Linmar Hall Aliquippa

How about the Rock and Roll dances you first went to as a young person. Perhaps it was a dance at a local school gymnasium (like Plan 12) or a hall that normally was reserved for wedding receptions or private parties.

We plugged in a 45 rpm record player and hooked up a few well placed speakers. Maybe the Hall was decorated, but most of the time it was not. We would turn the lights down low and start the music. A dance was sure to break out.

Getting to a 'Dance Hall' was easy, just a few minutes walk over the hill and there was 'OUR HALL', Linmar Hall. Not just any hall but OUR'S every Friday night, unless of course, a wedding reception or private party was being held.

 'Linmar Homes Hall' was our favorite haunt in the 1950's.

Lots of romances to remember, plenty of good times with friends. Who was seeing who and who was going to break up, who needed to be fixed up with who, it was a great time to be a teenager. I think of the good times often!

We did alot of "Weddng Crashing" at Linmar Hall. Especially liked the Italian Wedding receptions that would be held there. We would put our finest suits on and walk right in like we belonged. (just like in the movie "The Deer Hunter - Winner of five Oscars", starring Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken and John Savage as three Pennsylvania steeltown friends whose lives are forever changed by their experiences together in Vietnam).

The wedding receptions were great, lots of wonderful foods, with vodka, wine and whiskey flowing freely. There always seemed to be flavored vodka's, I never knew there were so many ways to color vodka. The food was fabulous, good live music and plenty of dances with bride and bridemaids (who we didn't even know, that's what wedding crashing is all about).

If you look closely at the photo, behind Linmar Hall, there is a basketball court. After the reception about 11PM, back to the basketball court we would go to "shoot some hoops" and continue our friday night out.

"celebrate good times, come'on... it's a celebration"

Just 3 miles away from Linmar Hall was Jones and Laughlin Steel Mill. It was smoky, dirty and often times smelly when J&L Steel was going strong. After dark, when the Blast Furnace was running, the sky would light up like it was daylight. We would be out playing basketball like it was daytime.

Our dad's, brother's, sister's, friend's... all made their livings from J&L Steel. Myself included, I started out working in Tin Mill and then landed a 'big time office job' in a new department called "Mechanized Accounting" (computer department in those days). Was I lucky or what?