Wednesday, June 12, 2013

The Original A.P.R.! (The Waynesburg Airport Restaurant)

Sorry it has been so long since our last post!   Summer is actually the slow season for exploration.  Tromping around abandoned buildings and ruins in the woods is much worse in the summer months.   Heat,snakes,poison oak/ivy suck the fun right out of exploration.  Not to mention the woes of us allergy sufferers! So, we'll throw some cool stuff atcha in the mean time.



  After a random Facebook photo we posted of the old photo booth in the old Fishers Big Wheel plaza went through the roof with hundreds of views/comments, it was clear our readers know and love Waynesburg. We'll be having more posts from Waynesburg area coming up.  Until then, check this out.. Today's blast from the bast is once again courtesy of my Grandfather's old photo collection.   The man had a camera with him everywhere!   He was also known to frequent the Waynesburg Airport.  A former amateur pilot and aircraft builder, he loved his planes! (Look for an upcoming super 8mm clip of him and some friends flying their own experimental aircraft!)

This post,however,is less about planes and more about food...kind of.  The old building at the Greene County airport housed what was affectionately known as the A.P.R.  The airport restaurant was the spot for late night food after a night out.  Although I was only there once or twice, I hold fond memories of it.  As I'm sure others do.  It is the first place I ever had a Garbage Plate!   For the those not familiar, it was a plate piled with scrambled eggs, peppers, onions, sausage and bacon.  I'm not sure if it was their invention (I've had them elsewhere since) but its what everybody had after a night at Koratich's! (more on there,soon!)

 In June 1992,the county decided it was time for the original building to say goodbye and several of the county's fire departments showed up to lay her to rest.  Back in those days we would burn old unwanted buildings for fire training.  Due to environmental reasons and liability reasons, It's no longer common practice (Although,you would think insurance companies would want well trained firefighters! Oh well...)So,enjoy these shots.We'll have more new posts comming your way soon! Remember to comment with your memories of the APR!

 




















4 comments:

  1. The MINUTE I saw the title of this piece, I thought "Garbage Plate"!! No it wasn't exactly the nicest looking place inside, but back in the early 1980s my pals & I would stop there on the way home (haha from Koratichs like you said or even Morgantown) for one of those plates (that came with fried potatoes too), this was like 2-3 am & the place would be full up!

    Awesome memories here, thanks for sharing :)

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  2. Geez, the Waynesburg Airport, my Dad spent a ton of time there flying in and out all the time. Dad usually kept his plane(s) on the field at our farm on Telegraph Road in Brownsville but he would fly to Waynesburg to get fuel and just hang out. He must have known your Granddad because Dad played with experimentals and self-builts for years. He had a friend, Emmor Porter who lived in Hiller, that would build and restore old frame and canvas planes in his basement (his wife often threatened divorce when he would dope the canvas as it would stink up the house). Last plane that Dad was involved with was a Taylorcraft B-12. I'd love to see the video of your Granddad.

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  3. Back in the 60's, I worked at that airport in the summer's as a gas pumping line-boy / radio shack gofer / all around grass-mover, aircraft washer, mechanic's helper or whatever needed doing. Meet loads of aircraft owners and got lots of rides. Knew most of the owners who parked their aircraft there. Bill Stockdale, the Airport Manager would give me free lessons. I had lots and lots of fun working there in the summers. May have even known the guys mentioned in the comments above. Sad to see it gone. Somewhere in all the moves over the years, I've lost my log book, but I still have my FCC radio operators license hanging in a frame on my office wall. You had to have an FCC license to operate the Unicom radios in the radio shack. Good, good memories!

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  4. Bill Stockdale was my uncle to have known Uncle Bill was to love the endless conversations of flying. He loved life and people many times pilots had the pleasure of staying at the home he shared with his wife. my mother was his sister we visited every year and looked forward to spending time with him. He loved to talk to everyone.

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