Twice-Told Tales Redux
Ten Years Ago – 2005
A fire in downtown Woodsfield destroys several businesses along North Main Street including a tire retread business, the offices of an optometrist, the Tri-County Help Center, and a salvage company.
Michelle Plumly and her staff of six prepare for the grand opening of Chel’s Limited Beauty Salon at 125 W. Main Street.
Patty M. Bunting Starr, longtime member of the local emergency squad, dies at the age of 66.
Jeff and Susan Carpenter Stephens of Quaker City marked their silver wedding anniversary on the 9th.
Twenty-five Year Ago – 1990
The popular “Showcase ‘90” program at Memorial Park will next feature the regionally renowned Cambridge Singers.
The Barnesville Development Council releases a business/industrial promotion guide called “Let Barnesville Work for You.” The report was written by Belmont Tech business development specialist Henry DeJulia.
Residents of the Mt. Olivet area approach council regarding the possibility of extending water service to that community.
Maxine Mayhugh is named “Club Woman of the Year” for the local Junior Women’s Club.
Evangelist Gale Yoho is welcomed as the new minister for the East Main Street Church of Christ. Yoho and his family will relocate here from Cadiz.
Fifty Years Ago – 1965
A large number of past and present musician members gathered at Epworth Park this past Sunday for a big reunion of the Eastern Ohio Community Band that was founded in 1924. Director then and now is Harley Barr.
A new school is named for a former Barnesville teacher, Mrs. Margaret Williams Duff. For the past 38 years she has taught in the San Gabriel, Calif. school system.
An acute teacher shortage became even more acute Tuesday night with the last minute resignation of high school principal James Giffen. He has accepted a post as director of the Belmont County Community Action Commission.
Barnesville School Board votes to lease the former Catholic School on W. Main for extra class space for the coming school year.
Despite rainfall both evenings, the Somerton Firemen’s Carnival last weekend proved to be successful.
The Boston Homecoming always held the last Sunday in August at the Oliver Clift farm will not meet this year because of illness in the family.
Seventy-five Years Ago – 1940
Council takes the first steps towards purchase of a new fire truck, a requirement to maintain the town’s fire insurance rating. The clerk will prepare bond paperwork for the purchase estimated to be around $14,000.
The M-K Company will open its 64th store Saturday, a self-serve super-market in Steubenville. The location is next to the largest department store in that city, the largest town to date in which the local company is operating.
Vernon Burkhart, local florist, purchases the old Van Scyoc farm two miles south of town where he will construct a lake and develop “a nursery demonstration project” and provide additional land for his nursery business which has outgrown his town acreage.
A special section of today’s edition promotes “Dollar Days”, a semi-annual sales event in this city. A majority of downtown merchants have ads in the insert.
Warren Davis, principal of the junior high and grade school for the past 10 years, accepts the position of science instructor at Steubenville High School. Jack Berryhill is named as his replacement.
Raymond Bailey won the most blue ribbons at the 8th annual Belmont County Jersey Field Day on Tuesday.
One Hundred Years Ago – 1915
From the Whetstone
One of the fellows riding the motor-dome at the carnival here last week met with a painful accident Wednesday night. When near the top of the dome, the handlebar of the motorcycle broke and he was thrown “overboard” alighting on the ground with such a force he sustained a broken arm.
In addition to his other lines of business, Charles Little, the well-known farm wagon man, has taken on the local agency of the widely-known and popular Dodge automobile. For the past few days he has had the machine in operation on our streets where it has attracted considerable attention.
Four young people of Bethesda, Miss Sarah Marmie and Glenn Atkinson, aged 17 and 19, respectfully, and Miss Anna Moore and Jesse Hinkle, 16 and 18 years of age, went to Cincinnati Friday under the pretext of taking a pleasure trip. In the Queen City, the young people were married in the parlors of the Princeton Hotel.
For the first time in several years a drowning occurred at Epworth Park. Last Thursday, while attending the Sunday School Picnic, Russell Overbaugh, 18, of St. Clairsville, drowned before assistance could reach him. It is thought he suffered an attack of cramps as he was an excellent swimmer.
Native son Fred Bulger of St. Louis, Mo., spent a few days with relatives here last week. He went west about 30 years ago and is a traveling salesman for china, glass and aluminum to all the big dealers in a wide territory surrounding his adopted city.
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Twice Told Tales is compiled by Bruce Yarnall, former general manager of the Barnesville Enterprise.
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