Colorado Pride November 8, 20a8

Copyright © 2018                               John F. Oyler 

November 8, 2018

Colorado Pride

I recently made a quick weekend trip to Colorado to check up on the activities of my grandchildren – Ian, Nora, and Claire McCance. My daughter Sara and her husband Jim McCance live in Fort Collins; it is always a treat to go visit them.

Each time I visit Colorado I am impressed with the difference between that area and ours in western Pennsylvania. Driving north from the Denver airport the Wyoming slogan “Big Sky” seems particularly appropriate. You feel as if you are in the center of a hemisphere with the entire sky visible to you in every direction, a sky that always seems to be filled with a grand variety of clouds.

This time Sara also pointed out an eagle soaring in great circles above us, and a large prairie dog village with a resident standing at attention and staring into the sun at nearly every hole. And of course, dominating everything to the west were the snow-capped Rockies, with Long’s Peak reaching for the sky.

It is indeed a different world, and one that I enjoy, despite my preference for our hills and valleys. The landscape seems to have an influence on the folks who live there. The broad, flat prairie and the extensive highway network make it easy for them to travel long distances even for short errands. And something in the natural environment seems to foster innovation and the willingness to try new things.

Nora, who is now thirteen, plays goalie for a highly competitive soccer team that competes in a league that includes cities all along the Front Range, as far south as Colorado Springs, one hundred and thirty miles from Fort Collins. This weekend’s game was in Aurora, seventy miles away.

The Aurora sports complex is impressive and typical of the area’s commitment to youth sports. Nora’s team played on one of four identical artificial turf soccer fields that have just been added to thirty existing fields of different sizes for different games. This time the Fort Collins team was overmatched and lost 3 to 1, despite a good performance in goal by Nora.

In addition to his interest in playing trumpet in the Rocky Mountain High School Jazz Band, sixteen-year-old Ian has developed an equivalent interest in dramatics. This started two years ago when one of his friends encouraged him to try out for a high school performance of “Lord of the Flies”. 

Since then he has had parts in a community production of “Fiddler on the Roof” and another high school play, “Alice in Wonderland”. This Fall’s high school play was “Charley’s Aunt”; his role was Sir Francis Chesny, a retired British Army officer.

When I first learned he had this part, I mistakenly thought it was in the musical version, “Where’s Charley?”, and was worried that he would have to sing a difficult song, “Lovelier than Ever”. Fortunately, this was the original show, with no requirement for singing.

“Charley’s Aunt” was originally produced in London in 1893 and is now recognized as a classic Victorian comedy. Sir Francis is an interesting character, a generation older than all the other characters in the play, with the exception of “Charley’s Aunt”. The play director suggested that Ian play him with a war-related injury that forces him to walk with a pronounced limp and a cane. He carried that off masterfully.

I continue to be impressed with the quality of today’s students’ performances, both musically and dramatically. The sets for “Charley’s Aunt” were outstanding, as were all of the actors and actresses. This, of course, appears to be true everywhere, as high schools choose to produce difficult, highly sophisticated plays.

Originally, I was a little concerned about coming to Colorado to see Ian and Nora perform, fearing that ten-year-old Claire would feel slighted. Not to worry – she came home from school on Friday with two P.R.I.D.E. awards. These are given to outstanding students at her Elementary School each month; receiving two is a real exception.

Award number one was for “P”, positive attitude. Her teacher praised her for being “a good model for all of us”. “I”, for “Insist on Safety”, was more of a surprise. It apparently was recognition of her habit of returning the food tray from the preschool lunch room each day.

In addition, Friday was the day she appeared on TTV, the weekly elementary school channel on which two students broadcast the weather, announcements, and birthday recognitions for the current week. She certainly has the presence of a network TV anchor. Her partner, believe it or not, was a young man named Charlie Mingus. And to cap it all off, she announced that she has been selected to be part of the Fort Collins School District Choir. Her selection was based on her audition rendition of “Our Country ‘Tis of Thee”.

Claire is a classic third child, with the low key optimistic personality of her mother, herself a third child. She and her siblings are a marvelous legacy for the efforts of their parents; we are proud of all of them. 

                                              

The Kirwan Heights Industrial District November 1, 2018

Copyright © 2018                               John F. Oyler 

November 1, 2018

The Kirwan Heights Industrial District

I had the pleasure recently of giving a presentation to the Collier Township Historical Society in the township’s magnificent Community Center. My subject was the industrial complex between Kirwan Heights and the Pennsylvania Railroad, that thrived from the early 1900s through World War II.

When Sal Sirabella, the acting president of the Society, first discussed the possibility of this presentation, I suggested I discuss the J. B. Higbee Glass Company. We jointly concluded that the whole industrial complex of which Higbee was a part would be a more appropriate subject.

Its story begins with the arrival of C. P. (Casper Peter) Mayer in Bridgeville in 1879. Mr. Mayer was a remarkable gentleman, a charismatic entrepreneur long before either term became popular. He went to work at the Bridgeville Mine and soon became superintendent.

In 1886 he opened a general store; six years later he acquired a lumber company. Around the turn of the century he purchased a large block of land in Collier Township, on the opposite side of Chartiers Creek from Bridgeville.

He quickly recognized the value of the land adjacent to the Pennsylvania Railroad and began to plan for its development. The first tenant was a new company, the Mayer Brick Company, which he organized in 1903 to take advantage of a valuable deposit of shale on the hillside.

The brick company was immediately successful, capable of producing 20,000 paving blocks or 30,000 face bricks each day of operation. The pavers, stamped with variations of Mayer Brick Company and Bridgeville, Pa., are a familiar artifact everywhere bricks are collected. The brick yard operated well into the 1950s, producing millions of bricks.

The next firm to locate in the complex was the Flannery Bolt Company. The Flannery Brothers began with a very successful funeral home in Homewood, managed by James Flannery. His younger brother, Joseph, had aspirations for a more challenging vocation. In 1904 he acquired the Tate patent for staybolts. The staybolt is an essential component of a steam boiler, designed to keep the shell plates separated at a specific distance.

The Flannerys incorporated the Bolt Company for $9,000 and built a plant in Kirwan Heights to produce staybolts. Their unique design and the use of “Vanadium steel” quickly took over the large market for staybolts for steam locomotive boilers and ensured success of the company.

Joseph Flannery recognized the value of vanadium as an alloying agent for producing this very special type of steel and decided to go into the vanadium business. In 1906 he and his brother incorporated the American Vanadium Company and began construction of a plant adjacent to the Flannery Bolt facility. They purchased a vanadium ore mine at Minas Ragra in Peru, shipped the ore to Kirwan Heights where it was refined into ferrovanadium. When the company was sold to the American Vanadium Corporation in 1919, it was the largest vanadium producer in the world.

The J. B. Higbee Glass Company was Mayer’s next tenant. John B. Higbee was a principal of Bryce, Higbee and Company, a prominent glass company in Homestead. The combination of a severe flood and discovery of embezzlement by Mr. Bryce forced the company into bankruptcy. Mr. Higbee’s son Orlando (Ollie) was able to purchase the company’s proprietary assets, primarily patterns, and build a new facility in Kirwan Heights.

The J. B. Higbee Glass Company quickly became a major supplier of affordable pressed glass tableware and specialties. They had retail outlets in downtown Pittsburgh and in New York, as well as warehousing to third party outlets across the country. They typically introduced a new pattern each year and manufactured several dozen different items in it.

In addition to being a fine businessman Ollie HIgbee was an innovator, with numerous patents, including several for the first thermos bottles. Perhaps his most successful innovation was the introduction of the unique Higbee trademark. It consists of a bumblebee with the letter H on one wing, I on the body, and G on the other wing. Today J. B. Higbee glass is a popular collectible item; the presence of this trademark in the center of the base of each piece is confirmation of its authenticity. 

In 1919 Ollie Higbee died and the plant was sold to General Electric. They converted it to a facility manufacturing lighting fixtures – light bulbs, fluorescent tubes, etc. With the exception of three years at the depth of the Great Depression when GE shifted production to Niles, Ohio, the “Glass House” operated profitably until 2017 when it finally was shut down.

The Universal Rolling Mill Company was incorporated in 1908. They purchased used equipment from the Waynesburg Forge, Sheet, and Tin Mills, where Walter Baker had been superintendent. He became superintendent of the new mill when it was constructed in the Kirwan Heights complex. They went into production in 1909.

By 1918 they were successfully producing specialty steels; that year they changed their name to the Universal Steel Company. In 1936 they merged with Cyclops Corporation, of Titusville, Pa., to form the Universal-Cyclops Corporation, a major supplier of tool and specialty steels. In 1992 it was acquired briefly by ARMCO, who then sold it to an employee group who renamed it Universal Stainless and Alloy, Inc.

The resulting firm is still operating profitably in Kirwan Heights, with other plants in Titusville, Dunkirk, New York, and North Jackson, Ohio. They have a reputation of utilizing leading edge technology in the production of stainless, tool, and specialty steels.

From 1910 into the 1950s the Kirwan Heights complex was an impressive collection of highly productive industries, providing employment for several thousand local residents. During World War II Flannery Bolt achieved national attention by earning one of the first Army-Navy “E” Awards, in recognition of their production of machine gun barrels.

The Collier Township Historical Society is in the early stages of reviving an organization that existed thirty years ago. We are highly supportive of their efforts. Our vision is for each local community to have its own, strong historical society with its own unique focus and for all the individual societies to work together closely and coordinate their efforts.

Our area is rich with historical assets and local societies. The Neville Plantation, the Walker-Ewing Log House, Old St. Luke’s, the Gilfillan Farm, and the Oliver Miller Homestead are wonderful sites to visit, particularly when they have special events. Community societies in Bridgeville, South Fayette, Mt. Lebanon, and Canonsburg, as well as Collier Township, provide a powerful mechanism for individuals to explore and enjoy local history.

The value of these resources is certain to increase as our culture evolves. The impact of automation will continue to impact employment, ultimately increasing our available leisure time. The same may be said about the effect of longer life spans for retired folks. The additional leisure time should be exploited by activities that enhance our mental, emotional, and physical health.

It is easy to foresee a major increase in the importance of local institutions to take advantage of the additional leisure time – libraries, book clubs, adult participative sports, musical organizations, arts and craft centers, etc. We think there is an important place for historical organizations in this mix; certainly the history buffs we know are the antithesis to couch potatoes.

  

BHS Classes of 1954 and 1955 October 25, 2018

Copyright © 2018                               John F. Oyler 

October 25, 2018

BHS Classes of 1954 and 1955

The Bridgeville Area Historical Society October “Second Tuesday” workshop was a review of the Bridgeville High School classes of 1954 and 1955. As could be expected, it was a nostalgic trip back to an era when life seemed much simpler.

Once again the football team had a new head coach; this time Cyrill “Night Train” Lane fresh from four years at Kiski Prep as head basketball coach. Coach Lane’s credentials included playing for Paul Brown on the undefeated 1942 Ohio State football team.

In addition, Pat Malarkey had been announced as head football coach at the Pennsylvania Training School at Morganza. Clyde “Tiny” Carson was his assistant coach.

The BHS team had a fine season. They went into their last game, with South Fayette, as a sure bet to qualify for the WPIAL Class B championship playoff. Trailing 14 to 13 late in the game they put on a drive that seemed certain to provide a victory. Unfortunately, a fumble on the opponents’ goal line was recovered by Lawton Hallam and carried 105 yards for the clinching score.

The basketball team, led by Seniors Fred LaSota, Frank Calabro, David Colton, Herman Vock, and Marvin McCormick, had a successful season, but were edged out for the Section title by Peters Township. Soccer was a different story as the locals won their second consecutive WPIAL title by edging South Fayette.

One of the stalwarts on the soccer team was Richard “Rope” Heinrich. He was in the audience at the workshop, accompanied by his wife and fellow classmate, Mary Hergert Heinrich. She shared with us the story of the student strike in 1954, protesting the school’s failure to properly honor the soccer team’s achievements.

The other member of the ’54 class present at the workshop was Nancy Pesavento LaSota. She contributed a set of photographs of her classmates and a commentary on them. Her husband, Fred LaSota, was a typical all-around athlete of that era, starring in football, basketball, and soccer. He scored twenty-eight goals in ten soccer games.

John Mikus was Class President in 1954; Marvin McCormick, Vice President. Our Lafayette Street neighbor, Genevieve Panizza, was Class Secretary. Constance Wider was May Queen; Carol Rush, Maid of Honor.

This was the year that Dr. Colton retired, ending a productive career of thirty-eight years in education which included twenty-three years at Bridgeville as Supervising Principal. The newspaper article reporting on his retirement emphasized the significance of his long participation on the WPIAL Decision Committee. 

His replacement was C. J. McMahon, superintendent of schools in Braddock. Mr. McMahon’s charge to the Seniors, in the ’55 Yearbook, begins, “Our country today has entered upon the most perilous period in our history”. 

The workshop facilitator exemplified the peril of the period with three contemporary newspaper clippings. One reported the return home of Dr. William Shadish after nearly one thousand days as a prisoner of war in Korea, praising his service to hundreds of fellow POWs.

Another clipping reported the death of Amos Jones (Class of 1951) in the crash of a naval patrol plane on a glacier in Iceland. Amos was our neighbor on Lafayette Street and a prized friend. The other fatality was Dick Johnson (Class of 1948) in an Air Force training flight. 

The 1954 football team went 6-2-1 and ended the season with a satisfying 6 to 0 win over South Fayette. Gary Jones (Amos’ brother) was one of the stars of the team. He had an outstanding football career at Carnegie Tech where he earned a degree in Civil Engineering, followed by a successful career in construction with the Rust Corporation.

Another member of the football team, Ralph Weise, was present at the workshop. Also a neighbor of ours, Ralph graduated from Carnegie Tech and then had a fine career with the Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District. 

Another ’55 classmate participating in the workshop was Lillian Vosel Rotella, the widow of ’54 alumnus John “Butch” Rotella. She was heavily involved in many of the activity clubs, serving as officer in most of them.

Classmate Ron Otricelli also participated in the workshop. He and his wife are active supporters of the Historical Society; it is always a treat to see them. 

The basketball team was led by the Deep twins, Ron and Don. They successfully navigated their Section XIV schedule, handling Peters Township easily for a change. Their first playoff opponent was Wampum, led by future Pitt All-American Don Hennon. He delivered thirty points in a 72 to 57 victory.

The soccer team won a third straight WPIAL championship. The Yearbook doesn’t identify any coach; apparently the Beadling and Heidelberg students understood the game so well that they didn’t need coaching. There was also no mention of a student strike; perhaps the school properly rewarded this achievement this year.

Ron Deep was Class President; he was a member of one of the first graduating classes at the Air Force Academy, leading to an impressive career in the Air Force. His twin brother, Don, earned a degree in Education at Duquesne and eventually became Superintendent of Schools in Moon Township.

Lois Kovach was May Queen; Joan Gout, Maid of Honor.

This was also my brother Joe’s class; recent health complications prevented him from attending. After graduation, he earned a Civil Engineering degree at Penn State, followed by a Master’s Degree at Pitt. Following an impressive career in engineering at Duquesne Light, he has had an equally impressive career in service to others since retirement.

Perhaps because it was my brother’s class, the ’55 group seemed to include an unusually large number of memorable students – Don Toney’s sister Geraldine, Leo Dalzotto, Gene Chappel, Don Cimarolli, neighbor Tom Paroline, and Joseph “Jerry” DeBone.

The Classes of 1954 and 1955 were both quite impressive, a testament to the generation that produced them. The young men and women they produced turned out to be solid citizens, the foundation of a society that we revere.

The next “Second Tuesday” workshop is scheduled for November 13, 2018. It will deal with the fourth visit of George Washington to western Pennsylvania, the Forbes Campaign. On December 11, 2018, we will review the BHS Classes of 1956 and 1957.

Metal Detecting. October 18, 2018

Copyright © 2018                               John F. Oyler 

October 18, 2018

Metal Detecting

The Bridgeville Area Historical Society kicked off its 2018/219 program meeting sequence with a presentation entitled “History Hounds – Preserving and Saving Local History Through Metal Detecting” by two hobbyists, Rob Hilt and Rob Best.

Mr. Hilt had given a talk on the same subject last Spring; this time Mr. Best provided some additional information. The two speakers discussed their hobby and their commitment to local history. The audience was duly appreciative and asked numerous questions following the presentation.

In Mr. Hilt’s presentation last March he mentioned the fact that his colleague, Mr. Best, had found an interesting artifact in Beaver County that might have significant historic implications. At that time I wrote “At one point he stated that one of his colleagues had found an artifact from the LaSalle expedition in 1669, in Beaver County.” and reported my interest in learning more about it.

Consequently when Mr. Best discussed this artifact, I paid specific attention to his interpretation of its significance. This time it was described as a “grant marker”, proof that some government had granted land to someone named de LaSalle in 1609. 

Fortunately he had brought the artifact with him and had it shown prominently in a display case. It is a lead disc about three in diameter and perhaps three eighths of an inch thick. On its face, inscribed with a dull tool are the words, “CHEV. DE LASALLE” and the numeral “1609”.

When I inquired about inscriptions on the back of the disc he promised to email me a copy of a photograph of the reverse side. It shows, inscribed with a sharper tool, “CCS”, “ECB”, “AOUT”, and “30”, and “22” inscribed with a die of the numeral “2”.

My first impressions were that “CHEV.” was an abbreviation for Chevalier, a term of respect which has been applied to Rene-Robert Cavaier, Sieur de La Salle, the famous French explorer. “AOUT”, of course, is August, in French.

It also appears that different tools were used on the front and back of the disc, suggesting that different persons did the inscriptions. The fact that “22” was made by a specific die is also a little puzzling.

Mr. Best speculated that “1609” was a date and that it implied French presence in Western Pennsylvania in the form of de La Salle at that time. This seems unlikely; the French had only gotten as far as Quebec in 1608, and Rene-Robert de La Salle wasn’t born until 1643. 

Nonetheless this is an intriguing artifact. We amateur historians have two basic fears. We worry that some bit of information we uncover may have historic significance and we are not sufficiently knowledgeable to recognize it. Similarly we worry that we may incorrectly imply something historic to an item we report.

Both of these concerns are relevant to this artifact. I asked two of the folks in the audience what they inferred from Mr. Best’s presentation. Both of them reported that some French government had granted land in Beaver County to La Salle in 1609.

In an effort to help Mr. Best learn more about the artifact I have attempted to contact a number of historical organizations and individuals in an effort to find an explanation for the inscriptions on it. It will be interesting to see what response we get.

Assuming the artifact is authentic it could provide information that would change some of our interpretations of local history. La Salle’s famous 1669 expedition into the “Ohio Country” is a well-known subject of controversy. At this time it is believed that the expedition was restricted to the Great Lakes and that he never reached the Ohio (or Allegheny) River. Could this artifact refute that opinion?

It is easy to suggest alternative explanations. We know that La Salle himself issued land grants from Lachine, his seigneurie on the Island of Montreal; perhaps the marker from one of them found its way to Beaver County. 

One of my colleagues commented on the similarity of the artifact to the discs used to provide benchmarks? Could “1609” be an elevation? Or is this merely the residue of a high school history project in 1922 by two students with the initials “CCS” and “ECB”? 

We hope some professional historian specializing in La Salle or in Western Pennsylvania history will be able to help us unravel this mystery.

The next Historical Society program will be on October 30, 2018, t 7:30 pm, at the Chartiers Room of the Bridgeville Volunteer Fire Department. Todd DePastino will discuss “World War II on the Home Front”. 

We octogenarians are a little bit insulted to learn that we are now considered part of history. To us, World War II is more “current events” than history.

1948 BHS Class Reunion October 11, 2018

Copyright © 2018                               John F. Oyler 

October 11, 2018

1948 BHS Class Reunion

Sixteen members of the Bridgeville High School Class of 1948 and an equal number of friends and family gathered at the Walnut Grill in Heidelberg last month to celebrate the seventieth anniversary of their graduation. I was unable to visit with them but have been able to piece together a second-hand account of this very special event.

Our Class of 1949 followed these folks through school all the way from first grade till they graduated. They were our honorary big brothers and sisters, our role models. We looked up to them then and still do.

The organizer of this annual reunion was Esther Pruner Dunich. She obviously is as competent at this task as she was serving as Head Majorette for Skip Batch’s Indians in the 1940s. The Indians were the premier drum and bugle corps in this area in those days, an odds-on favorite to be selected as best band in any parade in which they participated.

Whenever I hear Esther’s name, I immediately conjure an image of the reviewing stand at the end of some community parade. The Indians have already attracted attention from their attire – Indian head-dresses – and the lovely majorettes leading them down the street.

As they approach the reviewing stand and shift into the “marching-in-place” mode, the staccato of the drums becomes sharper. Skip tosses Esther a flaming baton, which she catches and twirls a dozen times, to the delight of the onlookers. Then suddenly she hurls it into the air above her.

At this point the bugles blare out “Over There”. The crowd holds its breath as it watches the baton slowly rotate as it falls back to earth and then applauds as Esther deftly catches and then nonchalantly continues to twirl it. I don’t know who invented the flaming baton routine, but I know Esther Pruner perfected it, and no one ever performed it better.

The 1948 class included a lot of kids who were special to me. I have frequently described Ed Weise as “the best ‘best friend’ a teen-aged boy ever had”. I will always be grateful for his friendship.

John Graham came from Alabama to be with his classmates. He was President of the class, a natural leader. He left Bridgeville to attend the University of Alabama. I remember seeing him that first Christmas and was astounded that he had lost his Pittsburghesque accent and sported a thick Southern drawl.

I’m sure everyone was happy to see Hartman Reed, fresh from his fifteen minutes of fame when the Today Show’s Al Roker honored him as part of their “Deserving Dads” program last Spring. “Harty” has been a fixture at these reunions.

Alfred Barzan is a cherished member of our Octogenarian Brunch group and a rich source of memories of the old days each time we see him. Ben Rupnik, who was easily the best basketball player of our generation, went on to a successful career as a commercial artist. His sketches of Bridgeville street scenes are priceless; his ability to capture the essence of a time and place is uncanny. The 1948 Yearbook, the “Lincoln Log”, contains many examples of Ben’s artwork.

Elaine Keil and John “Jocko” Schneider were one set of high school sweethearts who found happiness in marriage later on. Jocko couldn’t come because of health issues; Elaine represented the Schneider family handsomely. She served as Social Chairman of the Class when they were Seniors.

Joyce Wilson Hines also attended. She is the widow of fellow classmate Bob Hines. He was a good friend, in addition to having special privileges at everyone’s favorite hangout, the ice cream/soda fountain shop his mother ran.

The Oelschlager family was effectively represented by Bob Oelschlager accompanied by his wife. His sister Judy is a loyal supporter of the Bridgeville Area Historical Events; we see her frequently. His younger brother, Wilbur, is one of my 1949 classmates; he is busy playing “cowboys and Indians” in Cody, Wyoming.

Two other widows of class members came to the Reunion. Betty Copeland’s husband Curtis and Marianne Karpinski Carchidi’s husband Fred were regular attendees of previous Reunions; their widows have been seamlessly integrated into the class.

Another honorary classmate is John Rosa. He actually is a member of our 1949 class, but has so many friends in this group that they have adopted him. John has lived in Tucson, Arizona, for the past forty-eight years. Recently he began returning to Bridgeville in the summer when the weather in Arizona became too hot.

John is a summer fixture in the Octogenarian Brunch Club; it is always sad when he returns to Arizona. He was the source of much of the information in this column about this year’s Reunion.

Completing the roster of attendees are Jane van Gorder Finnerty, Virginia Collavo Noce, Dorothy Wilson Price, Grace Aiello Wallo, Bill Godwin, Nick Mamula, and Richard Panizza.

These men and women were born too late to be part of the Greatest Generation; nonetheless as a group they possess all of the same characteristics. It has been a privilege to know them and attempt to follow in their footsteps.

Covered Bridges October 4, 2018

Copyright © 2018                               John F. Oyler 

October 4, 2018

Covered Bridges

One of the nicest things about this time of year is the number of festivals scheduled throughout the area each weekend. It has been my habit to take in the Washington and Greene Counties Covered Bridge Festival each year whenever possible.

Usually their website was full of information on activities at each of the numerous locations and detailed instructions on how to get to each one. This year they have switched to FaceBook, a format better suited for social interaction than for communicating such relevant facts. They should check out the Ashtabula, Ohio, covered bridge festival website for an example of a user-friendly medium.

The main thing I learned was that a number of the sites were still recovering from the recent heavy rains and would not participate. Fortunately however the Wyit Sprowls bridge in East Finley Park was listed as one that would be welcoming visitors. It is one of the few I had not visited in the past, so I decided to make it my target destination.

The park appeared to be five or six miles south of Claysville, so I got on I-79 south at the Bridgeville exit, made the turn to the west onto I-70 at Washington, and quickly found myself getting off at the exit for Claysville. No sign of covered bridge festival there, so I decided to drive into the village on historic route 40 and look for a north/south road.

Sure enough, in the middle of Claysville I spotted a “covered bridge” sign and headed south. Almost immediately I was routed off the main highway (East Finley Road) and onto a narrow road which quickly led to Mcguffey Community Park, where it was obvious the covered bridge festival was in full session.

Mcguffey Park has been the location of the Brownlee covered bridge since 2008, when it was moved from its original site on Templeton Fork of Wheeling Creek, a few miles away. 

The bridge is a thirty-two foot span king post truss structure in excellent condition despite its age; it was originally built around 1860. Its metal roof was obviously part of its rehabilitation ten years ago, but most of the rest of it appears to be original. 

Being in Washington County it is, of course, painted “barn red”. Apparently red was a popular color because of the availability of iron oxide as a pigment, in Pennsylvania. The floor of the bridge is supported on three massive transverse timbers connected to the trusses by wrought iron rods.

The festival site had a nice collection of craft vendors. One gentleman did clever things with silverware; his specialty appeared to be money clips fashioned from forks. I had a pleasant conversation with a lady doing tole painting on weathered wood, in much the same fashion as my wife and her sister.

A husband and wife team were demonstrating weaving throw rugs on a loom he had built. Their raw material was strips of cloth from worn-out shirts. It was one of the best weaving demonstrations I have seen – simple enough to be understood. 

My favorite booth was a lady “repurposing” kitchen ware as lawn sculptures, most of which were large, ugly flowers made of dinner plates. When I inspected the tableware that was her raw material I was surprised to find three J. B. Higbee salt cellars, complete with the bumblebee trademark.

I also found two that had holes drilled in the middle of the base, obliterating the trademark. When she asked me what I was looking at, I introduced myself as the voluntary non-elected president of the J. B. Higbee Glass Collectors Association and pointed out the bumblebees to her.

This led to a discussion of the J. B. Higbee Glass Company and a visit to the eBay website listing their products as collectibles. When I offered her ten dollars for the three salt cellars, she thanked me for introducing her to a new subject and declined my offer because she wanted “to do some research”.

Mcguffey Park is also the location of a replica of Rice’s Fort. The original fort was located on Buffalo Creek, about six miles north of Claysville. Built by Abraham Rice it withstood a well-documented siege by about one hundred Indians in September 1782. One of its six defenders was killed by a bullet through a porthole. The other five managed to kill four Indians and hold them off until relief arrived.

The replica blockhouse is quite impressive, constructed of heavy timbers. It was built by the Whiskey Jug Rangers, a local group of re-enactors specializing in the colonial era.  They had an encampment on the site as part of the festival.

In addition, of course, there were a number of food and beverage vendors. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to buy a funnel cake, something I am accustomed to sharing with several other persons. My frugal upbringing forced me to eat all of it myself, generating a major upset to my otherwise disciplined diet.

No one at the Mcguffey Park site seemed to know anything about the Wyit Sprowls location. However, as I left the parking lot I noticed a different covered bridge festival sign, so I followed it. Soon I was back on a paved highway leading deep into Appalachia.

This was the classic twist and turn road that you follow for three or four miles and then encounter a sign announcing, “Winding road ahead”. Actually I am fond of such roads although my minivan is not as well suited for them as the BMW convertible that was following me. 

Eventually we reached the East Finley Township Maintenance facility where a “Wyit Sprowls Covered Bridge Festival” sign was prominently displayed. I pulled in, followed by a parade of covered bridge fanciers, only to learn that this was, after all, just a maintenance facility.

Back to the winding road for another mile or two before we did finally reach East Finley Park, a delightful spot on Templeton Run. I parked close to its pavilion, where an excellent country and western group was performing. Listening to them was a treat, but my real purpose was to see the bridge, which was nowhere in sight.

Being too embarrassed to ask for directions (big city boy deep in Appalachia!), I walked over to a tiny foot bridge over a small stream and did indeed spot my quarry off in the distance. The walk through a very pleasant park was rewarded with the opportunity to inspect another lovely bridge.

The date on the bridge is 1886; actually it was moved to this site in 1998 and underwent significant restoration, including the installation of a steel roof. Its span of forty-three feet necessitated the use of a queenpost truss (a third bay inserted in the middle of a kingpost truss), with diagonals in opposite directions on each truss.

Adjacent to the bridge is a lovely one-room school house, lovingly furnished with old style desks and a large wood stove. I enjoyed the docent’s talk until he wandered off on a tangent and ended up with the erroneous statement that George Washington surveyed properties near Burgettstown. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the day and am pleased to learn that there are still a few Washington/Greene County covered bridges for me to visit, for the first time, next year.

The Summer of 1948 September 27, 2018

Copyright © 2018                               John F. Oyler 

September 27, 2018

The Summer of 1948

The recent passing of my high school classmate Arlene Scola Ellenberger has initiated a virtual time travel trip for me back to the summer of 1948 when she, Bob Baldwin, and I worked as soda jerks at McMillen’s Drug Store. Dolores “Debbie” DeBlander, another BHS alumna, was a full-time employee and being two years older than the three of us was heavily involved in the management of the store.

I am sure we were very impressed with ourselves at that point. Come September we would achieve our goal of being Seniors, “top dogs”, at Bridgeville High School. Arlene had just had a major success playing the lead in our class play, “Love is Too Much Trouble”, an accomplishment she would repeat in our Senior Play. Bob was our Class President, a born leader in every respect.

In retrospect, 1948 was a pivotal year in many respects. That summer the Berlin Blockade and the Berlin Airlift confirmed the opinion of many returning GI’s that the conclusion of World War II had not “made the world safe for democracy” after all; the threat of international Communism and Soviet expansionism was serious.

President Truman brought back the draft, the first peacetime conscription since World War II. The Republic of South Korea was established in what had been the American Occupation zone. Our euphoria from the establishment of peace in 1945 was being replaced by the realization that we were already engaged in what became known as the Cold War.

The Pirates were respectable that year, ending up fourth in what was then an eight team National League. Ralph Kiner was in the second year of his string of seven consecutive seasons leading the league in home runs. Billy Meyer was the manager; Bing Crosby, a minority (25%) owner.

The Pirates were still quite popular at that time. I remember walking to work one Sunday afternoon from our home on Lafayette Street down Bank Street to Dewey and Station Street and hearing Rosy Roswell’s broadcast from a series of different radios, never missing a pitch.

It was also a pivotal year politically. We Republicans were thrilled to have the chance to take back the White House after sixteen years of Democratic domination. Harry Truman was considered an “accidental” president who had done very little to justify his re-election. 

We had seven powerful candidates to unseat him – Tom Dewey, Robert Taft, Arthur Vandenberg, Harold Stassen, Earl Warren, Dwight Eisenhower, and Douglas MacArthur. Seventy years ago political conventions were fun to observe. Dewey eventually was nominated on the third ballot; his qualifications for the presidency were unparalleled.

Senator Taft was my candidate. His theme song was “Four Leaf Clover”; its refrain, “I’m looking over a four-leaf clover that I overlooked before” implied that he had been a strong GOP supporter for years and that 1948 was his turn. Part of his appeal for me was the contrast between his humble, homely appearance and Dewey’s glamorous big city persona.

I assumed that my position behind the counter in a soda fountain was analogous to that of a bar tender in a high-class saloon, so I freely offered my opinion on any subject to every customer who occupied a stool in front of me. Surprisingly, most of them were eager to debate with me, despite my youth.

Mr. McMillen also employed a part-time pharmacist named Frank, who came in twice a week for six-hour evening shifts. I was impressed with how hard he worked. Every time I took a prescription back to him, he was bent over a typewriter entering information on three by five cards which he stored in a long metal case. When I mentioned this to Bob, he laughed and said, “Take a peak in the case when you get a chance”.

As it turns out, Frank was handicapping race horses. Each horse had its own card and he was entering the results of the nag’s most recent race. He claimed his system was successful enough that it supported him well enough that the only reason for him to work was to have access to Mr. McMillen’s typewriter.

Most of our soda fountain business was “fountain cokes” and simple sundaes, but occasionally a particularly flush customer would order a banana split.  First step was to peel and split a banana in half and deposit both halves into a special dish, called a “boat”. Then we put a scoop of chocolate ice cream at one end, squirted chocolate sauce on it, and topped it off with crushed nuts. Next came a scoop of strawberry at the other end, with strawberry sauce and chopped strawberries. Finally, a scoop of vanilla in the middle, with a squirt of whipped cream and a maraschino cherry on top. A work of art!

A lot of our business came from Bigi Bus Line customers. The drug store was an unofficial terminal for the bus line. Drivers would frequently come into the store and announce that they were about to leave for “town”, in case any of their customers were dawdling over their banana splits. Bus customers would come in to inquire if the 8:40 had left and when the next one was due.

I was a big fan of the bus line, and especially of the drivers. They all had regular schedules and knew their customers personally. If one of the regular customers wasn’t at his stop, the driver would peer up the cross street, making sure he wasn’t running to catch his bus.

Don Toney, John Rosa, and I made an effort to name all the Bigi drivers in 1948. We came up with three Villanis (Hudge, “Little Jim”, and Dick), three Vaglias (“Big Jim”, “Nesty”, and Sylvester), two Fiorentinis (Andy and Albert), Bruno Filippi, and Dino Bigi. Not bad for three Alzheimer’s-challenged octogenarians.

At some point Mr. McMillen went on vacation, leaving Debbie in charge. When he decided to extend his vacation, we began to have problems. Debbie handled ordering supplies nicely, but filling urgent prescriptions when Frank wasn’t available was a problem. Fortunately, Mr. McMillen’s fellow pharmacists in Bridgeville were friends rather than competitors, and we were able to run prescriptions up to Wilson’s and Bennett’s and get them filled there.

This was years before the establishment of the Bridgeville Public Library, so we did a brisk business with a modest lending library. I think they were all paper-backs with a modest rental fee. Our most popular number that summer was “Mr. Adam”, a semi-naughty tale of the only fertile male on earth following a massive nuclear mishap.

We earned three dollars for each eight-hour shift, which is the same salary I had the previous summer when I worked at the Bridgeville Bottling Works. John Rosa reported that he was making eighty-five cents an hour driving a truck for the Pruners; Don Toney topped us both working for $1.35 per hour at the brick yard.

If we believe the Consumer Price Index data, my pay in 1948 is equivalent to six dollars an hour today, a little bit below today’s $7.25 per hour federal minimum wage. Sounds about right.

In addition to pharmacist Frank, the drug store dabbled in gambling. I remember two different gimmicks. One was a punchboard, a thick piece of cardboard with many (one thousand?) holes, each containing a rolled-up strip of paper. The bettor paid a nickel or dime for the privilege of punching out a paper that might net him five or ten dollars (or nothing). 

A variation on the punchboard was a wire wheel with a large number of tickets on it. For a nickel or dime you could pull off a ticket, open it up and quickly determine if you had won anything. Like the punchboard, these devices were illegal but no one was interested in enforcing laws against them. I think they paid off about seventy percent of the money spent on them.

Arlene, Bob, and I were making the transition from adolescence to adulthood at the same time our society was making the transition from post-World War II optimism to a long-term commitment of sacrifice to retain our way of life. We both would encounter many twists and turns in the road ahead and frequently wish we were back in the tranquil summer of 1948.

I found working in the drug store to be an interesting experience and was sorry that I couldn’t continue it when it was time to go back to school. By the next summer I realized how fortunate I had been to have this job.  Things were bad in 1949; for us it was the summer of the Unemployment League. Several dozen out-of-work young men met behind the high school every afternoon, played softball, and complained about the economy.