Irving and Mary Cohen

Circa 1926

Irvin Cohen met Mary Gossin in Rochester, New York in 1925.  He took her ice skating, canoeing on the Genesee River and to the movies.  In February 1926, they were married and in 1927 they bought their first theatre in the small town of Wayland, New York.

In the years to follow, they would purchase or build other theatres in towns throughout Central and Western New York State such as the Strand in Hornell, New York, the Plaza in Corning, New York and another theatre in Mount Morris, New York.  While operating these theatres, they also raised a family of two sons, Gary and Macy and one daughter, Jacqueline.

In 1937, they built their first new indoor theatre, the Steuben, in Hornell.  It was known as one of the most beautiful theatres in the northeast. In 1940, they purchased the historic Allendale Theatre in Buffalo which they remodeled in the 1950s and leased to several different operators.  

In 1949, they built the Van Buren Drive-In in Dunkirk, New York which they operated until it was sold to the Dipson Theatre chain in 1979.  In 1950, they built the Sheridan Drive-In in Tonawanda, New York which was closed in 1981.  

In 1957, they purchased the Transit Drive-In from a group of Buffalo area businessmen.

Since then, the Transit Drive-In Theatre has been managed by three generations of the Cohen family.  Irving and Mary's older son, Gary managed the Transit from 1957 to 1963.  Macy, their younger son, managed the theatre from 1963 to 1986, increasing the parking capacity from 600 cars to 990 cars by 1973, introducing in-car heaters and a 12 month schedule from 1972 until 1977.

The Transit has faced several setbacks over the years.  The original screen tower blew down during a wind storm in 1971.  It was replaced by the current Selby screen tower, a 98' x 60' mammoth tower.  A fire closed down the concession building on september 8, 1973, but not the drive-in.

"The show will go on!" was the word from Macy Cohen on that day! 

In the 1980s and 1990s, cable television, pay per view movie channels, video rentals and multiplex shoe box theatres presented more serious challenges. Macy's oldest son, David managed the drive-in from 1979 to 1983 and Macy's daughter, Linda managed the snack bar from 1984 to 1986.  

Jacqueline's oldest son, Rodney visiting from Delaware in 1980, worked one summer at the drive-in while staying with his grandmother, Mary to get "a taste of the business experience" as he put it. David's son, Aaron became the 4th generation of Cohen's to work at the drive-in while visiting his Uncle Rick over the summer in 2006.  

In 1987, Macy's youngest son, Rick began managing the drive-in and immediately began a more agressive, dedicated approach to the business.  "I was told by my family and others that the drive-in was a dinosaur, a thing of the past and that we'd never see the nights with over 1,000 admissions again" recalls Rick Cohen with amusement. As a 19 year old in 1987, Rick converted the theatre over to FM stereo sound and installed a platter film system to improve presentation quality.  All the original speaker poles were repainted.  The original 1950s neon marquee was completely rebuilt and Rick still does his own neon repairs.  Car shows, movie premiers, velcro wall jumping, hay rides, pony rides, concerts, contests and other special events were held over the next several years to bring excitement back into the theatre. With a better quality sound system and a brighter picture crowds were coming back. 

On one night in 1991, the drive-in brought in over 2,000 admissions for a showing of "Die Hard 2".  In 1994, the drive-in added a second outdoor movie screen.  In 1995, they added a 19-hole miniature golf course, naming it "The Greens Under the Screen".  In 1996, they added a third screen tower.  On June 29, 2001 the Transit Drive-In became the largest drive-in theatre in New York State when their fourth screen was opened.  In 2008, the Transit Drive-In celebrated their 56th summer of movies and fun under the stars.

Nights with over 1,000 admissions happen virtually every weekend.  It is strongly recommended that patrons arrive up to an hour before the advertised show time during the summer on the weekend nights to grab the best parking spaces, use the playground, play miniature golf, have dinner at the refreshment stand or simply enjoy the sunset while waiting for the films to begin.

No Extra Charge for the Sunset!

Today Rick Cohen is in his 21st season managing the drive-in and he expects to keep on running the outdoor movies for many more years.  

A few of Rick's favorite quotes are as follows:

"The world really doesn't need any more doctors, lawyers or accountants.  What it really needs are more dedicated, loyal drive-in theatre managers."

"Would you like butter topping on that?"

"Vans park in the back rows."

"Please don't let it rain this weekend."

 

This marker commemorates the amusement park's history and Babe Ruth's visit to Celoron Park in Celoron, New York

In 1891, a group of investors from Warren, PA purchased property from the estate of Mary Prendergast for the purpose of creating a summer resort.  The property located on the south side of the southeast tip of Chautauqua Lake known as Prendergast Point was renamed Celoron in memory of the French explorer, General DeCeloron.  By 1983, a steamboat dock, a toboggan slide down to the water, bath house and the Hotel DeCeloron had been built.  It was fast becoming a popular destination.  

By September of 1893, the Jamestown Street Railway was on it way to creating what would come to be known as the Celoron Amusement Park. setting in motion a "roller coaster ride" of events.  

Celeron Park opened in 1894,the "People's Park in Celoron" was quickly deemed the Coney Island of Chautauqua and became a major draw.  Featuring impressive rides, sporting venues, concert halls, zoos and a number of other entertainment and amusement options, summer crowds would take the railroad from Jamestown to Celoron Park to explore the offerings all of which sat against the scenic backdrop of Chautauqua Lake.

Originally purchased in 1874, the 67 acre tract of property passed through several hands before being purchased by Almet N. Broadhead, President of the Celoron Amusement Company.  One of the main attractions was the 125-foot Ferris wheel called "The Phoenix".  The Phoenix was added to the park beginning in the 1896 summer season and it would operate in the park until 1951 when it was disassembled and sent to the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds.  The ride would operate for over 55-years on the banks of Chautauqua Lake providing thousands of amusement-goers with spectacular views from its peak.

Celoron Park

Circa 1898

Skateland Roller Rink

 Greyhound Roller Coaster

Celeron Park Band Stand

Perhaps Celoron Park's most cherished story with the exception for the career of ride ticket-seller and future actress, Lucille Ball was the exhibition baseball game featuring famed American slugger, Babe Ruth.  Known for his legendary hitting ability, Ruth took the 1921 off-season to participate in a number of exhibition games across the Northeast.  Joined by the pitcher, Bob Muesel, the "Babe Ruth All-Stars" took on the semi-pro Jamestown team, beating them 14-10 in a game that saw Babe Ruth get two hits during his visits to the plate.  Exciting as the game was, it was during the warm-up that Ruth's famed hitting power was best demonstrated.  According to the Buffalo Times article on October 19, 1921 ..

"In giving an exhibition of long-distance hitting, Ruth knocked a ball into the lake, a distance of over 500 feet."

The amusement park at Celoron remained a popular tourist destination throughout the early 20th century, surviving both the impact of WWII and the Great Depression.  However, following WWII the park saw a sharp decline in attendance.  

With the introduction of the Interstate highway system, vacationing families began to flock to other locations.  Regional gems like Celoron Park began to close.  Making matters worse, a tornado in 1959 tore through the amusement park destroying many rides.

In 1962, the park was purchased by an unknown Pittsburgh-based businessman who began scrapping many of the rides and structures, ending a 68-year stint for the amusement park.  Though the amusement park is no longer,  the "Lucille Ball Park" commemorating one of the area's premier citizens and former park employee now occupies their spot once filled with rides and games which drew visitors from all over the area and beyond.

Celeron Park is gone though the memories remain through enlarged black and white photos seen at the Harbor Hotel in Celeron.  Many photos include Lucille Ball who worked at the park before she became famous and became the Queen of Comedy. 

 

 

 FORGOTTEN HOWARD JOHNSON MEALS

In 1959, a young French cook named Jacques Pepin stood over a kettle of clam chowder big enough to bathe in.  His job was to make 3,000 gallons taste the same in Maine as in Florida. That was the secret of Howard Johnson's not the orange roof.  Today, people remember the roof and forget the food.  

Pepin famously turned down an opportunity to cook at the White House for President John F. Kennedy to work for Howard Johnson's in the 1960s.  During his decade-long tenure he perfected their commissary production, helping scale and standardize their famous chicken pot pies and other menu staples for the masses.  Before immigrating to the United States, Pepin established a name for himself in France as the personal chef to French President Charles de Gaulle. 

The signature dessert for kids was a scoop of their famous ice cream accompanied by a cookie. A child's perforated menu was offered so that after ordering you could punch out the lines and wear it as a ballcap.  

 Before drive-throughs, before frozen breakfast sandwiches, before frozen breakfast sandwiches Howard Johnson's served little griddle cakes that came off the supply truck by the case .. corn toasties, orange toasties, blueberry toasties.  They arrived frozen, golden discs of cornmeal batter studded with sweet kernels and the line cook  dropped them on the flat top until the edges crisped, the center turned tender and steaming.  A paddy of butter melted into the surface and a drizzle of syrup ran down the sides.  When the frozen food line was discontinued, the toasties went with it which has resulted in not being able to buy them anywhere today.  A whole category of American roadside breakfast simply disappeared and almost nobody remembers it existed.  

Howard Johnson's had the Shirley Temple and the Roy Rogers kid's drinks. This was the genius of Howard Johnson's.  He understood that the ritual of serving these drinks to kids with special names was the product.  The drink was just the excuse.  Almost no chain puts these on their menu, by name, anymore.  Another Howard Johnson's specialty was the Hawaiian baked ham. In the post-war years, anything with pineapple on it felt impossibly exotic! A few of the very last orange roof holdouts kept Hawaiian baked ham on the menu right up until the end.  

 Howard Johnson's was not just clams and ice cream.  It fed working men, too.  And the open steak sandwich was built for them.  A think tenderloin steak, charcoal broiled until the edges charred, was laid flat across a single slice of toast and covered in a ladle of dark pan gravy.  

 People forgot that Howard Johnson's began as a soda fountain and candy counter. Howard Johnson's offered  the "frappe".  Order a milkshake at Howard Johnson's and you got a New England "frappe".  And there was a difference even if the rest of the country never learned it.  A "frappe" was ice cream, milk and flavored syrup whipped together at the fountain until it was so thick the straw stood straight up on its own. A "frappe" cost a quarter and it was practically .. a meal. It was served with the rest of the steel cup removed from the spinner and placed beside your glass so you got every drop!

There was macaroni and cheese with elbow macaroni folded into a real cheddar sauce, poured into a dish, topped with crumbs and baked until the top browned and the edges bubbled.

Howard Johnson's was most famously known for its fried clam strips and its signature 28 flavors of ice cream.  

The iconic roadside chain also gained legendary status for its New England-style hot dogs served in square, butter-toasted split-top buns and traditional homestyle favorites like baked beans and chicken pot pies.  

For sit-down diners, travelers always knew they could get homestyle mainstays like meatloaf and roast turkey.

Here is what nobody tells you about Howard Johnson's.  The food was almost beside the point.  What Howard Johnson actually invented was the idea that a restaurant in main and a restaurant in Florida could be the exact same restaurant. When you saw that orange roof from a mile away, you were not just seeing a building, you were seeing a promise.  

Every chain you have ever trusted on the highway exit owes its DNA to a man who decided that consistency itself was worth selling.  This man was the one and only

Howard Johnson. 

Howard Deering Johnson

 

Julian Pump

595 Fairmount Avenue

Jamestown NY

Established 1919

Julian Pump and Manufacturing Corporation Automatic Gasoline Pump Manufacturer.  

A. N. Broadhead was President and Treasurer 

The Julian Pump Company was historically owned and operated by the Broadhead family who also held the Broadhead Mills, the Jamestown Shale Paving Brick Company and local real estate. Operating during the 1920s, Julian Pump was part of the robust roster of heavy manufacturing and metalworking companies that defined Jamestown during the era of automotive and industrial expansion.  Today, original signs and gas pumps manufactured by the company are highly sought after by collectors of vintage automobilia. 

Julian Pump memorabilia primarily consists of vintage items from the Julian Pump Company, which manufactured "Square Deal" gasoline.

Julian Pump Co. typewritten letterheads and original cancellation envelopes occasionally surface on auction sites. 

 

Father's Day is a special day dedicated to honoring fathers and father figures for their love, guidance, support and contributions to their families and society.  The deeper meaning of Father's Day is to recognize the important role that fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, guardians and mentors play in nurturing, protecting and supporting children throughout their lives.

In short, Father's Day is a time to say "thank you" to the men who have helped shape our lives through their care, sacrifice and encouragement.  

 

 

'Once in a lifetime'

Union Pacific Big Boy Engine No. 4014 traveling along the shore of Lake Erie

.. somewhere in Ohio ..

.. headed to Chautauqua County ..

Photo Credit to Michael Smoker

when Big Boy #4014 stopped in Ripley, New York.

The Union Pacific Big Boy #4014 is the largest and heaviest operational steam locomotive in the world.

Originally built in 1941 for WWII freight hauling, the colossal 1.2-million-pound or 600-ton engine stretches 132 feet (with tender).  Today, only eight survive in museums and Engine No. 4014 is the only one still operating. Union Pacific's iconic "Big Boy" cost approximately $265,174 per locomotive to build in 1941.  Adjustinf for inflation, this equates to roughly $5.8 million today.  If a new Big Boy could be manufactured from scratch today, experts estimate the modern construction cost could easily exceed $100 million due to the lack of specialized tooling and manufacturing infrastructure. 

Twenty-five locomotives were built.  Eight are preserved in museums with No. 4014 operational.

Union Pacific spent over $10 million between 2013 and 2019 to fully restore Big Boy #4014.

You can track the train by following the live location and the complete updated schedule on the Union Pacific Steam Tour Tracker.

Everyone wants a photo

even

the crew!

Union Pacific No. 4014 

.. crossing the Mighty Mississippi ..

..  enroute to Westfield ..

June 9, 2026

Photo Credit to Joel Seachrist

.. Ripley Welcomes Big Boy #4014 ..

.. A Day to Remember .. 

 

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I thank you.

Pat Locke

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