WHERE WE WORKED- ALMOST A COMBINED 55 PLUS YEARS- AMERICAN - OLEAN TILE PLANT. HERE IS THE ENTRANCE TO THE MAIN OFFICE ON SOUTH CLARK
SADLY- IN A FEW WEEKS OR MONTHS- TO BE DETERMINED TODAY- THIS DOOR WILL NO LONGER BE OPEN- AFTER 99 PLUS YEARS- THE PLANT WILL BE SHUT DOWN AND CLOSED FOR GOOD. I CAME TO WORK HERE IN JUNE 1967- AND I KNEW OR MET ONE OF THE ORIGINAL OWNERS - HE WAS REALLY OLD AT THAT TIME- BUT I DID MEET HIM.
WE BOTH HAVE A LOT OF MEMORIES HERE- FOR THIS IS WHERE WE MET- DATED AND EVENTUALLY WERE MARRIED- NOT ON SITE! LOL BUT WE WILL NEVER FORGET OUR TIMES HERE NOR ALL THE FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT WORKED HERE.
BEFORE I LEAVE THIS PICTURE , I MUST USE ONE WORD FOR IT: CLASS!
AMERICAN OLEAN TILE - ON SOUTH CLARK STREET: HAD & HAS CLASS.
DEFINITION: FAMILY- FRIENDS-LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER-A PLACE I HAVE NO REGRETS OF HAVING STARTED OUT THERE. I WILL MISS IT.
EAST STATE STREET- LOOKING WEST TOWARD ALCAS-CUTCO
THE ROAD IS BEING REPAVED-HIDDEN BELOW ARE THE OLD BRICKS USED FOR PAVING WAY BACK WHEN! YOU COME OUT SOUTH CLARK STREET FROM THE TILE PLANT AND TURN LEFT AT THE LIGHT- AND YOU ARE HEADING WEST INTO OLEAN. IF YOU TURN RIGHT AND GO 7 MILES- THATS WERE WE LIVED IN PORTVILLE NY.
SOME OF THE BUSINESS'S WE LIVED AROUND
SOME ARE NOW GONE-BUT MANY REMAIN
JUST A FEW-NEAT LOOKING BACK BRINGS MEMORIES
HERE IS AN AERIAL PHOTO OF THE AMERICAN OLEAN TILE COMPANY-
THE LOWER RIGHT SIDE IS WHERE I STARTED IN 1967- THE SERVICE AND BODY PREP
WE ALSO OWNED ALL THE LAND ACROSS THE STREET AT THE TOP OF THIS PICTURE-WHERE A UNLOADING FACILITY WAS BUILT TO OFF LOAD THE CLAY POWDER BROUGHT IN BY RAIL CARS- AND BLOWN UNDER GROUND ALL THE WAY ACROSS TO THE BODY PREP DEPT. ON THE VERY BOTTOM IS THE GREEN DIKE SYSTEM FOR THE ALLEGHANY RIVER.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE FLOOD CONTROL WALL AND GATE THERE.
ONE OF THE HUGE MURALS WE PRODUCED FOR DIFFEREENT MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
THE ORGINAL LOGO BEFORE AMERICAN TILE WAS JOINED.
HERE IS A LOOK FROM ACROSS STATE STREET FROM ROXY'S BEER GARDEN AND REST. SPENT A LOT OF TIME OVER THERE IN MY YOUNGER YEARS. GO THROUGH THESE DOORS AND YOU WERE IN TO HR AND CAFE TO RIGHT. THE OLD LOGO OF ALMOST A CENTURY OF MANUFACTURING!
AS IT LOOKS TODAY-FLAYS GENTLY WAVING IN THE BREEZE
THE GLASS BLOCKS IN THE WINDOWS COMING FROM PITT-CORNING IN PORT ALLEGHANY- SOME 25 MILES AWAY IN PA.
IN THE BACKGROUND- THE HIGH RISED WINDOWS OF THE KILN-OLD # 1 NOW GONE AND REPLACED BY NEW KILNS SOME 20 YEARS OR SO AGO.
HERE IS AN AERIAL VIEW OF UNION STREET-OLEAN NY IN THE 40'S
THE OLEAN BRADFORD AREA BACK IN THE LATE 1800'S WAS ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF THE OIL FIELDS-HERE IS A DRAWING OF THE PIPELINE THAT WENT FROM OLEAN NY TO NEW JERSEY!
IF YOU WANT A HAMBURG EXPERIENCE-THEN NONE OTHER THEN THIS LITTLE JOINT IN PORTVILLE- RED'S AND TRUDYS HAVE BEEN IN THERE SINCE I BELIEVE THE 30'S AND THERE IS NOTHING LIKE IT! MY MOUTH WATERS JUST THINKING OF THE TOASTED BUNS GLAZED WITH ROCK SALT AND BUTTER WITH THE CRUMBLY HAMBURG!
I HOPE THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA ON THE PLACE SHERRY AND I MET-WORKED AT AND EVENTUALL WERE MARRIED IN LITTLE PORTVILLE NEW YORK. HAVING BEEN BORN IN OLEAN AND LIVING IN ELDRED PA. JUST ACROSS THE STATE LINE- I SPENT ALL MY YOUTH IN OLEAN-SHOPPING-THEATERS-BALL GAMES, ESP. SAINT BONAVENTURE UNIVERSITY AND ITS RANKED TEAMS OF THE 50-60 AND 70'S. THEY WENT TO THE FIAL FOUR , AND BEFORE THAT LOST TO OHIO STATE IN 3 OVERTIMES FOR THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE EARLY 60'S. THAT WAS MY PLEASURE WITH MY FATHER GROWING UP- LISTENING TO THE BONNIES ON THE RADIO OR HIM TAKING ME TO A GAME.
SO I WILL END THIS WHERE I STARTED-SOUTH CLARK STREET-AMERICAN OLEAN TILE- CLASS ALL THE WAY- FAMILIES- GENERATIONS OF FAMILIES- A PLACE I ENJOYED FOR 32 OF MY NOW 45 PLUS YEARS WITH THE SAME COMPANY. GOODNIGHT MRS. CALLEBASH-WHERE EVER YOU ARE- IN A FEW FEW MONTHS-CLOSED AND GONE FOREVER-SLEEP WELL MY FRIEND-SLEEP WELL--------------
Hi Tom and Sherry glad to see this.
ReplyDeletefrom a fellow coworker
Bill Carpenter
Great presentation.
ReplyDeletefriend and former fellow coworker
Susan Jurenko
Thank you for this. My Dad, the late Hal Wright, was quality control engineer at the Tile Plant and served 35 years with the company. He was a true professional and had pride in helping make quality ceramic mosaic tile.
ReplyDeleteThe Tile Plant was an Olean institution for nearly century. I'm very sad that it has closed in large measure because of the economy and the very stringent business tax structure in New York State.