President's Comments - April 2026

As Winter fades into the oncoming Spring, the programs at the Historical & Genealogical Society of Indiana County (HGSIC) are beginning to pick up. Check out our website for all of our upcoming events. We average two programs a month. For most of the HGSIC events, there are no charges, but we do ask that you reserve a space, so we have a head count ahead of the event. There is a wide variety of topics that are covered.

As I think back to what things I did as a kid growing up in the 1960s, I remember the Saturday matinee shows for kids at local theaters. I grew up in Rostraver Township in Westmoreland County. The nearest movie theater to my house was the Manos Theater in Monessen, PA, 6 miles away.

The Manos Brothers, Greek immigrants, ran a chain of more than 30 Manos Theaters in western Pennsylvania. Michael Manos (1884-1965) opened the first Manos theater in Greensburg, PA in 1916. Louis Manos (1893-1973) was president of the Monessen Amusement Company, one of two companies that the brothers had formed. In February 1935, the Monessen Amusement Company bought the Ritz Theater, at 550 Philadelphia Street in Indiana, PA. The Ritz Theater was remodeled and became the Manos Theater. The Indiana Manos Theater closed in September 1980. The seating area was razed, and now it is the parking lot behind Bob’s Sub, Jim Struzzi’s office, and Al Patti’s Bar. The entrance to the theater is where Struzzi’s office is located. The footprint of the theater was a modified L-shape, with two storefronts, one on each side of the entrance. Seating was in the rear behind the entrance and store fronts. The Manos Theater that I went to in Monessen was shaped the same way. 

While many local theaters had kids’ matinees on Saturdays, the special ones were hosted by Paul Shannon. Paul Shannon hosted Adventure Time, on WTAE-TV. Adventure Time was a locally produced children's television show that aired from September 15, 1958 to February 18, 1979. It played various cartoons and Three Stooges shorts. The studio audience was generally composed of children's groups such as Boy Scout, Cub Scout, Girl Scout, Brownie, and Camp Fire Girl troops.

Shannon did many Saturday matinees with the Manos Theater chain. I remember going to the Manos Theater in Monessen to see Paul Shannon and The Three Stooges (Moe, Larry, & Curly Joe) live on stage. There were a few cartoons and a Three Stooges short that were shown.

Where I lived was six miles from the theater. When my friends and I went to a matinee, we usually would be loaded into a station wagon. There was no such thing as seat beats to space us out, so if it were a smaller car, we would be crammed inside. About 4 to 6 of us kids would be driven by a parent to the Manos Theater in Monessen. We would be dropped off in front of the theater and told that someone would be back about two hours later to pick us up. We were probably about 10 to 12 years of age at the time. I remember that we would pay for our admission. Some of us would stop at the refreshment counter for popcorn, candy, or a soda. The theater would be full of kids. It was loud and noisy, but it was so much fun. 

What happened back then with my friends and me would never happen today.  Kids being dropped off and left unescorted is unheard of. Expectations, regarding behavior and what was acceptable, were different years ago. Times and life were different. In some ways it was better back then. In some ways, times are better today. What I do know is that times change and how we do things change.  It is these changes that an oral history program will try to preserve to let future generations know we lived in our day and time. 

Keep following the HGSIC on our website and social media accounts to keep up to date with all that we are doing. Please consider joining us at one of our events. I look forward to meeting you!