Feb 23, 2020 4 min read

Perhaps it is simply a phase brought on by winter. On the other hand, it may be the curse of February. I remember my mother disliked the month.

Regardless of the cause, there is little doubt that I suffer the feelings of nostalgia this month. Days seem to be a bit grayer in an already dark part of the country and we spend many days trapped by our own feelings indoors. With that said, I must admit to writing much of my work in the direction of nostalgia.

I can’t help but feel many readers suffer from the same affliction. Two weeks past in a column was an example as I received many comments on the trip back in time to visits and people at the Bentleyville Sports Shop. (Buck Trews) It has since been suggested by one of the readers that I write one about the other local gun shops. After all, there was Mackey’s, Joe Jacanin and even Steve had one in Canonsburg for a brief time. With the exception of Steve, the other two managed to last a while in the gun business. One even went on to become one of the largest in Western Pennsylvania.

I am sure I don’t remember all of them but I am equally sure the mention of the stores name or owner will bring back memories. Who can forget Seigs on Maiden Street in Washington? The owner of the store who sold about everything else didn’t know guns but he did have enough sense to hire Blaine Clutter, who did. This is one store that thrived because of one personable man. It also was a place where you could drink coffee and pass the tall tales on.

Talking firearms and ammo, one shouldn’t forget the hangers on. You could always go to East Canonsburg and get your haircut and purchase a box of 30-30s for next week’s deer opener. Of course, it was Stanley the barber who sold ammo and cut hair. Stanley was a fixture in Canonsburg for a long time.

Don Seik also sold ammo and an occasional gun at his garage in Eighty Four. I spent many an hour here and in Weber’s National Store talking with Paul Wolf. I bought my first bolt action deer rifle from Paul and later the first Sako in .222 at the same store. Incidentally, that first bolt action deer rifle was a .725 Remington and that can be a story in itself.

Reeves was on the other side of town from me so I didn’t shop there as often as I should have but did stop to buy Rooster Tails from the late Chris Reeves. I kind of regret not stopping there more often. The same can be said about Claysville representing all the gun sellers. Wrong side of town, as we say.

There were a lot of gun shops around and, as I said earlier, some lasted, some failed. But one little shop that lasted from 1930 until 1969 was Joe Jacanin’s shop. Joe was a big man with an ever present cigar in his mouth and an opinion on his tongue. I was always fascinated by the stories Joe would tell about his camp in the Kinzua area and the many adventures with bears and other hunters. Sadly, he lost his camp to progress as the dam was built and his camp lies under 40 feet of water. Joe and the cigar is what I remember best but today, Joe’s grandson can be found walking the aisles of a gun shop looking at the firearms and yearning for yesterday, when he spent time at his grandfather’s gun shop.

Then there is the largest gun shop of all, Ace, on Route 19. I remember when it was called Ace Auto and Steve, who took over the gun department and changed it into Ace Sporting Goods. They moved it from the center of town to its present location next to the Sisson dealer. Today the store is owned and managed by Steve’s brother George.

I am sure that someday someone will be feeling a bit nostalgic and be thinking of visits to places like Johnson’s Sporting Goods or Ace. Wherever and whenever those visits occur today, they become soft memories tomorrow. Enjoy them while you can.