20 Years Ago
Week of February 24, 2005
At Least It Isn’t Boston…
Two snowstorms in five days pelted the county last week. Anecdotal reports suggest that people across the county measured between 14 and 21 inches following Saturday’s snowfall. One resident reports that 17 inches were measured in Buffalo Hills well before the snow had stopped falling.
Between the two snowfalls, another Arctic blast froze almost the entire state, with subzero temperatures gripping this area on Thursday and Friday and again on Monday night. Record low temperatures were recorded in Charleston, Huntington and in the Beckley area. Saturday’s snowstorm brought two feet of white stuff to Beckley and parts of Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties.
Harsh February weather has wreaked havoc on school attendance. Nine snow days have been recorded to date this year, meaning that, if no more days are missed, the school year apparently will extend to June 11 for students and June 13 for teachers.
SUGAR GROVE
Square Dancing Is Big Part of Appalachian Life
Music has always been an integral part of the Appalachian culture and social life. With that, square dancing has evolved over time from a circle of a few couples assembled in a barn, cabin, or small clearing, such as a school gym or auditorium. The square dance demands almost nothing of the individual dancer but a sense of rhythm and the ability to follow instructions. The Dancing Butcher Family of Summersville has made major contributions to preserving the dance heritage in the Mountain State.
The traditional square dancing all-four-working kind began in the 1950s. Square dancing is a traditional community recreation that brings people together in a simple activity open to everyone. All dances are led by the caller to the music of records or live string bands. The figures, calls and style remain much the same. This square dancing style originated in the Appalachian Mountains of the United States as an on-going cultural tradition brought from England.
30 Years Ago
Week of February 23, 1995
SUGAR GROVE
‘Roots’ Grow Strong in Small Town Communities
There are some unique features of any small town community. For example: Most people know the names of the children in their neighborhood; pickups are more common that foreign cars; the tallest building in town is the church; every conversation begins with a discussion of the weather; potlucks and high school football games are major social events; the cashier in the grocery store holds your baby while you write a check; you can run a tab at the grocery store; everyone in town knows who bought a new car and which salespersons sold it. It is possible to maintain this quality of life by taking charge of the future with its inevitable change. Living in a small town community does give us “roots.”
40 Years Ago
Week of February 28, 1985
Yesteryear in Pendleton
By Janet H. Conrad
During the 1940’s, when our sons were small, and we would be traveling, they never became tired if their dad would tell about going to Harrisonburg, Virginia, every fall with the four horse team to buy fertilizer.
This was a “longed for” trip and their dad and his brother looked forward to the time when they would be old enough to take the team, without their father or the hired man.
The wagon was covered with bows and a canvas. Occasionally wheat was taken to market or the wagon would be empty except for the hay and corn for the horses, the grub box and the bed rolls. The fertilizer was in 200 pound burlap bags. Enough fertilizer was brought back for the fall planting of wheat. This heavy load pulled the horses on the steep grades and made for slow going.
There was a wheel horse. The horse on the left rear carried a saddle for the driver. From this vantage point the wagon was controlled. Choosing the right horse to work under the saddle spelled the success of the trip. This horse knew when to “dig in” and pull when going around the switch-backs on the steep Shenandoah Mountain road.
It was at this time a driver had to have knowledge of the wagon and team. If too short a turn was made, the wagon bed would walk off the running gear. That took manpower, plus a prize that had to be cut in the woods, to replace it.
Their mother fixed a grub box, for this was a four day journey. Into this special wooden box were placed thick slices of country ham, fresh eggs, par boiled potatoes, freshly baked bread, crullers (a twisted German doughnut), coffee and a bucket to make it over the open fire, a frying pan and a minimum of utensils. Extra eggs could be bought on the way for eight cents a dozen. In Harrisonburg it was always a welcome treat to buy longhorn cheese and crackers.
Memory of one special meal cooked by their dad, his brother and cousin always brought a laugh.
The young men were hungry. It took some time to bed the horses down for the night and to get a hot fire going. Finally, the ham was fried, the coffee made, the potatoes and eggs almost ready but not quite done, when a swift pouring rain descended! The boys grabbed the food and dashed into the covered wagon. They were so hungry even the half cooked eggs tasted good — except to my husband’s brother who said, “I’d starve before I eat that!”
Always I could see our sons dreaming dreams of that day when dad was a teenager and wishing that they too could drive a four horse team to Harrisonburg for fertilizer.
50 Years Ago
Week of February 27, 1975
Flu of Almost Epidemic Proportions
Hits Pendleton
Flu of almost epidemic proportions has hit Pendleton County resulting in much absenteeism from schools and work.
Principal Ivan Hartman said 57 children were absent from school Monday and 50 were out Tuesday.
In addition to the children who were absent, Hartman said four teachers, an aide and a janitor were out last week, and two teachers and a janitor were on the sick list this week.
Principal Virgil Puffenbarger said 32 students were absent from Franklin High School Monday and 24 were absent Tuesday. Two teachers were out last week and one is ill this week.
Harry Jackson, personnel manager at the Franklin Hanover Shoe Company factory said 20 workers were absent yesterday. He said most of the absenteeism is a result of the worker being ill, but some stay home to take care of sick children.
Charles Longwell, manager of Franklin Garment Company, said absenteeism there resulting from flu has been running about 10 percent of the workforce.
County Health Officer Dr. Charles J. Sites said the incidence of flu and respiratory infections in the community is considerably above average.
60 Years Ago
Week of February 25, 1965
100 YEARS AGO
By LON K. SAVAGE
Editor’s Note—The following is one of a series of articles on the Civil War. Each weekly installment covers events which occurred exactly 100 years ago.
Johnston Re-Instated
To Stop Sherman
Joe Johnston had been one of the ablest soldiers in the United States army before the Civil War, but he had never seemed to get along in the Confederate Army. He had commanded Confederates at Bull Run and in the Peninsula campaign but was wounded and superseded by Robert E. Lee. Since then, he had drifted from one job to another, always quarreling with the Confederacy’s president, Jeff Davis. But 100 years ago this week, when it was too late to do any good, Joe Johnston was restored to a command and given a man-size job.
Lee, the commander-in-chief of all Confederate armies, had brought Johnston out of the shadows and placed him at the head of a straggly army that had the job of stopping William Tecumseh Sherman’s huge army of 60,000 men, then marching up through the Carolinas.
Even Johnston must have realized this was a hopeless task. Around him he could muster, at best, perhaps 30,000 men—remnants of John B. Hood’s old army that was torn to pieces at Nashville in December, and the cavalry commands of Joe Wheeler and Wade Hampton and a corps under William J. Hardee.
Being outnumbered two-to-one was nothing new for the Confederates, but his situation was worse. Even as Johnston took command of his new army, word came in from southern North Carolina of a new Federal victory and a new Federal army.
For on February 22, Washington’s birthday, the army of Gen. John M. Schofield marched up the Cape Fear River in North Carolina and captured Wilmington with help from the navy. And with Schofield’s men now destined to join Sherman’s fast-approaching army, Johnston’s foe suddenly grew to nearly thrice the size of his Confederate army.
“I can do no more than annoy him,” Johnston wrote unhappily to Lee, referring to Sherman’s advance.
Lee did not need to be told that his armies were in trouble. Phil Sheridan, the dashing Federal cavalryman, was moving up the Valley of Virginia to come in on him from the West. Out in eastern Tennessee, Gen. George Stoneman was preparing to raid through southwestern Virginia to destroy any provisions that could be used by the Confederacy. Down in Alabama, Federal Gen. Edward R. Canby was ready to move through the countryside, tearing up still more.
And along the Petersburg-Richmond line, Lee knew, Grant was preparing to make the final breakthrough that would end the Confederacy.
“Until I abandon the James River,” he wrote to the Confederate secretary of war that week, “nothing can be sent from the army” to help Johnston. “Everything of value,” he added, “should be removed from Richmond.”
Lee was preparing the step he knew he must take—even if it were against the wishes of Jeff Davis. He was about to make a break for open country, leaving Petersburg and Richmond to the Federals.
80 Years Ago
Week of February 23, 1945
PANTHERS DOWN
CIRCLEVILLE 26-19
FRANKLIN, W. Va. Feb. 16—The Franklin High Panthers crashed the win column again in the Potomac Valley Conference after being knocked out of the lead by Moorefield, here tonight downing a hard fighting Circleville quint 26-19 before the season’s largest crowd.
The rangy Indian five from over the ridge gave the Franklin roosters quite a scare before dropping behind in the final quarter. This was the Panther’s ninth win in twelve starts and extended to thirty-six the number of victories on the local hardwood.
Paced by their brilliant and versatile Captain in Bobby “Rufus” Sites who rang up 14 tallies, the Panthers put on a terrific second half scoring surge to overwhelm the county rivals in the final setto, after a closely fought first half which ended with the Propstmen on top 12-7.
The Panther guards, Murphy and Moyers, did an outstanding job in holding the Indian scoring ace Bob Cook to three field goals. Johnnie “Fluke” Site grabbed runner up spot in Panther scoring honors with 5 points. Cook led the losers with 7.
SQUARE BOTTLES FOR MILK ARE COMING
The Borden company, one of the big dairy organizations of the country, is making a test of square milk bottles in a few areas of the Middle West.
It is reported that most housewives like the square bottle because the refrigerator that will hold 12 of the conventional round containers will accommodate 19 of the square ones.
It is said that square bottles would not present much of a problem to the dairy industry, because existing filling machines and bottle washers could be utilized with minor adjustments of equipment.
MOUTH OF SENECA
A Big Surprise
We had the biggest surprise of the season when we got up Saturday morning and found a big snow and more being added to it hourly. The weather had been so nice and flirting with “Miss Spring” feeling she was here for keeps with her greening grass and lovely song birds that she brings as an escort to make you love her and add inspiration and new joy to that cold drab winter feeling that has possessed you for so long. Can you imagine our consternation, confusion and that “all gone” feeling when we were greeted with “King Winter” in full possession and riding the crest of the wave again Saturday morning?
We almost laughed in the face of “Old Man of the Mountains” last fall when he said according to the “woolly worm” we would have winter “all winter” cause the vermin was all black—Well today as we sit by the window looking out across the cold bleak snowy plain, we are almost persuaded he knew his stuff. The old groundhog saw his shadow and he too is living up to his tradition.