Issue 199

Editor: Roleta Smith Meredith

Publisher: Jalon Smith Burton

THE LAST

CLARKSBURG REUNION PICNIC

This will be the LAST OPPORTUNITY to visit with others from the Clarksburg area at a Clarksburg Picnic in Sarasota Florida. For the past 17 years, we have gathered in Sarasota, Florida for a picnic and for sharing memories. Bill and I have met and gotten to know so many people from Clarksburg through their attending the picnic. But as all good things, this is coming to an end.

If you wish to attend and tell us a good-bye in person, we would love to see you. And I am sure you would have a great time with the wonderful people who always attend the picnic.

You have plenty of time to respond. The last picnic will be held on March 12 2016 at Twin Lakes Park (click on the link to visit the park's website and for driving directions) in Sarasota Florida. Twin Lakes is located about a mile East of I-75 at Exit 205.
10:30 AM: Approximate Arrival Time to help set up
12:30 PM: Approximate Time We Eat
4:00 PM: Approximate Time We Finish 

                              (or whenever people leave)

NOTE: If you are diabetic, bring your cracker or whatever to snack on in case we run a bit late.

I provide the hot dogs, West “By God” Virginia hot dog chili (or sauce), buns, chopped onions, mustard and I even bring catsup and slaw for some of you who eat slaw on your dogs. All you need to bring is a covered dish and your own drinks. I do like to know how many will be here as I don’t want to run out of hot dogs and the needed supplies

Email Roleta1@aol.com and tell me if you plan to attend.

Email me the following information:

          YOUR NAME

          YOUR SCHOOL

          GRADUATION YEAR of EACH PERSON ATTENDING

I hope to see you there...

Thanks for 17 great years!

F.Y.I.

Richard Duez shared this picture. The picture was submitted to us on February 12 2016. So many buildings are being torn down in Clarksburg. Soon when one goes through down town, it will be just a drive through a lot of parking lots. It is a shame but so many of the buildings are well over 150 years of age and have not been maintained properly over the last 50 plus years. The structures have been neglected and are dangerous. At this point in time, they need removed. I wish that Clarksburg could attract some new businesses to the downtown area but with Bridgeport Hill having what is probably one of the largest shopping malls in WV, I doubt if any retail businesses would want to be downtown as they want to be where the action is!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Share some of your memories of Towers Grade School with us. Write to Roleta1@aol.com. Some memories you could share: did you go to Towers? What years did you attend there? Who was the principal when you were there? What were the names of some of the teachers? Where did you play during recess? Since the grade school was right down town, how did you get to school? How far away from the school did you live? How many classrooms were in the building? Where were the restrooms located? Did the principal also teach a class in the school? Does anyone know what the future of that lot will be?  Has anything replaced Central Junior High School yet?

Share your memories with us. Write to Roleta1@aolcom

IN-SCHOOL OR AFTER-SCHOOL PRANKS

From: John Teter (WI 1961)

I have been reading the February edition of the WI Newsletter for about the 4th time.

One of my classmates keeps talking about a "bomb threat" at WI during our tenure there, but I do not remember it at all. He says that nobody was ever accused of being the perpetrator that reported the "bomb threat", but my classmate said that several people thought they knew who had done the deed of reporting. My classmate says that WI was evacuated and all the students were sent home.

Dave Corbett had a RED Morris Minor that he drove to school every day. One day some group of guys decided that Dave was not parking properly, so they all got together and lifted Dave's Morris Minor and parked it on the sidewalk.  I was there the day that this happened and I can remember Dave just standing there laughing and looking around to get some "able bodied boys" to help him get the car off of the sidewalk and back onto the street.

I think that you and your staff do a really TERRIFIC job with the newsletter and I hope that others get as much enjoyment out of reading it as I do. Articles like the one paying tribute to Coach Al just bring back the memories, and makes me think about where would we be today without teachers and people like the Coach.

Thank you for keeping the newsletter going for all of these years.

EDITOR’S NOTE: There must have been more pranks pulled at WI.

1.  For instance, I had first period Latin Class, tell me who blew up the condoms and placed them in the open transom over the door to Ms. Nutter’s classroom?

2.  Another question, who put the whiskey bottles in Miss Nutter’s desk drawer? 

Those were 2 funny, harmless pranks pulled by someone and we students thought they were so funny. We would arrive in class and sit there so innocently awaiting Ms. Nutter’s appearance. She would see the condom and turn RED!  You would be so mad that we could almost see the smoke coming out of her ears!

You can’t be punished now for being in on the prank.

Write about any pranks you remember, I can’t think of any others.

Write and share with us. Roleta1@aol.com

TRULY A MYSTERY

Students? Criminals? Actors?

Who are these people and why are they dressed this way?

What year was this? What are they doing? Were they wanted for a crime?

Tell us about this picture, it was taken in Clarksburg.

Write to Roleta1@aol.com 

Wouldn’t it be nice if someone would know all about this picture?

DID YOU SERVE IN THE MILITARY?

First, we thank you for your service and second, we would love for you to write and share some memories of your military service.  Whether you served on the front line, or were back home in a military assignment.  Wherever you served, we would like to hear from you about it. Thank you for supporting the newsletter!

Write to Roleta1@aol.com

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS
MARCH 13

“SPRING FORWARD”

SAINT PATRICK’S DAY
MARCH 17

GOOD FRIDAY

MARCH 25

EASTER SUNDAY

MARCH 27

A HOT DOG LOVE STORY

From: Jim Nutter (WI 1971)

In a recent issue there was mention of Stewart’s hot dogs. They are well liked in Huntington, but not by me. I found them to be too bland and they put the onions under the sauce. In the late seventies, I moved into an apartment complex in Huntington and soon after Joy moved across the hall. I liked her from the moment we meet. However, she was still getting over a bad relationship and did not want to get involved. We had a friend in common. Lena was from Fairmont. I mentioned to Joy that I was thinking about asking Lena for a date. Joy suggested that I take Lena to Stewart’s because Lena had told her that she loved their hot dogs. So I did, and afterwards Lena complained. She stated that no one from the Clarksburg and Fairmont area should like Stewart’s. She further advised me to have a talk with Joy. So I did, and Joy and I have been happily married for more than 34 years.

Does anyone remember this and the specials they ran?  

8 hot dogs all the way for 97 cents....WOW

Write to Roleta1@aol.com and share your memories.

FEBRUARY MYSTERY PICTURE

Editor’s Note:  This first letter has a lot of history included.

From: Bill Wilson (WI 1975)

The Empire Bank Building is on the left, and on the right is the St. Charles Hotel. The Empire opened in 1907, when Virgil Highland was president of the bank. My grandfather had his office there.  The St. Charles was built in 1858 by John McManaway. When built, it was the largest hotel on the main B&O line between Baltimore and Cincinnati. John J. McManaway operated the hotel after his father's death. It was purchased in the late 1890s by John's mother-in-law, and my great-great grandmother, Sarah Ruddy Clifford. Her daughter, Anna Clifford Brennan, operated the hotel. Anna was the grandmother of Barbara Brennan Highland, who eventually owned the property. The St. Charles burned in the 1950s and was replaced by the building which housed Friedlander's and Rogers Jewelry, when I was growing up.

From: John Teter (WI 1961)

The picture of the marching band looks to be taken on Main Street and right in front of Friedlanders (on the right of the band). In the background is a bus on 4th Street and to the right of the bus is a bank (possibly Lowndes Bank). I do not recognize the band from the picture.

From: John Cooper (WI 1951)

The February newsletter was a great one. The mystery picture is 4^th Street with the Empire Bank on the left and you can see Woolworth’s store barely in the picture at the far right

From: Jim Alvaro (WI 1956)

The office building is that of Empire National Bank. It is located on the corner of 4th and Main Sts.

My dentist, Dr Powell, had an office on the second floor overlooking 4th street and across street from Friedlander’s. He loved talking about WI football. I think I sat in the chair longer than needed because of questions regarding the games. I never questioned why my appointments were every couple weeks during football season. When I walked down 4th street I would always wave at him because I knew he would be looking out the window. The band playing could not have been WI. WI had one of the largest bands in the state. I remember standing on the street waiting for the band. When the band came through it made you move out of the way or they would march right over you. Hank Mayer was the best. He would march just as serious as anyone in the band and dared you to get in front of him. When they marched by it really made me proud being a WI Hilltopper.

From: Corinne Tannenbaum Levy (WI 1959)

I looked at the mystery picture and the only thing I saw was the awning of my father's jewelry store, Roger's Jewelry.

From: Lloyd Miller (RW 1962)

juniorl@frontier.com

This picture was taken in the late 1940s. It is the corner of 4th Street and Main Street. In the back is the Empire Bank Building. The Building across from the Bank burned down in 1955 and later became Friedlander's Ladies Shop. I'm pretty sure the Band is WI.

The picture shows a man and a woman standing on the ledge of the Empire Bank building. Seems a little dangerous to me.

From: Wayne White (WI 1960)

The Empire National Bank at the corner of West Main and Fourth Street. The bank opened in October 1903 in the Oak Hall Building directly across the street. The bank moved into its new location in 1907 with Virgil Highland as the first president. The seven story building is today occupied by another branch bank. The other building on the other corner is the Friedlander’s Building. This was a popular women’s clothing retailer. The building was constructed after a blaze in Feb, 1955 destroyed several business at the site. The other building is the Rogers Drug store.

From: Bob Twigg (WI 1955)

The big building in background is the Empire Bank building at the corner of Fourth & Main. There is a city lines bus on Fourth Street. A big parade in progress must be a National Holiday, with all the banners hung on buildings, and the crowd. It would take about a year to draw a crowd like that in downtown Clarksburg now. Don't know what band is in the picture.

From: Karen Poe Alvaro (Bridgeport HS 1959)

Mystery photo is Empire Bank and Freidlander's, both on the corner of 4th Street and Main. Having been employed for Nationwide Insurance office in Goff Building, I frequently shopped Friedlander's on my lunch hour and recall they also had a second floor for dresses only. My husband Fred thinks the marching band is that of Washington Irving.

MARCH MYSTERY PICTURE

Do you remember the name of this house? 

What was it called?

Who lived there?

Where was it located?

Describe any buildings or businesses that were nearby.

Is this building still there?

I will tell you I remember nothing about this place so describe it to me so I can recognize it. Write and help me (and others) remember.

Write to Roleta1@aol.com

Sports Editor: Bill Meredith

billmere@aol.com

To Bill:

I was going thru some of my many-many VHS tapes (Yeah, I know they are old, but there is collectible stuff on them) and I ran into the WVU-PITT game, when Mountaineers hosted PITT in 1989. That was a big game for both, as each team was ranked and undefeated. WVU was favored and playing at home. At the start of the fourth quarter, the score was 31-9, in favor of WVU. Don Nehlen was our coach and Major Harris the nimble quarterback. I think he passed for four TD's. Pitt caught fire and on the final play of the game, kicked a field goal to tie the score 31-31. It was one of the most impossible come-backs in college football history. Pitt celebrated as if they won the game. What I could not understand, was WVU acting as if they lost the game. In interviews after the game, it was all as if Pitt had won. That was before the rules changed, allowing for extra play and a chance to break a tie game. That is proof that no football game should just end in a tie.

John Cooper, WI 1951

Reply to John:

I'm sure that I probably listened to the game, but for some reason, it doesn't stick in my mind. I guess, like all Mountaineer fans, I've had so many disappointments over the years that one more doesn't matter that much anymore. Regardless, those years when Major Harris was at Morgantown were some of the best and most exciting in the history of WVU football. I often wonder (as recently as last fall), what Harris would have done in today's game. It seems to me that he was before his time. Even the pros are using quarterbacks who can run as well as pass nowadays.

Thanks for the letter. Keep writing about the good (and bad) old days.

Bill (billmere@aol.com)

Sports Editor’s Note: Below is a picture of the 1954 Washington Irving football team. According to Mike Snyder WI 1957, they were Big Ten Conference champions, with a record of 6 wins and 3 losses.

How many of them can you identify? (From memory---No cheating) I've got all of the names, so just by looking at the picture; see how many you can remember. I definitely know the guy wearing No. 11, sitting on the right end of the first row. I can honestly say that he does not look a lot like that now. Of course, he could say the same thing about me, after looking at my high school pictures.

These guys look pretty mean. No wonder they won the conference. How do you think this team would have done in the present day Big Ten? Could they beat the R C Byrd and Bridgeport teams of today?

Thanks, Mike, for sending us another great memory. Keep them coming.

Now, everyone please send me your thoughts, your memories, your comments and any other information that you want to share about this picture!

Write to Bill (billmere@aol.com)

If you want to watch a short but clever Mission: Impossible video about solving Press Virginia, click here

As the high school basketball season winds down, the girls are already playing in their sectional tournaments. The boys just finished their season and the local area has some fine teams.

Leading the way is Bridgeport at 19--2, followed closely by R C Byrd with a 17--3 record. Notre Dame is 16--3, while Lincoln checks in at 14--8. Liberty has had a rough season, standing at 5--16 and South Harrison finished at 5--15.

Best of luck to all the teams as they start sectional play.

I mentioned several months back that it might be difficult for Dana Holgorsen to keep his job, once the new athletic director got his feet on the ground. That seems to be the case, as new contract talks have broken down until after the 2016 season. What that usually means is that unless WVU has a great season this year, Holgorsen is gone. But remember; only the AD knows for sure. Stay tuned.

It never ceases to amaze me how the Mountaineer basketball team continues to win, despite having almost no offense. It seems that they bring the ball down the floor, hold or pass it until the shot clock hits 10 seconds, and then one of the guards tries to drive to the bucket. Paige is strong enough to do that and score, but the others are not, at least not on a regular basis. Just think of how good they might be with an offensive scheme like most good teams in the country have. Probably unbeatable.

Speaking of the offense, I've been wondering who would pick up the slack once Paige is gone. There certainly doesn't seem to be anyone on the current roster who is capable of taking over. I thought that maybe Ahmad was the guy, but I don't see much offensive skill, yet. Maybe Carter will get out of his shooting slump or maybe one of the new recruits will show some scoring ability.

With two games remaining, the record is 22--7. After that, it is tourney time. By this time next month, we'll know how WVU fared and will be looking forward to next year.

Finally, if Bob Huggins ever decides to retire, Mike Carey should be handed the job. He has been pretty amazing, while coaching the Salem Tigers and the Mountaineer women. He has his WVU team standing at 22--8, during what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. Congratulations to Coach Carey and his ladies for another job well done.

Send your thoughts and comments about any sports subject to:

Bill (billmere@aol.com)

From: Roleta G. Meredith   Roleta1@aol.com

Do you remember referring to a certain drugstore in town as the Rexall Drug Store? I can remember my mother calling a drugstore in Ravenna, Ohio the Rexall and when she did, I thought it was strange because people often spoke of the Rexall in Clarksburg, WV. Then after visiting a doctor once, I saw that Rx on the bottom of a prescription. I thought that was weird but I remember also thinking, strange a doctor would use a prescription pad with the Rx symbol on it and that was really advertising for a certain drugstore when there were several drugstores in town. But after some thought, I figured that the Rx really meant prescription and didn’t refer to the name of a store at all but referred to the fact that you could get your prescriptions filled in the store with the Rx on the sign in their window or over their door. What or Which was correct?  All this information parked in the corner of my “busy” brain for many years. Recently we used a couple pictures of drugstores in our Monthly Mystery Picture and it popped up again, some people referred to the building as the Rexall Drug Store. (I wondered????  That must be a Clarksburg thing?) I wrote a letter to my friend Libby Teter Akin who can often answer some of my questions or she will find some way to help me.  (I actually have many of you readers who help me out when needed….each seems to have their own expertise!!!  LOL my thanks to each of you) Libby came through with the following explanation.

Here is some enlightening information:

From: Libby Teter Akin

The links below should lead you to the most thorough of several discussions of the Rx symbol that I found. As for Rexall, it apparently was a franchise, available to locally owned pharmacies, to supply much of the medical related inventory of the local drug store, though not prescriptive medications. Until mid 20th century, most of those were actually compounded on site by the pharmacist. As it happens, Bill's aunt was married to an owner/pharmacist whose pharmacy was "a Rexall pharmacy."

LINK 1 or LINK 2

Is Rexall still used when referring to the neighborhood drugstore? Which do you do? Is there a right or wrong? Any pharmacists out there with an explanation? Did you visit the link provided above? Are you more enlightened or more mixed up?

Write to Roleta1@aol.com

THOSE WHO GAVE TO THE

WIN SCHOLARSHIP

THIS MONTH

Dave Saucer

Diane Jefferies Kenzier

Anthony Selario

SandyZ  Lindke

Tom Daquino

James Burnell

Mamcy Tonklin

Beth Twigg Devericks

Jane Heitz

Christopher Hill

David Stalnaker

Alice Crum Collins Lehner

Sue Selby Moats

Anthony Bellotte

Bill Brassine

Dorothy Shaffer

David T. Shorr

Bill Jurick

Bill Phillips

Mary Carter

Sherry Keith

With the gifts to the 2 high school students this year, we will have given back $62,000.00 to our home town through education. That is a lot of money. I doubt if any other small high school newsletter has ever given as much back to their home town in such a short period of time.

  

If you want to add your name to the above list, just send me a check for any amount and it will go toward the scholarship.

Write the check to:

     Roleta Meredith c/o Win Scholarship

Mail the check to:

                                    Roleta Meredith

                                    3201 Charles MacDonald Dr.

                                    Sarasota, FL. 34240

Thank you to all who have given. 

There is no better gift than the gift of LOVE; 
        ...won’t you show a little LOVE?

YEARBOOK

NEEDED FOR OUR HISTORY

MAY WE BORROW ONE?

From: Tim Cork (WI 1962)

tpcork@bellsouth.net

I recently told you about a new project I'm working on to help newsletter readers find relatives and others quickly in WI yearbooks. I'm preparing an alphabetical listing of all seniors who graduated from 1915 to 1996 along with the year they graduated and other information, like when they died or accomplishments they have made in life. As of this date, I have completed typing over 7500 names through 1957.

This is being done two ways, all names alphabetically from 1915 to 1996 and also names listed alphabetically by each year.

This also shows the total number of graduates both ways as well.

The reason I mention this to you at this point, is because I still need a 1976 yearbook. I would even settle for a scanned copy of the senior class or even a list the senior names for that year. This would allow me to complete the project I'm working on now.

If you can help me, I sure would appreciate it 

Write to tpcork@bellsouth.net

BLANDS

From: Jim Martin (WI 1959)

ln 1957 or 1958, my father and I went to Blands, we always had a lemon blend. My father had just sold our cabin at Maple Lake. It had served us well. My dad sold the place for $1,000.00, ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS (total amount a single bill). The young lady came to collect the check; Dad had a good laugh as he attempted to convince her it was real. SHE WAS NOT A BELIEVER
A FOND MEMORY

THANK YOU

From: Dorothy Ann (Hughes) Shaffer (WI 1952)

Amazing that you have put so much dedication into this fantastic project.

I did receive the Newsletter for many years but have missed it in just more recent months.

From: Susan Morrison Johnson

I must say WOW, in fact, I would say, DOUBLE WOW! I COMMEND your expertise and your dedication. I see that this is a family affair and I personally thank you and them for a job well done. In fact I would like for you to share what you and I have written, just so everyone can see exactly what goes into your monthly newsletter. I appreciate the newsletter more today than yesterday. 

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL!

From: Roleta Smith Meredith (roleta1@aol.com)

To answer Susan’s request, this is the letter I sent her telling her (in a nut shell) how the letter is done:

• After I finish writing, editing and placing things from the readers in place...

• I put in the Sports section, which my husband takes care of...

• If there are any pictures that need some edit work, my son-in-law works them up for me...

• When I have it all put together, I email it to my sister who puts in the graphics, the artwork and formats everything and enters it onto BlogSpot...

• This is where I do a final edit and when it is all done and we hope it is all perfect...

• I push the button to publish it.

And now you know who does it!

We get no money for doing it. It is an act of Love. I spend about 70 hours a month on the newsletter and - I have been doing it for 17 years. I am so glad you like it and that you wrote and told me. I hope you will write again soon and share some of your memories with us.

And thank you to all of you who write. Since we receive no money for the time we spend on the newsletter, we really love hearing from those who read the newsletter and enjoy it.

Please continue to write - Roleta1@aol.com.

FRANK GAYLORD

From: Charles Ferrell (WI 1946)

PFC Third Armored Division

C29th-AIB

I enjoyed the article about Frank in the last WI Newsletter. I was in the same WI class as his wife, Mary Cornwell. The photos of his Korean War GIs on the monument resembled our army clothing (ponchos), weather and weapons we were trained with at Fort Knox, KY in the winter of 1951. When we were camped out in pup tents on a snow covered hill side, our canteens would freeze at night unless we put them in the bottom of our sleeping bags. I had purchased two lighter fuel hand warmers from the PX which helped save me in the exercise. We had to dig foxholes in the frozen ground to simulate battle conditions. We had ponchos over all of our heavy winter clothing to shield from the cold wind. We were told to dig them deep enough to prevent being run over by tanks. My buddy and I hit solid rock about four feet depth. We dug but the tanks never came. Some times in freezing weather the instructors had to thaw the frozen tank tracks so they would not break while starting up in our tank driving classes. We drove the M-24 tanks and fired 30 cal machine guns at pop-up targets while moving. We fired 75mm guns from stationary, M-4 (Sherman) tanks at old military vehicles on a far hillside.

I have a copy of the US Army type yearbook that shows the companies being trained at Fort Knox. There were five WI students in my company. The WI students in my company were Patsy Bart, Gerry Berman (from another WI Class) Charles Ferrell, Joe and William Pinion. AL Gensel, WI 1946 CO A 29th AIB was in an adjoining company. Al went into OCS and was in a MASH unit in Korea. (The book shows the types of weapons, weather conditions and mud.)

I have a photo of Al next to a tank at Fort Knox. He often visited me and we would visit local attractions. There were only two of us who were college graduates, me in physics to the US Army Chemical Corps and another in engineering who were assigned elsewhere,

I got into the chemical corps by an accident involving a head injury and stitches. I was injured during basic training and confined to the barracks for a week. I found a copy of the Army Times paper in a waste basket and read an article about the army needing engineers, physicists and chemists for special research programs. I took the paper to our first sergeant Milton Milton Myres and he did all of the paper work for my transfer to the Chemical Center at Edgewood, MD in the spring of 1951.

This year, I hope to complete my book on "A West Virginia Hillbilly Physicist Being Drafted into the Third Armored Division".

Thank Tim Cork for his excellent write-up.

COACH AL CASTELLANA

From: Nancy Swing (WI 1961)

Coach was a sponsor for our class (1961), and that is how I first came to really know him. It felt like he always wanted us to rise to the occasion, to be and do our best. That’s an important lesson in life, one that I tried to follow in the coming years (though not always as successfully as I would like). A while back, Coach’s birthday was announced to our class via John Teter’s kind efforts to keep us all in touch. I sent Coach a card, and that started a pattern of cards going back and forth, not just for special occasions but just to stay in touch. What a remarkable man he remained all his life. I’m grateful he was in mine.

From: Joe Malone (WI 1952)

Very well done. Nice tribute to Alphonse and Frank Gaylord. Frank was a classmate of Sis (WI-43). I delivered the Telegram to his family residence on Carr Ave when I was a tyke in Carlyle Elementary on Maple Ave.

I found it interesting that no one mentioned that the "Old Post Office" beside Bland's drug store housed the ever ominous "Selective Service System". (I.E. the Draft Board). That's what it meant to me. FYI - The previous owner of Bland's before Ed Toompas, etal was Ed Moore. Quiet, fatherly and a good guy (as was Eddie).

GLASS FACTORIES

Above photo is from Mike Snyder and he writes: This is my father, Enoch, in the family car circa 1925-26 (according to the plate on the front - that's the only clue about the date that I have. I couldn't make out the date for sure, maybe you can).  I wasn't even a distant gleam in my dad's eye at that time. He was born Oct. 10, 1910 and graduated in 1929. I know that there is a a strong family resemblance to me in that picture.

HAZEL ATLAS GLASS PLANT

Enoch Evans Snyder (WI 1929)

by Mike Snyder (WI 1957)

My father personified the significance of the glass industry and labor on the thriving industrial economy of Clarksburg during my growing up years.

Enoch was a starting guard on the WI football team of 1928—his opposite guard was Tony Folio. Coach Folio went on to Duquesne and our father entered a four-year apprenticeship at the Hazel-Atlas to become a mould maker—one of industry's most skilled trades.

The numerous large glass plants, the National Carbon, the mines, and a host of other manufacturing/processing jobs provided many thousands of families in Clarksburg-Harrison with a solid and comfortable standard of living. The middle class nucleus of Clarksburg's economy was blue collar.

The Hazel-Atlas, with over 1,000 employees, turned out a host of glassware containers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The trains never stopped their progression of loading glassware at the H-A and outward to consumers in all parts of the country. The same for many of the other factories of Clarksburg.

The glass industry used natural gas, sand and limestone to make its wares. It neither polluted the sky nor the waters where we lived. Last month, Roleta posted a photograph of the familiar square Hazel-Atlas canning jar that became an icon of our era. Our father could have fashioned the mould that received the molten glass that formed that canning jar.

Enoch became the president of his union local at the Hazel-Atlas. In all the years of production there, the workers never went on strike under his leadership. Yet he represented labor strongly in periodical wage negotiations which affected his fellow workers nationwide.

In 1957, Enoch was one of the men who drafted a new city charter for Clarksburg, and that year Clarksburg was selected as an All-American City, which was a big-time award for the city we grew up in. After 25 years in the mould shop, our dad went to work for management of the Continental Can Co. which took over the Hazel-Atlas. He worked on both coasts for the company until his death in 196l at the age of 50, when I was in my fourth year at WVU, and brother Hayward, WI'59, was at Potomac State.

We owned our own home in Stealey, bought one new car, a DeSoto, and both of us graduated from WVU, with help from our mother, a St. Mary's registered nurse, who went back to work to help with our college expenses.

Now, there is not a single glass manufacturing plant left in Clarksburg or Harrison County (that I am aware of) and only memories remain of this once-vibrant industry that provided such a good standard of living for so many. Some of us still remember the steam whistles from those factories and a way of life that is now gone.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Thank you Mike for your memories of Hazel Atlas.  There were so many glass factories in Harrison County. I would love to read your memories of the plants that you may have worked in or knew someone who did. I have no knowledge like this. No one in my family ever worked in a plant. I didn’t even know what “shifts” meant until my brother started working in Goodyear in Akron, Ohio in the early 1970’s. These memories are history.

Please write and share with us at Roleta1@aol.com. 

We need input about other glass factories which was the livelihood of many households in our hometown over many years.

From: John Teter (WI 1961)

My family lived on Broaddus Avenue and from our backyard; you could see the Hazel Atlas Glass Company. You could hear the whistle sound at 12:00 noon (and possibly 12:00 midnight if you were awake). I seem to think that one of our neighbors (a Mr. Egleson) worked at Hazel Atlas, but I am not real sure about that. The plant was located on Sycamore Street and Coleman Avenue, just as you went into Northview. I do not remember having ever been in the plant. I am sure that my family probably had some glass containers from the Hazel Atlas, but I do not remember anything specific. MAYBE, jars for canning and such?!?!?!? Hazel Atlas later on became Anchor Hocking.

PITTSBURGH PLATE GLASS COMPANY

From: Jim Burnell (WI 1960)

jburnell2@gmail.com

While I lack data to support, I believe the largest flat glass or window glass factory in the Clarksburg area was located at Stonewood (across from Nutter Fort and owned and operated by Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, generally known as PPG. Although outside the Clarksburg city limits, it was a major employer of Clarksburg residents. I was employed there from 1963 until 1969. They allowed “leaves of absence” to attend college and return to work full time during the summer or more often if the employee needed additional monetary resources. Without that program, a college education was not financially feasible for me.

PPG also manufactured window glass ranging from house windows to storefront glass and other glass applications. Much of the television glass (called gray lite) if not most of the TV glass was made at the PPG plant in Stonewood. I do not recall the year of closure but it was early to mid 70’s. The reason the plant closed was technology improvements. The process used at PPG involved pulling the molten glass from a kiln and as it cooled, it quickly hardened. That is a gross oversimplification. In the early 1960’s, a company in England developed a “float process” which was much more efficient and cost effective and ultimately resulted in closure of the kiln type process plants. I worked in virtually all of the unionized jobs at PPG except maintenance as a laborer. If I can provide additional information that you might have questions about, I would do my best to answer them.

PS. Keep up the good work. I sincerely appreciate getting and reading the WI Newsletter!!!

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Join in our discussion about Glass Plants.  Do you have a story about a Glass Company in Harrison County? Did a neighbor, friend, relative or you every work or live near a glass plant?  It is time to salute the Glass Plants of Harrison County as they were the livelihood for many area families.

I don’t remember anything about anyone who worked at a glass plant except didn’t Mr. Bailey own a glass plant?  That is the father of Beverly, Gary, Doug and Connie, am I correct? 

How about some more stories about first job experiences, the ones shared this month were very interesting.

Another subject: Did you have a younger or older sibling who was in high school with you? What was it like? As a younger sibling, did the teachers often compare you to the older one? As an older one, did you ever feel responsible for the younger one? Did you share friends, did you ever double date? What was it like growing up with a sibling that close? Did you play sports on the same team?

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Every one of you had a first job… Often when you graduated from school. Tell us about your experience.

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Here are a couple of stories from men who shared their first job experiences. The 2 letters below are about 2 totally different FIRST JOB EXPERIENCES Thanks guys for sharing. I am certain you have inspired more to write about their experiences.

From: Marty Ashland (WI 1959)

Though I've never written to the news letter before I see this as an opportunity to kill two of your request birds with one stone. Bird number 1 is that this is an account of my first job and bird number 2 is that the job was at CCC previously known as Hazel Atlas.

Welcome to my 3 phases of Hazel Atlas.

Hazel Atlas Phase 1

After my first semester of graduate school at WVU, I took a summer job at Hazel Atlas as a work scheduler in the packing department. During the interview I was very impressed with my supervisor who briefly explained the job duties. He also showed me around the department and introduced me to some of his packers who seemed like a very nice group of ladies.

After a couple days of closely supervised OJT, I was told I was ready to schedule. I made out the schedule that afternoon and felt pretty confident that everyone would be pleasantly surprised with the results the next day. Scratch that pleasantly surprise part. That next day is one I'll never forget because it taught me a lesson about the true meaning of 2 common idioms, "Trial by Fire" and "Hell hath no fury like a packer scorned." I think that's the way it goes.

I also found out that there are no college management courses that teach you how to calm down 70 women who are definitely unhappy about the work you just assigned them. It took about 10 minutes for the packers to straighten me out which meant that the previous shift packers couldn't leave their packing stations until they were replaced. So just after getting my first beating by my 70 packers, I had the pleasure of a second beating by the 70 packers from the previous shift, because they were forced to work over.

That night I stayed over about an hour and I told my boss I did so to make sure that this schedule would be 100% right with no assignment mistakes. Actually I just wanted to make sure that all my packers had left the plant. Even though I considered myself a pretty tough guy, I was smart enough to know that there was no way I was going to tangle with a group of upset packers. Though very sweet, I was convinced that these ladies could be meaner than a rattle snake and I sensed that all of them were tougher than a pine knot.

As time went on I discovered that these women would complain if you hanged them with a new rope. However the true irony was that they really just enjoyed screwing with the head of a "know it all" but naive college kid. Over the next 3 months I grew to understand and admire these hard working and sweet "angels" of the packing department. I'm not sure I really understood how they felt about me until several years later.

At the end of summer I was unable to return to grad school so the personnel manager asked me if I wanted to enter a management training program as a supervisor in the batch and furnace department. I thought that it would be a good learning experience so I said sure.

Hazel Atlas Phase 2

After 2 days in this new job I realized that the packing room was the real heaven of the plant and the tank department was the antithesis of heaven. Try to envision inspecting the top of a glass furnace full of 2700 degree molten glass, covered with a roof that radiated surface heat of over 200 degrees. The inspection was carried out by walking on a heavy steel mesh walkway called a cat walk. The temperature of the steel mesh was so hot that if you stood in one spot longer than 2 minutes, the steel cat walk would melt its imprint into your shoe soles. On to the next task of the hour.

After a 5 minute cool down and a drink of water I then got to go into the "hot end" of the plant to retrieve molten glass samples from the glass forming machines. Visualize. There is a long trough( feeder) 10 feet over your head and out of the end of it a 10 oz gob of 1800 degree glass is about to drop into your lap. You now have 2 seconds to catch this molten glass gob in a long handled spoon, and shape it into a wedge with a steel hand roller. I think this is where the phrase "sweating bullets" originated.

Now, if that isn't enough to scramble your senses, while you are doing this you can only see 6 feet in front of you. The entire area is filled with blinding flashes of burning lubricating oil, steam from the cooling water and oil vapor. Now couple this with gobs of molten glass dropping from 20 feeders into multi ton forming machines. After the molten gob drops into the mold, a machine plunger slams into the mold creating a din that can only be matched by that of a hundred trains.

At least the hot end guys lightened things up a bit by pulling little pranks on the new guy. Many areas of the furnace room were so hot that huge floor fans were used to cool workers where they worked. I'm convinced that these fans were old DC3 airplane engines salvaged from Benedum Airport. As I would step in front of one of these fans to gather my sample gobs, a hot end employee would "accidentally" spill a 32 oz pitcher of water into the fan and I, would instantly get what was affectionately referred to as a hurricane shower.

Well, those were the good old days and even though they provided a lot of joy, I decided that 2 years of this type of fun was enough, so I moved to Columbus, Ohio. A few years later I was the plant manager of Anchor Hockings decorating plant and little did I know at the time that my experience at Hazel Atlas had one more phase.

Hazel Atlas Phase 3.

In 1979 Anchor Hocking bought the Hazel plant and I went there to evaluate their decorating capabilities and their decorating techniques. I made a special effort to visit my old packing shift and many of the original packers were still there. To my surprise I got a lot of hugs and "gee we really missed you and are you coming back?" When I told them I was only visiting, they "acted" a little disappointed. And who knows, maybe it really wasn't an act.

Over a 45 year period, I worked in several glass and ceramic plants but none quite touched my heart like Hazel Atlas. The Hazel employees were tell it like it is, hard working, non pretentious factory workers who introduced me to the real meaning of life in the glass manufacturing world. I will always appreciate and remember Hazel Atlas and its employees with warm affection. Bless them all.

From: Sandy Zickefoose Lindke (WI 1956)

My first job was with Williams Jewelry Store during my senior year at WI. My tasks were to polish the finger prints off the glass show cases and gift wrap purchases. I did enjoy working around all that pretty jewelry. I only worked there during the Christmas shopping season of 1955.

From: Bryan McIntyre (WI 1965)

Other than mowing grass for several of the large homes on Buckhannon Pike in Broad Oaks (made enough to buy my own lawnmower) my first real job was being a part time announcer at WHAR Radio. As a member of the WI radio club in 1963, I got to rotate programs on Saturday mornings on WHAR and Sunday afternoons on WPDX (we were allowed to play rock music, not country). I became the designated fill-in for any of the "Club WI" members who were sick or out of town for the weekend, so I was on almost every week. WHAR's program director Al Newton noticed my enthusiasm and remembered that I was a regular winner of the mystery record contest on WHAR so in January 1964 he called my mother (without my knowledge) and asked her if she'd let me be a weekend DJ. For several weeks I visited the studios on weekday evenings and learned to use the equipment during Budweiser Bandstand and then on the first Saturday evening in February I did my first solo show from 6pm till midnight. The next evening was the Beatles first performance on Ed Sullivan. From then till after I graduated in June 1965, I worked many weekend shifts at minimum wage, calling my show "Mac's Shack". I got to meet the Four Seasons and as the fifth member of the Fun Lovin' Five introduced Brian Hyland and Dobie Gray at one of the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars at the Nathan Goff Armory. Although at the time I did not plan to have a career in radio (I enrolled at Ohio State in pre-pharmacy), during college I ended up working as a fulltime dj doing midnight till 6 am on WCOL Radio in Columbus, changing majors to Radio-TV and enjoying a long radio management career in Columbus and Dayton Ohio, Pittsburgh, Raleigh NC and Richmond VA.

From: Bill Bryan (R-W 1957)

Not counting delivering the "Grit" newspaper and "The Clarksburg Exponent" my first job was at Moskin's Credit Clothing on Pike St. I was a senior at R-W, working nightly after school till 6 pm and Sat. from 9-to-6. My employer was Mr. House, and I think he lived in Stealey. Cannot recall the employees even though there were only a few. Of course, it consisted of cleaning, sweeping, mopping, etc. What I remember most is that the front store windows had to be washed and squeegeed Monday-Wednesday-Friday---without fail---rain, snow, or shine. I left the job in the spring for baseball practice.

In those days, before credit cards, I believe there were three "credit clothing stores" in Clarksburg---all on Pike St. Moskin's and Conklins across from The Working Man's Store and People's by Ritz Theater and Ideal-Sayre Studio. I hope I'm remembering correctly.

Two weeks after high school graduation, I enlisted in the Navy.

WI CLASS OF 1966

Sunny Croft Golf Club

August 19th 2016

Friday 6PM:

Individual - $20

Couple - $30

August 20th 2016

Saturday 6PM:

Individual $25

Couple $30

Friday AND Saturday:

Individual - $45

Couple - $80

Write the check to:

WI Class of 1966.....memo 1966 50th

Mail the check to:

P Bowie

416 Maryland Ave. #1

Nutterfort, WV 26301

Questions?

pbowie304@aol.com

304 623-5597

Reduced rates for lodging at

Hilton Garden Inn w/vans available.

304 326-8125

MYSTERY PEOPLE

Write and name the people pictured. Name them from left to right, start with Row number 1 which will be the front row, Second Row, etc.

Row 1: ________, ________, ?????????? (if you don't know a name) etc.
Row 2: ________,  ________,  etc.

Is this a children’s church choir or a school choir? Do you have any idea the name of the church or school? Thank you for playing our little memory game. 

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NEW READERS

Susan (Morrison) Johnson (WI 1963) susanjohnson_wv@yahoo.com

Tommy Nichols (Liberty 1977) tnichols926@gmail.com

CORRECTIONS

Mary Margaret (Adams) Hood (WI 1942) mary.hood@frontier.com

Charles and Dorothy Ann (Hughes) Shaffer (WI 1952) cdshaffer@att.net

Ralph Hardman (WI 1960) undie3423@yahoo.com

Ron Harvey (WI 1955) w4rrh@charter.net or w4rrhwva@gmail.com

CLEANING UP FILES - EMAIL ADDRESSES TO BE DELETED

Dorothy Ann Hughes Schaffer (WI 1952) cshaffer@pathwaynet.com 
Recipient address rejected (this one has been like this for quite a few months)

Dianne Jefferies Kanzler (WI 1953) dikando7@cox.net

Invalid address

Charlie Means (WI 1950) cmeans50@att.net

Mailbox suspended (this one has been like this for quite a few months)

Carol Tomes Cassidy (WI 1952) mommocas@atc-pa.com

Message blocked due to spam (newsletter notice is marked as Spam by her or her server)

Nancy C. Downey Starett (WI 1953) rockdalefarm@zoominternet.net

Message blocked due to spam (newsletter notice is marked as Spam by her or her server)

Joellen Fletcher Allman (WI 1953) Tollady123@netzero.com

Account inactive

Bill and Leanna Philips (WI 1951) SilverFeather588@aol.com

Betty Ingram Hyre (WI 1951) bboop65@webtv.net

NOTE: Due to the number of obituaries we list, the contents of the obits submitted to me are cut to fit into out space. I try to leave in the most pertinent information so that the deceased is recognizable to the readers.

PATRICIA MACE COOK

Patricia Mace Cook, 79, of Bridgeport, passed away February 11, 2016.  She was born in Spencer on April 6, 1936, a daughter of the late Holly Davis Mace and Carrie Neva (Tawney) Mace.

She is survived by three sons, Michael (Lisa) Cook, Robert (Jinah) Cook, and David Cook and his partner Kerrie Workman; six grandchildren and a brother, James (Cora) Mace .

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by 2 brothers, Merwyn and Cary Mace, and a sister, Anita Bernyce Mace.

Patty was a graduate of R-W High in 1954. She retired after 16 years of service from AFG/Fourco Glass in 1994 from the Human Resources Department. She had also worked as a bookkeeper at R.D. Wilson & Sons for 2 years and PPG for over 13 years. She was still assisting at Harold Yost Law Firm one day a week.

She was very proud and humble of her involvement in the Puppet Ministry for over 6 years through the Meadowbrook Church of Christ. She also enjoyed playing Rummy

FRANKIE LaVAUGHN COOPER

WI 1933

Frankie LaVaughn Cooper, 100, of Clarksburg, passed away on, February 14, 2016.

She was born on June10, 2015, in Gilmer County, West Virginia, the daughter of Chester D. Cooper and Mission B. Cooper. Frankie is survived by her brother, John R. (Loretta) five nieces, and a nephew

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her two sisters, Mary M. Dertouzos and Margaret D. Auger.

Ms. Cooper was employed with the Washington, DC Postal Office and later retired from the Justice Dpartment in Washington, DC, where her supervisor was Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.

She was a member of the Parkersburg Baptist Church, Parkersburg, West Virginia.

CHARLES “GENE’ E. DAY

Charles “Gene” Day of Puntal Gorda Florida, formally of Pinckney Michigan, died on February 5 2016. He is survived by his beloved wife of forty years, Sallie Holden Day; his loving children, Carolynn (Alan) Wright and Williams (Megan) Day; and five grandchildren, Angela, Meredith, Lauren, Joseph and Michael; and two step-sons, Matthew and Christopher Hamilton. 

LAWENCE LEWIS CRAWFORD III

Lawrence Lewis Crawford III died peacefully on February 19, 2016, in Jupiter, FL, at the age of 89.

He was born in Clarksburg, WV. He graduated WI and WVU, Class of 1951.

“Lew” served in the U.S. Army Corps as a Combat Veteran with the 874 Bombardment Squadron, 498th BB Group in the 730 BB Wing, on Saipan, in World War II.

JANIELLE ELIZABETH ESTE

Janielle Elizabeth Brown Este, 76, formerly of Nutter Fort, WV, passed away January 31, 2016 from a very long battle with Alzheimer’s.

Born February 23, 1939, she was the daughter of the late Lee Clay Brown and Elsie Elizabeth Shay Brown.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death in 2006 by her husband of 48 years, Jim Este; her brothers Barrick Brown, Jack Brown and Garold Brown; and sister Vaneta Brown Bowen.

She is survived by her daughter Cindy Este (Brett) and son Jim (Djuna) Este; five grandchildren, and one great-grandson; sister-in-laws Elinor Brown Cayton; Marion (Chuck); Mitzi Este, and brother-in-law Dave Bonnett; several nieces and nephews;

Jan graduated from R W in 1957, where she was a cheerleader. She has been a member of Vincent Memorial United Methodist Church

KATHRYN MARIE GONSORCIK

Kathryn Marie “Bebe” Gonsorcik, 75, of Clarksburg, passed away on early Sunday, February 21, 2016, surrounded by her family.

She was born on July 26, 1940, in Clarksburg, WV, to the late William “BG” and Angeline “Angie” Granett, and grew up in North View.

BeBe graduated from the former Victory High School in 1958 and then graduated from the old Saint Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing in 1961.

GENEVIEVE HARPER WINSTON GRIFFIN

Genevieve Harper Winston Griffin, 89, passed away on, February 14, 2016.

She was born in Davis, WV, the eldest child of the late Robert Harper Sr. and Grace Hedrick Harper.

She was the widow of Francis “Red” Winston of Clarksburg (Arbutus Park) and Edward G. Griffin of Clarksburg (Chestnut Hills).

She is survived by her sister, Eileen (George) Stehura of Clarksburg (Country Club Addition); daughter, Brenda (Samuel) Skeen of McMurray, PA, and son, Randall Winston of Mooresville, NC; four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

In addition to her parents and husbands, Genevieve was preceded in death by a brother, Robert Harper Jr. A graduate of RW High School, Gen attended Fairmont State and was a Certified Dental Assistant.

SONDRA SUE TIPPER PHILIPPART

Mrs. Sondra Sue Tipper Philippart, 78, January 8, 2016 at Wake Medical Center in Raleigh. She was born September 1, 1937 in Clarksburg, WV daughter of the late T. Joe Tipper and Loretta C. Tipper. She was a 1954 graduate of Victory High School and graduated from West Virginia University in 1960.

Mrs. Philippart was a school teacher for over 50 years in the public school system. For the last 23 years of her career, she was the music teacher at Cash Elementary School in Kernersville, NC.

A private memorial service will be at a later date.

She is survived by her husband, Thomas Philippart, one daughter, Laura (Bradley) Zohn, one son, James (Joannie), three grandchildren, a sister, Nancy (James) Hufford, and a brother, Joe (Judy Gulas) Tipper. She is also survived by several nieces and nephew.

FRANCES COSTELLO ROLLER

Frances Costello Roller, born March 5, 1927 departed this life peacefully on January 20, 2016, surrounded by her family after a short illness

Born in Fairmont, WV, Frances, was the daughter of Frank and Betty Costello

Frances graduated from Mary Baldwin College in Staunton VA, in 1950, with a degree in Theatre and English. That same year, she married W.Z. (Dub) Roller Jr., a Staunton native and local businessman with whom she had three children. 

Frances divorced in 1978, and relocated to Northern Virginia. Frances remarried twice. The first of these, to Charles Barnes, ended in divorce. The second, to Albert Grasselli, ended with his death in January, 2015, after nearly twenty years together.

Frances is survived by her children, Gardner Roller (Larry) Ligo; Vicki Frances Roller; and W. Kirk Felicia Roller. She is also survived by two grandchildren; Frances’ ashes will be interred with her parents in Bridgeport, WV. A Celebration of Frances’ Life will be held in the spring.

LORETTA RAE ROSS

Loretta Rae Ross, 91, of Clarksburg, passed away on Wednesday, February 24, 2016, at Fairmont Health and Rehab Center following an extended illness.

She was born in Clarksburg, WV, on July 7, 1924, a daughter of the late Charles Craig Morrison and Lizzie Del Rae Poynter Morrison.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, Ernest S. Groover in 1963, and her second husband, Lewis C. Ross.

CHARLES SHUTTLESWORTH

Charles Shuttlesworth passed away on January 12, 2016. He attended Washington Irving High School and graduated in 1953. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Lois Fitch Shuttlesworth. He is survived by sons, Stewart, Steven and Clifford. He is predeceased by his son Stanley Shuttlesworth.

CHARLES THOMAS TALLMAN

Charles Thomas “Tom” Tallman, 75, of Clarksburg, WV, passed away on January 31, 2016.

He was born in Clarksburg, on July 7, 1940, a son of the late Charles Kenneth Tallman and Mildred Thrash Tallman.

Tom is survived by his wife, Carolyn Grant Tallman, whom he married on September 14, 1972.

He is also survived by one son, James Grant Tallman; one daughter, Heather Caroline Tallman; one brother, Terry (Regina) Tallman and one sister, Shirley Pat (Richard) McClure.

Tom was a graduate of Unidis High School Class of 1958. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from West Virginia University, and was commissioned in the United States Army through Officer Candidate School in Fort Benning, Georgia, in 1963.

He retired from State Farm Insurance as an agent with over 40 years of service.