Looking Back: We need you!
This 1987 image of the Monongahela Bridge being imploded was published in “200 Years: Our History Through the Pages of the Observer- Reporter.” The book was published in 2008 to celebrate two centuries of the newspaper’s existence.
Terry Necciai of Monongahela sent us this image taken by Richard Dawson around 1975. “It shows a row of popular stores that were local institutions: Odelli’s peanut and candy shop, Isaly’s, Sun Wall (a paint, wallpaper, and carpet store), and Rushton’s (one of the three jewelry stores we had at the time,” Necciai says. “These buildings (except for the Odelli Building on the corner) were cleared away in the large urban renewal project, about 1978.”
Another image from “200 Years: Our History Through the Pages of the Observer-Reporter” shows Frank Stasko of Coal Center in November of 1985, when nearly 2,000 residents were forced from their homes during a flood. The Monongahela River rose more than 12.5 feet over flood stage.
In each issue of Mon Valley Living, we wax nostalgic with historical area photos. Interestingly, coming across both photos and accurate information in our archives can pose a challenge – this is because many negatives and prints are not labeled. We’re always looking for these images, so if you have old photos of the Mon Valley, please email them to editor Katie Green, kgreen@observer-reporter.com for consideration in future issues.