Inter Urban Lumber Company
1922-1972
The Inter-Urban Lumber Company started in Arma, KS in 1922 by a Joe Casaletto. It operated in Arma for 50 years until the operation was moved to Pittsburg, KS in 1972 by Louis Casaletto, under the name of True Value Home Center. The Pittsburg store location sold in 1999 at which time David Casaletto and his wife Diane still own the original corporation and it currently operates as D&D True Value Hardware in Columbus, KS today.
Memories
I worked at the Arma store during my high school years. The high school was just across the street from Inter Urban. I talked my father into letting me walk the entire town and hang the direct mail advertising from each door knob instead of using the mail.
Source: David Casseletto (February,2007)
My Crawford County Community High School English class with Miss Schilling had a window on the south, perfect for watching people come and go at Inter-Urban Lumber Company. I would see my Uncle Cas helping people load their purchases from time and time. In nice weather it made me wish I was outside or looking around the lumber company store, doing anything but spending time inside the school studying.
Source: Debby Ossana Close (September, 2007)
Joe Casaletto was a block mason and he made the block and then laid them. I just acquired a couple of blocks that my grandfather had made from the old theatre building that was recently torn down in Arma. I worked at the Arma store during my high school years. The high school was just across the street from Inter Urban. I have a painting a student painted by looking out the window of the high school back in the 1930’s.
I talked my father into letting me walk the entire town and hang the direct mail advertising from each door knob instead of using the mail. My other Grandfather, Otto Ossana, owned Ossana Grocery, until my Uncle Joe Ossana took it over. I am not sure of those dates. The bronze statue that will be at the Miners Memorial Park in Pittsburg was modeled off of a picture of my mother’s grandfather as he was returning home to Arma after a day working in the coal mines.
I have many many memories of Arma. One of my earliest is that I rode my tricycle from our house on South Street to my Grandmother’s house on Long Street, well over a mile away when I was very young. Just thinking about letting a child do that today would be grounds for child endangerment!
(source: David Casaletto)