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Harrison School on Route 422.
M.E. Riley bought the Harrison
School in 1965 and turned it into a Technical School, teaching
Drafting, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, and Electronics. It
has been expanded to eight classrooms and laboratories, and two
other buildings have been added to the educational complex. |
McKinley
Heights Memories Part 1.
1984 Times Special Edition–By Mary Jane Steffey
McKinley Heights began growing at the turn of the century. Although
consisting mostly of farms, the center of the area became known
as Tibbets Corners, named for the family who owned a farm there.
This is now the corner where Route 422 and Robbins Avenue intersect.
A one-room school, about one half mile north
on Route 422, accomodated the children of the residents. This
school taught grades one through eight. Some of the older boys
were called on the attend to the janitor work, such as shoveling
snow, etc. Children were expected to get to school by their own
transportation. School buses were non-existent.
The children attended this school until 1918,
when a new two room brick school was built on property about one
fourth mile south on the same side of the road. It was called
McKinley School. Two years later it was enlarged to four rooms
and was acquired by the Niles City School System. The Niles Board
renamed the school Harrison School. Students used this school
until 1955. Now they are bused to schools within the city limits
of Niles. |
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On
the Southeast Corner was a gas station, built in 1924 by Phil
Bianco. It was operated as a Cities Service Station until
it became a Fleet Wing station in 1947. (The Cities Service sign
is visible in the upper left-hand corner of the photo).
Phil’s sons now operate the gas station,
and expanded it to another building for the sale and service of
boating, lawn and garden equipment, and snow vehicles. |
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Where
the Snack Shack now stands was a small candy and ice cream parlor
that served the young people after skating on the frozen creeks
in winter, or swimming in summer, or after a hot street car ride
from Youngstown or Warren. In 1943, during World War II, Mrs.
Dorothy Allison and Mr. Roodhouse opened a Snack
Shack, calling it “A Comfy Coffee Kitchen”. This emporium
had outside plumbing.
After World War II, all businesses expanded,
including the Snack Shack. In 1957, Mr. Roodhouse’s son,
Rudy, took over the restaurant and after enlarging and
improving it (including indoor plumbing), changed the name to
Rudy’s Snack Shack.
In 1962 it was almost completely destroyed by
fire, but was rebuilt and remodeled and its name changed again
to Rudy’s Restaurant. Rudy’s health forced him to
sell the popular eating place to the Accordinos in 1975.
The food has always been excellent, which is probably the reason
the restaurant has had many years of success. |
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Another view of Phil Bianco's station.
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Bob Diley's Gas Station
was also located at the corner of 422 and Robbins Avenue.
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