10 Years Ago
Week of September 24, 2015
Recreation Area To Celebrate 50 Years
The Monongahela National Forest will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area at the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center on Saturday. Congress established the NRA in 1965. The area is unique because it was the first NRA to be designated by the USDA Forest Service.
SUGAR GROVE
Rhymes and Rhyming Helped To Develop Childhood in Early Appalachia
Rhymes and rhyming played an important part in the Appalachian childhood. This process sharpened the memories of the children. Learning these rhymes from the older children was a great way to pass the hours of life in general.
Like generations before, feelings were expressed through rhymes. Actually, there was a rhyme for any occasion.
A lot of rhymes were nothing but nonsense. Any time a group of children were together without adults, these rhymes would pop up. The content of the rhymes changed all the time as children would try to outdo each other by adding new lines. Most adults knew that children were doing these rhymes when they were outside and away from the house because they did the same things when they were in their childhood. So, it bears that “history repeats itself.”
20 Years Ago
Week of September 29, 2005
School Board Approves Architectural Plan for New Brandywine School
After examining four architectural plans, the Pendleton County Board of Education gave preliminary approval to a plan for a new Brandywine Elementary School that would leave the gymnasium standing but would involve the demolition of the old, 1940s portion of the school.
Riverside Church Dedicated
A new church in Pendleton County, the Riverside Church, on Dolly Town Road near the Pendleton-Grant County line, was dedicated on Saturday afternoon.
SUGAR GROVE
The following “Dear Abby” is courtesy of Reid Homan:
The Purchase
The local car dealer, who was known to have taken advantage of several people in the community, informed a farmer that he was coming over to purchase a cow. The farmer priced the cow as follows:
BASIC COW………… $499.95
Shipping & Handling…35.75
Extra Stomach………….79.25
Two-tone Exterior…….142.10
Produce Storage
Compartment…………..126.50
Heavy Duty Straw Chopper.
…………………………… 189.60
Four-Spigot/High-Output
System………………… 149.20
Automatic Flyswatter..88.50
Genuine Cowhide Uphols-
tery…………………….. 179.00
Deluxe Dual Horns……59.25
Automatic Fertilizer Attachment……………………….339.40
4X4 Traction Drive Assembly
…………………………… 884.16
Predelivery Wash & Comb…
…………………………….. 69.80
FARMERS SUGGESTED LIST PRICE……….$2,843.36
Additional Dealer Adjust-
ments……………………..300.00
TOTAL LIST PRICE
(including options) $3,143.36
Quite an ingenious farmer who delivered a subtle point, with a sideline chuckle.
30 Years Ago
Week of September 28, 1995
Sugar Grove Native Climbs Denali
On June 10, 1995, Harvey Bowers, formerly of Sugar Grove and son of Ruth and Bill Bowers, left with eleven other climbers for the summit of Denali, the tallest mountain in North America at 20,320 feet. Denali was formerly known as Mt. McKinley, but was renamed to its original Interior Athabaskan Indian name of Denali (the high one).
SUGAR GROVE
Making Apple Head Dolls Is Appalachian Tradition
Our Appalachian culture has many traditions. Many folk appreciate the preservation of many appealing traditions — one being the crafting of apple head dolls. Perhaps as children, we were encouraged to make some of our own.
Peeling the apple was the first process, after which the chiseling in of appropriate expressions took place. Next, the heads were dipped in pickling salt and lemon juice, and then hung to dry for about a month.
The shaping of the doll’s body could be done by using wire and padded nylons. Designing and stitching the costumes was always exciting for this is what added character to the apple face.
An old-fashioned craft brings about admiration and memories.
40 Years Ago
Week of September 26, 1985
Lost Students Found On Dolly Sods
Six deaf students were found safe Monday after spending the night lost in the woods, state police said.
State Police Capt. D. C. Goldizen said ground searchers found the lost hikers before helicopters were able to join the search.
The students, ranging in age from 17 to 20, became lost Sunday afternoon in the Dolly Sods area of the Allegheny Mountains in north-eastern Western West Virginia during a hike with 20 other students and three chaperones, said Jack Brady, superintendent of the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind in Romney.
Chinese Delegation Pleased With 4-Day Visit To Pendleton County
A visit to Pendleton County by a delegation from China’s only private foundation has been beneficial and has given members of the foundation some new ideas of providing services to people in rural areas.
Asked by a Times reporter what the delegation’s impression is of Pendleton County, Dr. Qian said, “The people of Pendleton County are very friendly, sincere and frank, just like the people of the rural areas of China. We are much impressed by these qualities.”
Members of the delegation stayed in the homes of local residents to help them get a first hand view of rural American life.
Asked about their impressions, members of the delegation said their biggest surprise was learning how hard people work. They explained that most of their previous understanding of western lifestyles came from seeing movies and that they thought all Americans had great amounts of leisure time.
“One of the changes that is taking place in China,” Dr. Qian told the Times, “is that people in rural areas are being given more responsibility for farming the land and are rewarded for their efficiency and success. After they have produced enough to pay the government for the use of the land, they are permitted to retain the balance for their own use or to sell.”
50 Years Ago
Week of September 19, 1975
Whittling to Cabinet Making—Wood Still Important in USA
America of 300 years ago was a land of trees. A squirrel with a yen for travel could have made it from the Jamestown colony in what was to become Virginia to the Great Lakes without ever touching the ground.
Even if they wanted to, the founders of the nation had no choice of living without wood.
Wood had a big part in the way of life for the early settlers. The cabinet makers, rail-splitters, barn builders, the carvers of ship’s figureheads, the coopers, the wheelrights, the decoy-shapers, the fashioners of country fiddlers — all became part of the American grain, the fiber of the nation’s character.
60 Years Ago
Week of September 25, 1965
WASPS LOSE HOME, OWNER IS ‘STUNG’
Bees sometimes get in the way of progress.
It was a nest of wasps that caused the trouble recently at the Mason Strawder residence near Riverton.
In an effort to modernize his home, Strawder entered into a contract for installation of aluminum siding on the structure.
Company representatives arrived September 10, unloaded the materials to be used and were about to start the remodeling job.
But just at that point they discovered a wasps’ nest on the ceiling of the back porch. It was decided that proper safety precautions were in order and that the wasps’ nest should be burned.
And so it was. But in the course of the burning of the wasps’ nest, the house caught on fire and burned to the ground.
All of which proves that “safety first” is a good motto, but sometimes it is better to live dangerously.
80 Years Ago
Week of September 21, 1945
FRANKLIN HI LIGHTS
Enrollment Seniors 57, Juniors 73, Sophomores 83, Freshmen 90.
Total 303.
VETERANS’ EDUCATION
“The post-war world is going to be more than ever the oyster for an educated man. There will be instances of men with little education who will, by sheer weight of personality and determination, pull themselves to the top of the heap. But the average man, who hopes to make an average, comfortable living is going to need all the education he can obtain and even then the competition is going to be stiff. The fact that a man is a veteran will weigh for a time in helping him to get a position. But in a few short years the public memory will fade and the man with the better qualifications will get the job. Now is the time for a veteran to put himself in the class of better qualified.” —Editorial, Moorefield Examiner.
WOMEN IN FORESTRY
CHARLESTON, W.Va.—The School of Forestry of West Virginia University was forced to reject this fall the application of the first young women to seek enrollment since establishment of the school in 1935. Lack of proper facilities for taking care of mixed classes on field trips was responsible, said Dr. W. C. Percival in informing Acting State Forester W. B. Sayers of the case. Dr. Percival said the two applicants were referred to other forestry schools better equipped for accommodating women students.
HELP NEEDED IN RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE
Considerable extra male help is needed in the Railway Mail Service.
The pay is at the rate of 94 cents per hour with additional pay for night work and travel allowance if away from head-out point of run for more than ten hours.
Applicants must be male, citizens of the United States, at least 18 years of age and not over 55. They must be physically capable of performing strenuous work. They must be free from such physical defects or diseases as would constitute employment hazards to themselves or endanger their fellow employees or others.
SHOE REPAIR
You will find that prompt repairing keeps a new look on your shoes. Have lifts replaced before the heels are worn down, and the shoe resoled before the inner sole is worn. Have rips mended before they have a chance to spread.
105 Years Ago
Week of September 24, 1920
1920 CENSUS RETURNS FOR PENDLETON COUNTY
Pendleton County has a population of 9,652 according to a preliminary announcement of the returns from the 1920 census.
This is an increase of 103 persons in the last decade when the census population was 9167.
Franklin has a population of 320, a gain of 120 in the past ten years.
Following is a tabulated statement of population by districts showing an increase in the last ten years for Franklin district of 162; Sugar Grove next with an increase of 128; Union third with an increase of 50; Circleville fourth with an increase of 16; Bethel 12; and in Mill Run there has been an increase of 65 in this period.
DISTRICT 1920-1910-1900
Bethel 1161, 1149, 1121
Circleville 1537, 1521, 1491
Franklin 1863, 1701, 1605
Mill Run 1581, 1646, 1651
Sugar Grove 1606, 1478, 1434
Union 1904, 1854, 1865
Pend. Co. 9652, 9340, 9167
Franklin (town) 320, 200, 205
CIRCLEVILLE
Threshing seems to be the order of the day now.
We have been having some pretty cold nights for a while. Farmers are getting afraid of their corn getting frost bitten.
R. B. Sponaugle made a trip to Harman last week for some fertilizer for his lands sake.
School will begin in this district Oct. 4. Teachers, you had better begin to cut switches, and children, you had better begin to pad your pants.
