End of an era: Osterburg eatery now a memory

Oct 23, 2023

Apr 15, 2023

Sam Slick Jr. and his sister, Sally, reminisce while looking through old children's books that were among the items up for auction at the Slick's Ivy Stone Restaurant last Saturday in Osterburg.Mirror photo by Holly Claycomb

OSTERBURG — Hundreds of potential bidders turned out last weekend to not only look for collectibles and bargains, but to say a final farewell to a longtime Bedford County staple.

The contents of Slick's Ivy Stone Restaurant went on the auction block and memorabilia from not only Bedford County but Altoona, Hollidaysburg and surrounding areas was divvied up to the highest bidders.

The closing last year of the popular eatery, where the waitresses dressed in Colonial-inspired garb, was a blow to Bedford County and to Osterburg, where the old gas station and diner turned restaurant has stood since 1925, when it was known as Jack's Place.

Purchased in 1979 from the Ed Pukala family by the Sam Slick Sr. family, the restaurant was a stepping stone for many local youngsters getting their first taste of responsibility and a paycheck.

In a world where big box stores and chain restaurants seem to rule, the Ivy Stone offered patrons a respite from the modern day as its placement along old Route 220 prevented many folks from using their cellphones in what is considered a "dead zone," thanks to a curve in the road and tree-covered hillsides.

Slick's Ivy Stone Restaurant in Osterburg, which started out in 1925 as a gas station and diner and was transformed over the years into a destination eatery, permanently closed last year.Mirror photo by Holly Claycomb

While it was known for its home-cooked meals, new customers would be in awe at the interior, as cocooned within its walls was a treasure trove of artifacts — tin lunch boxes, photos in bubble glass picture frames, a military uniform, a coal stove, fancy vintage women's hats, cast iron toys, old tennis rackets, wooden crutches, spinning wheels and a huge assortment of glass juicers, including ones made with uranium glass. There were also hickory benches hand-built by A.C. Latshaw in New Paris. The 6-foot long benches were built specifically for the restaurant, said Sam Slick Jr., who noted that all but two of the benches were purchased at the auction by Latshaw's descendants.

Manual typewriters, feed and flour mill sacks, grandfather clocks and crocks joined the lineup alongside a Ronald McDonald doll that drew a lot of interest from the audience — to see who was going to purchase what many said would give them nightmares, auctioneer Spenser Karns said.

One brave soul purchased the doll for $15, with Karns stating everyone he talked to seemed to agree it was "creepy."

Collectors were joined by local residents, former restaurant employees and customers vying for a piece of history.

In fact, there were so many items that Karns split auctioneer duties with David Tremmel Jr. and the two would call out and encourage bidders for 30 minutes or so before switching off to rest their voice.

Among the items auctioned on Saturday at Slick's Ivy Stone Restaurant was a Ronald McDonald doll, which fetched $15 despite its "creepy" appearance.Mirror photo by Holly Claycomb

A bundt pan brought in $22 as the first item up for bid, followed by a mantle clock, $25, and a Bulls Creek crock that fetched $30.

A cast iron coin bank went for $145, a Remington typewriter snagged $22, but bidders kept their hands down when the restaurant's piano came up for sale, with no takers for even a single dollar bill.

The piano was purchased at auction by his mother, Beth, Slick said, and was not only a decorative piece, but was functional and used by groups that would reserve dining rooms for Christmas parties and other events.

A Blackburn Russell flour sack brought $70, while a grouping of three unnamed flour sacks fetched just $5, showing the crowd was most interested in the local artifacts.

A metal and glass oil lamp, in which the glass was green, brought in $210, and the winning bidders quickly left the venue, apparently having purchased the one item they desired.

Hundreds of local residents, former employees, collectors, friends and family turned out for the auction at Slick's Ivy Stone Restaurant last Saturday.Mirror photo by Holly Claycomb

Other bidders, though, stayed as the auction went into the afternoon hours, some piling up purchases around their feet, seemingly intent on snagging as many items as they could carry.

A metal Planet of the Apes lunch box brought $80, a Falkland Farms milk bottle, $40, and a horse collar, $5.

When asked about the sheer number of items, Slick said his mother purchased many of the pieces and they’ve been at the restaurant ever since. Other items were given to the restaurant when local residents came across something they didn't want, but didn't want to throw away, either.

"People just gave us stuff," Slick and his sister, Sally, said as they looked through many of the items up for auction, reminiscing about years past.

Easter weekend sale

A collection of antique dolls await the auction block at Slick's Ivy Stone Restaurant. Owner Sam Slick Jr. said his mom, Beth, purchased most of the antiques and collectibles after she and Sam Slick Sr. purchased the restaurant in 1979.Mirror photo by Holly Claycomb

Easter weekend was an appropriate date for the auction as in year's past the restaurant would close after Christmas and reopen in time for the spring holiday.

The final closing of the restaurant was bittersweet, though, Sam Slick said, and despite advertising the business for sale, there were only a few nibbles.

Admittedly the restaurant, which seated 300, was "out in the middle of nowhere," Slick said with a slight shake of his head, but that added to the draw. Customers came from not only Bedford, Claysburg and surrounding areas, but also from Altoona, Johnstown, Cumberland and beyond. Some former residents who now live out of town would come in once or twice a year to visit family, making sure to include a stop at Slick's in their plans.

But the restaurant has stood unused for over a year now.

‘Beginning of the end’

These benches were made specifically for Slick's Ivy Stone Restaurant by A.C. Latshaw of New Paris. All but two were sold at the auction to his descendants.Mirror photo by Holly Claycomb

On March 22, 2022, Slick and his wife, Hideyo, took to Facebook, announcing the restaurant would not reopen.

"It is with mixed emotions that I write you ‘Goodbye,'" Slick said. "After forty plus years, I feel that it is not feasible to reopen at this time. To all of you that have made dining with us on Good Friday and Easter Sunday a yearly tradition, we are truly sorry."

"The pandemic started the beginning of the end," Sam Slick said last weekend. The restaurant was forced to close, and then when it did reopen, it was difficult to find workers, he said.

Bette Slayton, president and CEO of the Bedford County Development Association, said the COVID-19 pandemic "took a heavy toll on several of our restaurants."

Shutdowns, price increases, supply chain shortages and difficulty finding labor created huge challenges, she said. "It's hugely disappointing to see deep-rooted, cherished restaurants closing. These businesses have served — and befriended — customers for generations. It's the end of an era."

Customers sought mementos

During the auction, Slick found himself busy bringing items — mostly Christmas trees and decorations — down from the restaurant's attic. He kept busy, trying to stay in the background while Hideyo went to the Elizabeth room where the auction took place. There, she reconnected with customers she got to know as a hostess and waitress, Sam Slick said.

Seeing longtime customers and saying goodbye was hard.

"She came back in tears," he said, adding she knew more of the customers because she worked out front, while he was in the kitchen manning the grill and making his signature dishes — like the Osterburger, a made-to-order burger named after the town and topped with asiago cheese, fried onions and more.

On a pass through a dining room packed with items not yet sold, Lottie French of Martinsburg reminisced about eating at the restaurant with family.

"My favorites were the home fries with onions and gravy," she said. "My sister's favorite was the barbecue ribs."

French said she was looking to purchase a few knick knacks for her walls, something to remember the many times she enjoyed eating at the restaurant.

Mark Ruby of Claysburg collects lunch boxes and managed to snag a few for his collection. The former Ivy Stone customer said he also buys and sells collectibles, admitting that he perhaps keeps more than he sells.

Slick's friend, Tom Seifert of Bedford, said he grew up with parents who went to auctions a lot and remembers thinking "I’m never doing this when I grow up."

With a laugh, he said he has a couple of booths set up at cooperative shops and now has a lot of collectibles.

Among his many purchases was an accordion for his girlfriend, "as a joke," he said, but added that she will be able to play the instrument.

Some of the items he got will be resold and others he’ll keep for himself, he said, noting he likes to keep the local treasures in the county.

For instance, he said, the Latshaw benches being purchased by descendants of the craftsman was great.

"I’m really glad they stayed in the family," he said. "That's really important."

Moving on

It was a difficult decision to close the restaurant, Slick said, but he doesn't miss cooking for hundreds every day.

Now, he can often be found at the Bedford Springs — he's the one mowing the grass. It's his second year working at the resort, where he finds mowing relaxing and enjoyable.

"It gives me a reason to get up in the morning," he said with a grin, mentioning golfing on the famed Old Course being one of the perks of the job.

On a serious note, he said retiring and selling the restaurant wasn't taken lightly and he knows how much it meant not only to local residents but to the families who worked there and gathered there for meals.

In the Facebook post announcing the closing, he said the Slick "family of employees swelled to well into the hundreds."

Loyal patrons "made it possible for some of these friends and co-workers to earn enough money to buy their first car, or help pay their college tuition. You helped with rent, car payments, utilities & food bills of so many others in our extended family."

While he's not certain of the Ivy Stone's future now that the unique decor is gone and the restaurant appliances will be up for sale in an online auction, Slick is still hopeful the building will be purchased and put to good use.

"It was a nice place for a restaurant," he said.

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