward B. Koon.
Hunters Dinerante, a 1951 O'Mahony diner sits on a spot
that previously help three different Ward and Dickinson diners.
The first, Ward and Dickinson diner #22. This was traded in for a larger dner and this original diner went to Waterloo, New York. The
second diner lasted from 1928 to roughly 1938. We do not know where it
went. A third larger diner was brought in at the end of 1938.
This was one of the rare wide Ward and Dickinson diners, similar
to the diner that went to the Kendall Station in Silver Creek.
That is the diner that got replaced by the O'Mahony in 1951.
9/17/1951 - Auburn's new $100,000 stainless steel diner,owned and operated by Robert N. Hunter, will be
officially opened at 6 a. m. Wedneaday after several months of
construction and refinishing work.
The diner, one of the most modern in the state, is located at 18
Genesee Street, running parallel
with the street across the Owasco
Outlet. It will be opened for 24-
hour service.
Prior to the opening date, Mr.
Hunter and his wife, Louise, will
hold open house Tuesday from 5
to 11 p. m, A complete inspection
of the 54-foot diner and free refreshments will be available to
everyone during this time.
Started In May
Construction work on the foundation, cellar and complete kitchen
for the diner was started last May
by Bert Clark, general contractor.
Mr. Clark pointed out that 80,000
pounds of steel was used to set up
the foundation on stone piers In
the river.
The difficult task of bringing
! the dicer to Auburn and setting it
in place was accomplished by R.
L. Schooley of this city. The huge
eating car was brought to Auburn
from Elizabeth, N. J. Robert S.
Richards was the architect.
The Interior'of the lunch car is
done In rose and gray with a diamond pattern terraizo floor. A
50-'oot stainless steel mirror Is
across the ceiling of the diner
The main entrance opens
into a vestibule. The counter is
made up of two sections, each
with its complete equipment.
Twelve stools are in one part and
eight in the other. A feature of
the leather booths which will accommodate 44 persons will be a
family seating arrangement that
can handle a party of 12 people.
Mr. Hunter pointed out during
a tour yesterday that no food of
any kind is cooked in the diner.
A fully equipped soda fountain
occupies one end of the building
and display cases for pies, cakes
and other desserts are across the
back of the counter. Refrigerated
display cases are also in the diner
part.
A cashier's booth and display
ease for cigarettes, candy, etc., is
located near the main entrance.
Large Mirror.
Two rest rooms are located on
the left side of the diner, both
in ceramic tile. A large mirror is
also located across one end of the
car. The diner is equipped witl.
gas heat and air-conditioning. Indirect lighting has been installed
throughout the structure.
The
kitchen is broken down into four separate sections. An electric
dishwasher and separate glass washer and sterilizer that has
constant hot water at I80 degree temperature is in one section of the
kitchen. A part is set aside for the baker. Baking ovens, stoves, proof
box for dough and a baker's refrigerator is included among his
equipment. A special section is set up for the short order cooks. Two
grills and an electric broiler, work table and a refrigerator are
available for the cooks. One of the grills is the only piece of
equipment retained from the old diner. The 25-year-old grill was
highly polished every day and has been completely re-built by Blaine
Baker so that it looks as modern as the new grills. The fourth
compartment of the kitchen is for the chef. The latest type, Steam-It
broiler, that can cook a roast or fowl in half an hour, is among the
pieces of equipment. A chef's refrigerator, racks for pots and pans,
and other utensiles are located in this department. Jerry Sawyer, head
chef, who has been with Mr. Hunter since he took over the diner 10
years ago, will continue to feature many of his famous dishes, the
owner stated a small office done in knotty pine is situated between the
dining car and the kitchen. Serving Counter The serving counter
is of stainless steel and the food is protected and kept hot at all
time by a radiant ray food warmer. A cold top is also refrigerated
to keep the cold foods at a proper; temperature A large
stainless steel steam table is located in the middle of the kitchen.
Dishes that blend with the color scheme of the diner and special
children's plates for half portion orders have been purchased.
Hop-Along Cassidy is pictured on the boys' plates while
Little Bo-Peep is printed on the girls' dishes. All new dishes and
cutlery have been acquired for the diner. Rest rooms and dressing
quarters for the 26 or 30 employes will be built in the basement of
the kitchen. Electric potato peeler and french fry cutter is located in
the cellar-alone with other material; and equipment. A catwalk
completely encircles the structure which will contain ample space for
storage and also enable the employes to get at the windows in
the rear and clean the exhaust fans. Glass blocks that are lighted
at night have been inserted along the lower front of the diner. A
huge neon sign will be erected in front of the diner. The old diner
which was erected in 1926, was taken over by Mr. Hunter just before
the war. While he was in service, the diner was capably operated by his
wife. Most of the present employes have been with Mr. Hunter for the 10
years that he has been in business.
| Carrollet Diner | 18 Genesee | W and D | 1926 | 1934 | William H. Carroll | two Wards |
| Weddigan's Diner | 18 Genesee | W and D | 1935 | 1938 | Robert B. Weddigan | |
| Bush's Diner | 18 Genesee | | 1939 | 1941 | Glenn W. Bush | |
| Hunter's Diner | 18 Genesee | | 1942 | 1950 | Robert N. + Louise B. Hunter | |
| Hunter Dinerant | 18 Genessee | O'Mahony | 1951 | 1969 | Robert N. Hunter | |
| Hunter Dinerant | 18 Genessee | | 1970 | 1977 | Perry + Hilda Young | |
| Park View Diner | 18 Genessee | | 1979 | 1980 | David Younis | |
| Parkview Diner | 18 Genessee | | 1982 | 1982 | Warner Meis | |
| Partner's Parkview Dine | 18 Genessee | | 1985 | 1990 | William F. Koegel | |
| Hunter's Diner | 18 Genessee | | 1994 | 1996 | Shane Younie | |
| Hunter's Dinerant | 18 Genessee | | 1997 | 1997 | Richard McMahon |
9/23/1977 - The Hunter Dinerant on the Genesee
Street Bridge, a local landmark for 50
years, will close its doors midnight Sunday.
There is a possibility that Bob Hunter,
who started to work in the original diner 50
years ago and later owned it, may run it
again.
But the present operator, Lynn Spence,
said he has not found a buyer and has no
choice but to dose, because there is not
enough traffic in downtown Auburn to keep
it viable.
Spence says that urban renewal is to blame, at least to a large part.
But Spence will not get out of the
restaurant business. He and his wife
Lorrie will concentrate their.efforts on
their other enterprise, Pinky's & Perry's
atl280wascoSt.
Spence said the diner had a large
number of loyal customers and that he
feels badly about abandoning them, then
added that they would be welcome at the
other place.
Spence has been connected with the
Hunter diner for about six years, or since
he married the daughter of the owner. Perry H. Young. Mr. Young died early this
year and the diner is now owned by his
estate.
He had asked in his will that the diner
should be run by his wife. Mrs. Hilda
Young, and his daughter and her husband
until a new owner could be found, but
according to Spence it was decided to close
the doors now.
Bob Hunter, who runs the CCCC
cafeteria, today recalled some of the early
history of the diner He said he believed
the first diner, a Ward-Dixon model
resembling a railroad car. was placed on the bridge in 1927. He said the diner then
was running parallel to the outlet, or north
and south.
He said it was called the Carroll Diner,
or the Carrollette. and he worked there
after school.
He said the diner changed hands twice
before he bought it in 1939. He had the
present diner installed in 1%1. and
changed the direction so that it stands
parallel to Genesee Street, or east and
west.
He said he sold the diner to Young about
eight years ago.
4/30/1978 - Mayor Paul W. Lattimore said Friday
he has suggested the city buy the former
Hunter Dinerant on Genesee Street and
remove it from the bridge over the Owasco
Outlet.
Lattimore said the city is in discussions
with Robert Hunter over the price and that
he expects the City Council to take some
action on the matter next week. Hunter holds the mortgage on the
property which he sold tor Mr. and Mrs.
Perry Young in 1969. The owner since died
and the Young estate has missed
mortgage payments. Hunter said.
Hunter said he has paid about $15,500 in
back taxes on the property and also paid
off a lien by the Small Business
Administration for default on a loan for
new equipment.
A mortgage foreclosure sale will be
conducted at 10 a.m. Monday on the
County Courthouse steps. The diner will go
to anyone bidding more than Hunter is
owed and he will, "be paid. Otherwise Hunter will own the diner.
The mayor said Hunter wants to dispose
of the property and "we have had one
inquiry from a party from out of town
about buying and removing" the diner. He
said he expects other prospective buyers
to come forward when they learn the diner
is for sale.
The diner has been closed since last
October.
Lattimore said he suggested that either
the city or the Auburn Industrial
Development Authority could
purchase the diner and resell it to someone
willing to move it. and then remove the
piers supporting the diner from the river.
He said the matter was discussed with
the council in executive session Thursday
and the the council directed City Manager
Bruce Clifford and John Pettigrass, city
corporation counsel, to discuss it further
with Hunter.
Lattimore said the price the city offers
for the building probably would be based
on its assessment, which is supposed to reflect fair market value.
The mayor said the city should be
concerned with the property because it is
on the Outlet in a section slated for
beautification. The project includes
demolition of the Barbara Jay building at
the corner of Genesee and Osborne streets,
now underway
Lattimore suggested that after the diner
and piers are removed, the city should
replace the solid steel fence on that side of.
the bridge with the same type of fencing
installed on the north side, noting "people
like to stop and look" at the water flowing.
The diner was closed due to financial
.problems after the former owners died
and the SBA planned to foreclose on the
equipment. Lattimore said the owners
also were in arrears on taxes, which
Hunter paid "to protect his investment."
the mayor said.
Hunter said he expects to sell the diner,
which he said he believes is a "good
business opportunity." particularly with
the new development downtown.
5/15/1978 - Possible city purchase of the Hunter
Dinerant on Genesee Street was discussed
again Thursday by the City Council in
executive session.
Although the value of the property is still
under discussion, Mayor Paul Lattimore said today the owner, Robert Hunter, is
asking about $40,000 for the diner and the
river bed on which it is built.
The property is assessed at about
$32,000, including the water rights. City
Manager Bruce Clifford reported.
Clifford said the city is "anxious" to buy
land if someone else buys the diner and
agrees to move it.
Even if it does not buy the diner, the
mayor said, the city has been advised by
its counsel to take an option subject to any
other sale.
"The important thing is that the city
should control the situation." Lattimore
said. Otherwise someone may by the diner
and "leave it there another 50 years," he
said.
The mayor has said repeatedly he wants
to see the diner moved so the city can
remove the piers on which it is supported over the Owasco Outlet. He said this would
allow an unobstructed flow in the Outlet
during flood season and would remove an
eyesore that can be seen from the park
area planned along the west side of the
Outlet where the Buonocore building
stood.
Other city council members reportedly
oppose the city's purchasing the property,
saying this would set a precedent for
similar acquisition of other downtown
buildings.
At least one council member has said he
does not feel the diner is as much an
eyesore as the rear of other buildings on
the east side of the Outlet.
Hunter recently bought back the diner
he previously sold, for $40,000 at a
mortgage foreclosure auction. The bid
reportedly is the same as the unpaid
balance of the mortgage he holds and
payments he made on back taxes on the
property.
Lattimore had reported an out-of-town
concern was interested in buying the diner
and moving it.
Unknown
date - PART 2 - The eating car is 30 tons of never-rust
stainless steel, and it sits on 15 tons of steel and stone piers.
; The 54-by-l6-foot diner was transported to Auburn by flat-bed
truck from Elizabeth, N.J.
; The original upholstery of the lunch car was colored rose and
gray, and the polished terrazzo marble floor has a diamond
pattern. A 50-foot stainless steel mirror is mounted on the
ceiling. A newspaper story in Auburn's Citizen-Advertiser in 1951
described the diner as "one of the most modern in the state,"
bragging that its two restrooms were lined in ceramic tile. The
restaurant was unique for its time in other ways. It had air
conditioning, gas heat and even small-size children's plates —
Hop-Along Cassidy pictured on the'boys' dishes, and Little Bo Peep
on the girls' dishes. Original owner Robert N. Hunter spent
$100,000 to buy and put up the building, which replaced
a wooden diner he ran on the same spot since the early
1940s. They don't mass-produce stainless steel diners
"like that anymore, Koegel said, and to custom-make "
one today would cost at least $800,000.
"The only ones I know like it in this area are Little
Gem Diner in Syracuse and the Fulton Diner,"
Koegel said, then adding with a smile, "but I think
this one is nicer."
; Still, Parkview Diner has lost much of its luster over the years. The
terrazzo floor has cracks; blinds
in the windows are missing; the Formica counters
are worn and idented on the edges from the rubbing
of millions of elbows.
But the place is clean, service is fast and the food
is good — a major step from six dismal years after
1978, when Hunter sold the diner and it changed
hands several times before Koegel took over last
year. .
"One of the former cooks used to play Pac-Man
while customers waited," Koegel said. "It took a lot
of hard work to remove years of grease, dirt and
grime."
Koegel has already restored some of the diner's
original features such as the terrazzo floor, which
had been covered with a cheap, linoleum tile. He
plans to replace upholstery in the-booths, and to put
new blinds in the windows.
But he won't try to fix the cracks in the floor or
the indentations in the counter, Koegel said.
"I would never re-do those — they are character," he said.
Character. Some might say the 6-foot-talI,
bearded and beefy man. who operates Parkview
Diner has his share of it, too.
William Francis Koegel, 35, started working in
restaurants at age 14, scrubbing floors and busting
tables at Sherman's Restaurant on the west side of
Syracuse. The place later burned down.
Despite no cooking experience, he was hired as a
short-order cook at B'ville Diner in Baldwinsville in
1971 — "I bluffed my way into that one," he says
but got fired in short order because he was late to
work three times.
A year later, the diner's owner gave Koegel a
break and rehired him as a cook. This time he was
punctual, and stayed on for five years and became
night cook and manager.
Koegel later was hired as chef at Jordan Diner
and Steakhouse, also owned by Parkview Diner
owner William Younis. When Younis decided he
didn't want to run both places, Koegel took over
the restaurant in Auburn.
Koegel now lives in the city of Auburn with his
wife, Trudy, who is also a short-order cook and
waitress, and the other "partner" in Partners Parkview Diner,
The restaurant — open all day except for shortened hours on Sundays,
Mondays and Tuesdays —
employs about 15 people, including a waitress and
cook who started there 25 years ago.
The diner mostly serves basic meat-and-potato
meals, but Koegel likes to feature ethnic dishes and
specialties like Polish-style cabbage rolls. He also
cuts and ties his own meats,•and he bakes old fashioned pies on
the premises.
Even the prices are a bit old-fashioned: A eggs-pancake-English
muffin-coffee-juice breakfast is
$2.41; most full-course dinners are under $5.
In many ways, the Parkview Diner reflects William Koegel.
"I'm a young guy with old style, he explained.
"I've learned from old-style people.'
1/27/2001 - Slice of Auburn Up for Sale
Hunter's Dinerant price tag: $275,000
By Pam Greene
The
owners of Hunter's Dinerant in Auburn are looking to strike oil, and
not just the type left over from a plate of french fries and gravy, the
most popular item on the menu.
The 50-year-old authentic art deco diner is on the market and the asking price is $275,000.
They bought the building in 1986 for $48,000, according to the deed.
It's
a fair asking price, said owner Bill Younis of Fulton, considering the
rarity of the art deco architecture on Genesee Street and steady income
of the 55-seat business. Comparatively, though, the four-story,
131-year-old Phoenix Building a block away sold for $150,000 a few
weeks ago.
"I don't think it's so much to ask," Younis said. "I
can't tell you the figures it brings in, but it's worth more than we're
willing to sell it for. It does better than $275,000 and the price is
negotiable."
Younis and his family are selling, he said, because
he's 62 and ready to retire. Since founders Bob and Louise Hunter sold
the property to a relative of Younis' in 1986, the property has not
legally changed hands since, according to the property deed.
Hunter's
is an Auburn fixture, said Mayor Melina Carnicelli. She said she would
encourage whoever buys the property to seek making it a historical
landmark.
"When I was a kid that was the place to hang out," she
said. "Every Friday night after football games, there'd be a line out
the door. I always got french fries, gravy and a cherry Coke. It should
be a tourist attraction - it's as authentic as the Schine Theater."
Groups
of diner devotees literally eat their way from diner to diner around he
country, said Michael Tomlan, director of the graduate program in
historic preservation and planning at the College of Architecture, Art
and Planning at Cornell University.
"If it's an original diner, the
reality is there aren't that many that remain," he said. "There's a
considerable amount of interest in diners and there's a network to save
as many as possible. I don't find the situation (price of the building)
in Auburn surprising. It's not surprising an owner would want to get as
much as possible from a property. It's whatever the market will bare."
Hunter's
manager Tracie Skellington said tourists pop in all the time.
Twenty-eight Harley-Davidson riders came in not too long ago, saying
they saw Hunter's on the Internet. Most of the customers, though, are
locals who have been coming for years.
"They come back from all
over the country," said Marie Desimone, who has been a waitress there
for 25 years. "They all come back and say, 'I used to come here when I
was a kid,' and what's the first thing they order? French fries and
gravy."
The steady income comes from a pool of loyal customers who often eat there several times a day.
"I've been coming here for more than 40 years," said 62-year-old Willie Love.
Yates County -
Penn Yan -
1921 news article - Hollywood director Bert Van Tuyl had l.w. where Sampson Theatre now stands.
A
Richardson dining car has called Penn Yan home since 1925. Lena
and Byron Legters brought the diner to town. The diner brough
Earl and a couple of his workers to Penn Yan as the diner was built
over a kitchen, due to the unique setting of the diner. The front
side of the property is at one level, and the back side is at a lower
level, allowing the special design. This must have fascinated
Earl. The Legters did not last long and soon Carroll Bond came
out and took over the diner. In the late 1920s, he tried to get a
loan from the bank to pay off the remainnig money owed to the
Richardson builders. Lena Legters claimed ownership and the bank
balked at their committment to loaning Bond money. Bond tried
suing the bank, but that went nowhere. He did retain ownership of
the diner.
1925 - Lena and Byron Legters
4/23/1926
- Bond puts up electric sign. Diner is 30'x10'6" kitchen 10x16
downstairs. Bond moved to Tap Tavern in 1930s. Bond had diner Feb 1935.
Some
employees: Erva Kenyon 1927; Miss Thelma Higley 1927;painted
white 1927; Miss Isabelle Caward of Dundee 1927; Dora Bradley
1934; Darrin Jones 1938; Lewis P Hopkin 1938
10/1/1935 - Winifred Richardson sold diner to Odell Jones of Dansville
6/2/1949 - Ralph and Dorothy Legg, ill health, to O'Dell Jones
1/6/1950 - Mr. and Mrs. Francis Northrup of Garfield avenue Penn Yan, owners and
managers of the Penn Yan diner, having purchased the restaurant from
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Legg who bought it last spring and operated it
through the summer and fall. The new owners took possession December 1.
Mr. Legg, who resigned as deputy sheriff with the Yates County
Sheriff's department when he bought the diner, returned to work in
that position January 1
Schuyler County -
Watkins Glen -
I
think there may have been a diner built in Silver Creek in Watkins
Glen. A diner got a name Cheaga(sp?) and popped up.
5/7/1903 - lw at depot
1920 - John Robbits lw
Unknown date - Chautauqua(Cheguaga) Diner. Mrs and Mrs Clyde Smith painted, near
overhead crossing, shrubs planted, good trade from drivers of through
trucks as it maintains all night service.
3/15/1939 - Albert Ash, Sidney Palmer(Betty Blue gas stn) opened Betty Blue Diner on Watkins-Montour Rd Monday
12/9/1942 - Paul G Smith of Detroit married Helen Lucille Filipeck, mgr of Chautauqua Diner
11/07/1945 - Harry R. Hoover bought Chautauqua Diner
Montour Falls -
10/5/1938 - d.c. Jct Clinton and Catherine Sts. Diner will face new highway, William Dickson owner.
1940s - Smith's Diner, Paul G Smith
1951 - Montour Falls l.w. Bob Hoover
Tompkins County -
Ithaca -
11/29/1894
- Every evening the White Elephant Cafe, a restaurant on wheels, is
drawn to the corner of Tioga and State streers, and remains open all
night or as long as customers for lunches appear. Several of our drug
stores announce they are open all night.
7/11/1895 - Ithaca has an all night lunch wagon,
said to be profitable; one of thirty, owned
by a Mr. Hammil, in operation in various
cities. The Ithaca wagon pays the city
$50 for a license, pays a land owner $60
for the use of the pavement on which it
stands and yet earns money on the profits of five-cent lunches.
New York Times 5-21-1901
CONTRACT OF SALE OF A LUNCH WAGON.—
Robert
M. Love and Amanda Love, vendees in a written "contract for the sale of
a lunch wagon, contended that the sale was made upon condition that the
vendor, Ephraim Hamel, - would not maintain a lunch wagon in the City
of Ithaca or sell one to anybody else to be operated there. They at
first forgot, however, to mention that provision to the attorney who
drew the written contract, and when they did call his attention to it
he said he would draw a new contract or interline the omitted provision
in the contract already drawn. Hamel said it was not necessary, that he
was in a hurry, that the Loves had always done as they agreed by him,
and he certainly would by them. The lawyer said it would be better to
have the entire agreement in writing, but it was not redrawn or
changed. In an action brought by the Loves against Hamel to recover
damages for alleged breach of the agreement not to put another lunch
wagon in Ithaca, they were allowed to give evidence of the alleged oral
agreement preceding and accompanying the execution of the written
agreement. Judgment for the plaintiffs has been reversed by the Third
Appellate Division, the court holding that the oral agreement in regard
to maintaining another lunch wagon was not a collateral and independent
agreement, and that parol evidence of such agreement was inadmissible,
as it tended to vary the written contract. Justice Chase, for the
court, says: "The statements made by the parties to this action, and
advice of counsel given when the writing was being prepared, shows that
the oral agreement was considered by all as one entire agreement, all
of which to be binding upon the parties should be incorporated into the
written agreement. The parol evidence preceding and accompanying the
execution of the written agreement was improperly received."
Ward and Dickinson diner #58
was in Ithaca after a brief stay in Cleveland, Ohio. James L Dick
opened up the diner at 234 S. Cayuga in June of 1927 and ran it less
than a year. On April 3, 1928, Louis H. Weinman would also run
the diner for less than a year. On March 21, 1929 R.M. Ferguson
would take over before Theodore R. Beam would purchase the place in
March of 1930. It's possible that Beam rented out the diner to
Donald Newbury. From roughly 1938 to 1944 Kenneth Hardenbrook and
Gerald Rich were the proprietors. Donald D. Perry had the place in
1946, LaVern A Wilcox from 1949 through 1954 and Betty MacCarrick in
1956. From 1957 to 1958 Frank Sidle and Mrs B. Rogers in 1959.
Doris Boynton and Charles Stanton in 1960 and back to Harry and
Betty Rogers in 1961 through 1963. Luella Thomas would finish off the
time the diner was open from 1964 to 1966.
5/6/1939
- Two Ithaca restaurateurs are partners in the R. & H. Sterling
Diner at 323 E State St which was opened today. The proprietors are L.
Gerald (mike) Rich, proprietor of the State Diner on W. State St, and
Kenneth Hardenbrook, proprietor of the Cayuga Diner on S Cayuga St.
James L Dick also bought another Ward and Dickinson diner,
just after the start of 1927 in April. (So this diner would have
been somewhere close to diner #100) This one he placed at 124
East Seneca Street. This diner, he ran until 1932 when it was
sold to Raymond S Young, who shortly sold the diner to John P Lown.
Lown would later buy a Ward and Dickinson sinder in Silver Creek,
New York. In 1938, Lown would sell the diner to Charles Q
Draucker Jr. George Whiting, Lawrence Wilcox, Paul and Alice
Rowland, Richard and Evelyn Manning, James Van Garder. All of these
owners had the diner for a short time in the 1940s. Lula Machen would
be the last owner in 1953.
The Diner at 1002 W State Street
started out as the R&H Diner with Floyd Rice and Oscar Hegnauer as
owners in 1937. Floyd Rice ran it the next eight or so years as Rice's
Diner. He sold to John R Ackles who ran it as the Western Diner
for a year. After this, the name would change to Wes and Les Diner with
Lester Cornish for ten years, the first three or so with Samuel W
McLain. Mrs. Hazel H Clinton would run the diner from 1959 to
1962, then Charles Cark in 1963-1964 and finally Mrs. Betty Rogers from
1965 to 1967.
There's part of the story I think I am missing
with the next two diners. The first was pictured as a Mulholland
diner and the second as a Sterling diner. But today, the first
exists and has what seems like a Sterling diner outline.
Maybe the State Diner goes back earlier.
The
State Diner's, at 428 W State Street, first listing is 1937 to 1944
with L Gerald Rich and Kenneth Hardenbrook as owners. L Gerald
Rich would continue until 1959 when he passed the torch to Dionysio
Papadopoulos and Elias Andritsakia. Dino Poulos took over in 1976.
Rich
and Hardenbrook's other diner, the R&H Sterling Diner was at 333 E
State Street. This was a Sterling diner. By 1946, Gerald and
Francis E Sheppard were running the place and in 1949 Margaret Anagnost
was the proprietor. It is believed this diner moved to
Cortland/Homer and became the Midway Diner.
The Mano's
Diner, a Swingle, at 359 Elmira road, replaced a generic refreshment
stand. William J Manos was the owner. This lasted into the
20th century.
Steuben County -
Hornell -
There
was a diner for a very short time. 8/17/1927 - 32 B'Way - lc from
Elizabeth, NJ replacing a diner former on the same spot. Would be
Lynn's Diner.
There was a Rochester Grills diner. On 12/8/1938,
the Dansville newspaper reported: Tops Diner, Hornell's newest at 34
B'Way, shiny paint and sparkling windows. Mgt of Charles D Pryne
10/3/1957 - Top's Diner, Broadway Street,
Hornell, N. Y., commencing at
1 O'clock Sharp, Saturday,
Oct. 5—18 ft. by 22 in. by 35
in. high Formica counter, style
B, with step and selves, 20C1
tan top M. 36C30 Fiesta red
front and sides, stainless steel
edges; 7 ft. by 42 in. high with
24 in. top Formica service
counter with flush Formica
base; Shore showcase with
glass doors, demit plate, Model
No. 310, 5 ft. by 20 in.; 18, ft.
backbar; Peerless griddle;
Peerless hot plate; stainless
steel; 9 all-chrome counter
stools with floor base attachments, 24 in. high. No. 596,
21 tray Lacrosse ice cuber,
serial No 21661 with one-third HP carrier condensing unit,
serial No. 141413, including
one-third ton AP Freeon valve,
one-fourth sight glass and onefourth dryer; Blakcsley automatic dish washer, Victor
model; four ice boxes complete
with units; Cold Spot refrigerator; McCrea refrigerator;
1400 cu. refrigerator; gas fired
One 648 Walk-in cooler; Hill
hot water heater; 3 large fans;
36 by 36 water sink; Fairbanks
scales; gas, baking oven; 2
Cordley electric water Coolers;
2 ranges; Hobart chopper and
grinder; Hobart potato peeler;
meat slicer; Harland gas fryer;
National cash register; R.C.
Allen adding register; Type
A sink: French fry cutter; set
of baking tools; steel cabinet;
typewriter stand; all sizes of
pots and pans; 20 dozen different styles of glasses; over
1,000 piece set of restaurant
dishes; 500 piece set of silverwave; 22 tan linen top tables;
four lounges; 60 chairs; stainless steel silverware bin; 21-in.
Stromberg Carlson television;
Electro Matic typewriter; 5
chrome coat hangers; maple chest; 2 coffee makers; Savoy
toaster; and many other items
used in the restaurant business—Here's your chance to
pick up those extra items you
need—Everything to be sold [cant' read rest, curved page]
Bath -
There
was a Goodell diner in town.It was placed on East Steuben Street at the
end of December in 1926. First owned by A.F. Torge of East Aurora.
1/1/1928
- AF Torge and son Ralph Torge moving to Brawley, California to run new
dc. They sold the diner to Earl Baldwin of Lakeland, Florida.
9/17/1928 - owned since first of year, Earl Baldwin sells lc on E Steuben to RW
Boughton of North Rose, Boughton was Ward & Dickinson installer and
ran lc in Binghamton for two months
4/16/1930 - Lyman Bowles purchased lc on E Steuben, beginning of month, from George J Leone, who owned lc since Oct 1929
1932 - 1944 - Mr & Mrs Edgar House
4/3/1937 - Louis H Kennedy sells his half of CourtHouse D to his partner Mr & Mrs Edgar House(for past three yrs)
3/31/1946 - Joe Erclano ran Courthouse Diner from 1944 to 3/31/1946 before selling to Don Strait and Gerald Putnam.
4/10/1946 - Mr & Mrs Michael Putnam and Mr and Mrs Alling Watts who run Mt
Morris Diner, entered into partnership with Mr & Mrs Donald Strait
of Bath in running Court House Diner in Bath
12/6/194? - You'll find the Court House
Diner at the top of the list of.
places in Bath where one can always get the very best in real
home-cooking. Under the able
management of Gerald Putman
and Donald Strait, the Diner
continues to pack them in—it's
inevitable when the food is of
such excellent quality.
Mr. Putman comes from Mt.
Morris where he was engaged in
the restaurant business — a fact
which accounts for the efficient
manner in which the business
here is operated. Mr. Strait,
formerly of Painted Post, comes
to Bath from Uncle Sam's Army.
He entered the service by way
of the Infantry, later transferred
to the Medics from which he received his honorable discharge
on August 16, 1945.
Mr. Putman and Mr. Strait
purchased the Diner from Joe
Erclano, who owned and operated it for 2 1/2 years, and opened under their management on
March 31, 1946. With 10 people
employed they do a good job of
giving the public quick and efficient service. One of these,
Crystal Frawley, has the distinction of 13 years' service with
the Diner, and her cheerful personality adds much to the pleasant atmosphere we always find
here. Harriett Davidson, the
pastry cook, has been with the Diner for 6 years, and, although
the public rarely sees her, the
pies she makes are famous—and
we do mean FAMOUS!
The Diner's policy of 24 hours
a day service has been broken
recently by vacations, etc.
So, when you have a hankering for really delicious homecooked food, the Court House
Diner is the place to go. We're
sure you won't be disappointed.
10/1/1964 - Court House Diner bought by Roberta and Eldon Hough from Strait
Fire killed the diner.
8/1/1968 - Clarence Cook rebuilt CourtHouse Diner and reopened
8/6/1968 - "Believe me, if there's
anything such as a true
'professional, he's one!,"
exclaimed a Court House Diner
employee last week, and a chat
with Clarence Cook readily
verified it.
"You know, I've never
anticipated failure in anything
I've done." remarked Cook as he
poured himself a cup of coffee.
"If a person seems to fail, it's
developed from the poor
application of good principles."
Applying good principles in the
most successful manner has been
the prime objective of Cook, for,
at the incredible age of 71, the
Wellsville native decided last
year to purchase and reopen the
Court House Diner
"I'd applied my principles
everywhere else, and always
succeeded'," the sprightly
Bathite explained "I always
succeeded, and I think we'll do so
here " The proprieter has spent
his entire lifetime in the
restaurant managing business,
having owned and operated
restaurants in the states of
Florida, California, Alabama,
and Colorado among others.
In 1968, however, Cook arrived
in the county seat after having
operated a St. Louis diner for 25
years. Though he'd originally
planned Bath as being his
retirement home, he "couldn't
shake the bug" and decided to
purchase the building located
next to Langendorfer's Esso.
The result today is a busy and
progressive diner which once was
a fire-torn ruin.
"You know, whenever I've
made a decision, I've stuck with
it!," laughed the personable
Cook. "When I decided to begin
over again here, I made a
decision ... and I've succeeded so
far!"
Mr. Cook, who worked behind
the counter of Oldfield's
Pharmacy in Bath as a youth,
still places high emphasis on the
concept of service, a trait that his
employees confess they've
literally had imbued in them. "The entire principle of
running a business is that you're
there to serve the people!," Cook
remarked as he prepared for last
week's ''First Anniversary"
celebration. "You shouldn't have
a 'Well, they can come to me
since .they need me' approach,
but should be eager to provide
them with high quality. If you treat a person with good service
and high quality, they'll continue
to treat you with their presence."
Yet today's renovated Court
House Diner shares its rank of
the most ambitious and
memorable project with a stint
he had in Denver, Col. In 1938, Cook was running a diner that he
owned there and fondly recalls
the menu and prices.
"We'd buy huge — And I mean
HUGE — bags of grapefruits for
only 50 cents, and, for instance,
we'd be able to sell two eggs,
toast, and coffee for only fifteen
cents, and then we'd even throw
in a grapefruit!" But the future for Cook holds
what he hopes will be even more
impressive experiences, and the
71-year-old (who still drives and
does most of the actual cooking)
contends that Bath and its people
have been more than good to him.
He hopes, however, to also
continue emphasizing improvement at his place of
business.
"After all!," the ambitious and
friendly businessman laughed,
"this is my business, and, as I
say, when I make a decision, I'm
never satisfied until I've proven
myself correct!"
There was a trolley car diner at 341 W Morris at an Amoco Station.
1/3/1947 - Amoco Diner. Gail(male) M Wembon and Clarence Johnson from Mrs Ethel
Bush and Mrs Florence McGee who opened it 6 yrs ago at 341 W Morris @
Washington Blvd
8/23/1954
- No one was injured in a freak accident Saturday noon when a car owned
by Margaret Goldfarb of 133 East 15th St. New York City, and operated
by Joseph Goldfarb, 46 of the same address was hit by another, operated
by William Matur, 54, of 241 Bancroft Drive West, Buffalo.
Goldfarb's car was parked in the drive of the Amoco Gas station
and diner on West Morris St., opposite the intersection of WEst
Washington Blvd. Matur's car was going west on the boulevard, crossed
West Morris St., jumped the island in the gas station, hit Goldfarb's
car and drove it through the wall of the diner. The accident was
investigated.
8/3/1900 - new lw, Pulteney park. James Park of Binghamton in charge
10/18/1903 - Harry Van Ness remodeled his "Darkness and Dawn" into an Owl lw, rear of Harrison House on Exchange St
Sept 1904 - Exchange St lw run by John Brewer
5/30/1908 - "Billy" Martin's lw on Exchange St looknig very slick, new coat of paint
11/15/1915 - George Loghry now prop of lw on Exchange
11/21/1900 - Ed Messerschmitt granted permission to run lw on Soldier's Home grounds
1/12/1901 - Henry Fay mgr of Ed Messerschmitt's lw at Soldier's home (lw started 1/23/1900??)
8/17/1901 - "Nutty" O'Dell has charge of lw on Crook Property on Buel St, lw just moved to property from Soldier's Park
8/21/1901 - lw removed from Park to vacant lot by Crooks marble shop(on Buel St)
11/11/1914 - Buel St lw run by Burns Stephenson
11/13/1914
- If you have been on Buel street at any time during the past
week you have doubtless noticed a queer-looking little building going
up on the vacant lot between the Parker Insurance and Monument Works
office and the Hughes harness shop. And you have probably wondered what
the little building, which looks like a trolley car, is to be used for.
Well, it is to be a lunch car, and is to have all the modern fittings.
Its proprietors will be the Stephenson Lunch Company. It wil be managed
by Burns Stephenson, who came here from Springwater last winter and has
been employed at the Demorest bakery. The new lunch car will be opened,
it is expected, next Tuesday. The cooking will be done by gas, and the
lighting will be done by electricity.
1/15/1915 - Mr PJ Butler purchased Lenox lc on Buel St, "recently built by
Stephenson Lunch Co." and lately conducted by Gay & Co. Built
around Nov 1914
8/5/1916 - 10 Buel St, Lenox Lunch Car. Peter J Butle
1/26/1921 - CT Smith sold Buel St lw to Pierce and Ide of Savona
1/10/1922 - Russell Strong purchased Buel St lw
4/25/1923 - lw on Buel St moved to E Steuben by John C Hirzler
10/17/1923 - Laverne Hilboldt of Corning bought lw on Beekman lot from Mr and Mrs John C Hirzler
ca 1929 - A.E. Torge lc on East Steuben St
Unknown diner mentions in Bath
4/16/1925 - Harry Wilson lc opposite jail in Bath (Corning newspaper)
11/26/1931 - Mr Will Taylor is building a very unique traveling lc and expects to go south when completed
1933 - Davis Diner - Liberty St
3/5/1937 - AH Huyett leases lc from Claude hughes, took posession March 1
1942 - Robert Turnbull, lc on Main St (Canisteo newspaper)
Addison -
Some
time around 1916 or earlier an old barrel roof lunch car was placed in
Addison. Eugene Shannon ran it at first. He passed away
late 1919. James O'Brien ran it next. He had Kate Lachance
as his partner in the business. O'Brien sold his share to
Lachance 12/2/1921. In 1929, Kate's Lunch had Kate Manley listed
as owner. Was she the same Kate? The place became Moore's
Lunch Car for a couple of years and Ernest Shelansky bought the lunch
car from Moore 4/25/1932. Shelansky sold the lunch car to Daisy
Strait around 1942. Francis Riley and Llewellyn Towner were
mentioned on 10/25/1946 as running the lunch car for the past year.
Ended as Silva's Barber Shop some time after 1946 when the Dike was put in??
Painted Post -
There was a Liberty Dining Car in Painted Post on West High Street.
9/4/1935 - Wayne Sutfin purchased lc in Painted Post from William Fullington, emp at Dansville D for past year
5/3/1946
- Jack Hallock, Liberty Dining Car in West High St on land owned by
Celia Gilbert. Chattels were mortgaged by Wayne Sutfin to Roy H &
Edith Stevens. Sutfin also went bankrupt
Lunch Wagons in Painted Post
5/15/1908 - Arthur Berns sells lw to brother Ray Berns
3/5/1910 - Ray Berns plans to move lw to Hammondsport when roads allow. Land for lw in Painted Post was recently sold
9/5/1913 - James McWilliams sold lw in B.C. Bassett bld to Fred Inscho
9/8/1916 - JM Butler opened lw on E Water St in lot east of PA Payne's office
5/2/1917 - JB Jones and PA Payne sold lw on E Water to Raymond Berns. Will open saturday
4/16/1919 - fire gutted Ray Berns lw on E Water
10/11/1919 - Lynn W Tenney purchased Ray Berns, E Water St lw
12/16/1919 - lc on East Water sold from Harry Cutler to Mrs Ray Berns
9/18/1922 - Ray Berns taken over lc on E Water St, prev conducted by Warren Kissbaught
9/3/1926 - lc of RG Burns on E Water St moved to a position between P.O. And Painted Post Electric Co bld
7/9/1931 - Henry Piers lc damaged by fire on West Water St, total wreck
Corning -
5/11/1895 - [Elmira newspaper] Corning has an owl lunch wagon, and I
am told that many of the citizens stay up
all night to purchase pies and fat sandwiches and bottles of buttermilk. I am
also informed that the receipts of the city
club cafe have fallen off materially; but I
do not believe it. . Pies and sandwiches,
washed down with buttermilk, are all right
enough but they hardly take the places of
those toothsome things for which the chef
at the Corning city club is noted, and I
think the libel must have originated with
some man who was up for membership in
the club and blackballed. I am glad he
was. Meanwhile the owl wagon sends
forth its grateful odor of coffe and ginger
pop, the light from two kerosene lamps streams merrily through its rainbow
colored windows, and the people of Corning
are happy.
4/27/1904 - A day and night lw placed on Cedar St south of Market St YMCA
9/23/1903 - HO Barker leases lw on Bridge St
ca 1903 - Mr Baxter has lw on Walnut St
4/9/1904 - Lee Carr purchased HO Barker lw at Walnut and Market
6/24/1903
- Joseph M O'Connor lw fire, badly damaged. Cost $1000 when new. Percy
Macomber emp. Says he was at 12 East Erie in 1899 and In 1907 at
8 East Erie.
7/17/1908 - Patterson purchased lw at 8 E Erie back from Carroll which he sold several months ago
9/17/1915 - John E Patterson purchased O'Connor lw
11/28/1918 - Joseph M O'Connor bought his old wagon from Charles J Carroll
sold
it to Charles J Carroll around 1917 who then sold it back to Joseph M
O'Connor who partnered with Timothy Driscoll 1919 to 1923. Driscoll
continued the place for a number of years. Unsure how long the lunch
wagon lasted.
4/9/1928 - Joseph O'Connor obit.
Joseph O'Connor, for many
years a prominent resident of
Corning, died Sunday night, April 8, 1928. at 10 o'clock in
Washington, D. C, where he had
resided for the past three years.
Last Summer Mr. O'Connor
spent several weeks in Corning,
renewing old acquaintances and
visiting relatives and friends. After his return relatives here
learned, that his health had suffered and he was operated upon
this Winter at a hospital in Washington, where he was a patient for
several weeks.
Through his connection with the
lunch wagon, now operated by
Timothy L. Driscoll at 8 East Erie
avenue, Mr. O'Connor came into
contact with a majority of the residents of this city and by his
courteousness, fairness, and integrity, gained the respect and affection of all.
Older residents of the city will
remember the old lunch wagon
which was open for business each
night on Pine Street Square, in
front of the town clock. The big
wagon was brought into the
Square each evening at 6 o'clock
and remained there all night. In
the morning, because it was not
allowed on the street in the daytime, it was returned to the alley
near the old Opera house, now
the State Theatre.
John J. Gainey, now a prominent resident of Ithaca, was the
man who introduced to Corning
this traveling restaurant, over 30
years ago. "Joe" O'Connor, as he
affectionately was known to his
host of friends, worked for Mr.
Gainey for several years.
When Mr. Gainey left Corning
he sold his lunch wagon to Mr.
O'Connor, who was proprietor for
many years. Some years ago the
wagon was placed permanently at
the present location on Erie avenue. The old structure was destroyed by fire but another, much
like the old, now stands in its
place.
Born in Corning about 60 years
ago, Mr. O'Connor spent the
greater part of his life here. He
attended St. Mary's Parochial
School and was a glass worker
for a time before his employment
by Mr. Gainey.
After years as sole owner of
the lunch wagon Mr. O'Connor
sold part interest to T. L. Driscoll and the firm of O'Connor and
Driscoll operated the business for
several years. About four years
ago Mr. Driscoll became sole
owner. In September 1924 Mr.
O'Connor left Corning to take up
his residence in tne capital city.
Besides his wife, Mrs. Eleanor
Gainey O'Connor, a sister of John
Gainey, he leaves one son, Joseph,
at home; two sisters, Mrs. Gerald
Kinsella and Mrs. John McMillen,
of Erie, Pa.
The body will leave Washington
tonight at 7:20 o'clock and will
arrive in Corning tomorrow morning on the Erie at 7:45 o'clock.
The funeral will be held at 9
o'clock Wednesday morning at St.
Mary's Church. Interment will be
in St. Mary's Cemetery.
3/20/1926 - Art Fogle lc opening 16 W Erie
Lunch
wagon at 8 West Erie, owned by Chauncey C Smith which was announced
1/11/1905 - 1907. John Wolcott next ran the place and sold
to Frank McCloskey 5/29/1911 - December 1920.
12/8/1920 - Charles Burgett buys McCloskey lc on W Erie. Prev an employee
George Bigelow and James O'Brien 1923
LaVerne Dimmock 1925
Thomas Harper up until fire.
4/12/1929 - Thomas Harper buys Painted Post restr. Had lw 8 W Erie, appoints William Welsh mgr of lw
7/23/1931 - Thomas Harper lw which was removed and stripped caught fire, being replaced by Paul's new diner
Ward and Dickinson diner -
7/27/1931
-New Dining Car Arrives in City. L.W. Paul, Bolivar, Moving in Modern
Wagon on Wheels Across from Erie Station. A large dining car, the first
of its typeiIn use in this city was being placed at its location across
from the Erie station on East Erie avenue this afternoon. The ear will
be operated by L. W. Paul, of Bolivar, owner. It was transported here
today on a flat car from the Erie Railroad and was being transferred
directly from the flat car to its new location this afternoon. It is
10 1-2 feet wide and 41 feet, eight inches long. It is modern in every
respect. The installation of this restaurant on wheels will mark a
continuation of lunch wagons that has occupied that spot for a great
many years. The late Frank McCloskey, for several years was proprietor
of the wagon and of late years it has been operated by Thomas Harper.
8/5/1931 - Leon W. Paul of Bolivar bringing in a diner on flat car from Erie r/r 10.5x
41 2/3 the restaurant on wheels will continue tradition of location
which was run by McCloskey.
Rosewell Steadman and Mrs. Earlden B. Winder ran the diner from 1950 to 1953. The site would become Woolworths.
8/5/1931 - WE have for some time known
that the people of Corning, the
merchants, employers, shoppers and
all those who eat uptown have wanted a place where they could eat with
comfort, ease and enjoyment, a real
home cooked meal.
KNOWING this desire we are attempting to give what is needed—Corning
Diner, the last word in fine dining
cars. Built with comfortable booths for ladies, screened windows for ventilation,
strictly odorless and immaculately neat and
clean—up-to-the-minute in modern equipment. Corning Diner will serve only the
best food that money can buy. And serve it
with care and consideration.
1/29/1912 - William Stanton has received a new lw from Rochester
8/20/1928 - George Trumbull back to H.S. C.G. Palmer takes over as night chef at Stantons
1/8/1927 - Stanton lc reopening after being closed for a year. Started more than
12 yrs ago. Closed when he opened hotel 11/9/1925. Hotel had counter,
that is being removed and lc will
1/12/1929 - Stanton lc. Carl Benedict leaves night chef and replaced by F. Chafee
12/11/1940 - Stanton Diner adding 12x24 kitchen $1250cost
9/13/1941 - Stanton Diner in corning, 27 months old, for sale (Silk City diner)
1944 - Izetta Randolph prop of Stanton D
1951 - Edwin Dodge owned Stanton Diner and leased to Mrs Izetta Randolph
12/9/1920 - Little John lw opened by Harvey T Adams from Meriden, CT, constructed
private car of Fall Brook (West Erie Ave) R/R Officials. Which was
known as _Little John_� car
7/8/1926 - Little John lw operated by Thomas Hopper
5/12/1928 - Little John Diner to be moved
9/1/1921 - Cowler lw in r/r yard
8/10/1909
- Clark Brooks purchased lw of JM Franz in which Chauncey Knowlton
recently used on Bridge St, Knowlton started 5/28/1909 (Wellsboro,
Penna paper)
9/7/1911 - Clark Brooks of Nelson has repurchased lw in Corning that he formerly owned
5/6/1924 - Charles Ross and George Oakley bought John Rocko lw on Bridge
1/25/1941 - William S Lovejoy returned to Corning after 26 yrs away, will open dc
nr Amoco stn on N Pine in March. Lovejoy acquired Schanacker's dc in
Elmira which is to be replaced
5/7/1941
- William S. Lovejoy, a former Corningite, has returned to the city as
proprietor of "Lovejoy's Diner," which will be opened on Thursday. The
establishment stands on the east aide of Pine street, just, at the
south end of the Pine street river bridge. The dining car is open for
public inspection this evening. Unusually commodious, the diner will
seat 36 at its stools and padded booths. Fluorescent lighting is
provided, A composition tile floor and curtained windows add to the
attractiveness of the place . The entrance is from Pine street, into
one end of the diner. A short-order counter is at the north side of the
car, and a kitchen at the far end. Beneath is a deep basement area for
storage refrigeration and the like. Rest rooms are provided and
24 hour service is planned, . Mr. Lovejoy will be aided by a staff
comprising James Smith. James Ratliff. Charles H. Wilscamp, and States
Scouten; and Mrs. Mary Ann Demorest. cook; Mrs. Dacey, pastry cook;
Mrs. Lee Gurnsey, relief pastry cook and relief cook; Mrs. Mildred
Aldrlch and Miss Ethel Robeson, waitresses; and Mrs. Leonard
Phillips, relief waitress. Mrs. Lovejoy and their son, J. Spencer
Lovejoy, will also assist in operation of the establishment. Mr.
Lovejoy, a native of Mansfield, Pa., came to Corning as a boy in 1890,
attended the local schools and Northside High Schools, and entered
the employ of Corning Glass Works. Later he went with the New York
Central Railroad as a trainman, returning to the Glass Works. In 1915
he entered the lamp department of General Electric Company, and was
sent to England where he spent a year in 1915-16, principally in
Birmingham and London. He was transferred to the Rhode Island plant of
G E. Hater acquired by Corning Glass Works and later in 1916, to
Harrison, N. J. In 1937 he went to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, representing
General Electric for about three years. He returned to Newark, N. J.,
and came to Corning last Fall to prepare to open his present business.
His home is at 59 West Pulteney street. Mr. Lovejoy belongs to Painted
Post Lodge of Masons, and was formerly active in the Crystal City Hook
and Ladder Company of the volunteer fire department. Mrs. Lovejoy is
the former Ethel Fulkerson of Corning. They have a son, J. Spencer, and
a daughter. Miss Lorraine Lovejoy, who is in East Orange. N. J. Miss
Nellie E. Lovejoy of 154 Bridge street is a sister of Mr. Lovejoy
6/22/1914 - Thomas A Skelly sold lc at North Corning to JJ Cowley (still owned in 1920)
11/24/1923 - lw being erected on vacant lot next to Stinson's Garage by William D Taylor, open in 4-5 days
7/14/1925 - Many take advantage of the quick lunch along with the men nowadays.
In the olden days before women suffrage, the men enjoyed
the utmost freedom in every sense
of the word while the women
stayed at home to do the house
work and care for the children.
Now in these modern times,
things have changed considerably
and women are enjoying much of
the freedom formerly enjoyed by
the men. When one stops to think,
however, maybe it was just the
woman's belief that one mustn't
do this or one mustn't do that,
that kept her away from the
things she would have enjoyed doing. For instance before women
were given their rights, they
raised their hands in horror at
the thought of going into a lunch
wagon which was frequented entirely by men. She thought that
type of lunch wagon was just for
the men, therefore she could not
go into it unless she would create
scandal.
But now how times have changed. One peep into one of these
same lunch wagons during the
busy noon hour and what does one
see. A large crowd of men and
women as well are waiting for
their turn at the high stools placed along the counter.
It
is most interesting In making observations to note the different
types of men and women that are found in the lunch wagon or restaurants
at noon. Laborers, business men, clerks, a few traveling salesmen,
stenographers, female clerks, store keepers, all perched on the high
stools, anxiously waiting their turn to be served. Another interesting
observation is the food selected by the men and women, and the manner
of eating. The men as a general rule always order a dinner with all the
"fixins" and little or no conversation is carried on until they
finished. Now the women generally speaking, drop in for lunch and their
order consists of some kind of a sandwich, a glass of milk and a piece
of pie. At this time the events of the day or the night before are
discussed. They take full advantage of their noon lunch hour for this
conversation. Considering everything, they say it is a lot better for
the women to feel that they can frequent the lunch wagon when they are
hungry, be served at their turn and be treated on a same basis as the
men.
Riverside -
1944 - Buff's Diner Riverside, called lunch car at Corning City line, Rt 15/17
1946 - O'Neil's Diner Riverside, Charles M Travis. Formerly Buff's Diner on Pulteney st
Avoca -
This
was a Silk City diner that moved to Washington DC around 2009. It
opened briefly, but sat in storage for a long time. As of 2023,
still in storage.
9/15/1950 - Burglars have delayed the opening of Henry goodrich and Son's new diner.
Burglars have delayed the
opening of a new diner owned
by Harry Goodrich and Sons, potato producers, near Avoca. The
yeggs broke into the diner early
Sunday morning and made away
with $1400 worth of new equipment. The Goodriches planned to
open the diner, which is adjacent to the potato warehouses
on Route 15, Tuesday, but now
the opening is delayed at least
a week until the stolen equipment is replaced.
The thieves entered the
"ready-built" diner by a rear
window in the place. Ironically, they used a 6-foot ladder
which had been left by the
builders, to reach the unlocked
window. They then carried the
items out the front door to a
waiting auto, apparently oblivious of the early morning traffic on the main highway.
The haul included a cash register, a meat cutter, two electric
toasters, two milk shakers, about
eight stainless steel kitchen
knives, and a 2-quart milk dispenser. In addition, they lifted
an 8-inch portable saw and a
handsaw which had been left by
carpenters.
Undersheriff Charles Reynolds
and Deputy T. F. Katner are investigating several "tips" and
clues. A dark colored auto was
seen parked in front of the diner
at 6 a. m., Sunday
1/16/1953 - Mr. and Mrs. William Gilbert
have taken over the management of
the Goodrich Diner
4/9/1963 - Mr & Mrs Henry Stanton bought Goodrich D in Avoa from William Gilberto
3/5/1964 - Goodrich D sold from Mr & Mrs Henry M Stanton(who also ran motel across street) to Mr & Mrs Clarence S Perkins who plan to name the diner Perk and Betty's Diner.
1/16/1969 - Henry Stanton has purchased it from Perk and Bette's Diner.
1991 - Brenda Remchuk
1992- 2009 Pat and Judy McMahon
2009 - Avoca Diner finds new home in nation's capital
By ROB PRICE THE COURIER-ADVOCATE
AVOCA
— A piece of local history could make history in the nation's capital.
The Avoca Diner, formerly known as The Goodrich Diner, has moved
to a new location on Bladensburg Road, in the northeast quadrant of
Washington, DC. The diner, located in state Route 415, was purchased
recently by two Washington DC businessmen, who moved it via tractor
trailer to its new home.
Former owners Pat and Judy McMahon of Avoca
have been operating the restaurant since they purchased it in 1992.
They put it up for sale three years ago, but no buyer surfaced.
Eventually, the McMahons decided to list it on the on-line auction site
Ebay, where it quickly became a hot piece of property.
"I didn't think I'd get anything for it," Pat McMahon said last week, "but I probably got 70 hits on Ebay."
McMahon said a sale was quickly confirmed for $20,000.
In
its heyday, the diner did a lively business as part of a travel plaza
that included a motel and service station. "That used to be the main
thoroghfare to Rochester," McMahon noted, adding the construction of
Interstate 390 undercut the prime location.
Bladensburg Road is a
main artery in what is known as the Trinidad neighborhood of Washington
DC. "I feel good about that, because now the diner will have traffic,"
said McMahon.
Now known as The Capital City Diner, the restaurant is expected to open in August, according to reporting in Washinton DC media.
The
diner was manufactured in 1947 by the Paterson Vehicle Co., based in
Paterson, N.J. Its design, known as Silk City, was developed to
resemble the diner car of a train. It opened for business in Avoca in
1949.A year ago, McMahon said, he and his wife decided to close it
after failing to find a restaurant operator to lease it.
Capital City Diner Gets a Visit from the Past
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/youngandhungry/2010/02/23/capital-city-diner-gets-a-visit-from-the-past/
Posted by Tim Carman on Feb. 23, 2010, at 8:11 pm
Tom and Lynn Dougherty step back in time
The
last time Lynn Dougherty laid eyes on Capital City Diner, it was called
the Avoca Diner, and it was run by a woman named Brenda Remchuk, a
former Corning Glass employee who decided to get into the
grease-slinging business. That was in Avoca, N.Y., in 1991.
Before
that, Dougherty hadn’t stepped foot in the diner since 1966 when her
parents sold the business after running it for more than a decade in
Avoca.
But this morning, Dougherty and her husband, Tom, made the
trip from Chester, Va., to the Trinidad neighborhood to grab lunch at
the grand opening of Capital City Diner. Lynn ordered a cheeseburger
with potato salad. Tom got a tuna salad sandwich with a side of potato
salad.
“It’s right up there,” Lynn Dougherty says when I ask her to
compare the food at Cap City to the meals she enjoyed as a child at the
then Goodrich Diner, which her parents bought in the early 50s.
“It’s good food.”
That’s quite a compliment given what Dougherty had
written me earlier: that her father, a former Army cook, prepared
everything from scratch at the diner. She e-mailed:
“A lot of people started their day with a hearty breakfast at the
diner, including homemade donuts that dad made. He also made homemade
pies not with canned fillings of today, but made from scratch. He had
all his own recipes, great comfort food made with only the best and
freshest ingredients. One of my favorites was a hot roast beef sandwich
with the best gravy you have ever tasted and mashed potatoes made with
real potatoes not boxed. Goulash, chili, roast turkey, roast pork
dinners. The list goes on and on…It was our home away from home. We ate
dinner there every night.”
Dougherty was impressed with what owners
Matt Ashburn and Patrick Carl had done with the place. She thought it
looked much the same as the diner of her memories. Well, except for two
things: the bathrooms are much bigger than the little airplane-sized
toilets of yesteryear and the tiny tabletop jukeboxes are gone from the
booths.
She has very fond memories of those jukeboxes. So does her
brother, Tim Gilbert, who e-mailed Y&H earlier about a sad day in
rock ‘n’ roll history:
I remember the night I heard on the radio
Buddy Holly, Richie Valens [sic], and the Big Bopper died in a plane
crash out West and I played ‘La Bamba’ on the jukebox. There were
snowflakes coming and slowly filling up the parking lot.”
-----------
On
opening day, Capital City Diner received a visitor from the
1950s. Not long afterward, the co-owners heard an echo from their
diner’s very beginnings, from the late 1940s.
It was a bouquet of
flowers and a note from the son of one of the founders of the Goodrich
Diner, a tiny eatery that served the small town of Avoca, N.Y., for
decades before being uprooted last year and moved to the Trinidad
neighborhood.
Bob Goodrich, son of co-founder Leigh Goodrich, wrote the following note to Capital City owners Matt Ashburn and Patrick Carl:
http://www.eveningtribune.com/news/x911071654/Old-Avoca-diner-on-State-Route-415-right-at-home-in-nation-s-capital
By Justin Head The Evening Tribune
Posted Mar 25, 2011 @ 11:12 AM Last update Mar 25, 2011 @ 12:46 PM
Washington, D.C. —
There’s a little piece of Steuben County history thriving in the nation’s capital.
The
Capital City Diner, formerly the Avoca Diner on State Route 415, is
celebrating its one-year anniversary after being renovated and
re-opened on Bladensburg Road.
“We just passed our first anniversary of being open,” said owner and operator Matt Ashburn.
The
Avoca Diner sat unused and deteriorating for several years until
Ashburn and his friend Patrick Carl purchased it for the bargain price
of $20,000 on eBay. They paid a reputable mover to relocate the
building and after rounds of red tape with government agencies
successfully re-opened it a year ago.
“It’s been great so far,” said
Ashburn. “When you first open up there is some bumps and you have to
get used to your staff and other things, but things are pretty smooth
now ... The response, in one word, is overwhelming.”
Ashburn said
Carl accepted a new job and sold him his share of the business. A
29-year old analyst for the Department of Justice by day, Ashburn has
little spare time as he spends nights and weekends managing operations
with a handful of staffers. He said the diner was kept in original
condition and its historic appeal has impressed patrons.
“It’s
been popular with everybody that comes through the door,” he said. “The
first words out of their mouth are, ‘Wow, this is amazing.’”
Ashburn
and his friend bought the diner without even seeing it with the lights
on — there was no electricity to the building when they bought it from
Pat McMahon of Avoca.
Afraid of lending to a pair of young
entrepreneurs with no prior restaurant management experience, the banks
passed on loan applications and the men drained their own savings and
borrowed money from wherever they could to buy it. It wasn’t long
before they generated almost $150,000 to make their wish come true.
“I
moved up here to DC and there’s these new diners from the ’80s and ’90s
and even 2000, but you didn't have the old school ’40s or ’50s diner,”
said Ashburn. “If anything there should be these types of diners in DC,
the nation’s capital. That is something that people find intriguing,
that now DC has an authentic old school diner again.”
Ashburn,
originally from Martinsville, Va., said he opened the diner because his
neighborhood had no late night food places. He keeps the diner up for
24 hours a day on the weekends.
Several people in Avoca were surprised the diner ended up where it did, but many are thankful its kitchen is still cranking.
“I grew
up in Avoca and I always use to go there with my grandfather and it was
a really special place for us,” said Erika Mattoon, 26. “To have a
little part of Avoca moved to DC is really special for me.”
Mattoon,
who contacted The Tribune about the possibility of an article, goes to
school in DC?and frequents the Capital City Diner.
“The thing is all
original — the counters, the stools, the booths — everything is still
original,” she said. “The Avoca Diner sign is actually hung on the wall
and they still have a pictures of the staff ... I know the only
renovations they had to do were to build bigger bathrooms.”
For many
Avoca natives the 1940-era eatery brings back fond memories, of times
when the Red Goose bar crowd would fill the seats after closing and
locals would catch up with one another in passing.
Mattoon’s
grandmother, Phyllis Mattoon of Avoca, worked as a waitress at the
diner for a period of time in the early ’50s —?while it was owned by
the Goodrich family, she said.
“We had the little jukeboxes on the
booths and everything,” she said. “Friday and Saturday nights when
bands came into town it would be a packed house.”
Not much has
changed in that respect. Ashburn said the diner is often crowded and
bustling, with people often waiting for open seats. He said the
business is profitable and he plans to re-invest in it.
Ashburn said
his diner has been visited by Jessie Ventura, an actor, ex-U.S. Navy
SEAL and the former governor of Minnesota, and several local
politicians, including Marion Barry Jr., a member of the Council of the
District of Columbia and past mayor better known for his civil rights
activism and notoriety from drug charges in 1990.
The 560 square-foot restaurant seats 36 people inside and Ashburn has plans to expand its outside eating area.
Hammondsport -
2/9/1916 - lw for sale in burned condition on Pultney St.@ William James F O'Brien of Corning
5/24/1925 - Mrs Bertha Moller purchased lc from Mrs Lewis Warren
Chemung County -
Elmira -
Elmira had a rich history with lunch wagons. Newspaper said there were 20 lunch wagons in 1901.
May 1894 - E Hamel(of Columbian Cafe fame) given permission to run lw in Elmira. "temperance lw" Lake at E Water
5/17/1895 - A night lunch wagon has been received in this city and attracted considerable attention on the streets to-day.
The wagon is called the White House
cafe, and was built by T. H. Buckley, of
Worcester. Mass., at a cost of $1,200. It
is to be open all night and will be stationed at the corner of Lake and Water
streets. It is to be conducted by Charles
Richardson. The wagon is nicely finished and is similar to wagons in use in
Corning, Syracuse and other cities.
9/24/1895 - NIGHT LUNCH WAGONS Something of Interest Regarding
These Profitable Eating Houses.
THEY CATER TO ALL CLASSES. The Evolution of the Wagon From the Time
of the Man With the Basket on His
Arm Selling Hot Frankforts.
Elmirans
as they pass down Water street every evening after 7 o'clock note the
two night lunch wagons which stand, one on the corner of State and
Water streets, the other on the corner of Lake and Water streets. The
first of these wagons made its appearance on our streets on the
evening of June 15 last. The wagon was placed as an experiment, which
has proved to be a successful one, and two months later the second
wagon made its appearance. Since that time they have been an ever
present blessing to those who have cause to perambulate the sidewalks
of Elmira after nightfall. The lunch wagon in Elmira might be called an
evolution. Years ago when Joe Benjamin started a candy wagon, he also
sold sandwiches to hungry pedestrians and made many a dime thereby.
Next came the man who trudged through the streets at the lonely hour of
midnight with a steaming basket on his arm, crying out upon the night
air, "Hot Frankforts!" He soon disappeared, however, and then Dutch
Charley with his waffle cart, came to town. Charley made the most
of his sales during the day, until the sound of "Hot waffles"
became as familiar to the ears of Elmirans as does the clang of the
bells on the electric cars, to which it bore a remarkable resemblance.
Charley, after a time, became tired of the town and turned the weary
footsteps of his horse to new pastures. The present lunch wagons,
however, have come to stay. They have become a fad in many cities of
the United States and can be found in nearly all of the eastern cities.
The wagons are beautiful in appearance, are an ornament to the street
and fill a long felt want They are manufactured by T. H. Buckley of
Worcester, Mass, and cost $1,500 each. The idea of the lunch wagon was
first put into active operation at Worcester about five years ago, and
that place at the present time supports fifteen of the wagons. The
wagons are a model of neatness and will accommodate fifteen persons,
the inside being arranged with stools and a ledge upon which the
lunches can be served. The menu consists of hot tea and coffee, milk,
sandwiches of all kinds, eggs, pies, cake, hot frankforts, cigars, etc.
The wagons were utilized in a novel
way at a reception at Bundy hall given
recently, when at intermission the guests
adjourned to the foot of the stairs and
enjoyed a fine lunch in the wagons.
Promptly at 7 o'clock the horse drawing the wagon may be seen coming down
Water street from the sheds where the
wagons are kept, and the wagons remain
in position until 3 o'clock in the morning,
when they are returned to the shed. All
classes of people patronize the wagons.
Clerks stop after their evening's work is
over to get a lunch; street car employes,
newsboys, firemen, policemen, barber's,
doctors, undertakers, printers, ticket
agents, hackmen and drummers, all stop
and enjoy a bite. Parties of wheelmen
coming in from their long runs into the
country stop and get a bite to refresh
them a bit before going home. The skaters
this winter will find them a pleasant place
to get warm and enjoy a lunch at the
same time, and opera house patrons will
doubtless stop and regale themselves before seeking their quarters for the night
and occasionally a hungry newspaper man
on a morning paper drops in for a bit of
news or a sandwich to help him through
the long hours of the night.
Parties in wagons, carriages and all
sorts of vehicles drive to the wagon and
are served through the window provided
for that purpose, and many families residing in the vicinity of the wagons, during the hot weather, send for a lunch at
supper time, rather than build a fire. The
busiest time for the man in the wagon is
from 11:30 to 1 o'clock, when he is kept
hustling. On July 4 the wagons were run
out during the day and served over 1,500
people.
The people have become accustomed to
stopping for a bite when out in the evening, and their absence now would be greatly missed
1895
- James P Richardson established a lw in Elmira on E. Market St just
east of
the YMCA. Charles Brooks succeeded to the business when Richardson
moved to
Syracuse. Richardson even had TJ Buckley's $5,000 tile wagon in
service for a short period of time. Richardson also had a lw at
State and Water
6/15/1897- The "women of Elmira "want their
rights, not their political rights, the Political Equality Club is looking after them, nor their educational rights,
Elmira College provides amply for
those. Elmira women want either a
share in the city's three lunc h wagons
or a private and.particular lunch wagon
of their own.
"It's maddening, perfectly maddening." said a plump little matron
today, "Tom has to stay down town at noon and he goes to the lunch
wagon. When I condole with him at the dinner table for the dainties he
missed at out home lunch table, he seems quite resigned and tells me of
the 'out of sight' hamburg steak and fried eggs he ate in the lunch
wagon. Two or three noons later my shopping keeps me down town at noon.
My time and money might as well be spent in going home as in one of the
hotels or restaurants, and the restaurant meals are anything but
satisfactory. If I go to a bakery lunch room I can have a cup of poor
tea or coffee, a sandwich made of a slab of ham between two slabs of
bread, nakery cake or pie. Ugh! I wish somebody would open a place,
where ladies could get a really good sandwich and a cup of coffee."
The matron's plaint is echoed by every Elmira woman who is ever compelled to stay downtown at the lunch
hour. There is money , and big money,
for the enterprising person who opens
some place, call it lunch room or lunch
wagon.,where women with or without
escorts may find appetizing sandwiches,
coffee, tea, eggs, meat, etc. , attractively served.
6/14/1898 - Lunch Wagon at the Park - James Richardson, the Delmonico of
Ehmira's lunch wagons, has purchased
the right to conduct a lunch wagon
at Eldridge park for the summer season. Mr. Richardson is at the present time the owner of three wagons in
this city, one at the corner of Lake
and Water, one at Main and Water
and one at Market and Lake streets.
The wagon at the corner of Lake and
Water streets will be taken to the park tomorrow and Mr. Richardson
proposes to purchase another wagon
to add to his already large fleet.
12/29/1898 - An ideal country would be one in which no man lacks enough to eat.
This Utopia seems to be settling down
around Elmira . The lunch wagon war promises to save us all from hunger.
Just
now the man with a nickel is able to purchase a chop cooked to a turn,
and two slices of bread deftly triangled and thickly spread with golden
butter. Everything else in season and out of season in proportion.
If
this doesn't settle the tramp question, what will? A nickel will
procure a hearty meal, including meat, wheat bread and the pride of the
creamery. To be sure that is sometimes trouble in getting the nickel,
but the war is young yet and nobody dare deny that the hungry will
presently be given their meals free and a nickel to boot.
1/5/1899
- Elmira is in the throes of a lunch wagon war. For a couple of years
past James P. Richardson of this city has had a monopoly in the "Night
Owl Cafe" business. He had three wagons located at the corner of Main
and Water, Lake and Water, and Market and Water streets. These wagons
did a good business during the night and finally a wagon was opened on
Market street which ran day and night.
Some time ago Richardson was
confronted with a competitor- Mr. Wicks of Waverly, who opened a wagon
on Railroad avenue, near the Frasier house. For a time he appeared
contented with this. A few weeks ago, however, Wicks rented a location
on the old Barket, Rose & Gray lot at the corner of Lake and Water
streets, and started a wagon, open night and day. This was too strong a
competitor for Richardson's wagon, just across the way and so he rented
the adjoining plot and also opened an all day and night wagon.
The
competition waxed warm and each tried to out-do the other in the
quality of meals served. Lately Richardson hit upon a new plant to down
his rival and conferred with T.H. Buckley, the original lunch wagon
builder. The result was that the famous $5,000 lunch wagon which won
first prize at the world's fair was shipped to this city and on Tuesday
was put in position besides that of the Waverly rival.
The new wagon
is a beauty and the finest of its kind in the world. Floor, ceiling and
walls are tiled and all of the finishings are in burnished nickle.
Bronze figures support the lights and coffee heater, cooking stove and
milk cooler are all of the latest model.
This latest move on the
part of Richardson has cast a shadow on Wicks but he promises
developments in the future. It is rumored that Richardson now intends
opening a wagon on Railroad avenue by the side of his adversary's lunch
car.
Mr. buckley was in the city and watched the wagon put into
position. The exterior of the new wagon is very elaborate. Mirrors
predominate and each of the windows bear a handsome figure in stained
glass. Every part of the wagon is made for the greatest convenience of
the user.
5/18/1899 - A horseless lunch wagon. Will be on
exhibition at the Paris Exposition. It is now in this city. But
has not been made "Horseless" yet - The "World's Fair" Wagon to leave
ELmira soon-to run by compressed air.
Elmiran s who visit the Paris
exposition will undoubtedly see among the various exhibits a horseless
lunch wagon. Then they can look backward, to the time intervening
between January 1st and May 18th, 1899, and recall the fact that the
same lunch wagon, minus its improvements, stood at the corner of Lake
and Water streets, where hundreds of hungry mortals sat within and
enjoyed midnight sandwiches and coffee and discussed interesting topics
of the day. In other words the lunch wagon which has been admired
because of its handsome construction is to be taken to Paris for
exhibition there . When James P. Richardson, the pioneer of the
lunch wagon business in Elmira, found last December that he was to
have opposition on the corner of Lake and Water streets he
decided to get the best obtainable. About the first of the year a
fine wagon put in an appearance and was opened for business. It was a
handsome affair, resplendent with mirros and bright coloring on the
exterior, while the interior was tiled, and lighted with electricity.
The wagon was a model in every particular and has been admired by
thousands of Elmirans and visitors.
The
wagon was built by T.H. Buckley & Co. of Worcester, Mass., for
exhibition at the world's fair at Chicago. It is said to have cost
$5,000. After being on exhibition there during the fair, it has been
exhibited in various parts of the country. It was sent hereas stated
the first of the present year and has since been doing busines here.
To-day
the wagon has been removed from the corner prepartory to shipping it to
Worcester, where it will be thoroughly overhauled, retiled,
reornamented and will be so arranged as to be run by
compressed air. It is to be taken to Paris for the exhibition as soon
as it can be put in condition. Fred Mowry, the present proprietor
of the wagon, will have another wagon in place of the one being
taken away. It will be put in position to-night and will be the largest
one in the city.
6/29/1899 - TH Buckley the lunch wagon manufacturer of Worcester, Mass.,was this city last evening en route to Paris
where he intends to exhibit his "World's Fair Lunch Car."
7/18/1901 - WILL BE NO UNION.
"There will be no strike." At least
there will be no union to call out
the lunch wagon operators in this city,
of whom there are about twenty . A
movement was started some days ago
by Harry McCarthy who is a lunch wagon clerk in Week's wagon . He
made strenuous efforts to form a local
union which should include not only
the night an day lunch wagon clerks,
but all the cafe cooks, hotel and restaurant employes. But his endeavors
were not warmly received and yesterday Organizer McCarthy gave up the
attempt.
December 1905 - The biggest lunch wagon in town has
been placed at the corner of Lake and
East Fifth street, adjoining the blacksmith shop. It is nearly big enough for a
Raines law hotel. Like Charlie Murphy,
of Good Ground, and the temperance
man of the red nose, the lunch man has
been asked a thousand times where he
got it. The wagon was one of several
used by a traveling doctor who, for
about a year had been stationed near
Millport. Previous to that he had traveled in Pennsylvania. The big covered
wagons were observable to passengers
on the Northern Central and the Watkins
trolley line. The one brought to this
city is about twice the size of any other
lunch wagon doing business here. If
the proprietor does half the business of
his competitors he needn't move to
Breesport.
Clarence
M. Brooks had a lunch wagon at 317 E Market, near Lake from at least
1908 to 1925. August, 1899 mentioned for a charles Brooks at this
address
Clarence Brooks also had a cigar stand, popcorn booth and shoe shining parlor at this location.
Floyd J. Brooks had a lunch wagon at 218 E Market at the corner of Exchange Place from at least 1912 to 1928
3/22/1912 - Floyd Brooks lc on E Market St bought land s.e corner E
Market @ Exchange Place where he hopes to move his business to
1916 - Earl Holmes worked at Brooks Bros lc in rear of Masonic Temple on E.
Market St. and later Floyd Brooks l.car at E. Market and Exchange
Howard Spaulding also worked for Floyd Brooks.
William H Maloney had a lunch wagon at 303 E Fifth from at least 1908 to 1921
William Irvine had a lunch wagon at 721.5 Lake st from at least 1912 to 1942
1915 - Lawrence Kniff, in charge of night shift at Irvine's l.c. At Lackawanna
r/r tracks cut himself throwing out rowdy customers . 721.5 Lake St.
4/28/1925 - WL Irvine permit to extend lw at 720 Lake St
Other people mentioned with lunch wagons include:
Eben Keeney at 322 S Main
Frey J Mowry at 338 E Water
10/25/1900 - Fred Mowry lw on Main nr Water explosion, badly damaged
Alonzo P Ten Broeck at 319 Clinton in 1902
Edwin H VanNorton at 431 Railroad in 1901
Edward Doyle at 431 Railroad in 1908
Ernest J Weeks at East Water c. Lake. Bert Chidsey worked at this wagon.
1902 - Earnest J Weeks and EH Van Norton combined in the lw business at 413
Railroad. Van Norton formerly ran wagon at the Queen City gardens while
Weeks is prop of wagon, Lake and E Water
1902 - Ralph W Murphy lw permitted on W Water St w. of Main
8/30/1905 - RV Robinson purchased lw at north end of Lake St bridge and will conduct it in the future
1906 - C Robinson running lw on Lake St
1899 - Enoch Little put $4000 lw and new merry go round at Eldridge Park. Zenus Carpenter night cook at this lunch wagon.
12/14/1905 - Palace lc moved from c. Lake and Fifth to E Water near Smith's Hotel
1901 - Burt Church works at lw on Railroad nr Market
10/8/1909 - HO Barker lw badly burnt. Lake St nr Lackawanna crossing
1916 - Thomas George lw next to Star Gazette Bld
1913 - Sanitary LC c. r/r @ Water Ave, Market St between State and R/r
1913 - Thomas George lw on Baldwin St, directly n of Star Gazette bld
1/12/1928
- The Dunkirk Dining Car Company has foreclosed a mortgage affecting
the Marietta lunch wagon conducted by Uriah Emmick on State Street,
near East Market Street. The restaurant is closed for the present.
Attorney Harry Moseson represents the Dunkirk concern.
214
State had a diner - The diner started out at 209 State Street with John
Sparrow running that State diner from 1928 to 1932. I need to check
more, but I have a Mulholland in this area(I think?) so I wonder if
this was a Mulholland, as it had its own wheels. From here,
the State Diner moved to 214 State Street with William Pfiffer Sr as
the owner for two years. John L Carpenter ran the diner for 20 years as
Carpenter's Diner. In 1956, the diner was at 200 State Street with
LaVerne Smith in charge for a few year of the then Colonial Diner.
John Evangiles and his wife Jan ran the diner from 1959 to 1971.
Steve and Hannalore Turner ran the diner for another year before the
diner turned off the grill. The last diner seemed to be a 1940ish
O'Mahony diner with dimensions 45x15
11/2/1928 - 13-Ton Diner Moved Across State Street
Operations
were begun this morning at 6 o'clock to move the State Diner car from
its location next to the Kenney Theatre Building across the street to
the southeast corner of State and Gray Streets. An interested crowd
followed the movements of the heavy car. By noon the 13-ton car had
been pulled across State Street, blocking the street to traffic for a
short while.
The moving was in charge of G.H. Cotton. An
International Harvester tractor was used to pull the heavy car up the
incline, across the sidewalk and into State Street. A team of horses
and a squad of 12 workmen assisted, but the horses were used only to
remove the car from the foundation. The car, owned by J.V. Sparrow
moves on its own whees. The advantage of having the wheels on the car
is that it does not classify the car as a permanent structure.
6/12/1929 - Carl Applin and Andrew Purdy emp at John Sparrow's lc in Elmira
6/3/1933
- State Diner, Cor. Gray and State St. Elmira, Will be sold at
Auction on June 7, 1933, 2 P.M. at 415-417 Realty Bldg. Elmira, N.Y. By
Anthony Kabatt, Trustee: Estate of John V. Sparrow. This sale will be
made subject to the approval of the court.
2/7/1941 - New Dining Car to be set up on State St.
Plans
for location of new diner on northeast corner of State and Market Sts.
were announced today by John L. Carpenter who now conducts a dining car
at State and Gray Sts. Excavation for the foundation will start next
week and instillation will be complete in three weeks.
The new diner
will be built by the Jerry O'Mahony Company of New Jersey. Both the
interior and exterior will be stainless steel and porcelain. It will
have overall dimensions of 45 feet by 15 feet, will seat 52 persons and
will include a ventilation system similar to that used in railroad
dining cars.
The diner will face State St. The location has a
sentimental attachment for Mr. Carpenter because his father, B.F.
Carpenter, conducted the "White Kitchen" on the same site 30 years ago.
505 E Water had a Ward and Dickinson diner
- Mrs Ethel E Champlin ran the diner from 1935 to 1941. Albert
Jensen may have been in charge for a couple of years during this time.
Albert L Irving then ran the diner from 1941 to 1963. This
diner became an antique store before meeting its demise.
7/22/1939 - Elmira Diner of P.T. Champlin of Little Valley sold to Mr Albert Jenson of Randolph
4/28/1964 - Frm diner to antique shop in 40 days.
That's
the prospect for one of the city's landmarks-the Emira Diner at 505 E
Water St-which closed as a eatery late Friday afternoon, ending 31
years of food service.
But Albert L. Irving, who took off his chef's
apron for the last timelast week, intends to hang out an antique shop
sign at the same address, "in about 40 days."
The new business will be a followup of a hobby Irving has been pursuing for years.
During
the first 14 years after the diner was opened in 1933, it was a
prominent stop for truck running between Buffalo and New York City.
At
that time, the business was operated on a 24 hour a day basis,
including all holidays. Business was booming and the diner almost
always had at least one customer in it.
Since various highway
bypasses have been constructed around the city, the business has
declined, although local trade had still provided the necessity to
continue operations, said Irving.
Irving said that he was raised in
the diner business, his grandmother having operated one for 28 years.
But now he is finally leaving it.
The local trade he has built up will now seek a new place to eat.
Two
of these habitual diners at the Irving eatery are Lewis W. Edwards and
Donald R. Dunbar, both residents of an apartment house at 523 Luce St.
and both employees of Sperry-Rand.
Both of these men have beeneating their noon meals at the Elmira Diner for the past 25 years.
On
Friday they came in and sat down, quietly. Little was said about this
being the last day of operations for Irving as the two ordered their
last meal at the diner. While eating though, they said they had no idea
where they would eat their noon meals from now on.
"The service has
always been good here, the food is good and there is plenty of it and
Al always kept things clean. Sometimes this is a hard combination to
find," they said.
Next week they will begin looking for a new place,
They mentioned a couple of spots they had heard about, but they seemed
to be having trouble realizing that the diner will not be open as usual
from now on.
Renovation of the diner will begin this week and is expected to be completed in about 40 days to be ready as an antique shop.
Antiques are something in which Irving has long been itnerested.
In
the diner he has had a display of various antique tools, ice skates,
cooking utensils, bottles and other items which he has collected
through the years.
Now he will be taking a more active part in antique refinishing and sales.
220
Madison had a Silk City diner - Victoria Kozlowski was the first owner
of Vic's Diner in 1941. She may have become Mrs Victoria Mordue(or
Morse) as the owner from 1942 to 1950. Frank Niekras too over
from 1952 to 1969 and kept the name. Jas Warakomski also kept the
name as he ran the diner during 1970 to 1973. This diner would
get moved to Horseheads, the last diner out of Elmira. It still existis in 2023 as The Diner.
Elmira,
NY - 8/17/1974 - Saturday night, October 12, the last diner in City,
Vic's Diner, at 220 Madison Avenue, closed its doors after 33 years,
having opened November 9,1941. To be replaced by a tennis court and
parking lot, the railroad car-style structure has been sold by its
owner, Joseph Warakonski, who is retiring, and will soon be moved to
its new location on Old Ithaca Road, Horseheads. "Vic" was Mrs.
Victoria Kosloski, the founder, who sold it to Warakonski's
brother-in-law, the late Frank Niekras, in 1946, and Warakonski, who
had taken work there in 1949, took over in October 1968 when Niekras
passed away. "I just work here," Warakonski said, "When Frank died, I
just kept on doing what I was doing, but I did two shifts — mine and
his." Warakonski had a seven year lease, but decided to retire. "I
had a chance to sell, and I sold it," he explained, "You don't sell a
diner every day, and this way I know it's not going to end up like the
others." The other several diners in City? One was recently sold and
shipped to Vestal; the bulk either torn down or allowed to fall down a
bit at a time....
107
State had a diner - Walter G Schanacker had a diner at this location
starting in 1935. He replaced this diner with a Sterling
Streamliner. The old diner may have gone to Corrning.
He ran this diner until 1958. Lavergne C Smith was listed
as the manager 1959 to 1966. There was talk of the diner
reopening, but before that could happen, the flooding from Hurricane
Irene took the diner off its foundation and down the river.
100
W Market had a Kullman diner - Around 1949 a large diner came in, run
by Bernard Comerski and Lee Shumaker. The reins quickly pass to
Homer Hepworth and Carl Sutton and then to Woodrow Williams from 1953
to 1959. Milton Ebersole from the diner in 1961 and 1962 before the
diner hit the road and moved to Vestal, New York
Aug 1951 - Milton Eversole and Woody Williams of Pee-Tees, Vestal took over Mayfair Diner in Elmira
12/4/1959 - IRS seized for taxes. Mentioned that it was 64 ft long.
414
State had a possible diner. - Edwin and Jsoeph Lokken opened up
Lokken's Diner which ran from 1940 to 1944. This became the
Lawrence Diner with Frederick Peters and Cyril Avery running it from
1946 to 1953 and with Roy Russell taking over for Cyril from 1956 to
1962. Peters ran the diner alone up until 1968. The one
photo with this diner in the background seems to show a barrel roofed
diner.
There was, what I believe was a Mulholland built diner at
317 E Market for a short period of time. In 1926 Mrs Della M
Eggleston was listed as the owner, then Ray D Herrick, Frank J
Atchison, Thomas Wilmot and William L Irvine for short periods of time.
There
was a trolley car diner in Elmira. I believe at 213 Maple.
Shoestring Diner in 1946, run by Michael A Sandstone and Mrs
Annie L Biddle. Then John's Diner, run by John S Lilly and Gwen
Long from 1949 to 1955
1899 - Wicks has lw at Lake and Water
1901 - TS Watrous selling lw
3/19/1909 - SE Knapp moving to Elmira to open lw (Cornnig paper)
11/27/1925 - bp- $3k lc, to Lering Estate to erect lc at 206 State
2/20/1941 - O'Mahony selling used 11x36 diner, needs to be moved for new diner. I believe this is Carpenters.
7/5/1927 - Ray Herrick purchased lw on E Market St from MF Eggleston, located between Masonic Temple and Elks Club
1929 - Tierney dining car for sale, 117 W. Market St, needs to be moved?
Aug 1934 - For sale, R Prechil, 665 Lake St in Elmira. Had O'Mahony
Horseheads -
10/12/1974 -
Vic's Diner closed. Opened 11/9/1941. Joseph Warakonski is having it
moved to Old Ithaca Rd in Horseheads. Vic was Victoria Kosloski, sold
it to Warakonski's brother in law in 1946 (Frank Niekras). Warakonski
started working there in 1949. Took over in October 1968 when Niekras
passed away. "The others, one moved to Vestal and the bulk torn down or
allowed to fall down a bit at a time." (Elmira paper)
4/26/1998 - Husband, brother-in-law founded Horseheads' Town and Country station.
The
best firefighter in Horseheads very well be a 75-year old woman. That's
quite an honor because many from both the village and Town and Country
fire department could qualify.
But Fran Sullivan has supported
Hireheads fire fighting for 53 years. She doesn't man a hose, drive a
truck or sit around the firehouse swapping lies with the guys. Fran
prefers to work in the background, providing middle of the night snacks
at fire scenes, cooking for fundraising meals, a quiet, cheerful and
supportive presense. She also makes some luscious food at her diner.
Four
men in Fran's family have been major players in the evolution of
firefighting in Horseheads. Her husband, Art, and his brother George
Sullivan, founded the Town and Country Fire Department and helped build
the village department into what it is today.
George died in 1969
and Art pased away Jan 31, 1995. By then, Art and Fran's sons, Dick 49
and Artie 40 were deep into Horseheads firefighting. Both have done
their father and uncle proud. Blame his mother, said Artie. She
provided the base. "She keeps us going. She's always been behind us.
She gave us such a good life," said Artie.
He said his mother gave
up her desire to be a nurse to tend to her family. "I gues she's nursed
us all through life and that's her goal," he said.
forget the nurse.
Fran had the snarts to be a brain surgeon. Born Frances Kocourek, she
went to a country school in Sullivanville and graduated from Horseheads
at the age of 15.
One of her first jobs was waitressing and cooking
for $5 a wek at the former Jimmie's Lunch in Horseheads. That's where
she met Art Sullivan.
They were married in 1943 and she moved into the home Art and George shared on North Carroll Street in Horseheads.
It was also the home of Sullivan Bros. Truckman, a business George and Art started in 1936 with a single Dodge truck. Fran
took over bookkeeping duties for the business which grew to a dozen
trucks before it evolved into Sullivan's Fire Apparatus in Horseheads,
operated by Dick and Artie Sullivan.
Fran and Art dreamed of
owning a diner from the time they were married. She wanted one of those
custom-built dining cars that are slowly fading into history.
"I sent for brochures but they were just too expensive," said Fran.
their chance came in 1975 when Vic's Diner, a dining car at Second Stret and Madison Avenue in Elmira, came up for sale.
Fran
and Art bought the historic car and moved it to a new foundation along
Ithaca Road in Horseheads near Sullivan's Fire Apparatus.
you'd haveto go back 60 years to find the origin of the diner.
Vic's
Diner was named for Victoria Kozlowski Morse who, with her late husband
Julius, bought the car in the late 1930s for $22,500 from a Paterson,
NJ company. It cost another $7,500 to get it ready to serve food.
I found Victoria in Palmetto, Florida and gave her a call.
"I
worked at the Elmira diner and I always wanted a diner for myself,"
said Victoria, now 87, who also owned a restaurant in Florida before it
became a Kentucky Fried Chicken.
A dining car in Corning sparked her interest in one of her own: The Soup City diner.
victoria
operated Vic's for about a decade, then sold it to her sister and
brother in law, Stella and Frank Niekras, and moved to Florida.
The
Niekrases ran Vic's for almost 20 years until Frank's death in 1968. It
was never easy, said Stella, who still lives in Elmira. "If somebody
asked me to a run a restaurant today, I'd look the other way," she said.
Stella
sold Vics to Frank's sister and brother-in-law, LEocadia and the late
Joseph Warakomski. They ran it until urban renewal came along, forcing
its sale. Art and Fran Sullivan were willing buyers.
Fran Sullivan
has maintained the diner pretty much as it was when it rolled out of
Paterson, NJ. There's a new exhaust fan and furnace but the stools and
booths are original, along with the ceramic tile floor, which shows
little wear. The floor is just like Fran-no signs of wearing out.
She's
at the diner from 5:30 am to 2pm Monday through Friday and 5:30 am to
noon on Saturday. Afternoons are spent at her sons' nearby business,
either doing bookwork or answering the phones.
Fran hired one waitress and gets good help from her daughter Mary Helen Hall.
She
figured she'd retire two years after she bought the diner then delayed
retirement to five, 10, 15 and 20 years. The 25th anniversary arrives
in two years. Maybe then, Fran said.
It almost happened after her
husband died. She closed for three months. "I didn't know if I was
going to give it up," she said. "But I decided I've got it, so what am
I going to do about it."
Her customers made the difference, Fran said. "I've got a nice lot of customers. I'd miss them all if I wasn't here."
Tioga County
Owego -
March 1898 - license for another n.l.w., a White House Cafe in front of Police Hqs
on Main St. For a long time, the residents of Owego have felt loss
caused by removal of the one which was removed recently. Lucias Gray ran the lw.
2/25/1899 - lw leased by Clarence Walker. To take Monday
9/21/1900 - Charles A Shellman lw(North St) man, to open store front
5/26/1900 - C Clark building lw at Central House Barns. Will soon open nights on Main St in front of E.G. Washburn's nr Lake St.
6/30/1900 -lw alley. J.R. Sweets & G.L. Allen
There was a Ward and Dickinson diner in Owego.
It showed up in October of 1925 and that location has seen a diner ever
since. Similar to Wellsville, the building was enlarged around
the diner and nothing was left of the diner, over time.
Conway's Diner, mother, and brother Wesley from Syracuse came to help (Binghamton newspaper 1920s)
Waverly -
1/12/1899
- Leon Watts of lw at Lake and Water leased a wagon at Waverly where he
will embark in business for himself (Elmira newspaper)
1904 - Ted EB Snow of Boonville running successful lc in Waverly(Rome newspaper) Still there in 1909
Aug 1905 -Neave's lw on Broad St.
2/1/1907 - Clarence Londsmann, mgr of lw
3/26/1919 - William Dunn lw nr bridge over the railroad
1898 - Walter McGuire lw at Waverly asked lw be brought to Batavia(Batavia newspaper)
A Ward and Dickinson diner
was very briefly in Waverly, but it quickly moved to Binghamton.
Joseph and Lottie Caple were the owners. I do not have a
location. Link to come soon, I hope.