Woven into the history of Coudersport, PA is a well known crime fighter, you may have heard of, named Eliot Ness. Ness was born in Chicago and achieved recognition for being the courageous, highly principled, yet untouchable lawman that has inspired countless books, movies and theatre productions to date. Best known for bringing down the arguably most famous crime boss of all time, Alphonse Gabriel Capone. Ness also co-wrote his memoirs, titled “The Untouchables”, in Coudersport, alongside Oscar Fraley in 1957. You can visit the historic ‘Hotel Crittenden’, where much of the book was created, while strolling the streets of this picturesque little town. While the book found limited success, it caught the eye of actor Desi Arnaz, who spun it into a wildly successful 1959 movie, and then later that same year into a hit TV series of the same name. If instead you are intrigued by the story of the real Eliot Ness, from the perspective of local townspeople, who knew him well, stop into Olga Gallery, Cafe & Bistro and pick up an autographed copy of this book:
Grab a cup of coffee, and meander up and down Main St. You will happen upon a coffee shop, by the name of Cream & Sugar, which houses specialty coffees, pastries baked by a local artisan, Penn State Ice Cream, and various artisan goods, such as jams, jellies, syrups, local soaps, and candles.
Next, you’re going to want to stop by Deb’s Candy Shop, a candy-land themed gem, just down from Olga’s, on Main St., which offers vintage, hard to find candy, and retains a classic small town candy shop charm.
Now, on to my personal favorite experience: The Eliot Ness Museum. The Museum is just getting started. Currently, the curator, Steve Green, is focused on vintage, prohibition era automobiles, posters of prominent figures of the prohibition era, and a few prime photos shot by local photographer Curt Weinhold, who was kind enough to take this photo for us:
Photo courtesy of Curt Weinhold.
Enthusiastic about his museum endeavors, Steve, has a wealth of knowledge on the local vehicles that participate in the Eliot Ness Fest/ Vintage Car Show, which happens every July with costume contests, dances, and The Untouchables on the big screen. There are re-enactments in the streets, fireworks, and various activities throughout town. Cars of the era line the streets of Coudersport, essentially, turning it into a time capsule, according to Green. When you hear Steve talk about it, he makes you wish you hadn’t missed it. Rest assured, next year we will not. The museum, at the moment, is more of a sidewalk viewing museum, with the intention to create a much more interactive museum with a theatre and a collection of educational movies, developed by local author, Paul Heimer. If you stop by the museum on any given day, Steve is usually around, and seemingly, happy to keep you updated on the progress of his place. If you stop by on Oct. 5th, the re-enactment team will be on sight to greet you. Be sure to check it out!
If you are looking for a low key day trip, filled with Hollywood intrigue, glamorous vintage vehicles, a dash of gun violence in the streets, and small town charm, Coudersport PA, is the place to be. If you happen to go, tell us what you think in the comments.
