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Punxsutawney Area Coal Memorial Reflects Generations of Coal Workers, of Fathers and Sons
On the cover: Shirley Sharp, Coal Memorial Committee, Trustee, Punxsutawney Area Historical Society; Tom Glover, Coal Memorial Committee, Member, Punxsutawney Area Historical Society; Ray Hanley, Coal Memorial Committee, Trustee, Punxsutawney Area Historical Society; Nancy Anthony, Coal Memorial Committee, President, Punxsutawney Area Historical Society (submitted photo)
‘Punxsutawney Hometown’ magazine © Copyright 2017 — All Rights Reserved. Schedule Your Advertising In Our Next Edition! We reach 100% of the local and area homes and businesses! - Concentrated Circulation 8,100+ copies of Punxsutawney Hometown magazine are direct-mailed to homes in Punxsutawney and surrounding towns and areas, giving our advertisers nearly 100% coverage . . . we deliver to every home and business! (As always — our circulation is verified — mailing and printing statements available.)
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Publisher Mary L. Roberts Advertising Mary L. Roberts Tracey Young Contributing Writers S. Thomas Curry Shirley Sharp Mary Ellen Pollock-Raneri Marty Armstrong Editor James Lauffer Art Director Melissa Salsgiver Graphic Artists Melissa Salsgiver Joanna Erzal All material submitted becomes the property of Punxsutawney Hometown magazine. Mary Roberts ................(814) 938-0312 Tracey Young ................(814) 938-9084 Our Office ......................(814) 938-9141 Our Fax ..........................(800) 763-4118 hometown@punxsutawneymagazine.com
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By the Coal memorial Committee for Hometown magazine he construction of railroads and the opening of coal mines brought a period of relative economic stability to the Punxsutawney area. Economic stability requires a balance between the work available and the availability of workers to successfully accomplish that work. This period of relative economic stability was based in coal mining from 1883 through 1959. It provided long-term employment opportunities and the development of a strong community infrastructure to support the resident population. During these seventy years, it was possible for two and sometimes three generations of a family to work in the same or a related industry. In the early days of the railroads, local workers, who were willing to learn, were provided an opportunity to develop skills required by the industry. A.B. White (1866-1933), a native of west central Pennsylvania, was one of the young men who found a career in railroading in the north-central region of Pennsylvania. He was born in Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania. After completing his public schooling he attended the Case School of Applied Science at Cleveland, Ohio. At age eighteen, he took his first job with the Pennsylvania Railroad, at Ridgway, where he learned telegraphy. A year later he joined the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg Railroad Company. In February 1886, he was promoted to agent to the Clayville station, now the West End, Punxsutawney. Then, after serving two years at the agent Stanley, near DuBois, White was appointed assistant yardmaster at Punxsutawney and advanced to general yardmaster on December 11 of the same year. In 1903, he became the trainmaster of the company’s Pittsburgh division, and in 1904, his duties were expanded to also include the Middle Division of the Railroad. In 1911, he was promoted to superintendent of the Middle and Pittsburgh Division, a position he held until his retirement in 1931. A.B. White worked for forty-seven years as a railroader. His son, Benson White
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2 – Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2017 - Issue #201
(1899-1957), also chose railroading as his career. He served as a crew dispatcher at Punxsutawney for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the successor to the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburg Railway. Clair “Bud” Neiswonger (1919-2010) and his son Larry Neiswonger represent two generations of a family engaged in mining. Both have been recognized by a memorial tile at the Punxsutawney Area Coal Memorial. They worked for the P & N Coal To purchase a tile call 814-938-2555, pick up a form at 400 West Mahoning Company of Punx- Street, Punxsutawney, PA or go to www.punxsyhistory.org. The last day to purchase a tile for 2017 installation is July 31, 2017. sutawney. and found work in the coal mines. He Donato Pietro Recchia (1866-1953) arlater worked at Wishaw Mine, near rived at Reynoldsville in about 1894 where he joined his in-laws, the Macro’s. - Continued on page 4
Book by Peter De Pietro Music by Galen Blum, Wayne Barker & Vinnie Martucci Lyrics by Tom Chiodo
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Punxsutawney’s Gobbler’s Knob in History & as a Musical
During the early years of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Day ceremony, news stories about the shadow-casting at the burrow on Gobbler’s Knob originated from the imaginative minds of editors of the Punxsutawney In July 1982 the Punxsutawney Theatre Arts Guild brought together talented area resiSpirit. In the 1950s, photography increased in use to report the story visually. In 1966, a physical site was cre- dents to perform in an original “musical-fantasy” based upon Punxsutawney’s Groundated from wood and a mound of rock for the public to visit. (photo courtesy of Punxsutawney Area Historical & hog Day celebration at Gobbler’s Knob. (photo courtesy of S. Thomas Curry) Genealogical Society)
T
By S. Thomas Curry of Hometown magazine here has been magic in the name Punxsutawney, and especially its association with Groundhog Day folklore. In February 1993, the film Groundhog Day, with Bill Murray, was released. By 2006, the fantasy-comedy was deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” enough to be added to the United States National Film Registry. Following the movie’s release, the crowds at Gobbler’s Knob on wintery days of February 2 multiplied to the tens of thousands. The movie has been distributed worldwide and shown over and over again year round. Visitors to the Knob flow in and out steadily during warm, sultry summer days. On April 17, 2017, Groundhog Day: The Musical, based upon the 1993 film, officially premiered on Broadway at the August Wilson Theatre in New York City. (The musical debuted in London in the summer of 2016.) Saturday evening, April 29, about a hundred Punxsutawney area residents, including members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, were in the audience to witness the interpretation of Punxsutawney’s Groundhog Day celebration at Gobbler’s Knob as a musical-com-
edy stage performance. In the nearly fifty years after promotion of Punxsutawney’s Groundhog Day event was begun, the exact location of Gobbler’s Knob was mostly kept a secret in any of the publicity. The description of the Knob could be satisfied in the print media of newspapers with the fantasy of words. In the mind of the reader during those early years, the official weather works was “perched high above the clouds on the topmost bulge of Gobbler’s Knob.” It was “high on the surrounding countryside.” On some occasions, the “weather scouts of the Groundhog Club trudged through knee deep snow to the top of Gobbler’s Knob” to gather around the burrow of the famed groundhog. In those days, winter travel to the country was not as easy or safe as it can be today. Roads were not paved and maintained as they are now for winter travel. We can understand why some news stories that reported the annual prognostication in the print media were spun in the comfortable offices of the Punxsutawney Spirit, the primary promoter of the legend since the days of its city editor Clymer Freas in the early 1900s. But during the 1950s more black and
white photographs began to be used by reporters who were assigned to cover the story. “Photo ops” had to be arranged for the daily papers to give the official announcement from Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney a visual reality. The location of Gobbler’s Knob shifted to many area sites in the immediate area. In the 1950s, it moved from Dr. Frank
Lorenzo’s summer lodge near Oliveburg to Alahoe Park between Punxsutawney and Big Run. In the late 1950s, the wooded hills of the Punxsutawney Country Club provided the location of the Knob. To provide the proper setting, the Knob was moved in the early 1960s to a highly wooded hill situated above the East End section of Punxsutawney, a location reached by Woodland Avenue. That spot had a beautiful, panoramic view of Punxsutawney in the valley below. A sign was erected to claim it as Gobbler’s Knob. In the mid-1960s, Gobbler’s Knob was moved south about one-half mile to the land that was the park of the Sportsmen’s - Continued on page 6
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(left to right) Tom Glover — Coal Memorial Committee and Member Punxsutawney Area Historical & Genealogical Society, Shirley Sharp — Coal Memorial Committee and Trustee Punxsutawney Area Historical & Genealogical Society, Nancy Anthony — Coal Memorial Committee and President, Punxsutawney Area Historical & Genealogical Society, Ray Hanley — Coal Memorial Committee and Trustee, Punxsutawney Area Historical & Genealogical Society. (submitted photo)
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Reynoldsville, and Cascade Mine at Sykesville before retiring to his farm in
Both Donato and Erimino Recchia have been recognized with memorial tiles. Joseph Roselli (1888-1973) was born in Italy and came to the Punxsutawney area where he found work with the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburg Railroad Company and settled in Big Run. He ad-
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Winslow Township. Recchia brought his family to the United States in 1896. His son, Erimino Recchia (1893-1924), was three years old when he arrived. As a young man Erimino also went to work in the mines at Cascade. After the 1913 mine disaster there, he applied to and was hired by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad company and was stationed at Cleveland.
vanced to the position of section hand on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad before retiring from the railroad. His son, John Roselli (1918-1992), also chose to work for the railroad and retired from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Joseph has been recognized with a memorial tile. Marion G. “Simon” Lingenfelter (1904- Continued on next page
Punxsutawney Area
Continued from previous page 1992) began his career in mining about thirty years after the first mines were opened in the Punxsutawney area. Lingenfelter and his descendants chocked up a combined 100 years of coal mining. His sons, Frank G. “Glaze” (1929-2013) and Michael Grant (1927-1966) Lingenfelter, chose to be coal miners as did two of his grandsons, the sons of Michal Grant Lingenfelter. The grandsons worked for Jane Mine of the Rochester & Pittsburgh, Coal Company. These men and their 100 years of combined work in coal mining have been recognized with memorial tiles. William Rimer (1842-1930) mined coal at Tyson Coal Mine near Big Run and in 1909 was the delivery person for household coal from T.P. Brown. His sons Silas and William chose to work on the railroad. They worked at Rikers for the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburg Railroad Company and later for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. His third son, Charles (1892-1959), a farmer, chose to work in the mines. In the 1930s, he took employment at the Kramer Mine of the Northwest Mining and Exchange Company mine located at Stump Creek. Charles’s sons Woodrow, Dale, and LaVan also worked at Kramer Mine before moving on to jobs in New York industries supporting the war effort during World War II. After the war, Bert and Russell, the younger sons of Charles, purchased dump trucks and hauled coal from strip mines to tipples for several different companies before moving on to other careers. In all, three generations and nine members of the Rimer family worked in some aspect of the coal industry. The railroaders and the coal miners in this family are recognized memorial tiles. The memorials for these multi-generational families at the Punxsutawney Area Coal Memorial reflect the stability of the coal mining and railroading industry throughout seventy-plus years. This stability enabled several generations of families to engage in reliable work and to maintain satisfactory life styles. They built homes, raised and educated their children, supported schools, businesses, health care facilities, joined organizations, and in general supported their communities. Today the basis of the Punxsutawney economy has shifted; however the work ethic and the determination of the early miners and railroaders continue to be re-
flected in the community. One of the goals of the Punxsutawney Area Historical & Genealogical Society is educating the current generations about the history of the community. The tiles at the Punxsutawney Area Coal Memorial provide personal stories of people who worked in railroading and coal mining. They also tell the stories of those who sacrificed their lives to make a better life for their families. The Society encourages everyone to visit the memorial at 404 West Mahoning Street and view the memorial tiles – and if a family member or friend was engaged in any of the coal related industries, to add a memorial tile in their name. the last day to purchase a tile for 2017 installation is July 31, 2017. Forms for purchasing a Coal Memorial tile to honor
any person who worked in any aspect of the coal industry may be found online at www.punxsyhistory.org or may be picked up at the Lattimer House, 400 West Mahoning Street, Punxsutawney. Forms may also be requested by sending an e-mail to punxsyhistory@outlook.com or by calling (814) 938-2555. This article was prepared by the Coal Memorial Committee of the Punxsutawney Area Historical & Genealogical Society, Inc. Information used in the preparation of this article is available at the Punxsutawney Memorial Library, the Punxsutawney Area Historical & Genealogical Society, the U.S. Census online, and the Library of Congress. Comments on this article may be directed to PAHGS, P.O. Box 286, Punxsutawney, PA 15767. •••
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6 – Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2017 - Issue #201
The local two-act musical, based upon Punxsutawney and Groundhog Day, featured drama, comedy, romance, fantasy, dance numbers, extensive costuming, and imaginative staging to create the illusion of Gobbler’s Knob. (photo courtesy of Alice Morris)
Punxsutawney’s Gobbler’s
Accompanying the many Punxsutawney area residents performing as actors, chorus, and dancers in “Gobbler’s Knob” was a twentymember orchestra directed by Dr. Gaspar Santos. Dr. Santos composed fourteen original songs for the show, with lyrics written by Terry A. Fye. (photo courtesy of Alice Morris)
on a local production that would honor the town of Punxsutawney and its long-standing, unique celebration of Groundhog Day. Continued from page 3 Many years before the attention of the Club. This became the permanent site for world was directed toward Punxsutawney, the annual February 2 event. In 1966, the Groundhog Day, and Gobbler’s Knob first summer Punxsutawney Groundhog through a major movie and a Broadway Festival was held to attract visitors to town. musical, the local thespians produced and It was also in that year staged an original muthat the public, for the sical fantasy titled first time, was able to Gobbler’s Knob. visit and see the Knob The local theater prowhere the Groundhog duction was created Day event and the through the combined magical weather proginterest and efforts of nostication were held Dr. Gaspar A. Santos with the famous Punxand Terry A. Fye. The sutawney groundhog. musical was an origiWith that first nal idea by Dr. Santos, Groundhog Festival, a who enlisted the talgroup of community ents of Fye for the and area residents, story and the words to with an interest in live, the songs. Dr. Santos on-stage theater percomposed fourteen formances, voluntarily original songs for came together to prosoloists, chorus, and duce shows for the orchestra. community and espeThe story centers cially for the Groundaround two sisters, hog Festivals. Interest Arabella and Krystyn, and support grew for who had lost their parthe entertainment that ents in an automobile was provided by such Scenes in the 1982 musical “Gobbler’s accident. Arabella, the shows as L’il Abner, Knob” for a Groundhog Day in Punx- younger girl, with a Oliver, Natalie Needs sutawney required performers to wear physical ailment and in a Nightie, and other heavy winter clothes when the July temper- a wheelchair, had a ature was hot, humid, and oppressive. Thirpopular selections. teen-year-old Debbie Dinsmore, in dream and a belief in From that early start, wheelchair, played Arabella. Diane Ander- Punxsutawney Phil. a community theater son, right, portrayed the older sister, and the They moved to Punxgroup was organized as late Joe Crissman, left, was in the role of the sutawney, leaving the uncle living in Punxsutawney. (photo courthe Punxsutawney tesy of Alice Morris) hustle and bustle of the Theatre Arts Guild and city to live with an performed its first official production in the uncle in “a quiet little town that runs at a fall of 1975. The Guild helped the commusnail’s pace.” In Punxsutawney, they benity celebrate the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 come curious about the groundhog, with its musical revue Liberty. Groundhog Day, and Gobbler’s Knob. The For the Groundhog Festival of 1982, the two-act musical featured drama, comedy, Guild brought together the creativity of a romance, fantasy, dance numbers, extengroup of talented, highly spirited Punxsive costuming, and imaginative staging to sutawney residents, young and old, to focus create the illusion of Gobbler’s Knob. - Continued on page 8
Theatre Arts Guild Takes Summer Show to Cook Forest
A
fter entertaining their loyal followers in Punxsutawney with three performances of Clue: The Musical on June 22, 23, and 24, the busy members of the Punxsutawney Theatre Arts Guild have moved the delightful mystery to the Verna Leith Sawmill Theater in Cook Forest. Performances will continue nightly at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, June 29, 30, and July 1 and again the following weekend, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, July 6, 7, and 8. Advance tickets are available by calling the theater box office at (814) 927-6655.
cast invites the audience at each performance to choose the ending. At the onset of the evening, several audience members take the stage and select the show’s ending by picking cards from oversized decks, representing the suspects, rooms, and weapons. There are six possibilities in each category, making for 216 potential
endings. This answer remains in an equally oversized envelope marked “Confidential,” until the musical’s resolution. And then there are several twists to add to the fun! Hailed by critics as “A good choice! Real humor, a charming cast” (New York Times); “Saucy, bright and loony!” (Variety), and “Great! Wonderful fun for the whole family!” (WKRS Radio, Chicago), Clue: The Musical has a book by Peter DePietro; music by Galen Blum, Wayne Barker, and Vinnie Martucci; and lyrics by Tom Chiodo. “Clue” is a registered trademark of Parker Brothers, a division of Tonka Corporation a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. The show is produced by special arrangements with Samuel French, Inc. •••
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The internationally popular board game, Parker Brothers’ Clue, is now a fun-filled musical that brings the world’s bestknown suspects to life and invites the audience to help solve the mystery: Who killed Mr. Boddy, in what room and with what weapon? How will it all play out? Hard to say when there are 216 possible solutions! Comic antics, witty lyrics, and a beguiling score carry the investigation from room to room. Even after the culprit confesses, the game is still not over. Both the audience and an on-site detective help sort out the deadly game play to determine who is behind the demise of Mr. Boddy. In addition to the world’s most beloved mystery suspects, Colonel Mustard, Mrs. Peacock, Miss Scarlett, Professor Plum, Mr. Green and Mrs. White, the creators of Clue: The Musical have introduced two new characters: Mr. Boddy (the host/corpse) and a hard-nosed female detective. Cast members sing and dance their way into your hearts and into suspicion. The show marks the first time that a board game has ever been brought to life on the stage. Lively songs include “Life Is a Bowl of Pits,” “She Hasn’t Got a Clue,” and “Don’t Blame Me.” Featured in the Guild’s production are eight local performers, five veterans, and three newcomers. The seasoned actors include Chris Snyder (Mr. Boddy); Kathy S. Dinsmore (Mrs. Peacock); Tim Cooper (Colonel Mustard); Mollie Smith (Mrs. White); and Jef Dinsmore (Mr. Green). Making their debuts with the Guild are Thomas Troutman (Professor Plum); SueAnn Smith (Miss Scarlett); and Marcy Sallack as the Detective. Matt Dinsmore is the stage manager in charge of lights and sound, and Debra Dinsmore is the production assistant behind-the-scenes. Under the direction of Jef Dinsmore and Kathy S. Dinsmore (vocal director), the
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Years before the movie “Groundhog Day” was released in 1993 and “Groundhog Day, the Musical “ premiered in New York City in April 2017, Punxsutawney area talent staged their own musical tribute to Groundhog Day at Gobbler’s Knob. Pictured are members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club with Katie Donald, Executive Director of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club who were joined by other Punxsutawney residents to witness the Broadway musical. (photo courtesy of Punxsutawney Groundhog Club)
Punxsutawney’s Gobbler’s
Continued from page 6 Dr. Santos, as many area residents will remember, was a busy, family doctor who had his office in his family home on Lane Avenue. He was a talented pianist, playing his grand piano in his home and composing music for his own pleasure. As a musician, he gathered other area musicians to form the Punxsy Phil-Harmonic Orchestra that performed at civic and church functions for several years. The pit orchestra for Gobbler’s Knob, nearly twenty instrumentalists, was comprised of many musicians from the Phil-Harmonic. Fye, a popular Punxsutawney Area High School English teacher (now retired), and an organizer of the Punxsutawney Theatre Arts Guild, was approached by Dr. Santos about the idea of a musical based on the town and its groundhog. “For more than a year he persisted in asking me to co-write with him; every time he saw me down street he would stop and ask me if I had given the project any thought,” he said. “...
It was apparent that he had been mulling over the idea for a long time.” The two met once a week. With some characters already developed in his mind, Dr. Santos shared with Fye his concept of the show he wanted to create to capture some of the town’s special “magic” in a musical. Fye shared with the writer that he recognized Dr. Santos’s enthusiasm and desire to “give something back to the people of Punxsutawney through his creativity.” Two of the lead actors in Gobbler’s Knob - Continued on page 10
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SPECIAL ICE CREAM DAYS: Thurs., July 13 (Sundaes: $1.50) and Mon., July 31 at 1 pm (Cones: $1) FARMERS’ MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM VOUCHERS: The PA Senior Farmers’ Market Program is a statewide program through the Dept. of Agriculture designed to provide money for the purchase of nutritious PA produce. These checks (vouchers) are for eligible persons 60 and over that meet the 2017 Household Income Eligibility Guidelines. Income is total income (including interest, Social Security, wages, etc.) Vouchers will continue to be available, while supplies last, for those who are eligible, and who have not received theirs yet this season! To receive them at the Mahoning Hills Center, you must reside in Indiana County and be income eligible. Contact the Center at (724) 286-3099. CHICKEN & BASKET FUNDRAISER: July 22, from 11 am until 2 pm at the Mahoning Hills Social Center, 19298 Route 119 Highway North, Beside Longview Elementary School, near Punxsutawney. Proceeds benefit Perry Township Volunteer Fire Department & Mahoning Hills Social Center) If you’d like to donate your time, talents and energy or for more information, contact the center at (724) 286-3099. Help to make this a successful fundraiser for both local groups that do so much for their communities!
SPECIAL BINGOS: July 11 – Renae from Senior Life will lead bingo at 11 am and July 20 – Kim from Hillsdale Nursing & Rehab will lead bingo at 1 pm.
HYMN SING: Hymn Sings are slated for two days in July with Kay Young providing the piano music to sing with! Mark Your Calendars for: Wednesday, July 19 at 11 am and Monday, July 24 at 11 am.
INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS: Thursday, July 6 – Rhonda Connor from Visiting Nurse Association will visit and speak at 11:15 am on “Vascular Disease” and Tuesday, July 18 – A representative from Mulberry Square will visit and speak at 11 am on the topic: “Healthy Eating: Protein.” BREAKFAST - LUAU STYLE: Monday, July 10 from 9:30-11 am Join us for a special Luau Breakfast (Pancakes & Ham) Come & Enjoy this special morning!
JAM SESSION: Join us for another lively “Pickin’ & Grinnin’ Session” when our local talented musicians get together and play some toe tappin,’ lively music! The fun starts at 10 am and ends around Noon on Monday, July 17. There is no charge to come and hear the music, or to join in with them! If you’d like to come and hear the music, and stay for lunch afterward please make sure to call (724-286-3099) and reserve yourself a meal!
10 – Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2017 - Issue #201
Punxsutawney’s Gobbler’s
Continued from page 8 were Debbie Dinsmore and Jef Dinsmore. Thirty -five years later, each continues to be active performers in Punxsutawney Theatre Arts Guild productions. But in 1982, Debbie was a young thirteen-year-old, junior high student, and Jef was a theater arts major at Indiana University of Pennsylvania completing his sophomore year. Many people turned out for the musical’s auditions. For Debbie, the audition was her first. She recalls, and appreciates, the coaching she received from her brother Jef for her initial step into small-town, community theater. In her audition, she sang “Sweet Violets,” a song made popular by Dinah Shore in the 1950s. In playing the part of Arabella, she received directions from Terry Fye. “Sing to the clock in the back of the auditorium,” she recalls him saying to encourage her to get the necessary volume from her young voice. His wisdom is reflected today in Debbie’s stage performances. Jef Dinsmore was cast for the role of Mr. Bigg, the president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. “The show came along at a good time for me. … For the creators to single me out as a lead character in an original work boded me well. ... They had confidence in me to bring to life the character of Mr. Bigg for the first time,” he said when asked about his recollections of the musical. (When the Gobbler’s Knob script and music were being prepared, the president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club president was Charles Erhard.) Jef continued: “My sister Debra and I relished in working hard to flesh out our characters just right. We were so eager to please and it paid off.” The choreographer for the dance numbers was Nancy Inman, a young, senior high art teacher and talented dancer, who also taught dancing to children in her home. From her creativity and talent, children of elementary and junior high ages blended movement skills with the talent of young adults in dance routines that interpret two scenes. Nancy shared that many routines were probably choreographed in her classes taught in her home. She remembers the nights in Dr. Santos’s home “to hear his music to help interpret it as dances.” One scene about the weather was inspired by his music compositions, with titles such as “Cold Winds of Autumn,” “Icy Fingers of Winter,” “Dismal Rains of Spring,” and “Sizzling Heat of Summer.” The weather theme ran through-
out the entire production, with the opening number titled “Weather or Not.” Another dance was to the music of “Flight of Ponkies,” to interpret the legend of the ponkis (sandflies) and the origin for the name of Punxsutawney in Native American language. Many children from Punxsutawney area families participated in the musical as the children’s chorus. In the story, young Arabella learns how to spell Punxsutawney. With the aid of the children’s voices, in the scene “Punx’y Acrostics” she spells it out – letter by letter – to describe the qualities about the small town she had come to love. With words by Mr. Fye – P “a perfect piece of paradise,” U “unique and understanding,” X “extra-special, W “wonderland of wise and worthy wishes,” and more. The success of the original stage production can also be credited to those in charge of the many costumes. With sixty community members involved as stage performers, more than forty special, colorful costumes were needed for the play. Involved in designing, measuring, purchasing materials, and sewing the items were Alice Morris, Sue Himes, Sue Fye, and Felicitas S. Tionloc. Ms. Tionloc was a professional seamstress, a “true tailor” as Alice recalled from working with her and providing the designs and ideas for the costumes. Cast members also provided street and household clothes that the audience would expect to see worn in the ordinary life of citizens in the 1980s. Many in the cast of Gobbler’s Knob shared their experience of rehearsing and performing with the heavy winter coats, ear muffs, gloves, and scarves that had to be worn under hot stage lights to depict scenes scripted for weather in Punxsutawney from December through February 2. The summer days of June and July in 1982 were remembered as sultry, hot, humid, sweaty, and oppressive. For the audience, the auditorium was “hot and stuffy.” “This was before the convenience of portable, bottled water commonly used today for cooling,” shared Mrs. Morris about the efforts to find relief. Produced from and with local talent, the musical Gobbler’s Knob was about a wellknown part of Punxsutawney history. The musical itself is history, too. Those living today who were involved with it, in large or small ways, have fading memories of the experience. The original tunes of Dr. Santos and the clever words of Mr. Fye for each arrangement will have been forgotten. Scripts, perhaps, are lost by a process of
- Continued on page 16
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• Deadline for Arrival of all Market Steers, Noon* • General Exhibit Entries Received from, 2-6 pm* Including 4-H General Entries & Project Books*
• General Exhibit Entries Received from 1-6pm* Including 4-H General Entries & Project Books* • Opening Ceremonies, Karen Uplinger emcee – 1:30 pm. Speaker: Pastor Nathan Royster, Brookville Presbyterian Church. Music from Members of the Brookville Presbyterian Church • Princess, Jr. Queen, & Queen Competition – 2:30 pm* • Mini-Horse Pull at 4 pm, Full size Horse Pull at 7 pm*
• Deadline for arrival of 4-H & Voc. Market Animals, 10 am* • Deadline for Open Sheep, Goat & Swine Entries, Noon* • Rabbit Entries - Noon-3:30 pm; Judging – 4 pm*
• General Exhibits & 4-H General Entries Judging, 9 am* • Deadline for arrival of all other Livestock Entries, Noon* • Poultry Cooping 1-5 Sunday, 9-12 Monday
• Entries due for Horses, Dairy and Beef Cattle, Sheep,* Goats, Poultry, Rabbits, Alpacas, and Swine,* Camper, Exhibitor, & Car Pass Requests Due
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12 – Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2017 - Issue #201
• 4-H Vocational Market & Breeding Swine Show – 5:45 pm* • CArnivAl oPens At 5 Pm on monDAy niGHt! • ATV Racing Extravaganza (Local ATVs) on the Track, 7 pm
Community stAGe entertAinment: • Circle C Farms Racing Pigs at various times all evening • Rock & Roll Pet Show at 5:30 to 8:30 pm with Strolling • Family Fun Night organized by the Girl Scouts, 6-9 pm • Followed by Karaoke & DJ by “Dazzle U,” 9-11 pm
• Draft & Mini Horse Show (including
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hitch classes), 9 am* • Antique Machinery Judging – 9 am* • 4-H & Open Poultry Judging – 10 am* • CArnivAl oPens At 5 Pm • 4-H (& Open) Beef, Dairy Feeders, Sheep, Goat Shows, 5:45 pm* • 4X4 Gas/Diesel Truck & Hot Tractor Pull, 7 pm* www.bigrigspulling.com Community stAGe entertAinment: • Circle C Farms Racing Pigs at various times all evening • Rock & Roll Pet Show at 5-8:30 pm with Strolling • binGo by brookville relay for life teams, 6-8 pm - Continued on next page
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• Followed by Karaoke & DJ by “Dazzle U,” 9-11 pm sarvey Fun Day – ticket only $4 at Front Gate • Dairy Show for all Breeds of Milking Animals, 9 am* • Horse Halter & Riding Show, 9 am* • CArnivAl oPens At 4 Pm • Street Licensed Gas & Diesel Truck Pulls, Limited Pro, and Super Farm Tractors, 7 pm www.bigrigspulling.com
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• “Magic by Pinky” Show at 5-8:30 pm with Strolling • binGo by brookville relay for life teams, 7-9 pm • Followed by Karaoke & DJ by “Dazzle U,” 9-11 pm non-Perishable Food Collection brookville Food Pantry sponsored by the Jefferson County Farm bureau • Open Horse Games Show, 9 am* • Senior Citizens Special Event (Lunch reservations made with Area Agency on Aging) • “Village Voices,” 1-2 pm • CArnivAl oPens At 5 Pm • 4-H & Vocational Livestock Sale in Show Arena, 7 pm*
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• “Enhanced” Car & Truck Mud Bog, 7 pm • Community stAGe eveninG entertAinment: • Circle C Farms Racing Pigs at various times all evening • binGo by brookville relay for life teams, 7-9 pm • “The King and I” Elvis Tribute at 58:30 with Strolling • Followed by Karaoke & DJ by “Dazzle U,” 9-11 pm • Youth/Adult Horse Fun Show (no payback), 9 am* • CArnivAl oPens At 5 Pm • Premier Showmanship Contest, 7pm* • Rawhide Professional Rodeo, 7 pm
Friday, July 21
• rodeo Admission included in regular Fair Admission, www.rawhiderodeo.com • Community stAGe eveninG entertAinment: • Circle C Farms Racing Pigs at various times all evening • Rick Delia & His Rockin’ Buddies at 6-8 pm • Followed by Karaoke & DJ by “Dazzle U” 8-11 pm • Memorial Horse Show (sign up at fair), 9 am* • Release time for all animals and chickens – TBA • CArnivAl oPens At 1 Pm • Figure 8 and tuff truck races, 2 pm - Continued on next page
Saturday, July 22
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Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2017 - Issue #201 – 13
- Continued from previous page
Jefferson County Treasurer “Always working for you”
James “Moon” VanSteenberg
• Automobile Demolition Derby and tuff truck races, 7 pm • Circle C Farms Racing Pigs at various times all evening • “Kim Thomas’ Fiddle Contest, 1-5 pm, Register at Noon • Community Stage Entertainment, 5-8 pm TBA • Followed by Karaoke & DJ by “Dazzle U,” 8-11 pm
• Carnival rides & Games by bartlebaugh Amusements opening at 4 pm on Wednesday, 1 pm on saturday, 5 pm other days
every Day at the Fair after sunday exhibits open at 2 pm mon-Fri; earlier on thursday & saturday t & D Wood Carvings and Auction on saturday at 6 Pm Circle C Farms racing Pigs Community stage under roof Hosted by Dazzle u Productions Jefferson County 911 Command Post on site all week Prize-winning displays and exhibits for all to see and enjoy! All events subject to change, and additional events may be added.
Admission $8.00, ½ Price on Wed. Pit prices will apply. Includes Parking, Carnival and Admission to all Fair Activities. Gates open at 2 pm mon-Fri, 11 am on saturday
*see rules on the Jefferson County Fair website at www.jeffcofair.com Like the Fair on Facebook at www.FACebooK.com/jeffcofairpa All information subject to change •••
Mon, Tues 6:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Wed, Thurs & Fri 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday 7:30 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sunday 7:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
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14 – Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2017 - Issue #201
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Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2017 - Issue #201 – 15
Punxsutawney’s Gobbler’s
086,&
Continued from page 10 disposal by family members. Punxsutawney, by its name and its fame from Groundhog Day folklore has a unique magic. The opening song of Act II of Gobbler’s Knob – music by Dr. Gaspar Santos and lyrics by Terry Fye – is “A Magic All Its Own.� This original number – once sung by an eighteen-member chorus – expresses the town’s magic:
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61$&.6 $9$,/$%/( Â&#x2021; %5,1* <285 /$:1 &+$,5 And Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Miss the Musical Highlights of the 51st Annual Groundhog Festival Saturday, July 1 .JMF 3VO Q N
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16 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Punxsutawney Hometown â&#x20AC;&#x201C; July 2017 - Issue #201
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When the sky is gray and dreary, And the clouds with rain are teary, When Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m feeling low and weary, I just pause and look around. There I see these smiling faces Living life at slower paces, Lose my blues and all their traces Life with joy again abounds.
Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no place quite like this, On that we all agree. Everywhere we find bliss Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m glad itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home to me. â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Cause this old town has a magic all its own.
Following one of the performances, Dee Duttry, a new resident in Punxsutawney, shared in a letter to editor in the Spirit her thoughts about the local production, â&#x20AC;&#x153;One hope stuck in my mind as I left the auditorium: that all Punxsutawnians (including my family) will not only find new pride in the groundhog, but also in themselves as in the Golden Rule ... We cannot share with others what we may not have ourselves. ... Punxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;y Phil may attract the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention on Feb. 2, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up to us, the resi-
dents, to keep this place the paradise portrayed in Arabellaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dream.â&#x20AC;? Jef Dinsmore shared how the experience impressed him as a young twenty-year-old cast member in the show. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was a strong sense that this is a community working together to fashion a musical story about their community,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When the combined efforts of staff, cast, orchestra, and crew were combined the sense of pride and dedication was huge.â&#x20AC;? Terry Fye worked several months with Dr. Santos in developing and directing the production for the local stage. He reflected about his experience in these words, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The cast and crew working with the Punxsutawney Theatre Arts Guild accomplished something that very few community theater groups ever attempt: We presented a thoroughly original musical stage play which we took from a manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dreams and brought it to life after months and countless hours of work, rewrites, rehearsals, and the public performances. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maybe, someday someone with similar feelings about our town and its world-famous celebrity groundhog will come across the script and libretto for Gobblerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Knob and realize long before Hollywood or Broadway produced their lavish takes on our local lore that a group of Punxsutawnians had beaten them to the punch by staging our own two-act, singing, dancing tribute to Groundhog Day.â&#x20AC;? The Punxsutawney Theatre Arts Guild continues its role in providing live stage entertainment for Punxsutawney area residents. With its 2017 season, Guild members are celebrating forty-two years as one of the longest, continuous community theater groups in western Pennsylvania. â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘
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By Marty Armstrong for Hometown magazine une 1, 2017, marked the official forty-year anniversary of the Punxsutawney Area Historical & Genealogical Society. Mention of this milestone has been made ever since last summer because the thinking and planning to form the Society began much earlier than June 1, 1977. First, Punxsutawney celebrated its own
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quasquicentennial or 125th birthday as an incorporated borough in 1975. As the 100th birthday was celebrated in 1949, one might wonder at the timing of the 125th. Here’s the explanation. Formation of Punxsutawney as a borough was initiated in 1849, with 1850 marking the borough’s legal incorporation. Many people remember the hoopla of the 1949 Centennial celebration and the publication of the book, Punxsutawney Centennial 1849-1949: 100 Years of Progress. With subsequent celebrations, emphasis shifted to the years commemorating official incorporation. Since that time, of course, a 150th or sesquicentennial was celebrated in 2000, and folks can look forward to a 175th (there are a number of tongue-twisting names for this celebration) in 2025 and a bicentennial celebration in 2050. The United States celebrated its bicentennial in 1976, and an interest in all things historical, including genealogical research, become widespread. In Punx-
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18 – Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2017 - Issue #201
Scion of a pioneer family from Clearfield County, Grant B. Fullerton (1893-1956) was among the first drafted men from Jefferson County to leave for World War I in September 1917. His great-great-grandfather, John, and great-grandparents, Samuel and Sophia Jane Lawhead Fullerton, had settled on a farm in the area of Clearfield County known as Hyde. It was a large family which suffered tragic losses scarlet through fever and later diphtheria. Samuel and son, Sophia’s William Steel Fullerton (1857–1928), Glenn B. Fullerton married Katura (aka (image courtesy of the Katherine) Dorvitt Punxsutawney Area (1861-1951), and Historical & Ge- together they estabnealogical Society) lished a home in Big Run, where William was employed at Big Run National Bank. Their children included Glenn (1893-1956), who married Caroline Kuntz (1898-1973) in 1920, following the pattern of men returning from WWI. Glenn’s military service included eighteen months in France. Following the war, Fullerton and his family eventually moved to Punxsutawney, where he worked for many years as a Baltimore & Ohio Railroad brakeman. Their children were Sally, Katura, and Russell. Katura graduated from the Clymer High School in 1939 and Indiana Nurses’ training in 1942. She served as a U.S. Army nurse through the invasion of France in 1943 and Utah Beach in 1944 and was discharged as a first lieutenant. She spent another forty-two years as a nurse at the Adrian Hospital in Punxsutawney. Russell, a 1950 graduate of Punxsutawney High School, served during the Korean Conflict, following a family tradition of service. •••
sutawney, that interest in local and family history culminated in the formation of the Punxsutawney Area Historical & Genealogical Society. The Society has grown and has hundreds of members, many currently living within the region and many others who have spread across the country, indeed the world. - Continued on page 20
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• 10 am to 4 pm – War Memorial open – Historic displays • 10 to 11 am – War Memorial – social Café: Meet with old friends for Coffee & a Snack • 12 to 2 pm – War Memorial – book signing by shirly sharp “A History of Big Run” • 6 pm – War Memorial reopens • 8 pm – Community Dance “Mid Life Crisis” War Memorial th
Friday July 28
• 9 am to 4 pm – War Memorial open – Historic displays • 9 am – race to the Face “3.5 or 7.6 mile run – 25k Bike Ride” Start & Registration - Hill Top Tire (Out Caroline St.) • 9 am to ? – Wagon rides to Historic sites – Lower End of Caroline St • 10 am to 2 pm – Farmers market – Harvey’s Country Cupboard Parking Lot • 10 am to 2 pm – Craft venders – Veterans Park • 11 am Registration – 1 to 4 pm – Car Cruise in - Veterans Park • 11 am – Pet Parade – Lower End of Caroline St. • 12 to 3 pm – motorcycle Cruise in Veterans Park • 1 pm – Judging of “the brothers of
Saturday July 29th
the brush & sisters of the swish” - War Memorial • 4 pm – Parade – Main Street (Rt.119) *Please have all cars off Rt. 119 between Caroline & Church St by 3 pm for Parade. • 7 pm – Dance - Veterans Park Tennis Court – D.J. Pompeii • 10 pm – Fireworks!!!! - Veterans Park – Rain Date, Sunday July 30th • 10:30 am – Community Church service - Veterans Park (Please Bring a Lawn Chair) • Following Church Service – Community Picnic – Veterans Park. Picnic Lunch & Drinks Provided by the Big Run 150 Committee. If you like, bring a little something to share with your neighbors. *Note cold items will require YOUR cooler. • 12 pm – Antique tractor show – Veterans Park • 1:30 pm – Pie eating Contest – Veterans Park • 2 pm – Checker tournament – Veterans Park
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20 – Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2017 - Issue #201
10 Pickering Street Brookville, PA 15825
Forty Years and Counting W.L.E.D.J. Sheehan
Francis Harper
Continued from page 18 Once the Society became known, several needs evolved that required a physical presence. Many families found themselves in possession of tools, pictures, and other artifacts of the past with no viable way to share those items with others. With the donation of the Bennis House on West Mahoning Street and the Snyder Hill Schoolhouse outside of town, these artifacts could find a home. A large base of members and others became steady volunteers, caring for these artifacts, but also preserving obituaries and other materials for a growing number of genealogical researchers. With a physical presence in place, members began to conduct a wide range of programs and other activities aimed at the public as a way to help inform the future. Children’s workshops were developed and participation in Punxsutawney’s annual Groundhog Day and Groundhog Festival activities began. Eventually, appropriate storage and display for the thousands of artifacts collected necessitated additional space and a way to make the genealogy workrooms handicapped accessible for volunteers and visitors alike required a solution. Fortunately, acquisition of the Lattimer House at 400 West Mahoning became possible. The building opened for use in 2005. Genealogy was relocated; space became available for meetings, classes, and programs; and galleries made it possible to showcase themed exhibits of Society artifacts and those of others. All of this was made possible through people generous with their time, knowledge; and resources. The Society takes pleasure in working with other organizations in the Punxsutawney area to support community activities and to help inform the future all in ways that celebrate the region’s past. Although the September 2016 society banquet kicked off “40 Years and Counting…” celebrations, each continuing event until June 1, 2018, will be celebratory. Festival activities as Barclay Square and West Mahoning, an August
Arthur Widdowson
12 historic building tour, and the following week’s history day camp – a full slate of activities until year’s end including planning for future gallery exhibits will keep volunteers busy as they continue to find new ways to interpret local history for the public. June, the month just concluding, holds many dates to celebrate or commemorate – D-Day (June 6, 1945), Flag Day (June 14, 1777), and those many weddings and high school graduations of the past. And 2017 has its own lineup of annual dates of remembrance – the U.S. entry into World War (1917) and Big Run’s birthday (1867). Punxsutawney High School graduates of 1917 numbered forty-three, of whom eleven were men. Their PHS Mirror described four who had answered President Wilson’s call to serve in the Great War. They were Leo Kinney, Coarluss McGee, Charles McGee, and W.L.E.D.J. Sheehan (even the Mirror editors didn’t know what all of those initials stood for); each is listed as a WWI veteran in the Centennial book. Leo’s wartime service was in the Panama Canal Zone. Described as “Jakey” in the Mirror, he came to Punxsutawney as a younger teen with his siblings and widowed mother. Three older brothers worked as glass blowers in the Eldred Glass factory, and the surname files reflect that he married Theona Craft in 1920. The couple relocated to the Philipsburg area. Young Mr. Sheehan, known to his friends as “Walt,” was described in the Mirror as PHS’s Poet Laurate as well as a gifted scientist. He was the son of Mrs. and Mrs. John Meehan of Morrison Avenue. The two McGees had several things in common but appear so far to have been unrelated. Born the same year, both married to women named Mildred (Coarluss’s wife was Mildred Gotwald, and Charles’s wife was Milded Reed), both served in WWI and both died at the age of 79. In high school, Coarluss, or “Mac,” was a quiet young yellow in the commercial course, and Charles, or
- Continued on page 22
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Decorating and serving tips Choose bright tulips, sunflowers and gerbera daisies for a cheery table setting. Cluster plates of appetizers with flowers for a pleasing presentation. When guests arrive, get a glass in their hands so they will feel welcome and ready to enjoy your delicious foods. The key to enjoyable entertaining is being both prepared and being part of the party. Create a selfserve atmosphere that gives you, the host, more freedom to enjoy time with your guests.
smart staples With smart staples on hand it’s easy to get the party started. Olives for example, are the centerpiece of the Mediterranean diet. Packed with flavor, they are wonderfully versatile. Combined with fresh flavors of seasonal produce, such as asparagus, tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers, they can brighten any platter with a rich and satisfying burst of flavor. They are also a natural with any cheese, added to pasta, or served alongside hummus, rustic style breads and refreshing, summery wines.
one, two, three skewers Try this tasty idea: Start with toothpicks to create single-serve skewers that guests can easily tote as they mingle. Choose three or four different kinds of olives, small cheese squares and slices of ready-to-eat meats. For example, begin with a Pearls Specialties Kalamata or Garlic Stuffed olive. Next add a slice of your favorite cheese cut into small
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Homemade olive bar Choose an array of four or five different kinds of olives to feature on a large platter. For a variety of choices, check out Pearls Specialties Olives at local grocery stores, Target and Walmart, which offers Kalamata, Greek Queens stuffed with either garlic or jalapeno, a mixed Greek medley, and classic California Black Ripe olives. Pick up fresh cherry or grape tomatoes, a package of frozen tortellini with pesto sauce, and some bite size “bocconcini,” which are small mozzarella balls in olive either marinated with herbs and olive oil, or plain. Combine these items on one large platter in different sections and provide small snack plates and party picks for guests.
For more ideas, recipes and tips, visit olives.com/pearls. With the right ingredients and cheery table settings, summer entertaining can be easy, fun and bright. (statepoint) •••
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22 – Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2017 - Issue #201
(“From Our Past,” researched by S. Thomas Curry, features items of interest from past editions of Punxsutawney and area newspapers.)
June 23, 1870 — We notice that Base Ball clubs all over the State have reorganized, and they are now having lively games everywhere. But what has become of the “Forest club?” Punxsutawney used to boast of the best club in four or five counties, but the interest appears to have died out. We hope they will re-organize. (Punxsutawney Plaindealer)
June 29, 1887 — New coke ovens are built on the Carmalt farm, out past the brick-yard, and will soon be ready to fire up. This makes the largest coke plant in the United States. Four years ago this was nothing but woods, and very useless woods at that. (Punxsutawney News) [note: The Carmalt farm was outside Clayville (West End), where the Punxsutawney Country Club is now.]
July 1, 1885 — We observe that there is a well mania in progress. Well, may it continue until there are enough wells to sprinkle our streets, put out fires and lower the insurance rates, which have recently been increased to an outrageous and exorbitant price. (Punxsutawney Spirit)
July 3, 1901 — On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week the Homestead baseball club will play at Punxsutawney. There will then be no occasion to kick about a “weak team,” unless it refers to the local aggregation, for Homestead is pretty near good enough to be in the National League. However, we hope to capture at least one game out of the three. (Punxsutawney Spirit) [note: Homestead was a steel town adjacent to Pittsburgh. In 1910 the “Homestead baseball club” became the Homestead Grays, a professional baseball team that played in the Negro leagues in the U.S. until the 1940s.]
July 13, 1898 — When the trench for the new water main in East End was being dug a number of logs were unearthed four or five feet below the surface. The logs no doubt had floated there about forty years ago during a flood. They were in excellent state of preservation. The last flood we had had covered the street at that point about two and a half feet, and had the street been as low as it was forty years ago the water would have been about seven feet deep. This
shows how much our streets and alleys have been filled during the past forty years, and yet we have greater floods now than ever visited Punxsutawney half a century ago. This is because there is [sic] no timber tracts standing to hold the water back. (Punxsutawney News)
Forty Years and Counting Continued from page 20
“Chuck,” was another quiet but industrious student in the scientific curriculum. Coarluss’s military service during WWI earned him the Silver Star and a Purple Heart. In civilian life, he relocated to the Toledo area and worked for many years in the Libby Owens Ford Glass Company. After the war, Charles worked for the railroad and had many years of service with the Masonic Lodge at local and district levels. Two other 1917 graduates answered the President’s call. Francis Harper and Arthur Widdowson are both described as having been moved by Wilson’s appeal for farmworkers to enlist in the “great agricultural army of America.” Francis (Frank) was noted in high school for his “towering” height. His father, born in Scotland raised imported thoroughbred cattle. Arthur (Percy) was that rare person who had already graduated from Mahaffey High School but who wanted to graduate as well from PHS. While working outside in the autumn of 1918, he fell from a tree and sustained injuries which left him paralyzed, surviving only one year. Another young man, grandfather and great-grandfather of recent visitors from Florida served during WWI. He was Grant B. Fullerton, son of William and Katura Dorvitt Fullerton. The highlight of the Fullerton family’s recent visit to the Society to do research was what happened when they looked at the large reproduction of that 100-man draft group pictured in front of the Winslow mansion in September of 2017. They immediately identified Grant sitting in the front row at the far left of the photograph, surrounded by his comrades. The daughters decided to order a print as a Father’s Day gift for their dad. It was a good day for Russell Fullerton, 1950 PHS graduate. Marty Armstrong is a member of the Collections Committee of the Punxsutawney Area Historical & Genealogical Society, Inc. •••
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Hometown Community Happenings
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By the staff of Hometown magazine rom the staff of Hometown magazine and the Community Calendar at Punxsutawney.com, here is a list of events coming up in our area: n The Punxsy Weather Discovery Center offers “toddler time” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Monday for children ages 2-5 and their parents, grandparents, babysitters, etc. No registration necessary, just walk in. $6 per person & free admission for children age 2 and under. n June 29: blood Drive, noon to 5:30 p.m., at First Church of God. Benefits the American Red Cross. n June 29, 30 & July 1: Punxsutawney Area theatre Arts Guild presents Clue: The Musical, at the Verna Leith Sawmill Theater in Cook Forest, 8 p.m. For ticket information, call (814) 927-6655. n July 1: old Home Week Firefighters’ Parade, 4 p.m., on Mahoning Street. n July 1- 8: 51st Annual Groundhog Festival in Barclay Square. See the official schedule of events in Hometown magazine. n July 4: independence Day! Celebrate America! n July 4: Fish for Free Day in PA. No fishing license necessary. Sponsored by the PA Fish Commission. n July 5: Friends of the library book & bake sale, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Punxsy Memorial Library, includes raffle for Kindle Fire. n July 5: 22nd Annual Community Center 5K/2 mile walk, 7 p.m. Call 938-1008 for registration information. n July 6, 7 & 8: Punxsutawney Area Theatre Arts Guild presents Clue: The Musical, at the Verna Leith Sawmill Theater in Cook Forest, 8 p.m. For ticket information, call (814) 927-6655. n July 7: blood Drive, 12:30 to 6 p.m., at SSCD Church. Benefits the American Red Cross. n July 9: Car Cruise, 1 to 6 p.m., at SSCD parking lot. Sponsored by Home & School Association. n July 11 & 13: “A storm is Coming,” Summer Weather Camp, 9 a.m. to noon or 1 to 4 p.m., at Punxsy Weather Discovery Center. For registration & costs, call 938-1000 or visit the Weather Discovery Center website. n July 11: First tuesday Community meal, 5 p.m., at the Punxsy Presbyterian Church. Free & open to the public. n July 13: music in the Park, 6:30-8:30 p.m. in Barclay Square. Bring a chair! n July 14: Community meal, 5 p.m., at the First United Methodist Church. Free & open to the public. n July 17-22: Jefferson County Fair, all week at fairgrounds in Brookville. n July 18 & 20: “el nino or la nina,” Summer Weather Camp, 9 a.m. to noon or 1 to 4 p.m., at Punxsy Weather Discovery Center. For registration & costs, call 938-1000 or visit the Weather Discovery Center website. n July 20: music in the Park, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Barclay Square. Bring a chair. n July 20: blood Drive, at Town Hall in Sykesville, noon to 5 p.m. Benefits the American Red Cross. n July 22: Chicken & baskets
Fundraiser, The Mahoning Hills Social Center & the Perry Township Volunteer Fire Department are teaming up for a very special fundraiser in July! The fundraiser will be held Saturday, July 22 from 11 am until 2 p.m., at the Mahoning Hills Social Center, beside Longview Elementary School, located at 19298 Rt. 119 Highway North, near Punxsutawney. The chicken will be cooking and ready to buy from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. The drawings on the baskets will be at 2 p.m. If you’d like to donate your time, talents and energy or for more information, contact the center at (724) 286-3099. Help to make this a successful fundraiser for both local groups that do so much for their communities! n July 25 & 27: “extreme Climates,” Summer Weather Camp, 9 a.m. to noon or 1 to 4 p.m., at Punxsy Weather Discovery Center. For registration & costs, call 938-1000 or visit the Weather Discovery Center website. n July 25: blood Drive, at Eagles 540 in Reynoldsville, 1 to 6:30 p.m. Benefits the American Red Cross. n July 27: music in the Park, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Barclay Square. Bring a chair. n July 27-30: big run 150th Anniversary Celebration. n July 28-30: Community Care Days at Barclay Square, formerly Church in the Park. Friday: Free movie in the Park, “Sing,” at dusk. Saturday: Resource fair from noon to 6 p.m., with local service providers, live music & food vendors. Sunday: Community Worship Service at 10:30 a.m. n July 29: race to the Face, 9 a.m., in Big Run. Sponsored by the Big Run 150th anniversary & the PAHGS Coal Memorial Committee. For registration information, visit www.punxsyhistory.org. n Aug. 4-6: ssCD lawn Festival. Fun for the family on the SSCD Church grounds. n Aug. 7-12: sykesville Ag & youth Fair in Sykesville. See the schedule of events in Hometown magazine. n The Punxsutawney Area Community Center offers indoor cycling, batting cage, Fifty & Fit, SilverSneakers, AM men’s basketball, Pilates/yoga, and gymnastics. Call 938-1008 for more information. •••
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Hometown’s 2017 Father’s Day Contest Winners
$20 Punxsy Chamber Gift Card Christ the King Manor William T. Conners by Brandi Conners
$25 Gift Card CRW Home Center Denny Brooks by Delaney Brooks
$25 Gift Certificate Emma’s Catering John Mennetti Jr. by Jade Mennetti
$10 Gift Card Frank’s Star Lunch Josh Kunselman by Brylan & Jameson
Choice of 14” Plant or Hanging Basket Faught’s Garden Center (Indiana) Dave Rodgers by Tammy Voss
$20 Gift Card Fox’s Pizza Den Timothy Fetterhoff by Megan Schlemmer
$20 Ragley’s True Value Gift Card Grace Place Rob Black by Gunnar Black
$25 Gift Certificate Groundhog Instant Lube Dean Brosius by Brooke Brosius
1/2 Hour Session Healing Touch Massage Gary Vanleer by Gary Vanleer Jr.
$20 Gift Certificate Musser’s Garden Center Darrin Kriebel by Micah & Maddi
$20 Punxsy Chamber Gift Card Punxsutawney Hometown magazine Nick Skarbek by Derica & Jessa Skarbek
$25 Gift Certificate Hanzely’s Cecil Plotner by Denise Himes
$20 Gift Card McDonald’s Kevin Slater by Colin Slater
$25 Gift Certificate Neko’s Family Restaurant Woody Forrest by Ann Forrest
$20 Gift Certificate Pizza Town Dan Hartzfeld by Ava & Brady Hartzfeld
$30 Gift Certificate Punxsutawney Community Center Randy LeVier by Melissa Vanderslice
$20 Gift Certificate Obsessive Apparel Denny Caylor by Samantha Caylor
Gift Basket Stello Foods Leo E. Johnston by Mary Claire Johnston
Golf Umbrella S&T Bank Jason Watt by Deegen & Ethan Watt
$20 Gift Certificate Sweet Secrets Randy Wright, Jr. by Tosha Riggie
$25 Gift Certificate The New Anchor Inn George Waltman by Matthew
18 Holes with Cart for 2 People, Gold Course Only Treasure Lake Golf Jesse Haag by Lily
2 Bottles of Wine Windgate Winery Ronald Stuchell by Cindy Reed
Please email hometown@punxsutawneymagazine.com or call 814-938-0312 to receive your gift.
Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2017 - Issue #201 – 23
24 – Punxsutawney Hometown – July 2017 - Issue #201