Delaware County history resource
Posted: 18 Feb 2011 01:26
While searching for more recent Delco Times archives, I came across this link from the Delaware County library:
http://delawarecolib.newspaperarchive.com/
It has free PDFs of various newspapers covering Delaware County from the late 1800s up until 1977! I've checked, and it doesn't appear any of the other local counties have something like this (Bucks Courier specifically mentions if you want to see old newspapers you have to go to a library and see the microfilm). The search engine isn't perfect (it can't understand the phrase "A&P" for example), but I've already found a ton of new info over the last few days that will help with my research and my Flickr page, for example:
- The Acme in the Granite Run Mini-Mall opened in November 1975, with the Thrift Drug following in early 76. It now takes up almost all of the building. The Acme at 315 W. State St was listed as open as late as 1972, making me wonder if the Granite Run store replaced it.
- The Penn Fruit in Woodlyn (Macdade & Fairview) was converted to Dale's, but was converted back to the Penn Fruit name in 1977 after Pantry Pride took over. Their ads all said "Pantry Pride/ Penn Fruit" at the time. It of course closed anyway in 1979, and became a relocated Acme soon after.
- A lot of info about Pathmark: the Folsom store (420 Macdade) opened in 1967 as a Shop-Rite, but was converted a year later to Pathmark along with 14 other stores in PA, south NJ, and DE. It actually had a pharmacy as early as 1970, and went 24 hours in 1972! One great find was an ad with pictures of actual late-night customers talking about how much they love the new hours, and Pathmark saying how they were unprepared for its success. Marple opened in 1970, and Brookhaven in early 1971 (with Grant City following a few months later, advertised at the time as the largest WT Grant in America).
These articles don't show up in Google News Archives, so hopefully this helps when doing research!
Josh
http://delawarecolib.newspaperarchive.com/
It has free PDFs of various newspapers covering Delaware County from the late 1800s up until 1977! I've checked, and it doesn't appear any of the other local counties have something like this (Bucks Courier specifically mentions if you want to see old newspapers you have to go to a library and see the microfilm). The search engine isn't perfect (it can't understand the phrase "A&P" for example), but I've already found a ton of new info over the last few days that will help with my research and my Flickr page, for example:
- The Acme in the Granite Run Mini-Mall opened in November 1975, with the Thrift Drug following in early 76. It now takes up almost all of the building. The Acme at 315 W. State St was listed as open as late as 1972, making me wonder if the Granite Run store replaced it.
- The Penn Fruit in Woodlyn (Macdade & Fairview) was converted to Dale's, but was converted back to the Penn Fruit name in 1977 after Pantry Pride took over. Their ads all said "Pantry Pride/ Penn Fruit" at the time. It of course closed anyway in 1979, and became a relocated Acme soon after.
- A lot of info about Pathmark: the Folsom store (420 Macdade) opened in 1967 as a Shop-Rite, but was converted a year later to Pathmark along with 14 other stores in PA, south NJ, and DE. It actually had a pharmacy as early as 1970, and went 24 hours in 1972! One great find was an ad with pictures of actual late-night customers talking about how much they love the new hours, and Pathmark saying how they were unprepared for its success. Marple opened in 1970, and Brookhaven in early 1971 (with Grant City following a few months later, advertised at the time as the largest WT Grant in America).
These articles don't show up in Google News Archives, so hopefully this helps when doing research!
Josh