Erie's Year in Review: 1975

Contributed

Jonathan Burdick takes us all on a trip back in time 50 years ago, to Erie in 1975. Among many changes locally and nationally, the Millcreek Mall opened and eventually changed the economy of the City of Erie and the look and feel of the Kearsarge Area.

Well, 1975 is coming to an end and, boy, what a year it's been. The world population has surpassed 4 billion, the U.S. national debt reached a staggering $530 billion (can you believe it), and unemployment peaked at 9 percent in May (and has since barely come down).

But hey, let's start with the good news. It was an exciting start of the year for Pennsylvanians. In January, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings to win their first Super Bowl. Franco Harris earned MVP, while quarterback Terry Bradshaw said they won it for owner Art Rooney, the "greatest man who ever walked." In baseball news, the Pirates won the National League East once again, the fifth time in six years, while the Pittsburgh Penguins (who some speculated were relocating to Seattle) also made the playoffs.

In the NBA, the Golden State Warriors defeated the Washington Bullets, while the American Basketball Association (ABA) with those crazy three-point shots looks like it's off to an interesting start this season – although many here stopped paying attention after Pittsburgh's team folded in '72. That Julius Erving is quite something though. And how about that Thrilla in Manila between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier? You could watch it on some cable TV channel called HBO, but I was stuck hearing about it on the radio the next morning.

Meanwhile in Erie, the Blades ice hockey team debuted. Despite having a strong team, attendance at the Erie County Field House was consistently weak. Even on free puck night, only a dismal 741 showed up. Heck, hockey teams in smaller cities average 3,000. In a letter to the Erie Daily Times, one Erieite scolded local sports fans to "wake up" before the "title contender" Blades packed up and moved elsewhere.

There's a few new shows everybody's been talking about around the water cooler. Folks seem to really enjoy Wheel of Fortune, but that whole Saturday Night Live thing that the kids seem to love? Some grown man pretending to be Mighty Mouse? There's no way that show lasts. The Hollywood Reporter thinks it's "lackluster" and in need of an "immediate upgrading of the comedy material." The Jeffersons is a pretty groovy spin-off to All in the Family though, even if not everybody thinks so. A recent column printed in the Erie Daily Times said its portrayal of interracial marriage on television will only "fan the flame of hatred" and set "integration back 10 years in one night."

The Academy Awards was hosted by Bob Hope, Shirley MacLaine, Sammy Davis Jr., and Frank Sinatra in April. The Godfather Part II was the clear favorite from last year. This year had quite a few good movies to enjoy, too: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Dog Day Afternoon, Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail – and then, of course, Jaws, from that relative newcomer Steven Spielberg. In the Times-News Weekender, our local critic was impressed by Spielberg's direction and the movie's "uniformly excellent" performances, but added that it "peaked too soon" and the second act fell flat. I politely disagree.

The Erie County Fieldhouse had a banner year in 1975 when it hosted the likes of Aerosmith, Rush, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Three Dog Night, ZZ Top, KISS, Crosby & Nash, Johnny and June Carter Cash, and, as mentioned in this ad in the Erie Daily Times, Fleetwood Mac.

(Erie Daily Times)

Erie's love of rock music was on full display at the Erie County Fieldhouse this year. Concerts included Aerosmith, Rush, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Fleetwood Mac, Three Dog Night, ZZ Top, KISS, Crosby & Nash, and Johnny and June Carter Cash. Sorry disco fans. You'll have to get your dancing fix at Wooden Horse Lounge or Gadsby's.

Waldameer Park owner Paul Nelson said the park had a very successful 79th season with the best opening in two decades. "For youngsters, one word synonymous with 'summer' is good old 'Waldameer,'" the newspaper said. They had two new attractions for kids: the Moon Walk and the Umbrella Ride. For Elsa Herrick, 83, this was her 50th season working there and she loves fondly recounting stories about all of the pranks she and her coworkers would play on each other back in the day.

Then, of course, we have to discuss it: the absolutely exhausting topic of politics. I know it's not polite to discuss in public, but next year is a presidential election and Gerald Ford plans to run on the Republican ticket again. He is being challenged by actor-turned-politician Ronald Reagan. On the Democratic Party side, that relatively unknown governor and peanut farmer from Georgia Jimmy Carter has been campaigning all year in an already crowded primary field. Many hope for Sen. Hubert Humphrey to run again, but it seems more and more unlikely. Whoever wins though is going to have to deal with this recession and the loss of over 2 million jobs these past two years.

It's probably no surprise after the last decade, but public trust in the government has fallen to record lows. Under Eisenhower, Kennedy, and, well, at least the beginning of Johnson's presidency, nearly 75 percent of Americans polled by Gallup said "they trust the government to do what is right just about always/most of the time." Now, that number hovers around 33 percent.

Let's be honest: the nation still hasn't healed from Watergate – not to mention the controversial pardoning of Richard Nixon by President Ford last year. Twice as many Americans opposed the pardon than supported it, so it was no surprise then when Ford's approval rating tanked 21 points overnight. While Nixon's cronies are still getting sentenced as part of the cover-up, one seething letter-to-the-editor says the pardon proves Ford isn't a humble servant of God, but a humble servant of Nixon.

"We have always feared that there was one law and scale of punishment for the rich and powerful and a totally different law and scale of punishment for the poor and deprived," the letter continued. "Now President Ford has proved it. ... His premature pardon has destroyed any possibility of believing in the justice and fairness of the law." There were even two close-call attempts on President Ford's life this year. Thankfully, he's okay.

In 1975, Gerald Ford was POTUS and infamously pardoned Richard Nixon. He was then primaried by Ronald Reagan, and eventually replaced the following year by incoming Democrat Jimmy Carter. (Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library)

Then, of course, there is Vietnam. In April, Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese Army. In 1965, only 25 percent of polled Americans felt it was a mistake to send our troops there. By 1973, that had climbed to 60 percent. For many, Saigon's fall was a painful end to a war that divided the country and resulted in so much death and suffering across Southeast Asia. Erie itself had 40 young men who died in the war.

Meanwhile, images of disabled and struggling veterans being neglected are still fresh in people's minds while there is also increasing pushback over the acceptance of Vietnamese refugees, even ones already stateside. Sen. George McGovern, a fervent opponent to the war who'd lost the 1972 election to Nixon, argued that most refugees left Vietnam in a premature panic and should go back. "I fully believe it will be to the best interests of the Vietnam refugees to return to their own country," he recently said. I wonder if they feel the same way.

Here in Erie County, tensions have been high between elected officials of the city and Millcreek Township. The source of contention? The opening of the Millcreek Mall, one of the nation's largest indoor shopping malls. Its opening has certainly enthralled some, but it's concerned others. At a recent meeting, Erie City Council proposed annexing Millcreek Township. Of course, township supervisors scoffed at the idea.

"We've been considering annexing the City of Erie, but we're not going to do it because of their deficit," quipped Millcreek Supervisor Gerald Salisbury.

"The greatest thing that happened was the opening of the Millcreek Mall, which will start pouring tax money into the township and county," defended Millcreek Supervisor Paul J. Martin. He added that it will help Millcreek keep a balanced budget and increase services.

"It's ridiculous," Millcreek Supervisor J.R. Bricker said. "They're just mad because we're growing and they're not."

City residents understandably worry about the mall's economic impact on downtown, but defenders insist it will only be a secondary shopping area, not a replacement. It doesn't boost anybody's confidence when we hear the news of Marx Toys closing its Erie plant by the end of the year and the 440 employees losing their jobs.

In July, around 60,000 state employees went on strike affecting services across Erie. In the midst of tourist season, Presque Isle State Park shut down. Numerous liquor stores closed. In one Erie office, only 30 of its 190 employees showed up. "Down with the bourgeoisie, up with the peons," one striking PennDOT worker's picket sign said. While the strike only lasted a few days before bargaining recommenced, it's a big deal. This was the first major strike by a union against a state government and it resulted in a pay raise of 12 percent over the next three years (as opposed to the 3.5 percent offered in the governor's budget proposal).

In August, Erie was shaken by the horrific murder of 16-year-old Debbie Gama. Then in November, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank on Lake Superior, killing all 29 aboard. While it wasn't our lake, the tragedy hit too close to home for many. One Erieite had even toured the ship only a few months prior, meeting some of the crew. "The sinking forcibly reminds us of the obvious – that the sea kills people," a joint statement released by the unions of those who perished stated, adding that folks must stop viewing "sailing as a romanticized ideal, and to begin thinking of it as a highly skilled, difficult, and trying occupation performed by persons who have homes and families and loved ones, and who seek life, not death."

In other news, I've been reading this new book written by this former English teacher from Maine named Stephen King. It's called Salem's Lot. My friend said his first book Carrie is disturbingly enjoyable. I heard they're turning it into a movie next year. Far out.

Well, 1975 has certainly been a memorable and turbulent year here in Erie. Who knows what 1976 – or the next 50 years – has in store?

Jonathan Burdick runs the public history project Rust & Dirt. He can be reached at jburdick@eriereader.com