Hi everyone, here are some more mystery local history photos!
And as always click on the photos to see a larger view of each photo.
Photo 1: Here we see a group of firefighters in front of the old fire station and city hall — which is now the building that houses the Rockwell Museum.
So my mystery questions are: A. Does anyone recognize any of the men in the photo and B. when do you think the photo was taken?
Photo 2: Here we see a smaller group of firefighters standing in front of the Northside Fire Station.
And our mystery questions are again: A. Does anyone recognize any of the men in the photo and B. What year was the photo taken?
I believe this building is still standing on the Northside too — so a bonus question is:
What street is this building located on?
Photo 3: According to the brief description on the back of the Photo Archive index card this photo is of “Monkey Run” Pritchard; and so there are no people in this photo my mystery question is a simple one — where was this photo taken? I know where Pritchard Avenue is on the Northside but I’ve never seen a section of Monkey Run right near the street…
Photo 4: This photo appears to be of a building on Market Street and my mystery questions about this photo are: A. What is the address, or section of Market Street, where this building is located? and B. When was the Allen Store open for business in Corning?
And those are our local history mystery photos for the week!
Have a great weekend!
Linda, SSCL
And as a post script…If you come across any old photos of the area, for example, black and while photos of people or places in the region taken prior to 1960 — and you don’t know what to do with them — you can donate them to the library! And you just might see those photos in the future included in a future local history mystery posting!
Corning History 
#2: The Northside fire station is on the corner of Decatur and Ontario.
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I knew it! #2 I haven’t been on that street in years, but I remember the building, I was hoping it would be renovated.
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M L Allen Furniture Store, 58 Bridge St. Was started by my great-grandfather, Maynard L Allen, then taken over by my grandfather, Clarence L Allen and then my uncle Maynard T Allen. Our family owned the building and the business, too. Lost it all in the flood of 72 and rebuilt.
Open until 1984. A restaurant brewery has recently opened up there. Funny thing is…Great grandpa was a deacon in the Baptist Church in Corning but had dabbled in a few businesses…why not beer??!!! Alice Willcutt
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Great to know! We’ll update our records. Thanks, Linda, SSCL
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So I currently live on Pritchard Ave. And looking at the picture my assumption is that this “monkey run” is what we call Buffalo Street today. However, if you look on Google maps there is another “monkey run” labeled at the intersection of Chestnut and W. Second on the hill. Very interesting.
You are right, there are indeed two Monkey Runs in Corning. I live on the Northside now but spent my early years growing up on the Southside where we played around Monkey Run, which it seems to me was located somewhere near Carder School. I’ll have to take a long walk around that area and see where it is!
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The photo may have something to do with Pritchard’s Canal, a small, covered canal dug in 1861 from Walnut Street & First Street to the river at the end of Pine Street. Pritchard’s Canal diverted flood water from Monkey Run away from Erie Avenue and Market Street. Monkey Run was above ground and followed a different route until 1952 and the creek flooded regularly. The canal was the idea of Hiram Pritchard, one of the early presidents of the Village of Corning. I think the canal is still there and connects with Monkey Run under Centerway.
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I also played in Monkey Run in my early days. Used to enter the spill way just west of Carter school and walk all the way down a to where it emptied into the river adjacent to the Centerway Bridge. Just have been about 55 years ago. Please don’t tell anyone my mom might roll over!😀
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