Test Your Clairton IQ

CLAIRTON QUIZ

If you did not grow up in Clairton, PA you will probably want to skip this one. If you DID grow up there, test your memory:


1) The ORIGINAL CHS mascot was:
a. Bears
b. Cobras
c. Jaguars
d. Coke Workers

2) Malmady Village was?
a. Located down “the hollow.”
b. Post WW-II housing for vets.
c. Located near Clairton, France
d. A shopping center

3) Keenan Field was:
a. A place for baseball
b. Location of a water tower
c. Lovers Lane
d. All of the above

4) Crawling was a sport that involved:
a. Childs play
b. Spying on lovers in Lovers Lane
c. Going slow in traffic
d. None of the above

5) Wilson was half a word. The other half was:
a. Mason
b. Dixon
c. Newtown
d. Adidas

6) The bus line that served Clairton was:
a. Royal Carriage
b. Clairton Bus Lines
c. Pleasant Hills Express
d. Nobel J. Dick

7) What CHS football player was in the Rose Bowl twice?
a. Ken Stilley
b. Jim Kelley
c. Judge Dixon
d. Joe Belland

8) What was the name of the group that marched in front of the band?
a. Pep Club
b. Clairton Clovers
c. Majorettes
d. Honeybears

9) Name the movie theater in Clairton.
a. Capital
b. Colonial
c. State
d. All of the above

10) Name the memorial on the corner of St. Clair and Miller
a. Vietnam Memorial
b. Roll of Honor
c. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
d. Thrift Drug Store

11. Which was a hiousing development in Clairton?
a. Bickerton Plan
b. Constitution Circle
c. Woodland Terrace
d. All of the above

12) Which school was in Wilson
a. Walnut Avenue
b. Fifth Street
c. Miller Avenue
e. St. Joseph

13) The CHS Sophomore class of 1958 became the first graduating class of
a. Elizabeth Forward
b. Allegheny
c. Elizabeth Seton
d. Thomas Jefferson

14) CHS was the only school in the area that had
a. Two gymnasiums
b. An auditorium with a balcony
c. A swimming pool
d. Electric Shop

15) CHS students came from:
a. Wilson
b. Elrama
c. Finleyville
d. Jefferson Borough
e. All of the above

16) Required swimwear for boys in swim class was:
a. Wool trunks
b. Gym shorts
c. Bathing caps
d. Janzen suits
e. None of the above

17) Clairton car dealerships included all but:
a. Zupancic Mercury
b. Gumbel Chevrolet
c. Gregg Chrysler
d. Kaiser-Frazer
e. Hudson
f. Volkswagen

18) The Spur gas station was on
a. Miller Avenue
b. State Street
c. Shaw Avenue
d. Vankirk

19) Clairton was the home of
a. A congressional Medal of Honor winner
b. A professional football player called “The Little General”
c. A major singing group
d. An internationally famous trumpet player
e. All of the above

20). The annual Kennywood picnic also offered
a. Train transport
b. Streetcar transport
c. Local taxi service
d. None of the above.

Answers: 1: B, 2: B, 3: D, 4: B, 5: C, 6: D, 7: C, 8: D, 9: D, 10: B, 11: D, 12: A, 13: D, 14: C, 15: E, 16: E, 17: F, 18: B, 19: E, 20: A

If you got 90-100% you’re a real Clairtonian. If you scored less than 50% you’re still a real Clairtonian but with not so much of a memory.

A few Clairton facts: The original mascot was the Cobra, which I kind of like for the alliteration. Malmady Village no longer exists. The housing was temporary for returning GIs and has been replaced with some very nice homes. “Crawling” was a coming of age sport for boys which included sneaking up on cars in Lovers Lane (Keenan Field) to try to learn the facts of life. Noble J. Dick bus lines are long gone but the Dick Corporation remains a stalwart in the community. Jim Kelley was the All American at both CHS and Notre Dame, Ken Stilley was a former Steeler scout, and Joe Belland was recruited by legendary coach Frank Kush to Arizona State. But it was Judge Dickson who played fullback for the Minnesota Gophers who helped his team go from worst to first and then to the Rose Bowl. Baby boomers swelled Clairton High School’s classrooms to the point where each day included study halls in the auditorium just to contain the hordes of teens. Relief came when Thomas Jefferson opened with CHS sophomores-turned-juniors who had been traveling from Jefferson Borough and Pleasant Hills. Thus in 1960 the first TJ graduating class included former CHS kids. Boys swam in the nude. Am still trying to figure that one out. Any misbehavior or horseplay was rewarded with a sharp swat with Mr. Porter’s paddle across raw hide. Car dealerships in Clairton included Hudson, Kaiser-Frazer, Packard, Studebaker, Chevrolet, Pontiac, Chrysler, Ford, Lincoln Mercury, Dodge Nash/Rambler, Dodge, and Desoto. When Ed Zupancic opened his Lincoln Mercury dealership on Miller Avenue across from Miller Avenue School, fanfare included a visit from Ed Sullivan. Lincoln Mercury was a sponsor of his TV show. The Spur gas station gave away glasses with a fillup and was located across State Street from the Ford dealership.

The Congressional Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously to Capt. Reginald Desiderio. A Nike missile stands as a memorial to him in “Triangle Park” across the street from the onetime Dodge dealership. “The Little General” and folk hero of Canadian football is Ron Lancaster. Several singing groups including the Holidays had Clairton roots. Michael Green became a renowned trumpet player. Finally, in what must have been one of the last passenger trains to serve Clairton, kids were treated to a ride to Kennywood Park followed by a trek up a steep hill to get to the park.


A little blogging Maestro… “My Little Town” by Simon and Garfunkle.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com