20 Years Ago
Week of October 12, 2006
Tales of the Peddler Trade Part of Local Lore
In the 19th and 20th centuries, peddlers would canvas the countryside with large packs on their backs. These packs, when opened on a kitchen table, would display a wide variety of small items: plain and fancy combs, material, harmonicas, pocket knives, handkerchiefs, ribbons, sewing notions, buttons, paper and pencils, glasses, candy, table cloths, lots of material—to name a few of the treasures.
The Sugar Grove community knew a peddler, or huckster, by the name of George Eunise, who hailed from Uniontown, PA. His annual visits were looked forward to with great anticipation. Oftentimes, he would be welcomed to a meal or an evening of rest. (The writer well recalls his visits even as late as the 60s).
The problem with a peddler’s way of life was that he carried his earnings with his desired merchandise. He traveled into remote areas where the advantage of having a store nearby was not available.
For some of the rougher folk, all of that wealth walking through the door was too much to resist and the body of the unfortunate peddler would never be found.
Strange happenings took place near Rawley Springs, VA. There used to be a two-story log house called the Old Hedrick Place. At the top of the stairs in that house, tradition of the old days tells one that a peddler was murdered. A patch of blood could never be scrubbed away. Another strange occurrence states that the bed covers could never be kept on the bed that had been occupied by the peddler. No one could sleep in that room, even when the doors were locked. Eventually, after all the furniture had been removed, the room was permanently locked. The blood stains at the top of the stairs were visible until the house was demolished around the late 1950s.
Whatever happened to George Eunise? No doubt he got weary of carrying the large packs and retired to an easier life in Uniontown, PA. With the onset of transportation, there was no longer a need for an annual visit from the peddler, who was once a part of one’s culture.
30 Years Ago
Week of October 10, 1996
3 Tons Recyclable Waster Collected Here
Over seventy households in Pendleton County participated in the first scheduled recyclable pickup.
An assortment of newspapers, tin, aluminum, glass, plastic and cardboard were picked up by Jim Flinn, Old Fields Recycling of Moorefield. An estimated amount of the items that were picked up to be recycled: one and one-half tons of newspapers, one ton of glass, 500 pounds of plastic, 500 pounds of cardboard, 200 pounds of bimetal cans and approximately 200 pounds of aluminum.
Pendleton County was the only county in Region 8 that does not have an established recycling program for their residents. The outstanding success of last Saturday’s pickup makes the future of this program look very bright.
This event was scheduled by Linda K. Kile, Region 8 recycling coordinator.
Seneca Rocks Student Wins Mon-Power Safety Poster Contest
Stevilynn Davis, of Seneca Rocks, has been selected as a winner in the annual Monongahela Power Safety Poster Contest. The Safety Poster Contest is sponsored in elementary schools to help students understand the importance of using electricity safely.
More than 3,000 students in West Virginia and Ohio entered the contest, but only nine winners were chosen. The posters of the nine winners will be replicated and bound into Monongahela Power’s 1996-97 School Safety Poster Contest.
Monongahela Power representative, John E. Golden, stated that Stevilynn’s poster was chosen because “it did the best job of helping people understand that electricity must be used safely.”
In her free time, she likes to play the piano, play sports, read, listen to music, and draw. Stevilynn is the daughter of Sondra Turner Davis of Seneca Rocks, and the maternal granddaughter of Bonnie Turner, also of Seneca Rocks.
SUGAR GROVE
October Separates Summer from Winter
One can kiss September good-bye. She left us with warm weather, however, the month of October heralded cold weather. One is wrapping up now that the predicted frosts have hit. The outdoor items, along with the hummingbird feeders have been put away. The potted plants and flowers have been brought in to be sheltered from the cold until next spring. The garden is a memory now. There is a sense of urgency as we prepare for this cold winter. The clear skies give us the picture-perfect blue of the day, and the clear starry skies at night. It looks as though we may be blessed with many matchless October days—ones that no person can duplicate.
40 Years Ago
Week of October 9, 1986
Fox’s Pizza Selected As Sponsor
Fox’s Pizza in the Franklin Shopping Plaza has announced that it has been selected as an official sponsor of “The ABC’s Begin With Apple.” This is a program which provides free Apple IIC computer packages, and books to Franklin High School, Franklin Grade School and Upper Tract Grade School.
Fox’s will be marking its pizza boxes with a special point stamp. Pam Kuykendall, proprietor of Fox’s Pizza, explained that the schools enrolled in the program will be collecting these point stamps in order to redeem them for a wide range of Apple Computer components and software.
Each size pizza is assigned a different point value which contributes toward earning a computer package or equipment.
There is no limit to the number of computer packages or amount of equipment each school may earn and the students who collect the most points will be awarded prizes. Students will be organizing a collection drive and looking for help from every pizza eater in the community.
Route 33 Through Pendleton County Chosen ‘Best Motorcycling Road’
Looking forward to the popular autumn motorcycle touring season, Harley-Davidson dealers across America have chosen the most scenic road in each of the 50 states. According to a recent poll of Harley-Davidson dealers, Route 33, through Pendleton County the heart of West Virginia, was voted the most enjoyable road to travel in West Virginia.
Harley-Davidson, Inc., head-quartered in Milwaukee, Wis., surveyed more than 600 dealers for their favorite touring roads to determine the “Best Motorcycling Road” in each state. Route 33 was chosen for its twisting ride through the mountains and dozens of state parks where lucky riders see deer and occasionally black bears.
The survey revealed some of the country’s most beautiful mountain vistas, seascapes, historic routes and pastoral scenery—and a lot of pride in America’s natural resources.
“We want to help all travelers enjoy America this fall, so we set out to find the most beautiful roads across the country,” said Kathleen Demitros, director of marketing for Harley-Davidson, Inc. “We looked for roads that would be scenic for motorcyclists and could be enjoyed for traveling by cars as well.”
50 Years Ago
Week of October 14, 1976
Flood Waters Damage Roads, Block Traffic In County
High waters resulting from three days of almost incessant raining produced flood waters in Pendleton County Saturday which blocked traffic and did considerable damage to highways and residential property.
George Hammer, local observer for the U. S. Weather Bureau, said a total of 4.57 inches of rain fell during the three day period from Thursday to Saturday at his residence two miles east of Franklin.
Hammer said a total of 6.09 inches of rain has fallen at his weather station during the first ten days of October.
DAHMER
St. Paul Cemetery has more dead buried therein, than any cemetery on the waters of Thorn Creek. The known dead now number 106. St. John Cemetery comes in second with a count of 91 graves.
Rain and more rain until the temporary bridge across the South Branch at Hanover Shoe, Inc., was washed out. This is causing much inconvenience to the people of this section. The distance from Dahmer to Franklin is eight miles. Now the shortest distance to travel from Franklin to Dahmer is to use Route 220, Moyers Gap, Sandy Ridge and Dry Run roads which is a distance of 19 miles.
60 Years Ago
Week of October 13, 1966
50 Youths In Auto Safety Program
Fifty Pendleton County youth aged 14 through 19 are enrolled in the new auto safety education program now being conducted in Franklin under the sponsorship of the county extension service and local business men.
Sessions are conducted every Wednesday night at Franklin High School during the months of October and November.
“A good thing about this program is that it stresses the idea of supplementing the on-going programs now existing in driver education,” commented Leo Slusher, program coordinator. “When we can get cooperation with the various groups such as this program offers, we will really make inroads in the field of traffic safety education,” Slusher added.
70 Years Ago
Week of October 18, 1956
2,053 Pupils Enrolled In County Schools; 36 Less Than Last Year
Enrollment in Pendleton County’s public schools this year is slightly less than it was last year according to figures released this week from the county superintendent’s office.
The county’s 22 elementary schools and two high schools have a total enrollment this year of 2,035. This is 36 less than last year’s total of 2,089.
The number of schools in the county has also dropped off from last year. There are four less schools this year as a result of bringing the Brushy Run and Carr schools into the new Seneca Rocks School, and the Dahmer and Goshen schools into the Franklin Elementary School.
Circleville Float Wins 2nd at Elkins
The float entered in the Forest Festival parade last Friday at Elkins by the Circleville FFA Chapter won second place in the amateur class. The float was 8 by 18 feet in size, decorated beautifully in blue and gold—the FFA colors, and pulled by a truck that was donated to the FFA by Seneca Motors Company. Riding on the float were eight princesses and the queen who was crowned the week before at the North Fork Community Fair. The float was constructed under the direction of Mrs. Louise Bowers.
Other local participation in the Forest Festival consisted of participants in the chain sawing contests. Robert Bennett of Riverton won first place in the chain saw contest, 4 horsepower and under. In the chain saw contest, 4.1 to 5.5 horsepower, Garland Mullenax of Cherry Grove won second place and Edwin Thompson of Petersburg won third.
DAHMER
The Disgruntled Mail Carriers
Many years ago when the mail was carried across Cheat Mountain by the old time method, it was a very vexatious method.
Two brothers or Trotter brothers had the contract to carry the mail from Staunton and possibly to Beverly or at least across “Old Cheat Mountain.” These contracts were continually or often behind schedule time. Because bad roads, snowstorms, raging winds, inclement weather and above all, deep snows and snow drifts, made it a terrific task to carry the mail across Old Cheat, but the mail must go and on time if possible.
The Post Office Department was urging them to be more prompt with the mail.
They became disgruntled and the one brother said he did not know how to answer. The other who was more demonstrative said he did, and in return wrote the following letter of sum and substance as follows: If the gable end of h – – – would blow out and rain fire, smoke and brimstone for forty days and nights, it would not melt the snow on Cheat Mountain enough so as to get your d – – – mail across on schedule time.
The Department in Washington, D. C. treated this letter as an heroic act and preserved this letter where it can be seen to this day.
I am telling this story as it was told to me by Mr. Hoover.
—John Dahmer.
