So you are sick and tired of the snow. You think you have had enough? Do you
remember the snow of 1950? Write and share some of your pictures and memories of
that snow. See how they compare to the snow of 2014?
submitted by:Don Sager (Alta Vista, CJHS, WI ’56, WVU ’64)
I was hoping that these were the combination to my old WI locker lock or the
winning lottery numbers but, alas, not enough digits. These numbers are
turntable speeds for a record player. Coincidently I just had a strange record
player experience last month. I have over 75 LP’s (33 1/3) and had a Crosley
Stack-a-matic record player. It quit working in October. Since they are out of
production, I tried to purchase one on e-bay. I bid on an item and got it. The
record player was shipped from Baltimore without a needle so it didn’t work.
After a number of e-mails thru e-bay, I bought a replacement needle from
Amazon. Still wouldn’t work. So I shipped it back and received a full refund
from e-bay. The seller was NOT HAPPY with my review. So I purchased
another new turn-table from Amazon. But only plays one record at a time.
Your question regarding numbers: 33 1/3, 45 & 78 refers to the speed of various
records. Big memory maker. In the early 50’s we kept the juke boxes busy with our
quarters and dancing the Friday and Saturday’s away at Little Rock and Clique Club.
I hate to miss the reunion in Sarasota. We are not traveling that much. Will be thinking
of all of you and hope you have sunshine.....
submitted by:Bob Hall (WI '56)
Those numbers represent rpm's or revolutions per minute for vinyl/plastic
records. My parents had several 78's with western singers: Gene Autry, Roy
Rogers, and I don't know what ever happened to them. I had a few 45's with
big holes which had to have an adapter to play on my turntable in the late 50's
I was in 3 record clubs in the late 50's getting a 33-1/3 record several times a
month because I was negligent on returning postcards to cancel this months
selection. I have copied most of my favorite albums to the computer hard
drive and burn CD's for the cars and friends. I think I have 16 gigs + music
which could play for several days without replaying a song.
You might have mentioned 8 track, cassettes, CD, DVD, streaming, flash drive,
the cloud, etc. to get a little more current for music strage and playgin.
submitted by:John Teter (WI '61)
The only record player that I remember was a record player/radio console model
that my parents had in their living room. Most of the records that I remember
being in the console were LP Albums that my dad had gotten, but I do remember
having a few 45’s during my high school days. I do not remember when the
record player and/or radio quit working, but it was still there when we moved my
mother out of the house a few years back. It was being used as a place to
display pictures, and was still in the living room and in good shape (appearance
wise) when it was moved out of the house.
submitted by:John Cooper (WI '51)
RECORDS:.... Yep, I yet have the big wind-up record player my mom and dad
had, and those old early 78rpm discs they also listened to..AND ...I spent a lot of
money on 78rpm records at Murphy's record dept. downstairs. ..and at Drexel's
in the Arcade. And I yet have them in my collection. Decca, Columbia, Mercury,
etc. After buying them, it was a real effort to get them home without breaking
them. ..they were fragile!! I remember the Mercury records with "non-breakable"
printed on the label. There was no such thing in real life. You still had to be very
careful in handling. RCA came out with the 45rpm format records ..they were
smaller, thinner and the ads said you could stack many at a time on your new 45
rpm automatic record player machine. There are many collectors that bought
and collected all formats and especially the 33 1/3 rpm albums with the bigger
favorite wonderful illustrations on the cardboard cover. The very early 1930's
Edison company 78rpm discs were about 4 times thicker then later popular
records as we knew them with a picture of Edison on the black and white label. I
have a couple, and they are yet out there to buy. It has been the thing to copy
these record formats on tape for individual collections or home-made CD easier
to play and store. Many a single record in different formats are valuable and
bring a good price . In early 1930's "The Song Of The Week" was a hard-wax
78rpm record recorded on one side only. And there were odd shaped records,
and some with color photos and pictures printed into the recording surface. A
collector of any record also wants the original paper "envelope" sleeve that the
record was in when purchased. Some of those are quite rare and attractive. I
have hundreds of records like many others... I do not want any more, however;
let me warn you if you have any to sell, check out e-Bay to give you an Idea
what they are worth. I'm glad I didn't throw away the Elvis and Beatles first
records when my kids (all graduated from W-I). I bought and brought them
home and I had to act as if that music was bad for them in those days and you
never know what you will find at a garage sale...in 1949 at W-I, Miss. Bauer had
a wax disc home recording machine to sell. ..when she said she wanted to sell
it, I said I'll take it for $25 ... bought blank wax discs at the Palace Furniture
Company that had a metal center so both sides could be recorded at 78rpm...I
recorded all my family, friends, old shows from radio, copied them to tape for
storage, those today are most valued treasures..!. Long live the early disc
recordings!
submitted by:Linda Nutter Gimmel (WI '66)
Those are the numbers referring to records. 45 were small and the newest. 33
1/3 was an album and 78 were heavy and the oldest of the three. Still have
some of each.
submitted by:Jackie Cotter (WI '53)
I think these would be the sizes of the phonograph records. We had a big console
record player but then they came out with the 45s. We didn't have a 45 player. I
remember you could buy a little insert for the 45 so you could play it on a regular
phonograph. How frustrating when you had the latest 45 and couldn't find the
little insert. I probably blamed my little brother.
submitted by:Ron Harvey (WI ‘55)
45, 33-1/3 78 were the speeds of the disk records. In the late 1940s there were a few
record making machines around. The church that I attended had access to a 78 RPM
machine. I have a recording that was made about 1947 which I talked on. The quality
was not the best, but you can tell what is being said. One of the reasons why the 78 RPM
speed was chosen was that the record played about five minutes. Another reason came
along when electric drive for the devices was used. It related well to the mass produced
3600 RPM motor which worked well using a common 46:1 gear reduction.
submitted by:Billie Kittle Fox
Hi Roleta, These are record sizes. I have a funny story about records, but does not have
to do with our time growing up. It makes me feel old. A few years ago, the teenagers
were into “theme” parties. My granddaughter was invited to a “50’s” party. My
daughter made her a “poodle skirt” to wear and scrounged up a pair of saddle shoes.
When she viewed the pictures from the party, she asked what the round things hanging
from the ceiling in her host’s rec room were. My Granddaughter was about 16 and had
never seen a record. Music came on CDs or IPods. The host had decorated by hanging
old 45rpm records on string from the ceiling. My my, we are antiques aren’t we??
submitted by:Cathy (Kay) Strogen (WI '65)
The numbers you posted are vinyl records sizes and speed. To this day my husband keeps an
old record player in our barn. He has quite a collection of records and loves to play them when
working in the barn or in the yard.
submitted by:Richard George (WI '65)
Those numbers were the speeds of records you played on your phonograph.
45 records were a buck at the record shop on Main Street.
I was so impressed by the stereo record player my Dad bought.
Music of the sixties brings to mind of hearing the Beetles.
Mike Vernon and I were driving on Meigs Avenue in his parents new
blue Dodge Dart. Mike said, “did I hear this new band called the Beetles” on the
AM radio? I said “any band called a bug would never make it”.
I was right, but the Beatles did make it.
WI HISTORY
submitted by:Jim Alvaro (WI '56)
Roleta, I have really enjoyed Tim's articles. He does a fantastic job that
must have taken him years of researching. How many names I
recognize in the 30's yearbooks. What amazes me are the teachers
who taught in the 30's also taught us in the 50's and beyond. I was
wondering why so little turnover and then thought it could be that most
lived in the downtown Clarksburg area. I don't remember anyone driving
cars except Coach Folio and my cousin Nick. I think most walked to
school. Well, they had to walk to school or take the City Lines Bus
because there were no parking places. I think Nick parked on Lee St.
across from the school. The neighbors didn't like it because those who
had cars parked in front of their own house.
I used to take my granddaughters to high school prior to them driving
and I would watch the cars coming from the schools parking lots. At that
time there were 4,700 students in their school and about half of them
drove cars. So, roughly 2000 parking spaces. WI, as I remember had 2.
That was for the coach and maybe Mr Cubbon's secretary. I think Mr
Cubbon even walked to school. Yes, I was one of those who walked
approximately 2 miles to and from school in the snow. Boy have things
changed.
The Newsletter was great again this month. You, Judy, Bill, and Tim did
a great job. Thank you all for your hard work. We know it is not an
easy job doing what you all are doing to bring the Clarksburg, as well as
the WI news, to us every month.
I know there are a lot of readers out there who can contribute but do not.
They had better start contributing if they want to keep this going.
C'mon guys, get on the ball.
submitted by:Charles Ferrell (WI '46)
I noted that the third volume of the WI history did not include photos of our 1946
graduating class. I have a copy of the year book and would be glad to get copies
of 15 pages of class members made by a local company to send for a later
addition. Four of us were drafted into the C company, 29 AIB,Third Armored
Division in 1950. I later went to the US Army Chemical Corp at Edgewood, MD
as a soldier scientist and three went to Korea. Jerry Berman in an earlier WI
class was also in our company. Someplace I have a copy of our military "year
book" that has photos of our unit members, our tanks, weapons and our training
activities
submitted by:Jackie Evans Cotter (WI '53)
I am responding to the letter Harriet Stout Noel wrote about the history of WI. She mentioned Jim
Furbee who is indeed Holly Furbee's father. He was my uncle. I too found my mother and dad in
the History. And also several of their friends. Also the teachers that were still there when I went
to WI. I think as students we thought of them as always being old. But seeing pictures of them
when they were young was amazing. They were all beautiful. Two of them lived at my
grandmother's house which was right down the street from WI on Lee Ave. Mr Bonar rented a
little apartment in the house. And Lily Mae Bauer rented a room on the 3rd floor. She lived there
for years during school. For summer she went home to Buckhannon, I think. Grandma Furbee
always saved her room for her.
I just had to write to tell you how much I enjoyed viewing the Third Segment of
The History of Washington Irving High School. Ever since you have included
these segments in the news letters I have been looking for my mother and
father. I was so happy to spot my mother in the Drum Majorette pictures.
Attached is the photo you can refer to. My mother is in the bottom photo in the
middle. She was Doris McDonald and I knew she was a drum majorette at WI
but never saw any pictures of her. This makes me smile so much. I lost my
mother in 2001 to cancer and miss her more than I can express. Thank you for
including this segment. Now I will search for my dad!
It was also interesting to see how long Miss Nutter and Mrs. Swiger were at WI.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The emails from Debbie and from Jackie are so
rewarding. Judy and I receive no income for doing the newsletter, we have
done it for nearly 15 years. We do it as a love gift to all of you. We get so
much enjoyment out of hearing from people who make contact with old
friends or even with relatives through the newsletter or to hear how much
you enjoy some part of the newsletter.....
Tim Cork, who does the WI History (strictly for the WI Newsletter), is doing it as a
gift and he is receiving nothing but the enjoyment he feels when someone sends us a
letter of appreciation to him.
MISSING SOME YEARBOOKS FROM OUR WASHINGTON IRVING HISTORY
Tim Cork is missing a few year books from our WI History. If you can loan him
any of the following year books, it would be greatly appreciated. He will return
the books to you when finished. Please email Tim at his address if you can be
of any help to us in completing this wonderful history. tpcork@bellsouth.net
All other yearbooks would make a great collection for our WI History project and
a wonderful library for all readers of the WI Newsletter.
P.S. Even related pictures would make good fill for missing years, if the pictures
were dated.
This segment mainly covers 1949 through the 1950's. A lot took place throughout these years.
Many good things, but there were some sad moments as well.
Click below and see for yourself.
submitted by:Barb Charles
I'm sitting at my daughter's in Apollo Beach reading the January issue of Southern living. There is
an article on restaurants titled Best in the South. The last one listed is Tomaro's Bakery in
Clarksburg, and of course the Pepperoni Rolls. Thought you'd be interested
EDITOR'S NOTE:Anyone else see the article? Can you send me a copy? Thanks. I love that
magazine and should subscribe someday...
The date of Saturday, August 23, 2014 is FIRM for the Washington
Irving Diamond Jubilee, Centennial Celebration, or whatever you
want to call it. We promise that this DATE WILL NOT BE CHANGED
AND EVENTS WILL ALL TAKE PLACE.
The celebration is for any person who passed through the
building known as Washington Irving High School AND
Washington Irving Middle School, whether you were principal,
teacher, student, coach, county office employee and any school
board member past or present.
WHILE NO RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED EXCEPT FOR THOSE
ATTENDING THE EVENING DINNER AT ROBERT C. BYRD HIGH
SCHOOL, WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOU DOWNLOADING THE
RESERVATION FORM AT http://www.hackerscreek.com/upload/files/reservation.pdf WHICH
CAN BE PRINTED, COMPLETED AND MAILED TO :
WI CELEBRATION
PO Box 4411
Clarksburg, WV 26301
• TOUR OF WASHINGTON IRVING SCHOOL BUILDING:
8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. - Tours of Washington Irving Middle School
(aka High School) on Lee
Avenue.
• ANNUAL PICNIC AT OSBORNE SHELTER, VA PARK
11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. – 15th Annual Picnic at the Osborne Shelter,
Clarksburg Veterans
Memorial Park. The park is adjacent the Louis A. Johnson
Veterans Hospital near the junction of
WV Route 98 and US Route 19 South out of Clarksburg. (Watch for
the signs.) For those who do not remember how to get to there,
use MapQuest or your GPS to find your way.
Tableware, drinks,
ice, meatballs and Italian bread will be provided. Please bring a
covered dish which could be something homemade or something
you buy in a deli or one of the fast food restaurants that are
everywhere. There will be a registration table and a “donations”
jar which will help cover the costs of the picnic (table covers and
other paper products, drinks, ice, meatballs, sauce and bread) and
pay the shelter reservation fee for 2015. While reservations are not
required, it would help with planning if we had a general idea of
how many are coming. In a couple of days, the reservation form
will be available at http://www.hackerscreek.com/upload/files/reservation.pdf. If you plan only to
come to the picnic, help us plan the number of persons who will
be in attendance, by e-mailing that information to
wihilltopper@gmail.com
• DINNER & EVENING PROGRAM
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Dinner in the commons area of RCB. Meal
will include 2 meats, veggies, rolls, dessert, coffee and iced tea.
(Exact choices will be posted later.) With only 300 seats in the
dining area, reservations for dinner are a MUST! Single, $15.00;
couples, $25.00 RESERVATIONS ARE A MUST. The reservation
form can be found at http://www.hackerscreek.com/upload/files/reservation.pdf. Please print it,
complete it, and mail to:
WI Celebration
PO Box 4411
Clarksburg, WV 26301
• 7:00 p.m. - After dinner, we will adjourn to the theater where
there will be a program celebrating not only the building of
Washington Irving High School, but also the achievements of
graduates, teachers, athletic teams, etc. Those who cannot come
for dinner for whatever reason, are invited and encouraged to
come for the events in the theater. (The theater seats 650.)
Reservations for theater attendance are not required.
WALL OF FAME
You are invited. . . no, that’s not right. . . you are encouraged to
submit names of students, teachers, coaches, etc., (living and
those who have passed on) who have made a difference in the
lives of others. An example: Latin teacher Grace Albright was the
West Virginia Teacher of the Year in 1957. She appeared in the
Arlene Francis “Home” television show in New York on March 6,
1957. The school was awarded a television in her honor. The
television was used in the auditorium and enabled students to
view such things as the World Series, Election Campaigns, etc.
(Remember, this was in the day when many households did not
yet have a television.)
To name persons to the Wall of Fame, contact Barbara Weaver,
Class of 1973. Her e-mail is BLW18@aol.com; her telephone
number is 622-2001. Barbara will need a photo of the person (if
possible) and the reason that the person should be recognized.
(This is not a contest and no one will be eliminated.)
OUR VETERANS
Hundreds of men and women who attended Washington Irving
High School or Middle School in their youth have served in the
Armed Forces of our great country. Many served in the great wars,
World War I and World War II; others served in Korea, Vietnam,
Bosnia, Desert Storm and Afghanistan; and still others worked to
maintain peace, such as it was. They have served in all branches
of the military. A few have held high ranks; most were the
soldiers, sailors, airmen and grunts who answered the call to arms
and gave their time, fortunes and sometimes their lives to protect
the freedom that we, as Americans, claim as our birthright.
If you, or anyone who attended WI, served in the military at any
time, please e-mail the names to wihilltopper@gmail.com or mail
to:
WI CELEBRATION
PO Box 4411
Clarksburg, WV 26301
LODGING
The Washington Irving Centennial Celebration is just days before
the 36th Annual West Virginia Italian Festival in Clarksburg. Motel
rooms can be at a premium for those who do not make their
reservations early.
The prices listed with each motel are the discounted rates which
will be good for reservations made prior to July 1. To insure that
you get lodging to suit your needs, you MUST make your
reservations by that date.
HAMPTON INN BRIDGEPORT-CLARKSBURG 1515 Johnson Avenue
Bridgeport, WV 26300
PH: (304) 842-9300
Discounted rate:
Continental breakfast
2 queen beds - $90 + tax
King - $100 + tax
HOLIDAY INN 20 Sweetbriar Lane
(Off Jerry Dove Drive)
Bridgeport, WV 26300
PH: (304) 979-9022
Full hot breakfast
King or 2 queens - $100 + tax
BEST WESTERN 100 Lodgeville Rd.
(Located on the top of Bridgeport Hill)
Bridgeport, WV 26300
PH: (304) 842-5411
MICROTEL BRIDGEPORT 201 Conference Center Way
Bridgeport, WV 26300
PH: (304) 808-2000
Continental breakfast
Queen - $89 + tax
King - $99 + tax
WINGATE INN 350 Conference Center Way
(Off Jerry Dove Drive)
Bridgeport, WV 26300
PH: (304) 808-1000
Full hot breakfast
King or 2 queens - $109 + tax
There are a number of other motels in
the area; however, these are the ones
who returned our calls in time for this
to be sent out.
FEATURED IN "THE GOLDSEAL"
A magazine of West Virginia Traditional Life
submitted by:Sherry Ellen Hutchison Keith (WI '64
Hello, here are two Clarksburg authors that came to light in the Goldenseal ...
One is Norm Julian, the subject of the article and one is Donna Meredith, the author of it.
On Page 52 in the Winter 2013 Issue of The Goldenseal,, the magazine of West Virginia
Traditional Life, there is a great article about Victory HS and Fairmont State University Graduate,
Norm Julian, author and journalist, who resides in Morgantown following an interesting and
successful career and is still producing weekly articles to the Donimion Post and publishing books
of his essay collections.
The Author.... of the article is Donna Meredith... WI grad..with a BS Degree in Education from
Fairmont State College and Holds a Masters' Degree in Journalism from WV U. She lives in
Florida and is a retired teacher and author of two award-winning novels. Her former contribution
to Goldenseal appeared in the fall of 2012 edition.
THIS AND THAT
EDITOR'S NOTE: This letter was written to me in Jan. I
apologize to Greg for not putting it in the Feb. issue. I have been
suffering with my computer acting up...It was in the shop in
January and again in Feb. the hard drive crashed and I had to
order a new computer and get it set up. I am sorry for any
missed letters. I hope this is the only one.
Just wanted to let you know that I look forward to the WI newsletter every
month. I commend you for the time and effort to compile this newsletter. Keep
up the Great Work!
To Answer a couple of your "guess who" pictures. The Girls on the pyramid are
the 1966 WI graduates. I recognize almost everyone of them. I also graduated
in 1966. I could probably name 3/4 of them.
Regarding the Mystery Picture. It looks like Compton Lanes to me. I grew up on
the hill across the street from Compton Lanes next to the WHAR radio station.
For several years, I would spend hours with my friends from the neighborhood
around the vacant lot (that eventually become Compton's Lanes) playing wiffle
ball. Most of these kids went to Victory High School where I went to WI being on
the opposition side of the Highway. The northeast corner of the lot had a
concrete retaining wall that was used as our backstop. Many of the kids that
played ball there ended up playing baseball through their high school and some
college days.
They then built Compton Lanes. I was a Jr. Bowler and got to know the workers
pretty good. I would most of the time get either free bowling (when the boss was
gone) or pay 10 Cents per lane. Spent a lot of time behind the machines visiting
with the crew. Turns out that after moving west, I was on the Utah State
University bowling team and met my wife who was the State Jr. Bowling
Champion for two years while in High School/College. We had our first date
while traveling with the team at Arizona State University. So I guess you could
say that Compton's Lanes had a big influence on my future, having been married
now for 42 years, 4 kids and 9 grand kids later.
I have also attached a picture of the WI track team with the 1966 class being on
the front row...might want to consider using it in the future as a "guess who".
Again, thanks for your great work on the WI newsletter.
Can you name any of the boys in Greg's picture. Send your guesses to Roleta1@aol.com
A TRIP BACK IN HISTORY
Downtown Clarksburg looking East taken around 1925
This should be Hagan’s Ice Crème store on Main Street. It was a center of
activity for kids for many years. I can remember the inside like it was
yesterday. Aluminum metal tables and chairs with a rounded top and slats.
Seems like there was a Wurlitzer juke box on the left hand side and a stainless
metal clothes or book rack. There was a long line of glassed ice cream cases on
the right side. My cousin Mary Nicewarner (also WI ’56) used to have a part time
job dipping ice cream. I can remember the ages seemed to be Central
Junior HS thru WI Juniors. Then most of the guys had moved on to Stonewall
Billiards. The busiest times were Friday nites especially after a WI BB game at
the Carmichael Auditorium. Jam packed. Guess no one heard of the Fire
Marshall in those days. They must have had some kind of “store rules” since I
can recall being asked to leave the premises a few times. Must have been the
DA and pegged pants. I can picture in my mind the girls (I won’t list their
names) with their white blouses, cashmere sweaters, long skirts to the ankles
with bobby socks. Most with a Class Ring around their neck on a chain. WI
classes of ‘56 and ’57 from the years 1950 thru 55. The store was on the way
to Broad Oaks from games and from the High School. So a natural stopping off
place for the Broad Oaks Gang on the way home. Maybe WPDX Radio Studio
on the 2nd floor.
submitted by:Bob Kramer (WI '65)
This is a picture of the old Hagans Ice Cream Store on Main Street. They had the best ice cream
and hot dogs. We stopped there on the way home to spoil out dinner.
submitted by:Bill Losh (RW '54) and submitted by:Barbara Moore Losh (WI '63)
The mystery picture for this month is the old Hagan Ice Cream store on main street. The
door on the left leads upstairs to the WPDX radio studios.
Back in the early 1950’s the station featured a musician who had no arms but played the
guitar with his toes. He could be seen many times eating at the Hagan lunch counter
using his feet to hold his sandwich. The station, with a country base, had many good
entertainers some of which were Chereokee Sue, Budge and Fudge (the Maze Bros)
Buddy Starcher and others. Of course, Hagan was a good place to eat and they had the
best ice cream in town.
Keep up the great work on the newsletter!
THE MYSTERY PICTURE FOR APRIL
Can you identify the above picture? Please take a guess, I only print the correct ones. If you want to play our game, write your guess to Roleta1@aol.com.
THOSE WHO GAVE TO THE SCHOLARSHIP THIS MONTH
Thank you for giving back to Clarksburg through the WIN Scholarship.
Allen Alvarez
Augie Malfregeot
Sharon Fleming
Beth Twigg Devericks
Elaine Z. Norteman
Patricia Sue Gyorda
Anna Williams Walsh
Bob Teter
George and Carol Cinci
Bob Griffith
Mary Sue Clark Spahr
Alice Douglas
Gerald Winerman
Robert Miley
Dan and Judy Richards
Robert Hall
Bill May
Mary Ann Donato
David Bates
Don and Kitty Sager
Jill and Robert Modlin, MD
Carolyn Hornor Wilson
A check was received from Becky Sharpe Mosley in memory of her brother
"Senator William R. "Bill" Sharpe, Jr."
CIVIL WAR
submitted by:Charles Ferrell (WI '46)
I recently came upon one of my books, "West Virginia The Mountain State" by Charles
Henry Ambler, PhD published in 1946 which has some interesting information about our
state.
On page 425 it mentions that some of the best citizens of Harrison and Marion counties
were murdered by outlaws and marauders during the Civil War. Gov. Boreman called on
all of the loyal people of the state to organize themselves for their own protection. He
authorized them to capture and kill these outlaws wherever found. He promised free arms
and ammunition for that purpose.
LOWNDES HILL PROBABLY TAKEN DURING THE CIVIL WAR
THE PINNICKINNICK MINES
submitted by: Dave McCue (WI '65)
Here is a link to a history of the Pinnickinnick
mines. Happy reading.....
The mine picture is up on e-bay for sale of all
things!
submitted by:Eugene Jaumot (VHS '54)
This is the main entrance of PK mine in PK hollow were the coal was railed out to the main line
at Jackson Park which is across old Rt 50.
Another picture from Eugene:
This is the unloading station for the PK mine located across form Jackson Park on the main line
of the B&O railroad.
Thanks to Eugene for another one:
This is a close up of the tipple you put in the news letter. This is at the entrance of PK mine
back in PK hollow. They had four different cars for grading coal as you can see in the picture.
Then they would take the cars down the track to the tipple on the main line of the B&O Railroad
for unloading. It was located across from Jackson park. We believe this picture was taken
in1909.
Yes there was a hill called Pinnickinnick, the WBOY TV tower is located on top of it today
as seen from City of Clarksburg. As a child in the Boy Scots we would hike to the top of PK hill
and look for civil war souvenirs. There was a big trench dug out all around the top of hill.
Also from Eugene
This is a picture of PK Hill you can see the tracks coming from the mine to the
picture you had in the news letter. The story I get is the coal was loaded into small coal cars and
was taken to the plant in my picture in front of Jackson Park. Your coal tipple in the newsletter
was in back of Minard Rest and was just a loading tipple for the coal coming out of the ground
and then it was taken to the tipple at Jackson Park in those small cars to be wash and loaded
into larger coal cars for shipment. The mine was in back of Pinnick Hill out on the ridge.
submitted by:James David Smith
That is really P.K. addition, which is across the tracks from Minards Restaurant. The mine was an
old non union mine with ceilings only 4ft. high in a lot of areas underground. My step father
worked there before going to Navy in WWII. I do not think it existed past the 40's
submitted by:Jim Alvaro (WI '56)
Roleta, seeing the image of Pinnicknick Mine reminds me when Sonja and I were
first dating. Sonja's grandfather Martin Krosmico lived near the mine. We
enjoyed visiting with him for several reasons. There was not a paved road but a
road of coal. Grandpa Krosmico had the best grapes he grew on a hill side just
perfect for making wine. That was my main reason for visiting. He heated with
coal in a pot bellied stove. Small house so the stove kept the house warm. He
also had a few fruit trees. Sonja's uncle Steve lived in the same house until he
passed away a few years ago. Sonja took our granddaughters there a few years
ago and they could not believe how people lived like that but they had a
wonderful time visiting WV and want to return. I wonder how many of our
grandchildren do not have the privilege of going back to where their mom and
dad grew up? They sure need to.
submitted by:Bob Hall (WI '56)
The picture of the Pinnikinick Mine brings back several memories for me. We
moved to PK in approx. 1943 and lived in one of the company houses for a
couple years. The mines sold the houses to individuals in 1944-1945. Dad
bought a house vacated by Ralph and Artha Cabo. They had two daughters that
went to WI ( I think). They were Sandra and Dee Ann and a couple years
younger than I.
Dad's first improvement to the house was installing a bathroom with shower and
toilet and a new floor furnace. I can only remember a kitchen, living room and 2
bedrooms in the house (probably 900 sq. ft. or so). Some of neighbors were
Delores Hornsby, Jack and Jacqueline Butcher, Bob Griffith, all potential WI
students. There were several nationalities in the mining camp but I don't
remember hearing any language other than English. I would think there were
some Italian and Polish families that spoke their native language but their kids all
spoke English.
From the picture of the tipple, our house was a couple hundred yards before and
maybe 30 yards on the right. My dad was a mechanic and worked in the shop
which was located maybe 100 yards on past the tipple. Another 1/4 mile past the
shop was a dairy farm owned by Cabo's that delivered raw milk in glass bottles
and we were customers. The picture was made probably in the 30's because I
remember the coal cars being deeper than those pictured. I'll also mention that
the dust from washing the coal was dropped on the tracks between the tipple and
our house and this "bug dust' was what covered my "basketball court". It was
great when dry but started sticking to the ball with a little sprinkling. There was a
creek between the tracks and our house in which we'd throw the ball to get it to
bounce again. The first basket dad put up was probably 12 ft in the air and he
fabricated it from a steel rod to about 14" diameter. It was difficult making those
baskets. He later bought a nice new orange rim with a net and lowered the
boards down to 10 ft.
As far as PK Hill is concerned, I don't remember ever hearing the term. There
were hills on both sides of the valley where the mines and creek flowed. I do
remember burning crosses on one hill by the KKK and being scared to death. I
had some black buddies that were naturally scared.
We walked to Linden Grade School, walked home for lunch and returned, then
walked back home in the evening. Now it seems like it's maybe 3/4 mile from the
school to the tipple. It was a good walk for a 5 year old and now for a 75 year old
I would refuse to go.
To Bill:
Enjoyed the "football trivia" part of the newsletter. I have a couple of comments,
however.
Item # 10: It seems to me that the Detroit Lions had their mascot logo on their
helmets long before the St. Louis Rams. The Rams were formerly in L.A. so I
don't consider them the same team.
Item # 15: The north-south orientation of outdoor football stadiums is generally
credited to Fielding H. Yost of The University of Michigan. He oversaw the
building of Michigan Stadium when he was the A.D. at the school and directed
that feature. He coached the famous "point-a-minute" teams around the turn of
the century, (the 20th). And, oh, by-the-way, he was a native West Virginian.
Keep the "fun facts" coming.
Stu Cashman, LaSalle HS, Niagara Falls, NY 1956
Reply To Stu:
As you can see below, you are correct about the Rams placing their logo on their
helmets before they were in St Louis. I agree that the St. Louis Rams should be
considered a different team, even though the ownership might not have changed.
We would not consider the Indianapolis Colts to be the same team as the New
York Yankees (NFL) or the Dallas Texans, even though you can trace their
history through these franchises.
St. Louis/Los Angeles/Cleveland Rams: 1946-1949: The first NFL football
helmet with a logo or design. Created by LA Rams halfbackFred Gerhke in
1946, who was trained in art. The original leather helmets were hand-painted
by Gerhke, who played for the Rams in Cleveland in 1940 & 1945, and in
LA from 1946-1949. In 1949, Riddell started making plastic shell helmets with
the Rams logo.
As for Fielding Yost being the first to construct a football field north--south, I'll
have to take your word on that. I have known about him, basically, all of my life,
since he is very famous in Marion County, WV. He won six national
championships while at the U. of M. He hails from Fairview, which was also the
home of Ronnie Retton, a great WVU athlete and the father of Mary Lou Retton.
Incidentally, Fairview and Grant Town, the hometown of both Rich Rodriquez and
Frank Gatski (NFL Hall of Famer) are only a couple of miles apart. There were
some excellent athletes who came from that area. I often wonder if the fact that
Rich Rod was well acquainted with the feats of Yost had anything to do with his
decision to move to the Michigan job.
Thanks for your comments. As you can see, long discussions begin
with relatively short replies from our readers.
We are coming to the end of another college basketball season. However, as one season
ends, another begins.
Huggins' troops are ending up just about as I expected. At the beginning of the season, I
wrote that I thought they would break even overall and not win half of their Big 12
games. If, as most people think, they beat TCU at home and lose to Oklahoma on the road
and Kansas at home, they will end the regular season at 16--15 and 8--10 in the
conference. This is an improvement from last year, but not nearly what the coach had
hoped for this team. It should earn them a bid to the NIT, which is better than no
tournament at all. Here's hoping another year of growth and seasoning, plus some much
needed help from a couple of newcomers, will produce an NCAA invitation next year.
The WVU baseball team has generated more excitement than usual, with the new
conference affiliation and a beautiful new stadium coming next year. Let's hope that
things continue to improve and maybe someday, a conference championship will rest in
Morgantown.
Finally, spring football practice starts soon. The Mountaineers are undefeated until fall and
hope springs eternal. Several coaching changes have taken place since last season and I
feel it is all positive. I'm most excited about the addition of Tom Bradley, the former Penn
State defensive coordinator. He will be a welcomed addition to the defense, which is in
need of some new blood, coaching wise. Tony Gibson will be the fourth different defensive
coordinator at WVU in the last four years. That can't help the player's mental attitude or
learning process. Damon Cogdill brings a sterling high school coaching record to
Morgantown. Let's hope it rubs off on both the players and coaches.
We hope to hear from you this month. Please send your stories, comments or memories to
me at:
By the way, the WVU women's BB team is having a tremendous year. They currently stand
at 25--3 and14--2 in the Big 12. Mike Carey has done another excellent job of coaching and,
obviously, recruiting. I've often wondered how he would do as the men's coach. It won't
happen as long as Huggs wants the job, but it might be interesting to see what would
happen to the program under his leadership. As I recall, Salem College had some pretty
decent teams during his days as the coach there.
Arreta Jaranko, W I Class of 1940, sent us the picture below, along with a few comments. You will note that several names are included, but we are looking for the identities of the remaining players. I hope our readers can help us out on this. We think the picture was taken in 1953.
Arreta's note follows.
Gregory put the names of the boys who were on the team with him and I hope Mike and Barry will see this. There are some names he can't remember, but at least it will help identify some of them. Gregory loved playing Little League and stayed in the game through the Babe Ruth league.. Summers were sure busy with him playing ball.
Arreta Jaranko, W I 1940
Arreta Jaranko, W I Class of 1940, also sent the picture below with her comments. Do any of the names sound familiar? If you recognize anyone in the photo, let us know. Send your memories of who they were and how you knew them to Bill (billmere@aol.com).
There are still people in Northview who had Stanley Jaranko as their teacher in Junior High. And I expect there are many who remember him as a referee for the games. After the war, he tried to referee, but I think he found it too strenuous. During World War II, Stanley was a Lt.Commander in Naval Intelligence. Can you imagine what it was like to be an American officer on a Russian submarine BEFORE the Russians had openly declared war on Germany and Japan? Stanley's work was so secret that he could never talk about it His health was affected and the family believes he had a nervous breakdown as the result of his service. I remember kids used to call him the "Mad Russian", it was always in fun as I think there was a comedian at the time who was called the "Mad Russian".....maybe someone will remember that. I hope there are readers who will remember the boys on this team. Love to you.
Arreta Jaranko, WI 1940
PICTURED BELOW MAY BE THE FIRST WASHINGTON IRVING BASEBALL TEAM
Do you recognize anyone pictured? Perhaps a grandfather, great-grandfather or someone? Write and tell us if you can help us.
It has always been our policy to not search the media for obituaries. We
will publish any obituary that you email to Roleta1@aol.com which pertains
to a person who was connected to Clarksburg in some way. Please include
a picture of the deceased if possible.
Fran Barrett has been sending obituaries in the past but has recently
moved and can no longer send them.
RANDY MOODISPAUGH
Randy Ross Moodispaugh, 72, of Bridgeport, passed away on Monday afternoon,
February 24, 2014, at United Hospital Center. He was born November 25, 1941, in
Clarksburg, a son of the late Ross Blair Moodispaugh and Virgie Woodring
Moodispaugh.
He is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Mary “Trudy” Morelan Moodispaugh,
whom he married on August 7, 1963.
He is also survived by three sons, Danny Ross Moodispaugh of Stealey, Charles Martin
Moodispaugh of Liberty Addition and Gregory Blair Moodispaugh of Bridgeport; and
several cousins, including a special cousin, Reta Moodispaugh of Bridgeport.
Randy attended school with the WI Class of 1959 but moved to Bridgeport where he
was a 1959 graduate of Bridgeport High School, attended Potomac State College, and
graduated from West Virginia University with a BS degree in Business Administration.
In 2003 he retired from the Harrison County Health Department with over 37 ½ years of
service. He served as a sanitarian, became chief sanitarian, and retired as the
administrator.
He was an active member of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, and also served on the Board
of Directors of the Salvation Army. He liked electronics and computers, was a big
Steelers fan, and loved the WVU football and basketball teams. He was also an animal
lover and was supportive of the Humane Society of Harrison County. Most of all he was
devoted to his family, and loved spending time with his sons and dog Ginger.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Humane Society of Harrison County, 2450
Saltwell Road, Shinnston, WV 26431
OTTO MATHENY
Otto F. Matheny, 78, of Dade City, FL, passed away Sunday, January 19,
2014. He was born in Harrison County, WV and moved to the Bay Area in 1981.
He was a United States Army Veteran and served during the Korean Conflict. He
retired in 1995 from computer sales. Otto liked keeping up with all the local team
sports stats and he also enjoyed talking with anyone in his neighborhood. He
was lovingly known as “The Mayor of Lake Magdalene Drive.”
Otto is preceded in
death by his son, Jeffery. He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Gerri; daughter,
Lisa Brown and her husband Gordon; five stepdaughters; 15 grandchildren and
11 great-grandchildren. Services for Otto will be private. His final resting place
will be at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to HPH Hospice in memory
of Otto Matheny.
NATALIE N. TRAUGH
Mrs. Natalie N. Traugh, age 69, of Heartland nursing home, formerly of Salem,
WV passed away on Friday, February 7, 2014 at the Heartland nursing home
after a long and courageous battle of Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Natalie was born on December 13, 1944 in Clarksburg, WV a daughter to the late
James Montague and Iverna Marquess Harrison. She was a member of the First
United Methodist Church of Salem, where she served as President of the UMW
for many years, member of Salem Business and Professional Women’s Club
where she also held a state office, most recently a member of the Red Hats
Society in Clarksburg, and member of the Harrison County Senior Citizen Center.
She loved her crafting, scrapbooking, and playing bingo. She retired from the
DHHR in 2005 with over 20 years of service.
She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Debbi and Danny Minnix, of
Shinnston; 3 grandchildren, Megan M. Minnix and Logan G. Minnix, both of
Shinnston, and Duke Minnix, of Bridgeport. 2 great-grandchildren; brother and
sister-in-law, James and Debbie Harrison, of Morgantown; sister-in-law, Ruby
Traugh, of Michigan.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Lewis Traugh in 2004,
infant sister, Carole Lynn and brother Michael T. Harrison.
MARGARETT A. "PEGGY" DENNISON CRISLIP
Margarette A. “Peggy” Crislip, age 70, of Clarksburg and formerly of Newton
Falls, Ohio, departed this life Sunday, February 2, 2014 at her residence.
She was born May 28, 1943, in Clarksburg, the daughter of the late Blaine H.
Dennison and Vivian Fansler Dennison. Her husband, William “Sonny” Crislip,
whom she married in 1961 survives.
Also surviving are one daughter, Michele (Micky) Thompson of Lordstown, Ohio;
one son, Carl (Deanna) Crislip of Newton Falls, Ohio; two siblings, Sheila
Anderson of Ridgely, W.Va. and Bob Dennison of Clarksburg; four
grandchildren, Bob, Devin, Mikaela and Morgan.
Peggy attended the Broad Oaks Methodist Church. She graduated from WI in
1961. She enjoyed reading and taking care of others, especially her family.
JON WILLIAM ROSE
Jon William Rose, 69, of Arlington and formerly of Fredericksburg, died at Inova Alexandria Hospital on February 4, 2014.
Jon grew up in Clarksburg, WV and was with the class of 1962 at WI. He graduated from West Virginia University with a BA degree in German and an MA degree in German Linguistics. After graduation, Jon enlisted in the U. S. Army and served one tour of duty in Vietnam. His love for German began when he was a senior in high school, living in Paderborn, Germany, and grew stronger throughout his life. Herr Rose lived and taught in Wilhelmshaven, Germany before teaching German at Woodbridge High School for 30 years.
While living in Fredericksburg, Jon earned an MBA from Mary Washington College. He was also an active member of Christ Lutheran Church where he served on the Social Ministry committee and was a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Thurman Brisben Homeless Shelter. Jon remained active in education and community service after moving to Arlington . He was an avid biker, clogger, and theatre-goer.
Survivors include two sons, Eric Rose and his wife Meredith, and Nick Rose and his wife Mandy; his sister, Jayne Rose Ross, WI 1957 and her husband Bill; his niece, Beth Ross, and his brother-in-law, Tim Morneau. He was predeceased by his parents William and Bertha Rose, and his sister Kristina.
Jon's funeral will be held at 2pm on Wednesday Feb. 12 at St. Clement's Episcopal Church in Alexandria . Contributions in Jon's memory may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at pancan.org.
ALEXANDER GEORGE “ALEX” JAFFURS
Mr. Alexander George “Alex” Jaffurs, 57, of Hornor Avenue, Clarksburg, WV,
passed away at 6:45 P. M. Monday, November 11, 2013 at the United Hospital
Center, following a courageous battle with lung cancer. He was born in
Pittsburgh, PA, March 29, 1956, a son of the late George A. Jaffurs and
Georgia “Gia” Samaras Jaffurs.
Alex is survived by: an uncle & aunt; Jimmy & Vickie Mouhasiris, Athens, Greece,
and their children, Christopher, Johnny & Maria, cousins; Alexander & Maria
Alex, Bridgeport, WV, George & Helen Alex, Burr Ridge, IL and Evangeline
Pappas, Charlottesville, VA, his best friend; Cathy Libert, Clarksburg, WV and his
loving pets, his dogs; Midas, Theo & Paige.
In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by his other dogs; Hara,
Pericles, Faith, Hope & Maggie.
Mr. Jaffurs was a member of St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in Clarksburg.
He had been employed as an airplane mechanic in aircraft maintenance.
JOSEPH FRANKLIN "JOE" BETO
Joseph Franklin "Joe" Beto, 77, of Clarksburg passed away at the WV Veterans Nursing Facility on
Wednesday, January 22, 2014 following an extended illness.
He was born in East View on October 26, 1936
a son of the late John Beto and Teresa Marie Talerico Beto. He was preceded in death by his wife Marie
Joyce "Mary Jo" Oliverio Beto whom he married December 3, 1959.
He is survived by two sons, Michael
Joseph Beto of Morgantown, WV and John Christopher Beto and wife Sheena of Quiet Dell, WV; two
daughters, Michele Marie Beto and Jodi Lynn Paugh both of Clarksburg, WV; four granddaughters, Ashley
Lynn Paugh Richison and husband Joe, Presley Marie Caplinger, Talia Marie Beto and Mia Rose Beto; one
sister, Katherine DeMary and husband John of Shinnston, WV and several nieces and nephews.
Joe was a
1955 graduate of Roosevelt Wilson High School and proudly served his county in the US Army Reserve as a
Sergeant. He was employed at Thorofare Super Market for 30 years and retired from Centra Bus as a bus
driver after 10 years. He was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. He had a passion for
hunting and fishing and was a member of the National Wild Turkey Federation. During his high school
years, he played football, basketball and was a member of the high school band receiving both a basketball
and music scholarship. Joe was an avid Mountaineer and Notre Dame fan.
