Shops, Factories, Businesses and Other Industries

The first industries were lumber yards.   The first lumberyard was located on North Mill Street, at the site of the present Polish Church,   by Jonathan Hetherington and operated until 1865.  Hetherintton supplied lumber to the mining operations.  In 1845, John Geiger,  had a lumber yard in the vicinity of  Nicholas, Lawton & Carroll Streets.  In 1900 he leased it to Mr. Kyner, the superintendent of the Hooker Colliery.  It later passed into the hands of Messrs. Arnout, Parmley, and Reichley.  This lumberyard continued in operation until 1925 when it closed and the land sold for residential buildings.  In 1887 Albert Mettam started a lumber business that is still in today.  Mettam Brothers is located on North Third Street and is operated by  Sean & Mimi Mettam Bulino.

The Miners Supply Store was opened by Daddow and Beadle in 1866.  This store operated until 1928.  S. H. Daddow and Jesse Beadle invented and perfected a product that  were used by the miners for firing dynamite, called a squib.  George Hayes also manufactured squibs from 1883 to 1888.  In the 1880's - 90% of the caps used in the United States were manufactured in Saint Clair.  Squibs were made and packed by hand; all work done by women workers.

The Daddow Squib factory closed on February 9, 1929..  Daddow and Beadle also opened the Lattimer Cap Factory, on Nichols & Patterson Sts.,  where they produced miners caps which held a patented attachment for the miner's light.   

There were two shovel factories, one located on North Third Street operated by Mr. Rowen.   Sam Daddow operated a box factory from 1870 to 1928.   The original factory was on N. 2nd next to Citizens Bank and later moved to Mill & Russell Sts.

In 1875 Peter P. Quirin, a German master mechanic,  opened a brass foundry located on South Nicholas street.  The machine shop took care of repairs for the machinery of the carious collieries around town. This foundry began producing manhole covers in the 20th century with owner Edmund Quirin.  He moved the foundry to a location on Hancock Street.  In the early 1970's Edmund build a larger foundry on the hill overlooking St. Clair, a few hundred feet south of  his Hancock St. foundry.  By the late 1970's Edmund's son Edward was running the company.  He moved all operations to the new foundry on the hill and tore down the old foundry on Hancock Street.  Entrance to the new foundry has remained the same on Hancock St.  When the St. Clair Coal Company ceased operations in 1957 my father began working for Edmund Quirin at the E. A. Quirin Machine Shop as a clerk/purchasing agent in his office.  I still remember touring the old & new foundry with my father and watching the red-hot liquid steel being poured.   The new foundry was such an improvement not only for production, but for the workers.  The old foundry was cramped, dark and dirty.

(John Quirin Sr., 72, Saint Clair; for years senior member Quirin Bros. brass foundry died May 15, 1928)

In 1842 Burd Patterson started an iron furnace in southern St. Clair.  Due to competition and lack of good quality iron ore, the furnace closed in 1873.

There were several blacksmith shops that operated until the coming of the automobile in 1910.  They were operated by Adam Richter, George Denning, Elmer Neumister, William and Charles Stephenson and August Rener.

Carpet weaving shops were operated by Michael Brown on North Nicholas Street and William Morris on North Mill Street in the early 1900's.  I do not know if this William Morris is a relative of my Great-Grandfather who came from Wales and was injured in a mine accident.  I need to research this a little more.

Long before the refrigerator and freezer ice was cut from frozen dams in the winter and stored until the summer in ice packing houses.  In the late 1800's and 1900's Joseph Grossketler and Burden Davis operated ice packing houses in Saint Clair opening in June 1921.  Improvements were made in 1927 from a hand crane to electric crane, double hoist & cloudy ice to transparent ice.  In 1928 more improvements were made.   Installed a shell & tube condenser replacing the coil condenser to change the ammonia from liquid to vapor.  In 1934 the daily output was 63 tons using three machines.  In 1931 the business was Incorporated in Delaware.  As of 1934 it was still in operation.

George Gwinner, on North 2nd St., had the leading bakery in town in the early years.  Other bakeries and confectionery stores in the early 1900's were; Theodore Hughes, S 2nd St., Jacob Brown, N. Nichols St, the Silver Bakery, Mahoney Bakery and Raudenbush's bakery.   I remember visiting Roudenbush's Bakery with my mother when I was very young.

- North 2nd St. "The Lyric" is now known as the "Ritz". -

Hotels - The first hotel was a bording house for the workers of the Girard Tunnel called  the "Cross Keys".   In 1831 Daniel Frack built a tavern at the corner of 3rd & Hancock St.  In 1844 Jacob Metz built a 3rd tavern and 1st voting place.  This tavern was later taken over by H. H. Marshall.  In 1844 John Taggart built a hotel on Carroll & 2nd Sts., this building later to be known as the Boone Building. Some people may remember the St. Clair 5 &10 cent store being located.  The Commercial Hotel was located across from the Boone Building at was was once the Company Store, Schuylkill Supply Store, then Lokitus's Plumbing Supplies and now Ron Dunn Plumbing.  The last hotel in St. Clair was on the corner of Nichols and Franklin Sts., across from the football stadium.

1902 - Jan. 2-Passengers on Saint Clair branch of Union Traction Co., were notified that straight 5c fare each way was rule thereafter.

R. Boone's Store located on the corner of North 2nd St. and Franklin Sts.

At one point in this building's history there was a bowling alley on the 2nd floor.  Later, it became Wachuta's Garage, today the building is again a garage, also a restaurant and also a video arcade .

 Edwin C. Boone, 68, Saint Clair; conducted general store for many years died Aug 1, 1928

1927 - March 4- The Boone building at Saint Clair was ruined by fire

See the "Then and Now" page to see this building today

	Cigar Manufacturer located on South 2nd Street.   Notice how everyone has a cigar!  Andrew McDonald (cripple) son of Pine Forest foreman, Achabald McDonald Picture from Laurie McDonald Maley   collection. In the 1890 Census, there was a  Cigar Store   operated by Henry H. Hilbert 56, who lived on 2nd Street.  This may or maynot be this particular cigar store.
	Saint Clair Furnace Owned and operated by Burd Patterson who purchased the land in 1845 (16 lots).  Burd Patterson had another furnace, the Pioneer Furnace (Pottsville), which he sold before buying the lots for this funace.  In 1846 the furnace was smelting seventy-five tons of anthracite iron per week.  The furnace eventually expanded to 15 acres.
	Kulls Garage in 1939 when it was located on South Nicholas Street.   In the picture   the teenager is my uncle, Donald Kull with the toddler being my brother, David Morris.  This garage later became the Borough Garage.  The Borough Garage is now located on Third Street & Lawton Sts. where Hospator Steel Corp had a business, next to the 3rd St. playground.
Mamie Sitcoskie, Anna Seminavage, and  manager Grace DiCello	Popular hangout for Saint Clair teenagers during the 30's, 40's and 50's. Does anybody remember the Famous Maid?  Sue's Kirk's?  Goody Shoppe?  My big sister took me along with her to hang out with her friends.  I think she was suppost to be babysitting! The countertop here at the Famous Maid was made of marble and the fountain's workings were all staneless steel.  The soda fountain was an L.A. Proudy, which was an expensive investment, around $12,000, in the late 1920's.
Hooker Company Store    (Hooker Colliery)	Hooker Company Store Located on N. 2nd Street next to Citizens Bank (former Borough Hall and presently the police station).  This store was later an A&P, the Mason Bldg., several stores, an office,  restaurant/ arcade, now  the L.A. Dance Studio
Postcard showing Wagner's Store	G. B. Wagner's Store in mid-1850's George B Wagner Hardware 1856-1942. * George B Wagner came to Saint Clair in 1854 at age 22.  He bought property and opened a Tin/ hardware store at 13-15 South Second Street in 1856.  He married Mary Ann Fielding of Saint Clair in 1858 and they had three sons. At its height, G. B Wagner, Hardware, was like a small dry goods store.  Not only did they make stove pipe, carry hardware and plumbing supplies, but they also sold rugs and fine imported china.
Wagner's Hardware Store in the 1930's	Wagner's Store - Now the closed Anthracite Office Equipment on 2nd Street
BUSINESS   AD   FROM  1890	**   Mr. Wagner was very active in the Methodist church in town and a taught a young men's Sunday School class for many years.  He was honored by the Sunday school on the occasion of his 80 birthday. After his death in 1916 at the age of 84, the hardware store was managed by his sons, David J Wagner and William G Wagner and subsequently by his grandson,  George W Wagner. The store went out of business in 1942.         Sources* from old history of Sch. Co.  ** clipping from newspaper       Pictures of Wagners Store courtesy of  Dave Wagner
Alessi's Gun Shop
	Corner of Lawton and South Second Streets (red building on left - Hammer's Hardware)

Delcamp's Grocery.  Still has the same name outside, but know by the "locals" as Rodger's.

Notice the phone #, this is from earlier than the 1960's.

---------- Businesses in 1890 from the Boyd's Directory ----------

If you have any additions to this list, please sent them to the St. Clair Community & Historical Society, PO Box 187, St Clair, PA  17970 or email the full details to stclairweb.gmail.com