Tag Archives: Erie Pennsylvania

Remembering Lt. Commander Bobbi Hovis

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On this Veterans Day, I want to tell you about Lt. Commander Bobbi Hovis, a remarkable woman who enlisted as a Navy Flight Nurse and volunteered for service in Korea and Vietnam. I learned about her at the Hagen History Center in Erie, Pa. 

Born in 1925, Bobbi grew up in Erie County, PA and graduated from the Western Pennsylvania Hospital School of Nursing in 1946. During her service in Korea, she flew the Pacific with the 1453rd Medical Evacuation Squadron that evacuated 16,604 injured without any fatalities. In Vietnam, she witnessed at least four coup d’etats. She was shot at once and kept the bullet that narrowly missed her. 

Exposed to Agent Orange during her service, she suffered its effects until her death in 2024. 

Lt. Commander Bobbi Hovis was tough as nails.

This museum has her flight jacket, her service medals and a Green Beret given to Bobbi by a grateful patient. It was the only thing he had to give and was one of her most prized possessions. They also have a jet helmet that Bobbi wore on a classified mission assisting a flight surgeon on a Douglas F3D Skynight jet. She was the first Navy flight nurse to go on this type of mission. 

She authored a book titled Station Hospital Saigon, A Nurse In Vietnam and they have a copy of that book as well. 

Lt. Commander Hovis retired in 1967 after twenty years of service. In 2019 she was interviewed for a Vietnam War 50th anniversary oral history project. You can watch that video here if you are so inclined. 

I was fascinated by the photo of this pretty lady and did my best to imagine her dodging bullets, wading through blood and muck while she performed whatever heroics earned her all those medals. I could not fathom what that must have been like. She was a pioneer, a hero and one of many women who served who deserve our gratitude. 

History is full of incredible stories about real people like Lt. Commander Bobbi Hovis. If you have a veteran in your life, remember to say thanks for their service. They may not get museum displays or tell you their stories but they deserve our thanks. 

Silent Sunday: Erie, PA

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Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hotshot

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Frank Lloyd Wright owned a number of cars in his lifetime and most of them seem kind of flashy and unique to me.

Imagine my surprise when we walked into the Hagen History Center in Erie, Pa to find a car that was once owned by the renowned architect. Not only that, the car is a Crosley!

Crosley was a Cincinnati business first known for radios and then household appliances, cars and other items. I have a couple of their radios in my vintage radio collection and squeal like a little girl every time I see one of their products out in the world.

So, meet Frank’s (yes, I call him Frank) 1950 Crosley Hotshot roadster 

Isn’t it fabulous?

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Here’s a look at that Crosley logo.

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And another look.

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Headlights!!!

And just one more….

I somehow missed any signage describing this car but I think it speaks for itself. Want to see it for yourself? Visit the Hagen Center in Erie, PA. Don’t forget to check out yesterday’s story about Frank’s office which you can tour here as well.

Frank Lloyd Wright In Erie, Pennsylvania

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As September draws to a close, it occurs to me that many, many stories are left untold from my Labor Day trip to Pennsylvania. Today we will start at the Hagen History Center which serves Erie County, Pa. They have two campuses and we visited the one on Erie’s Millionaire’s Row.

The campus includes two historic mansions, a new building for exhibit space and a historic carriage house which is home to a gift shop and library/reading room. This is where you buy your tickets.

My friend had already been there and was excited for me to see a specific exhibit but she held her cards close. She didn’t show her hand until we were in the room and compared it to throwing me a surprise party.

What was so special?

They have Frank Lloyd Wright’s office.

You read that right. The walls, floors, furniture, typewriters, pencils and protractors. They have it all. It even has a unique smell that I couldn’t quite identify- aged wood, pipe tobacco, and brilliance?

And that remark about this being like a surprise party? This was way better than a party.

This is Frank Lloyd Wright’s San Francisco field office which he used while working on California projects. It was disassembled and sold to a private collector long ago before spending some time behind glass at the Heinz Architectural Center at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh.

Now at the Hagen in Erie, the office is no longer behind glass – you can walk through it! This is his desk! The office is relatively small with room for a desk, two guest chairs and a couch.

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Those guest chairs, if you want to call them that, look rather unwelcoming to me.

This is the workroom. Notice the windows feature the image of the actual San Francisco view.

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The view as you enter.

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The secretary’s typewriter.

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And her desk with the view.

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And here’s the man himself keeping a sharp eye on visitors.

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Walking through this space was near magical and I recommend going to see it if you are a fan of his work. Want to visit? Get more info here.

Also, come back tomorrow and we will have a look at his car!!!! It’s absolutely fabulous.

Werner Books And Coffee

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If you’re ever in Erie, PA looking for a bookstore, Werner Books and Coffee is the place to be. This mostly used bookstore has friendly staff and comfy places to sit whether you’re lingering over a coffee or sorting through the stack of books you just found.

This is very much a community bookstore where you’ll find book dragons of all ages happily searching for their next favorite read. The kids section is well organized and there were some youngsters agonizing over what they would buy when we were there.

They host book clubs and poetry nights and have a robust collection of local books. I thought it was interesting that they have several book clubs and that they aren’t focused just on today’s popular reads. One that caught my eye is reading Carson McCullers’ classic “The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter” which I hadn’t thought about since my English major days back in college. Other clubs were reading titles like “Remarkably Bright Creatures” which is an excellent modern fiction book if you ask me.

Even the coffee shop features sweet treats from local bakeries to go with your favorite warm drink while you study or read. Community partnerships clearly matter here and it made me wish for such a store closer to home.

They seem to have a book exchange program with relatively high standards and a terrific, if not small, collection of new books as well.

The staff is friendly and seems to know everyone’s names. We chatted with the gentleman who rung us up and he was telling us about a bus trip they were organizing to take their patrons on a bookstore crawl in Pittsburgh. My friend recommended some stores for a future trip and he and he was a little familiar with southern Ohio – he had also attended Ohio University and has a fondness for Athens County.

My friend left with a decent stack of books. I think I found one used and one from the new book section that I couldn’t leave without. The experience was so relaxing and nice I look forward to returning someday.

Werner Books and Coffee is located in a strip mall so there’s plenty of free parking.

Learn all about them at their website!

First Presbyterian Church Of The Covenant

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It’s called The First Presbyterian Church Of The Covenant and it’s located on a peaceful tree-lined street in Erie, Pennsylvania. This impressive Gothic Revival church with a soaring bell tower is impressive both inside and out.

It was dedicated in 1930 which surprised me a little because it seems much older. The doors are impressive as is all the stained glass. Theres an enormous pipe organ and columns that give the sanctuary weight and substance. The tile floors are incredible and the ceiling is gorgeous.

I read somewhere that the stained glass came from three different studios including Tiffany in New York City.

We slipped into the back before Sunday services and eavesdropped on a sound check as an incredibly talented tenor prepared for his part. We spoke with someone who said they have begun planning their centennial celebration and it was gratifying to know they have an active congregation that is looking toward the future while honoring their past.

Want to learn more? Visit their website!