Titusville Businesses of Yesteryear

On By Jessica HilburnIn History & Obituaries

Recently, on the Yesteryear in Titusville, PA Facebook Group, my mom, Heather Hilburn, started a thread about the old businesses of Titusville. Dozens of people jumped in on the conversation to reminisce about some great local restaurants, shops, bars, car dealers, and hideouts to be found in the city. Memory is extremely tied to place. When you walk into a space from your past, memories you may have not thought of in years come flooding back.

Using that idea as a jumping off point, this month I have chosen to highlight some Titusville Herald newspaper ads from businesses of Titusville’s past.* This is not a comprehensive list of all Titusville businesses of yesteryear – just a few that might pique your interest or get you thinking of others. I’m sure there is someone out there who will remember each and every one! If you have a great memory at a place or of a person connected to that place, please feel free to share in the comments. Let’s take a walk down memory lane…

*All of the below advertisements are credited to the Titusville Herald. The name of the businesses is given in the caption below each picture along with the paper date.

Tastee Freeze 5.10.1968
Tastee-Freez – May 10, 1968
Papa Carones 8.24.1978
Papa Carone’s August 24, 1978
Sterling Insurance Service 12.31.1968
Sterling Insurance Service – December 31, 1968
Ram's Head 5.17.1974
Ram’s Head – May 17, 1974
Mollys Mill 4.25.1997
Molly’s Mill – April 25, 1997
Pants Plus 7.3.1976
Pants Plus – July 3, 1976
Nelsons Jewelers 2.13.1959
Nelson’s Jewelers – February 13, 1959
The Bargain Store 12.31.1968
The Bargain Store – December 31, 1968
Super Duper 6.10.1965
Super Duper – June 10, 1965
Martin Gas Products 12.24.1966
Martin Gas Products – December 24, 1966
EK Thompson 6.25.1970
E.K. Thompson & Son – June 25, 1970
Sears Roebuck 1.13.1948
Sears Roebuck – January 23, 1948
W.T. Grant Co. 3.25.1959
W. T. Grant’s – March 25, 1959
Orpheum Theater 1.29.1952
Orpheum Theatre – January 29, 1952
Bryan Hardware 12.12.1959
Bryan Hardware – December 12, 1959
Curry Dry Cleaners 3.31.1955
Curry Dry Cleaners – March 31, 1955
Triangle Shoe Store 9.13.1951
Triangle Shoe Store – September 13, 1951
Hogan's Palace 3.8.1973
Hogan’s Palace – March 8, 1973
Teig's Ad 10.17.1980
Teig’s – October 17, 1980
Isaly's Advertisement 5.15.1942
Isaly’s – May 15, 1942
Titusville Quick Shoe Repair 2.17.1940
Titusville Quick Shoe Repair – February 17, 1940
Ambulance Membership Drive 4.10.1980
Ambulance Drive – April 10, 1980
Lee Coates and Son 5.19.1960
Lee Coates & Son Used Cars – May 19, 1960
Ralph Cohen Clothes 5.19.1960
Ralph Cohen Clothes – May 19, 1960
Jones Brothers Buick Rambler 5.19.1960
Jones Brothers Buick-Rambler-Opel – May 19, 1960
Sugar N Spice 5.17.1974
Sugar ‘n Spice – May 17, 1974
Fishers Big Wheel 5.3.1977
Fishers Big Wheel – May 3, 1977
Northwest Motors Corp 5.17.1974
Northwest Motors – May 17, 1974
GJ Slattery 12.17.1949
G.J. Slattery – December 17, 1949
Swansons 12.2.1954
Swanson’s – December 2, 1954
Ross & Cox 12.24.1966
Ross & Cox – December 24, 1966
Marine Bank 6.1.1988
Marine Bank – June 1, 1988
Penn Theatre 4.26.1980
Penn Theatre – April 26, 1980
Dunns Stationary 5.6.1993
Dunn’s Stationary – May 6, 1993

25 thoughts on “Titusville Businesses of Yesteryear”

  2. Carol Blum Gordon

    Thank you so much for assembling this walk down memory lane. I was hoping to see an ad from the Helen Gordon Shop on Franklin Street which my parents owned.

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    Reply
    1. Jessica Hilburn

      Hi Carol – I do have an ad from 1948 for the Helen Gordon Shop if you’d like me to send it to you! If you give me your email, I will do that promptly!

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      Reply
      1. Jessica Hilburn

        Unfortunately most the pictures we have of Titusville businesses are copyrighted and unable to be posted, but maybe one day we can do a post of the ones we do have access to!

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  4. I remember the shops all decorated for Christmas! Western auto, Joans children’s shop, Penn dress shop, Oniells shoe store Barker Hardware, Shopenes jewelers, Gift Box, M&M, central Ave. Resturant, WTIV radio station, A&P grocery store, GC Murphys, Titusville newsstand, Hoppys, Days home furniture, pizza villa, Dog and Suds, Scat gas station, pat Williams has station, Dads grocery store, Rowes Flower shop, Murdoch’s flower shop, so many more! Lots of memories!!!!!!

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    1. Marilyn Davis

      Hello,
      Do you have any information about the Bernstein(Ruben and Rose??) family? They owned a ladies dress shop and their son (Irwin and Miriam) was an optometrist in Titusville.
      Thank you.

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      Reply
  6. Jim Foster

    Very nice. I spent the first 35 years of my life in the Titusville area before moving to the Harrisburg area. I have found memories of using the Benson Library as a kid.

    Liked by 1 person

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  11. I know there’s a lot of other memories like Minuteman service station scat gas Dino Sinclair on Franklin Street Dean Phipps Auto Parts Western Auto D & J Auto McMahon’s appliance repair mcandrew drugs Titusville Pizza Villa among others I’m older than dirt thanks for listening Ray Mumford Weirton West Virginia originally from Titusville PA

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