Mary Nell (Fessel) Nix
Mnnux28@earthlink.com
Feedback to Jim Dale and John Summers on Dance Marathons and
Depression articles.
According to Elizabeth (Ibby) Sebree Brennan there was at least one
dance marathon held in Olney. She knows it was during the 1955-56 school
year because she and her son, Mark, lived at Olney during that period
while her husband who was in the army was stationed in Greenland. Mark
remembers that he was in the 8th grade and the event was held in a
building at the fairgrounds. His dance partner was LaDonna Cook. Since
8th graders participated in the Dancethon it was apparently of short
duration and not like the professional marathons that sometimes lasted
for weeks.
Mary Nell Nix said that her folks took her to a dance marathon west
of Olney on old Route 50. It was in a tent. She was very small and
probably fell asleep. She added: I must have been 5 or 6 years old and
being born in l928 that would make it l933 or 34. I also wanted to add
to your story about the depression. Mabel Litzelman told me this
story. She made big pots of vegetable soup and my grandfather Fessel
(J.B) bought crackers and took it to a bunch of poor people that lived
somewhere close to fairgrounds. I also remember my Mother feeding hobos
that came to out door when we lived on Walnut street. They would sit on
the steps of the back porch and Mother would take out a plate of food.
We were close to IC tracks and I imagine they traveled on that line. I
can remember several instances so they must have passed the word. Hope
you enjoy my additions to your stories. I have lived here my whole life
and can remember many things and also stories from my grandparents. It
is fun to reminisce.
Mary Nell Nix Class of '46 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Gallagher GallagherTFSr@aol.com
I was devastated by Nancy Hocking's critique of my Douglas Drive prank! For almost 50 years I had cherished the memory of what I thought was the perfect teenage exploit. Now, in light of Nancy's rock solid evidence, it's clear that both my political and historical assumptions were wrong. It's been said many times that "the truth will eventually come out" and I guess its time that the Douglas Drive matter be cleared up even if it leaves me a broken old man. If my parents were still alive they would say I'm only reaping my just rewards for having carried out such an ill-conceived and mean-spirited prank in the first place. I feel like the fool who mistakenly left a burning bag of moist cow pies on the steps of the kindly old librarian who helped him research his history report instead of at the door of the cranky history teacher who made him stay after school for sleeping in class. In may defense, I dare say that others living in Olney in the mid-50's thought that Douglas Drive was named for Senator Paul Douglas. After all, at that time Senator Douglas was somewhat better know than Nancy's brother-in-law's son, Douglas. In deed, I have it on good authority that I was not the only youth who changed that same street sign to read Dirkson Drive under the same misperception during my years at ERHS. As to the political leanings of Douglas drive residents, I'll not challenge Nancy's assessment. But again, in my defense I will point out that at least two families living on Douglas Drive back then drove Ford automobiles rather than General Motors products and one prominent resident wore both a belt and suspenders to hold up his trousers -- usually tell-tale signs of Democratic leanings. In conclusion, I will simply reiterate what I've always said about my Olney remembrances: All that I've written about actually happened. It is all together possible, however, that some of the details reflect the way I would like to remember them. But they are still the truth, or my truth anyway. In all seriousness, I appreciate Nancy's interest in my item and for setting the record straight. I look forward to each edition of Olney Memories and I have especially enjoyed feedback from Jim Totten, Nancy Hocking, Jim Dale, Loy Zimmerly, Dee Leet Brummett and others. Thank you Ann for your service to all your contributors and readers.
Tom Gallagher
ERHS Class of '57
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Dear Ann and all the Olney People, Now that my classmate William Frederick VonAlmen (1st – 12th grades) joined your group, I guess it is my turn. My name is William Eugene Kallansrude and I was born in my grandparents house at 338 North Boone Street on March 29, 1927. I lived there until 3rd grade, except for a short move to Vincennes, Indiana. My father worked at the International Shoe Company (Factory) except for a short sojourn to the Brown Shoe Company when the factory in Olney shut down temporarily during the early part of the depression. My father, along with his brother Carl and family, and Cyrus Hovey (Jerry's father), William Ru0ffner (school board member), Hugh Watson, Tom Stevens, and others had come to Olney from Ft. Dodge, Iowa, to start up the factory in Olney Arlene Hovey's recent obituary noted that she was born in Ft. Dodge. In the 1930's, a number of business people had their homes on North Boone Street: Doit Freeland, Alfred Kaiser (Martha Freeland's brother), Donovan McCarthy, The Schultz's, Karl Gaffner, Phil and Ruby Hyde, Judge O'Neale, John Silas Graves (my grandfather), the Ochs, the Weber family, the Springs, the Schmalhausens (women teachers), Court Poland, the Zimmerlys, Mrs. Betty Delaney and Mrs Turner, James Phillip and Vern Kaley. Schultz's Seed Company claimed to be the RED TOP (wheat) CAPITOL OF THE WORLD. (My mother worked there as a young secretary.) Betty Delaney taught my mother to play the piano. The Kaleys owned a men's clothing store. Turner and Delaney were ex school teachers. My mother told me Betty Delaney was a widow of Custer's Last Stand. I can't verify that statement. In those days, North Morgan Street was an alley from Butler Street to Summit Street (north side of Silver Street School). Until I was eight years old, I walked to North Silver Street School on that alley. In the spring, violets and hollyhocks grew wild on Morgan. Many houses on Silver and Boone Streets had barns on Morgan Street, my grandparents included. Most homes had large flower and vegetable gardens extending to Morgan Street. People placed their trash on Morgan and often times burned it there. North of Summit Street, George (Mrs.) and Louis (Tubby) Gassmann and Stanley Eagleson lived on the west side and Charlie Schneiter lived on the east side. Charlie Schneiter had a small grocery and penny candy store on the north side of Summit across from the Silver Street School playground. I remember a pet parade in town. They gave me a pink-dyed chicken (chick) in a bird cage. I cried so hard they removed me from the parade before the judging. When I was very small, my grandfather, who died in March 1931, took me up town when he talked to old timers. One of the men gave me a Civil War Medallion – they didn't issue dog tags in those days. The tag says "W. D. Chauncey of Wilders' Lightening Brigade" (most likely Cavalry). I still have that tag (Company B 98th Illinois). The paper mache dog which advertised RCA was placed on the sidewalk in front of Bourells Music Store. It was supposed to be Enrico Caruso's dog "Nipper" and the claim was that the music was so clear (non-scratchy) that the dog recognized his master's voice. He was looking with cocked ear at a phonograph and speaker. There was a large billboard across from Van Meter & Pauley, east of Dr. Fritschle's. It was quite large and had a 2"x4" wood framework on the back of it. At night, Richard King and I would climb up the back frame work with a supply of nails or lead nickels from electrical outlet boxes. Carl and George Richardson were friends and owned an electrical shop. We would duck down behind the billboard, let people go by, then raise up and drop a nail or lead nickel behind them on the sidewalk, and then duck down behind the board. The people would search and search for what "they" had dropped. Herrins barber shop, just west of Lamkins Motor Sales had a shadow box affair on its west wall. All the businessmen had their own shaving mug, soap and brush that were kept there until they came in for a shave. I have my grandfather's mug and he died in 1931. The Midwest Bottling Company was on Whittle Avenue between Speith's and Cal Kent's Texaco service station. It bottled carbonated sodas of all flavors in small diameter bottles but very tall. They were knee high (NeHi) and very easy to tip over. (On "MASH," it was Radar's favorite drink.) What some call the Cellar was the "Rat Hole" Billiard Parlor under Bonds Drug Store (originally Schmalhausen's). It had glass bricks in the sidewalk on South Fair and a steel pipe railing all around the stairs leading down. Guys spent evenings sitting on those railings, watching the girls go by. It was later the "Eagles Lodge." The empty lot across from Silver Street School was part of the Wilson mansion property. Olney used to hold home-made kit-flying contest in that field and, later, model airplane contests. There was always a rumor that there was a secret escape tunnel from the mansion in case of an Indian attack. The drug store east of the Arcadia was owned by Mr. & Mrs. Claude Tilton. They had one son Timothy. There was an entrance near the ticket booth and an exit in the Arcadia lobby near where the candy booth was later. My parents believed that Coca-Cola was habit forming (a narcotic) so when we went there before or after a movie and I ordered a Coke, the Tiltons gave me a "Doctor Pepper Coke." In those days Doctor Pepper was sold in six-ounce bottles with a clock face on its side. The hands pointed to 10-, 2-, and 4-o'clock. Doctor Pepper contained prune juice and the claim was that if you drank them at 10-, 2- and 4- you would be "regular." In the JC Penney's store, a cashier sat high on a balcony. All counters had a wire and spring gearing mechanism with leather pouches that telescoped to enclose change. The clerk would enclose the cash and sales slip in a pouch and trigger it to the cashier. Schneiters had two groceries: Charlie Schneiters' north of the Silver Street School and, on Whittle, the Little Farm Market which was run by Jane Hampton's father. The Ice Plant (Lockers) was on South Whittle. The Wilson's lived across the street in a Mount Vernon (Washington style) house. The Lockers made block ice in 100 lb. cakes and delivered ice to homes with ice boxes, before there were electrical refrigerators. In the early 30s, water came from Wilson's Pond north of their house. Hocking Auto Parts and Junk Yard was across the street on the west side, north of the ice plant. Harold's Schmalhausen's father and mother's (Harold L's grandparents) drug store was on the corner of Main and South Fair. After a fire, they moved two stores west and Bond's opened on the corner. Bonds was owned by the Loveman family. Bruce Piper Hardware was between the two. Weiland Goudy was on the north side of Main, west of the LaRuth Shop. 10-4s were a Schmalhausen concoction. The 10/4 was 10 cents for two dips of vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup, marshmellow syrup and crushed nuts. With Woolworth's, how about Tresslers 5 & 10? Mike of Mike's ice cream originally worked at Prairie Farms Creamery. Mary Margaret Michaels married Jerry Hovey and Mike's Ice Cream Parlor became Hovey's. Elks was always the Elks. The Elk's Lodge was there on Kitchell Avenue, south of the theater. Your Early News Stand, two doors south of the First National Bank, was "Peck" Charles G. Griffin's until the 1950s. I departed for the U.S. Navy from there in April 1945 on a Greyhound Bus. The Cumberland coaches ran North/South from there also. Murray's Hardware was at the corner of Whittle and Main. He had both a front entrance on Main and a side entrance on Whittle. The Town Talk was owned by Louis (Tubby) and George (Mrs.) Gassmann, brother of Zean (insurance). The Kroger Store on the corner north of Bower Park was managed by a Mr. King There were two Maas's Markets on the south side of Main Street. One was Omar's Meat Market but I don't remember the other one. The funeral home on Whittle was owned by Chris Porter and Orville Schaub. Chris was Olney mayor for three terms. The Litz Hotel was originally Poland's Garage and Packard Dealership. My grandfather and other old timers used to play checkers in the Packard showroom. Yank and Mable Litzelman won the Irish Sweepstakes and converted the Packard showroom into a hotel lobby and coffee shop (east of the lobby). Poland's Garage remained in the back part of the building. The hotel across from the Post Office South was the "New Olney" (previously named the HAZEL). There was a ten pin bowling alley above a warehouse on South Whittle on West North Avenue, diagonally from the shoe factory and across from Hahn & Doll Pontiac, now Engleson's Oldsmobile/Cadillac. People mention the Alton Vinegar Works and the Hatchery (chicken processing plant) but not the Hickory Handle Works which made ax and hatchet handles and turned baseball bats. It was by the Hatchery, north of South Avenue. Jim Landis Chevrolet was directly across from OTHS (later the Jr. High). Aaron Zimmerly's Garage was on the corner of Main and South Silver Street. Aaron Zimmerly had an old light brown REO bus and he took the OTHS teams to games and meets in it. In the early 30s, a new car went for $595, but not many could afford that. It was the depression years. The gas station two blocks east of the high school on Main Street was Bob and Fred Stanley's Tydol/Veedol Station – Tide Water Associates. The pumps had a large glass bottle on top and a large lever on the side of the pump. You pumped the glass bottle full (10 gallons) and the gasoline was gravity fed into the gas tank. There were wire rings in the glass bottle with a triangle tab on each ring. The tip of the triangles were at one, two . . . ten gallons. You let the gas level in the glass bottle come down to the quantity the customer wanted – usually less than a dollar's worth. I worked there and hated to see a semi truck pull in with a 70 gallon tank. The Elks Theater was in the north side of the building and the club was in the south side. The grocery across from Cherry Street School was owned by Johnny Schaffer. His son Jack played on the OTHS baskedball team in '42 – '46. Gabby Hartnett (Chicago Cubs catcher) used to come to Olney during hunting season and stay at the Litz. He sat in the lobby often. Harry at Gaffners was Harrry Lee Fessel, son of Bud Fessel of Fessel's Cleaners on Whittle Avenue and an OTHS cheerleader for four years ('39 – '42). Fox's Jewelry was south of Bower Park and McWilliams Shoe Repair was also there. In Olney, there were two avenues that paralleled the B&O railroad one block away: North Avenue and South Avenue. Each one had east from Whittle and a west from Whittle but none of them intersected! Enough for now.
Until next time,
William Eugene Kallansrude
Class of '45
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Jim Dale
jdale@uark.edu
Greek Confectioneries-In some small towns there were often
confectioneries, and they were usually owned by Greeks. There were such
confectioneries in nearby Vincennes and Flora. Although confectioner
primarily means candy maker, as I recall the ones mentioned also had
bakery goods, ice cream and soda fountain drinks, and sandwiches. I
think the Coney Island sandwiches that they made were the favorite of
most teenagers. In my eighty-some years of existence I think I have
never tasted any Coney Islands as good as those made by the two
confectioneries mentioned. The secret was probably in the tasty
ingredients, which except for the hot dogs, probably simmered in a steam
table for unrevealed numbers of hours. In looking back, one wonders if
these establishments could have passed the health and sanitation
standards used today for such eating places. The Greek place at
Vincennes was usually visited when we went to Vincennes to attend the
big band concert matinees mentioned in a previous Memories. The Flora
confectionery was visited after attending football and basketball games
there. Although I cannot remember the names of either of the businesses,
a cousin in Vincennes told me that there used to be a Greek place
downtown that was called The Palace of Sweets This could be confirmed
by looking at an old city directory. However, I think it is more
enjoyable just to remember it as the Greek Place.
Jim Dale
Class of 1940
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Sally Byrne Rynard salryn@cox.net I really enjoyed reading about the Great Depression. It really explained a lot about the activities of my parent and Grandparents. I remembered my Grandma Williams darning socks, all lights being turned off when one left a room. My Mother had a special talent in extending a meal, nothing was wasted. When the beef roast finally ended up being hash my Dad really was tired of it!!! I also remember more entertaining in one's home such as meals and card games. Also going to the movies was very entertaining with the feel good musicals plus Roy Roger and Gene Autry westerns. Truly this article was very well done. Thanks,
Sally Byrne Rynard ( 1958)
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Dorothy Tice Moore
Mimidot52@aol.com
My memories of Olney are not as modern as many of the Olney Memories readers and contributors. I graduated in 1950 but I do have many happy memories.
My family moved to Olney, from Albion, in 1942, shortly after WW II was declared. My oldest brother was drafted and after basic training in California, was sent to Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, and was there for 2 years.
We rented a house on West Cherry Street and I went to Central school upon entering the 5th grade. Bernard Eagleton was my teacher, and he was one of the best teachers I ever had in school! Going to Central was a real experience. The boys were located on one side of the school and the girls on the other side. We were Not allowed to mix! How things have changed.
Upon 8th grade graduation. I entered High School, which was called E.R.H.S. Making friends seemed easy and most kids were very friendly. Many of the kids had their own little groups they hung out with. Some were what we called the "popular' and they were the cream of the crop, or so they thought! What seemed so important in High School seems so trivial, as you mature.
Many, or probably all of the teachers we had in High School, are no doubt deceased. Two of my favorites were Edmund Snively, our Civics teacher. and Loren Cammon, our Biology teacher! Many of our teachers were young and just out of the service and I recall our Chemistry teacher had been in the Navy and we heard many war stories from him .Another teacher had been in the Army and stationed in Italy and he too had many stories to tell us about the catacombs in Italy! We received an education not only from our regular curriculum, but about the war stories the teachers had experienced. At times, our whole class was about THEIR war stories! None of us seemed to mind , just anything to get out of classes. But we did learn what went on outside OLNEY.
We did some crazy things in the olden days. We would have a friend who drove us out to "SEVEN HILLS", [how many of you out there remember Seven Hills]? and of course it was pitch dark and we would race over the hills and it was like riding a roller coaster!! If a car had been coming in the opposite direction we would have been hit head on! But it sure was a thrill at the time.
I remember some bakery on east main street, and one of my old favorites was the record store on main street where we could go in and they had individual booths, and you would take the record you wanted to listen to in the privacy of the booth, before you buy! Sorta like today, you can listen to CD's before you buy, sure saves money too. I have purchased some prior that I wish I could have listed to before I bought.
Some memories still come to me and I will try to write more in the future. I hear from some of my former classmates and would love to hear from any of you out there who remember me in school and wish to say "hi."
Jim Dale, just a 'thank you" for the early history of Olney. Your articles are very informative and interesting and having been born during the depression in 1932, I can relate to many of the early hardships of families during the depression. Keep up the good work!
Dorothy [Tice] Moore Class of 1950
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Glenn and Taddy Swinson
gtswinson@msn.com
Jim Dale and John Summers' article brought back memories that have been a part of my life. I was born November 22, 1920, in Richland County, Illinois and have pleasant memories of growing up at a time when a great majority of the people were honest, friendly and willing to help a neighbor or anyone in need. My father and mother had six boys between 1917 and 1929. I know we did not have much money but there also was no debts. If my Dad ever borrowed money, I was not aware of it. He was a World War I
veteran and received a small pension. He also had a creamery (bought cream from farmers) and sold it to a butter and cheese processor. He also had a harness and shoe repair business in the same building. We had four or five acres of land and we grew a lot of garden vegetables that my mother canned for winter use. She also canned black berries, peaches and apples. I remember harvesting what we called soup beans (great northern) storing the vines in a dry building and then in the winter, putting a sheet on the floor and beating the beans out of the pods. It was dirty, dusty work but it had to be done. We usually had one work horse and one or two milk cows. At times we had a sow which got a lot of attention at furrowing time. Every piglet had to be saved. The calves and pigs were sold to buy other necessities such as shoes, clothes and flour for the bread that Mother baked every few days. A twenty five pound bag of flour cost about 15 cents. My two older brothers and I were the farm-hands (I was probably of little help). I mentioned to Jim and John that we also grew sorghum cane. We stripped the leaves off the cane and took the stalks to a mill. There, they ran the canes through a series of gear-like machine which squeezed out the juice. The juice then was put in long vats and boiled. The end result was molasses which was very sweet. This was used on pancakes and cornbread and on cooled cornmeal (grits) which we called mush. We three older boys quite often worked for whoever need some help. The going wage was 15 cents per hour. That wasn't much but no one had much so we were satisfied. If nothing else, the Depression (1929-1942) made millions of us into conservatives for life. The motto of "if you don't need it, don't buy it" and if you can't pay for it, do without. I hope this isn't too depressing but it is what it is.
Glenn and Taddy (Miller) Swinson OTHS Class of 1939
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Bud Dodson buddodson1@comcast.net
Dear Ann, I too think you have started something really enjoyable. I have enjoyed reading your mailings and feel I have some time to add a few. I entered this world in a house on E North Ave, just east of Elliott St with Dr Frischle ( sp? ) in attendance. We moved a lot and my first real memories were when we lived in what was known as the Shoe Factory House. It sat on the NE corner of the block occupied by the Factory. Dad was a Supervisor of one of the floors and worked for Internationall Shoe for 20 some years. Gandad was a Watchman and I think that entitled us to live in the house.. Mr Sterchi always cut my hair, he was located in the building that later was occupied by Hahn Mtrs and now Eagleson's. He was always very nice even though I always thought he stuffed the cut hair down my collar. How I hated and still do haircuts. It seems we moved every year or so, Dad always said we were Democrats because we were poor???? My how times have changed. 1st Grade @ Central, 2nd Grade @ Silver and finished @ Central, 3rd Grade @ Central w/Ms Huffman, 4th Grade @ Cherry w/Ms Holmes ( ? ) or Doane. 5th Grade back to Central, 6th and 7th @ Central. While @ Central Mr. Schaffer our spelling teacher being tired of failing grades on tests, said anyone failing today gets whipped. He had a wooden paddle with holes drilled through it, wouldn't you know this was the first test I failed? Since is was cold I had on two pairs of pants and I told him so. He said "that's OK I can handle it!" Well he did, bent me over the front seat facing the class and I was whipped. I didn't fail any more tests. Can you imagine what would happen today if a teacher just threatened. The worst part was if your folks found out you were whipped. Worse than the one from Mr. Schaffer. On to St Joseph's School for the 8th grade and graduation. During these years I had my first paper route, it was tough getting up and riding your bike downtown to the news stand/bus station on Whittle, counting out, folding and placing papers in your basket and then delivering them, all before 7 AM. Next job was at a Tydol/Veedol Service station on the southwest corner of 130 and Mail ( US 50 ). Made $3.00 per week and had to wipe windshields and pump the gas back into the glass containers after a car bought gas. About this time I got a job at Bower's Drug store. I remember cleaning and straightening either the basement or attic and found all kinds of old stuff that had been merchandise that was never sold. The grade school kids seemed to hang out at Bowers while the High Schoolers went to Schmalhausen's. Didn't Burton' s nd's Drug's Dad trading in his 1929 Dodge for a near new 1934 Dodge at the dealership across from the court house on Main St. I seem to remember he paid $350 to boot! Dealer might have been Larkin's. A common occurrence on Saturday's was to take the car downtown early, find a parking place on Main between the Lutz ( ? ) Hotel and IC RR Tracks, park it and walk home, parking was diagonal.. Later in the day we would walk back downtown and sit in the car watching people walk by. I'm sure the merchants weren't too happy but it was good entertainment and a way to keep in touch with friends. I don't remember many homes having indoor plumbing, at least we didn't in the rental homes we lived in. I think our first in-door plumbing was at 607 W Cherry St. We had a counter top well pump in the kitchen, outhouse out back, one stool in a little cubby hole and of course the galvanized tub for our Saturday night baths. Lighting was provided with a single electrical cord hanging from the ceiling. We heated with coal and wood, had gardens, bought chicks by the hundred's and raised them. Not many basements mostly spaces known as cellars, maybe because they were filled with water when it rained. I remember when Dad would go to pay our charge bill at Taylor's Grocery located on a North/South St west of 130, we kids always wanted to go because we got a free piece of candy. Very few streets were paved, just oiled every year of so and we could always walk home in the ditches that lined the streets when it rained. I trip to Whittakers when we had a penny or even a nickel and we would carefully pick our candy or gum with a picture card inside. Saturday afternoons when Jimmy Cazel, Bobbie Hearring and I would sell War Bond's and Stamps in front to Woolworth's or Tresslar's. The excitement when Olney's 100th Centennial Celebration occurred and the city published wooden nickels. When our Police Chief Bill Armsey was shot and killed during a family disturbance call. How many remember the fire at Hurn's Lumber Yard which was located just north of the business district. Seems it was in Feb 41 or 42. At first everyone thought the whole downtown was going to burn. Numerous Fire Dept's responded but the most powerful were those plumbers Halliburton had in the area. Other memories-Schaffer's Store ( Jack's parents ) across street from Cherry St School, next door to Slater's and Welkers. Our neighbors Phyllis Hunt and Otis & Ruby Russell with daughter Charlene. Otis was an oil field driller and drove this huge car, called a Packard. Swimming for free on Tuesday and Thursday morning's at the pool in the park. The gang that played cowboys and Indians in the west end--Russell Pellum, Paul and Carl Osbourne, Jimmy Cazel, Bobbie Hearring, Wayne and Walter Hunt, Harvey Batemen, Stanley Mounts, the Greenwood kids, John Charles Gibson, Don Taylor, and Harold Gene Reed ( sp? ). The skating rink has been mentioned several times. I remember when it first came to town, set up behind the grandstand in city park. Had seen a lot of wear and use. After a while Ralph Beal showed up and bought it, Dad was the floor manager for quite a while and when it rained we put buckets out to catch the water that leaked through the tent roof. Well I guess that's a good starter. Next time I'll add some memories about High School and WW II as I saw and remembered it.
"Buddy" Dodson
Class of "47"
