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My introduction to the fascinating 3-D world of View Master occurred in 1948 when a friend of mine acquired one and showed it to me. This six-year-old boy was immediately awestruck and had to have one. 

Sawyer’s, Inc. manufactured the black bakelite viewer that utilized single 3.5 inch round cards, each containing 14 mini Kodachrome images that produced seven different stereo views. The user inserted one card at a time into the top of the viewer so that the first view number was displayed in the small information window that also contained a brief description of the scene.

Two “V” notches on the card helped align the reel in the viewer for the initial view. The person then looked in it while facing a bright light to examine the 3-D image. Pressing down a lever on the right side rotated the card to the next scene.

Between 1939 and 1950, View Master reels were sold individually, but by the early 1950s, several cards were bunched together and marketed in packets based on subject categories. For instance, reels 251-253 became the Carlsbad Caverns series. View-Masters were quite novel for the time, being an extension of popular stereoscopes that graced people’s parlors between 1858 and 1920. The new devices offered seven high-quality three-dimensional color views on each reel instead of a single one-dimension card.

Later, the company offered consumers viewers with built-in lights, talking reels and even a projector for watching the images on a screen without, of course, the 3-D effect. My preference was the small viewers. Credit for the novelty goes to William Gruber, who in 1939 teamed up with Harold Graves to form the View Master Company, which was introduced to the public in the early 1940’s. Although today aimed primarily at youngsters, View Master began its commercial life targeting people of all ages.

A multiplicity of subject matter ranging from nursery rhymes to domestic and foreign travel to movie stars was introduced. The company placed these words on each reel: “Seven More Wonders of the World.”

 I, being a child, preferred the FT (Fairy Tales) Series, which were introduced between 1946 and 1948. Each reel came in a sleeve along with a small foldout story booklet that gave a complete description of each view. Although the scenes were crudely animated, the detail and 3-D affects in the scenes were quite impressive. The FT series included: “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Hansel & Gretel,” “Jack and The Beanstalk,” “Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs,” “Cinderella and The Glass Slipper,” “Goldilocks and The Three Bears,” “The Three Little Pigs,” “Little Black Sambo” and “The Ugly Duckling.”

Like so many other nursery rhymes and fairy tales, they were a bit graphic as noted in the captions for Hansel and Gretel: 1. “Stepmother Plots To Lose Children in the Woods,” 2. “Hansel Drops Breadcrumbs Trail,” 3. “Hansel and Gretel Lost in Dark Forest,” 4. “Hansel and Gretel Led to Candy House,” 5. “Hansel Is Caged by Witch,” 6. “Gretel Pushes Witch into Oven” and 7. “Duck Carries Hansel and Gretel to Father.”

This was enough to give any normal child nightmares. Even the scenes were displayed in gory detail. For instance, the Little Red Riding Hood card showed the dead wolf’s carcass being drug into the woods by a rescuing woodman.

My love for View Masters continues to this day when I occasionally retrieve my old viewer and worn-out collection of cards and spend some quality time with my old favorite fairy tale characters, briefly returning to my peaceful world of yesteryear for a few minutes of sheer contentment.  

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Over the years, my parents patronized Beckners’ Jewelers in downtown Johnson City, so I suppose it was only natural for me to buy my wife’s engagement and wedding rings from Buddy Beckner in 1970.

A 1927 Johnson City Chronicle article gave the history of this now defunct business, reading almost like an advertisement. The clipping’s title was “Jewelry Story Established in 1886, Still Going Strong and Now One of Leading Emporiums of the Section.” Mr. I.N. Beckner opened “The Red Front Jewelry Store” in the small village of Johnson City in 1886; it remained in operation for nearly a century. The location was said to be near what is now Fountain Square, which at that time was occupied partially by the railroad station and the jeweler. Beckner occupied a small section of a building used as a livery stable.”

Some old city directories show that the company was initially located at 202 E. Main, future site of the Hamilton National Bank building, and later moved east to 232 E. Main, where it remained until its closing. According to a 1913 city business brochure: “This business has been successfully established for 27 years, surely long enough for everyone to know the absolute trustworthiness of the house. The public has always taken a kindly interest in this good old house.”

A 1915 Chamber of Commerce book further stated: “The stock carried (in the store) consists of the best selections of watches of all makes, sterling and plated silver, fashionable jewelry and other goods usually found in high class enterprises of the character. They do fine repairing and engraving and are the time inspectors for the Southern and CC&O railroads.”

The Chronicle article went on to say that T.F. Beckner, eldest son of I.N., grew up in his father’s business doing minor work and soon became proficient in all departments. Over time, the Main Street business bore three similar designations: I.N. Beckner Jewelers, I.N. Beckner and Son Jewelers, I.N Becker’s Son Jewelers and lastly, Beckners’ Jewelers. James Beckner, another son, joined his brother in 1919, becoming a partner and actively engaged in its operation. The article mentioned C.C. Mullins and Delno E. Diddle, Jr., two store employees from that era.

Upon the senior Beckner’s retirement, the business was assumed by T.F., who continued it using the name of I.N. Beckner’s Son. The senior Beckner remained associated with the store until his death about 1926.

The store’s ideal location in the heart of the retail business center made it a convenient place for shoppers. It became known for its elaborate and eye-appealing window displays that attracted many patrons. The store carried the famous old line of Seth Thomas clocks and had two models in the store that were over 100 years old and still running, confirming the longevity of the product. Hamilton, Gruen and Elgin watches were also featured brands, as well as many other nationally known makes of jewelry, cut glass and similar lines.

An ad from 1936 says “A Best Seller – The Hamilton Dixon – 17 jewel Hamilton accuracy and dependability in a case of 10K filled gold for only $37.50. No wonder the Dixon is a best seller.”

Beckners’ Jewelers closed its store in late 1985 when the owners, who were approaching retirement age, decided to call it quits. The decline of the downtown area and an uncertain business climate were dominating factors in their likely painful decision.

Ironically, the store’s demise was just months shy of its 100thbirthday. 

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Dr. James Bowman is proud of his late brother, Billy Bowman, a native of Washington County and former resident of Johnson City, whose career as a professional musician was outstanding. According to Jim … “After playing Dobro in his early teens in and around Bristol, especially for fiddler Jack Pierce who had been in Jimmie Rodgers’ 1920’s band, Billy moved to Knoxville for his initial full-time employment as a steel guitarist.

On WNOX radio’s Midday Merry-Go-Round and Tennessee Barn Dance, he joined a group co-led by Johnny Wright (of Johnny and Jack fame and husband of legendary Kitty Wells) and Eddie Hill. 

“When the two leaders parted, young Billy faced a decision: accompany Wright to Nashville and play country or go with Hill to WMPS in Memphis and play jazz and pop.  Billy chose the latter. For a while, two of my brothers were his fellow band members: Dalton (Buddy) in Knoxville and Al (Jake) in Knoxville and Memphis. Soon Billy moved to Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, joining Paul Howard’s Arkansas Cotton Pickers, a slick western swing band whose drummer was jazz great Joe Morello. Shortly thereafter, Billy achieved national exposure; as an eighteen-year-old, he played plaintive (as demanded) steel guitar on a million seller, “Shenandoah Waltz,” for Clyde Moody, on the King label in 1947. 

“Another hit on which Billy was a significant participant occurred less than three years later. Ironically, on it his guitar was silent; he sang on ‘Faded Love,’ recorded   in Hollywood, California, by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. By this time Billy had begun an unprecedented eight-year tenure as this premier western swing band’s steel guitarist and occasional vocalist. Some critics credit his high tenor voice as a primary factor that made ‘Faded Love’ a classic as well as Oklahoma’s state song.

“In addition to singing in various Texas Playboy trios, Billy was lead vocalist for Wills on ‘With Tears in My Eyes’ (MGM, 1953), penned by his ex-boss, Paul Howard.  Uncharacteristically, Wills allowed him to record four songs under his own name, backed by the Playboys. After leaving Wills in 1958, during rock-and-roll’s ultra-explosive advent, Billy had brief stints with Hank Thompson and other western swing artists. Before long, his career was relegated to semi-retired status and a return to his native east Tennessee where he appeared weekly on television.

“Billy came by his trade honestly; from his infancy, he was surrounded by music of various genres. Our father (the late Elbert Bowman, Sr.), a guitarist, banjoist, and tenor vocalist, and three of our paternal uncles were professional musicians who recorded for the Columbia label. I think Billy translated some of Dad’s licks to his steel. “Our father and his brother, Fiddlin’ Charlie Bowman (late North American Fiddlers Hall of Fame 2001 winner), recorded for Vocalion and Brunswick as members of Al Hopkins’ band, the Hill Billies, based in Washington, DC. These pioneers could boast of a command performance at the White House among other significant honors.

“My brother, Buddy, was guitarist for the U. S. Navy Band. He and two of our older brothers, Weldon and Al, toured with the popular blind evangelist, J. Bazzel Mull, veteran Knoxville radio host of a gospel music program. One of our younger brothers, Tony, sang on national television’s ‘Ted Mack and the Original Amateur Hour.’ After Billy mastered the instrument's complex pedal system, Marlen Guitar Company hired him as consultant. Because aspiring and skilled players alike still seek his copedents (tablatures of chord-pedal relationships), Billy is a featured model in many popular instruction books.

“Although Billy’s full-time playing was confined to little more than a dozen years, two of the songs he wrote endure through the recordings of many steel guitar players. ‘B. Bowman Hop’ and ‘Midnight in Old Amarillo,’ have been recorded in sixteen countries by more than two-dozen stylists. Billy’s long-time friend, Barbara Mandrell, performed them on her syndicated television show. More recently, his compositions have been aired on Garrison Keillor’s weekly radio show, ‘A Prairie Home Companion,’ by American Public Media. Until becoming physically unable, Billy performed in three annual events: Bob Wills Days in Turkey, Texas; the International Steel Guitar Convention in St. Louis, Missouri; and the Smoky Mountain Steel Guitar Jamboree in Knoxville, Tennessee. 

“After a six-month battle with cancer, Billy passed away on August 6, 1989 in Columbia, South Carolina. Six fellow steel guitarists and two fiddlers were among his honorary pallbearers. Steel players included former Texas Playboys Bobby Koefer and Maurice Anderson; Roy Wiggins (Eddy Arnold’s steel player); crash-bar wizard Speedy West; and convention hosts DeWitt ‘Scotty’ Scott and William ‘Stoney’ Stonecipher. The fiddlers were Johnny Gimble, another former Playboy; and Dale Potter, Billy’s friend of more than four decades.

 

“Professional musicians still marvel at his improvisational riffs with the Playboys. Whenever Wills was the band’s only fiddler, team player Billy cleverly emulated the instrument, blending smooth harmony parts. He harmonized likewise with the group’s trumpets and tenor saxophones. “In spite of the brevity of Billy’s full-time career, he was recipient of many other distinctive honors, four of which were awarded posthumously. Included were induction into the International Steel Guitar Hall of Fame and the Western Swing Society Hall of Fame. The state legislatures of Oklahoma and California also acknowledged Billy's contributions to music.”  

I wish to thank Dr. Bowman for providing a synopsis of his brother’s career. Many Johnson Citians still remember Billy as a modest gentleman, always maintaining an infectious smile, whether playing the kind of music he cherished or greeting loyal fans in a crowded venue. Although he died relatively young, his music lives on. As long as western swing exists, he will be remembered for his contributions to the genre.

 (Note: Bob Cox is a cousin of Billy Bowman.) 

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A yellowed-with-age April 15, 1960 12-page Boones Creek High School publication, “Bar Tracks,” offers an interesting peek into student life of almost a half century ago.

The newspaper staff included Ronnie Hale (Editor), Charlotte Fitzgerald (Co-Editor), Bob Qualls (Art), Johnny Utsman (Sports) and Geraldine Hawkins (Business Manager). Richard Nixon won a student poll for the upcoming presidential election with 251 votes compared to John Kennedy’s 38 votes.

A student calendar showed future events for the school: April 23- “Chili Feed” sponsored by the Ruritan Club; April 29- Glee Club Operetta, “Stephen Foster,” comprised of 50 students; May 9, Senior Trip to Washington and New York; May 19, Glee Club Concert; May 20, Band Concert; May 27, Junior-Senior Banquet; June 5, Baccalaureate Service; and June 6, Graduation.

The forthcoming Easter holiday season was noted with a hand-drawn sketch of a cross containing the first six verses of Luke 24. Bobby Rowe received a plaque and gold pin for winning an essay contest with a spiritual entry titled “My True Security.”

Under the heading, “Seniors Are Strange Creatures,” a senior was defined as “that enviable person who, after 11 years of carrying textbooks back and forth between home and school, still hasn’t learned how to open one.”

The Honor Roll was announced with 47 students receiving first honors and 55 with second. The student government held a meeting on April 20, 1960 in county offices at Jonesboro.

Martha Lee Cash previewed the approaching senior bus trip and concluded with a plea to teachers: “The tired but happy vagabonds will return home after a very full five days and four nights. So teachers, please be considerate of the sleeping seniors on Monday who are present only in body, not in spirit.”

A tally of seniors revealed 29 of them planning to attend college after graduation: East Tennessee State College, 19; Milligan College, 3; University of Tennessee, 3; and (Johnson City) Business College, 4. Four students had plans to enter military service.

Fourteen students applied for positions within the FBI after a representative spoke at the school. Annual starting salaries were $3400 for clerical work, $3500 for typists and $3600 for secretaries. 

The Editorial Club visited the Johnson City Press-Chronicle on March 18 and toured three departments – Presto Engraving, News and Advertising. Students observed type being set on plates from which the first impression was obtained. They also saw messages being received on Teletype machines.

Larry Reid returned from Nashville from the 4-H Club Congress comprised of about 600 representatives. The clubber showed an 883-pound grand champion Angus steer in the East Tennessee Fat Cattle Show.

The Bars’ 12-game baseball schedule included games with Unaka, Jonesboro, Fall Branch, Hampton, Washington College, Training School, Happy Valley, Sulphur Springs and Lamar.

Phyllis Bledsoe expressed her feelings about graduation in a moving six-verse poem, “Within These Walls,” that concluded with these words: “Within these walls, I learned to laugh, Within these walls, to cry. I was happier here that I’ve ever been. I have to say goodbye. As I go out to lead my life, With all its bumps and falls, I’ll ne’re forget the things I’ve learned, Within these hallowed halls.”

Thank you, Boones Creek seniors of 1960, for leaving some of your “Bar Tracks” behind for us to read almost 50 years later. 

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Bobby Funk, professor of theater at ETSU, has the noble mission of restoring VA Center’s beautiful Memorial Hall to that of its heyday. When the Mountain Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers was established in 1901, it was the fulfillment of a dream that President Abraham Lincoln once had.

Many Civil War soldiers had lost an arm or leg by amputation, the commonest and cruelest form of battleground surgery. The veterans required entertainment to take their minds off their physical and mental afflictions. The 600-seat Memorial Hall was built in 1906 to address that need. It was modeled after the Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C.

The edifice has three massive arched windows that open onto a huge stone balcony with carved stone balustrade railing at the second floor foyer level. Below them are three deeply recessed wood and glass doors. Visitors to the Home once arrived by buggy, automobile, flivver (small inexpensive older car) or trolley. Events had to be concluded by 9:30 p.m.; that is when the facility gates were closed and the trolley ceased operation.

Vaudeville acts, light opera and plays were quite common. In 1912, George M. Cohan's “45 Minutes From Broadway” opened the season. Later, Bud Fisher's original “Mutt and Jeff” played there with a cast of 50 people. The June 13, 1912 musical production, “American Girl,” is purported to be the first production by a local dramatic group. Johnson City Dramatic Club participants included Angeline Ward, Leone Wagoner, Robert Lyle and T.B. Cook.

A popular showing between 1912 and 1917 was the Mark Sennett production of Keystone Cops, a slapstick police department spoof that featured distinguished actors Charlie Chaplin and Fatty Arbuckle. Tuesday and Thursday nights became movie nights, projecting such silent black and white films as “His Picture In The Papers” (1916, Douglas Fairbanks), “Hell’s Hinges” (1916, William S. Hart) and “Hearts of the World” (1918, Lillian Gish and Robert Harron).

Preceding each motion picture, the National Soldier’s Home band performed an overture for attendees and then supplied accompaniment for the silent film. Resident veterans were admitted free; family members were charged a nickel. In addition, the band gave a concert at the gazebo bandstand in the park overlooking beautiful Buffalo Mountain every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening and another one at Memorial Hall on Sunday night.

According to Funk: “About eight years ago, I discovered Memorial Hall. I thought it was beautiful and wanted to do something with it. A contract allows ETSU to lease and maintain the theatre for 35 years at no charge. 

“New curtains were purchased, interior painted, roof repaired and carpet replaced. We are in the process of redoing the dressing rooms. We hope to install heating and air-conditioning in the building to prevent further deterioration resulting from paint peeling and plaster cracking. We sell regular and box seats as part of a fund raising effort called “Remember our Vets.” Bobby said they currently rent the theatre to various groups to accumulate money for further restoration. Two years ago, they celebrated the 100thanniversary of the theatre.”

The university professor commented that the local city newspaper once reviewed performances at Memorial Hall, often quoting the older veterans such as this one known only as “Old Shorty”: “This play was mighty fine. The girls sang great, but they weren’t as pretty as the girls last time.”   

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There was a time when people suffered from “consumption,” now known as tuberculosis, a debilitating disease that often resulted in certain death for those afflicted.

I vividly recall when one of my childhood friend’s father was diagnosed with TB and was sent to a hospital in Greeneville, TN for a prolonged stay and treatment of the dreaded disease. Sadly, he never returned to his family. Affected people were once sequestered in stuffy rooms with closed windows and given cod-liver oil and cough medicine until death finally offered its relief.

It was not until 1873 that tuberculosis victims had any hope of surviving the malady. Dr. Edward Trudeau was cured of the illness by isolating himself in the remote Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. The doctor subsequently developed the first sanitariums that promoted a lifestyle change treatment. These special hospitals provided patients with a regimented treatment of fresh air, cold-water bathing, nourishing food, proper exercise and rest.

The facilities prescribed rigorous edicts for their patients to follow. Sufferers were kept outdoors all day and not permitted to sleep or sit in a hot room even for a few minutes. Sleeping quarters consisted of open porches, tents in the yard or indoor rooms with the windows fully open. This was enforced in both the sweltering heat of summer and the chilly air of winter. Patients were given extra layers of blankets, fur coats and woolen hoods to stay warm.

Thirty minutes of gentle exercise was administered twice daily; equally important was the need to get plenty of rest. Three full meals per day were served along with a supplemental snack of two raw eggs and two pints of milk served 2-3 hours after each meal. Wine, whisky, beer or tobacco products were absolutely forbidden.

Bathing was in the form of cold sponge baths or a plunge in a frigid body of water. TB sufferers were warned to cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing and to burn the tainted cloths afterward to prevent the spread of bacteria. A positive outlook on life was stressed, which was believed to help strengthen the body. Those inflicted were to look pleasant, act confidently and be cheerful.

Sanitarium treatments, while painfully slow and monotonous, seemed to work. Many patients began to exchange detrimental health for renewed vitality in their bodies. Of 1000 patients in the early stages of TB who sought treatment in a sanitarium, over 600 were cured, 200 others had their disease arrested and some of the remaining 200 were able to do light work. Revitalized patients began giving testimonials about the advantage of enduring the rigors of a sanitarium. Applicants for admission became so numerous that only about one person in 20 was able to secure a room.

Between 1890 and 1910, sanitariums were built in nearly all parts of the civilized world; in the United States alone, some $1.9 billion dollars were spent in erecting them. By 1910, the country had more than a half million people with tuberculosis and fewer than 200 sanitariums to handle them. This statistic forced patients to provide for their treatment at home, which was often not as effective unless they endured the same rigors required of them at a sanitarium.

Today, thanks to advances in medicine, tuberculosis can be cured using a battery of drugs specified by the treating physician. The once plentiful sprawling specialized TB hospitals around the country have mercifully long vanished from the scene. 

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The late Otto Burgner opened a memorable eatery about 1954 at 925 W. Market that he dubbed the Dutch Maid Drive-In. It quickly became a favorite of locals and handled the culinary needs of the area for 31 years.

 

I became a regular of the popular spot, driving my dad’s 1954 blue and white Chevy there. A cruise through its parking lot on Friday or Saturday evenings revealed a crowded parking lot full of 50s cars of every make and price. Those were the days of thirty-five cent hamburgers, dime soft drinks and dollar fried shrimp platters.

One notable food item on the menu was “Pizza Pie,” which Burgner is credited for pioneering for area restaurants. His “pie,” which he alleged to be the best tasting in the area, contained seven different cheeses. He also introduced the “Jumbo Burger,” while other restaurants were still dispensing small hamburgers.

Over time, the Dutch Maid ran the gamut from a popular teenage hangout to a well-liked senior adult morning gathering place. The end came at precisely 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 24, 1985. Demolition crews soon began methodically razing the once popular hangout to make room for another business.

Johnson City Press-Chronicle writers, Brad Jolly and Tina Hilton Chudina, covered in two separate articles the demise and destruction of the long-standing restaurant. The closing was a solemn occasion for Otto that brought back 31 years of mostly pleasant memories, which he related to Ms. Hilton in an interview shortly before the restaurant closed:

“Boys used to come and sit to watch girls and girls used to come and sit to watch boys. I’ve made a lot of friends here; it’s like losing part of the family. You just don’t walk out of a place like this without fond memories. Many married couples that come here today met here years ago. A lot of local doctors and lawyers that used to come here when they were kids now bring their families here. Times have certainly changed haven’t they? Competition was tough back then when there were several area restaurants that offered similar food such as the Dixie Drive-In, the Spot No. 1 and the Texas Steer Drive-In. I can remember when kids used to circle those three places. They had traffic blocked from here to the light at Market and Hillcrest streets. Business is still good, but the time has come for me to close.”

In latter years, the Dutch Maid’s hours were reduced to only breakfast and lunch. One of the trademarks of the place was the relaxed friendly atmosphere; people would eat breakfast there or just drink coffee and end up staying all morning.

 

Brad Jolly experienced the shock of seeing the rubble of the old restaurant: “I should have been prepared for it since we ran an article that it was going to happen. I just didn’t think it was going to be so soon. But Monday as I rode with a couple of colleagues to lunch, I saw the partially decimated Dutch Maid building. Bricks were scattered in the parking lot and gaping holes in the walls let harsh sunlight into the former dining room, the site of countless biscuit and gravy breakfasts and leisurely conversations. The unique décor with its wall-mounted stuffed fish and animals was now a mere memory. The loafers who used to kill time there over multiple cups of coffee were elsewhere, presumably wandering the city in a daze, cut loose from their familiar morning meeting ground.”

The Dutch Maid Drive-In became yet another trendy relic of yesteryear that appeared on the local scene, performed its job admirably and then quietly vanished, leaving behind only warm reminiscences. 

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I received correspondence from seven readers over the past several months whose cherished recollections of West Side School just keep flowing from their memories. Jim Crumley attended classes there in 1958-59 when Ms. Ewall was principal. His father also went there and had Mildred Taylor for his first grade teacher.

Jim recalled Miss Taylor's unique disciplinary techniques: “She would draw a circle with chalk in the corner of the room and place your nose close to the circle and advise you not to move your nose from the area. “She would grab you by the chin and shake it rapidly or take you by the lobe of the ear and lead you to wherever she thought you needed to be.”

Jim recalled that he had just completed the second grade when the school closed its doors. He feels the old structure’s demise was hastened by Ms. Thompson, the third grade teacher, who fell through the floor outside her classroom and broke her ankle. According to Jim, not all West Side School students were shipped to Henry Johnson; those who lived south of Lamont Street were dispatched to South Side.

Mildred Taylor lived in Jonesborough and rode the bus each school day to Johnson City. Jim remembers seeing her walk past his house on her way downtown to catch the bus. Carolyn Byrd Wilcox, who attended West Side School in 1953-59, also commented on Miss Taylor’s unusual punitive practices, saying that her discipline “took on a more ‘hands on’ approach.”

Jim Rhein wrote that his aunt, Maude Meek, and her daughter, Evelyn Ford, taught school at West Side for many years. Maude spoke favorably of the principal, Mr. Mahoney.  John Hughes spoke of Miss Meek, music teacher; Miss Tomlinson, third grade teacher who taught him to write in longhand (cursive); and Mrs. Sisk, fourth grade teacher who introduced him to Scripto blue ink and fountain pens. He said that Mrs. Martin served in the twofold role of sixth grade teacher and librarian, her library being situated in the back of her classroom.

Glenn Stroup related that his family moved to the Holston Apartments in 1940, and that he started attending West Side that fall in the second grade. He remembers Mr. Mahoney and three teachers: Martha Prator, Georgia Tomlinson and Carrie Lee Yoakley. “For those of us living in the Holston and other apartments along Main Street,” said Glenn, “it was easy to get to school – just dart across the street.”

He once was told to report to the principal's office immediately after school, causing him to worry all day about what he had done: “I was relieved to discover that Mr. Mahoney just wanted to know if my mother wanted to keep her large ferns in the school over the winter. Whew!” Glenn recalled classmate, Joe McClain, who later became a major league baseball player: “Almost every time he came up to bat, he knocked the ball across the street, leaving no doubt it was a home run.”

Terry Parsons was at the school between 1951 and 1957 and recollects when Mr. Mahoney rang the old bell in the mornings, signaling that it was time to get to school: “He let a few of us pull the big rope extending from the ceiling just outside the auditorium to ring the bell.”

An unidentified reader alleged that his father participated in a Halloween ritual at West Side by mischievously wrapping the school's bell clapper with rags to thwart the bell ringer. West Side School may have been deceased since 1961, but it still has a special place etched in the hearts of those who once walked its hallowed halls.   

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Press readers regularly tell me that they save Monday’s History/Heritage page. That is encouraging to those of us who inscribe these weekly articles because it indicates people’s love of olden times and their desire to personally archive it.

I saved an article written in 1986 by the late Tom Hodge concerning a 1921 Chamber of Commerce booklet, “Membership and Classified Directory.” Ted Thomas brought him the publication, which reads like a “Who’s Who of the city’s historied past.” In it, Johnson City was known as “The Switzerland of America.”

Chamber officers that year were S.R. Jennings, president; C.L. Marshall, vice president; and William G. Mathes, secretary-manager. Club directors were George T. Wofford, James A. Summers, H.D. Gump, Allen Harris, J.E. Brading, E.C. Lockett, Lee F. Miller, L.H. Shumate, J.W. Ring and B.W. Horner.

Members were assigned a job classification from a list of 150 groups. Oddly enough, only seven doctors were shown: Dr. H.M. Cass, Dr. Elmore Estes, Dr. Lee K. Gibson, Dr. E.M. Loyd, Dr. W.J. Matthews, Dr. John Gaines Moss and Dr. E.T. West. Other members included such names as A.H. Abernathy, W.A. Allison, T.F. Beckner, D.R. Beeson, C.L. Bolton, John P. Rhea, Guy L. Smith, Thad A. Cox, R.N. Dosser, W.T. Swoyer, George W. Hardin, Dan B. Wexler, Harry Faw, Bert Gump, L.D. Gump and George W. Keys.

The city limits encompassed 7.2 square miles containing a population of 12,442 residents. There were 22 miles of asphalt-paved roads, 50 miles of graded and macadamized streets, 60 miles of cement sidewalks and 22 miles of sewer line.

An impressive municipal building referred to as City Hall contained a large auditorium and a well-kept market house at the corner of Boone and W. Main streets. Two newspapers, the Chronicle (Guy Smith) and the Staff (Clyde Hodge and Munsey Slack) served as the city’s news media.

The booklet provided a colorful description of Johnson City and its environs: “Situated in Washington County, the third county from the extreme northeast corner of the state; at the head of the fertile Valley of East Tennessee; the Switzerland of America; among the foothills of, and in fact the gateway to, the Appalachians and almost midway between the Cumberland Mountains and the wonderful Blue Ridge …” Two highways were under construction that year: Memphis to Bristol (State Route 1) and Asheville-Moccasin Gap (U.S. 11E and 23).

The booklet declared Johnson City’s environment to be superior to that of nearby Asheville by having an equable climate without temperature extremes, yielding a mean summer temperature of 72 degrees and a mean winter one of 39. The city was described as “delightful, healthful and conducive to longevity and the joy of living.”

Johnson City also boasted of “a well-organized and splendid system of elementary and high schools with one superintendent, nine principals and 79 teachers.” It also bragged about its Normal School with a staff of 35 officers, teachers and assistants, an annual enrollment of 1300 students and an administrative cost of $490,000. Milligan College had a faculty of 14 and a student body of 142 at an investment of about $350,000.

The Chamber’s publication lastly identified four city hotels with a total of 185 rooms, said to be inadequate to meet the present requirements of the traveling public. Thanks to Ted and Tom’s efforts 22 years ago, we are privileged to again steal a look at the “Switzerland of America” of 1921. 

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Ms. Louise Bond Alley has a remarkable Civil War story relayed to her by her mother, Edith (Mrs. John) Bond that was passed down from Edith’s mother, Rebecca (Mrs. James) Clark and grandmother, Magdalena (Mrs. Abram) Sherfey.

In the mid 1800s, the Abram Sherfey family owned 300 acres of land along what is today identified as 282 Woodlyn Road in the east section of town. Railroad tracks bordered it on the front and Brush Creek at the back. Abram, a German immigrant, built a two-story house using hand-made brick after initially living on the property in a “soddy” (grass and dirt) house and log cabin. Magdalena rode the horse that tramped the brick before it was cut. 

Between 1862 and 1865, the couple altruistically turned their home into a makeshift Civil War hospital that served soldiers on both sides of the war. Louise attributed this bold move to her family’s anti-slavery belief and deep-rooted Church of the Brethren faith. The East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad played a significant role in the viability of a hospital in that locality. Before the war, it regularly stopped at the Sherfey farm for gratis wood and water.

During the war, train personnel dropped off critically wounded and sick soldiers and picked up recovered ones. Because the conflict, the train might roll by anytime during the day or night, daily or weekly. Keeping track repaired was an ongoing concern. The train’s mournful steam whistle wailing in the distance signaled the approach of the massive locomotive. If a recovered soldier was ready to board, a family member rushed him to the tracks and flagged down the train. 

The two-story house had four 18×18 feet rooms, two upstairs and two downstairs. Up to ten soldiers slept in each room on pallets on the floor. The downstairs had a kitchen and dining room where family members resided. A fireplace was along the back wall. Three porches, one on the front and one on the ends of the kitchen and dining rooms, were used to store and prepare food when the house became unduly crowded with soldiers.

A trapdoor in the kitchen floor near the fireplace was the only access to the dirt cellar. It was covered with a rug when not in use. Hams, bacon, dairy products and other items were stored there. Meat was first cured in the smokehouse and moved to the cellar. The family raised such provisions as garden vegetables and livestock and hunted wild game, obtaining additional supplies wherever it could be found. Grain was ground at local mills, such as nearby St. John’s Milling Co. 

One constant threat was roving renegades from both sides of the war stealing whatever supplies they could confiscate. When the peril became known, family members turned livestock loose and chased them into the woods for their protection. Water was arduously carried to the house from a nearby spring; large rain barrels accumulated runoff for washing purposes. Water was recurrently boiled in the fireplace to treat soldiers’ wounds and to wash and reuse soiled dressings.

When possible, Magdalena sent a letter to the family of each new arrival informing them of their loved one’s location and medical situation. Rebecca, about 9 or 10 at the time, penned letters for her mother utilizing her beautiful handwriting. Sometimes a note prompted a response from a family; often, it did not. Magdalena made use of an 1860 medicine book that is still in the family to prepare remedies for the soldiers. She made poultices, salves and syrups and grew her own herbs.

The family fed and cared for their welcomed guests’ medical needs, bathed them and washed their clothes. Children and adults from nearby farms and soldiers, who were well enough to assist, helped with the chores. Since death was an ever-present unwanted caller, Abram made and kept a supply of handmade pine or poplar coffins ready and buried the deceased in the orchard on the west side of the house, carefully identifying each grave. At war’s end, the government transported the remains to the states where the soldier had resided.

There was rarely any friction at the hospital even with soldiers from both sides of the conflict present. The men wanted to get well enough to return to their homes; for many, the war was over. The Sherfeys received no financial reimbursement from the Union or the Confederacy. The lone exception was an occasional supply of food sent to them from the government by train.

When the hostilities ended in 1865, food supplies had become even scarcer, especially salt and sugar. Salt cost $100 for a 50-lb. barrel and sugar was even more expensive. Payment for goods had to be made in gold coins because merchants would not accept anything else, especially confederate money. Magdalena left behind an old and fragile diary, held together by strings that recorded her 225 midwifery efforts between 1866 and 1873. Louise regularly made notes from stories her mother told her. 

In the 1970s, a family from Indiana located Louise and presented her with one of Magdalena Sherfey’s Civil War letters that had been sent to a soldier in their family. Unfortunately, the young man did not make it home alive. Moved by their gracious gesture, Ms. Alley insisted that the family keep it.

Edith Bond lived in the old historic house until she married in 1920. According to Louise: “She walked the railroad tracks from her home to the streetcar stop at Fairview and Broadway in Carnegie, a distance of three miles. She then hopped on a streetcar and rode to Science Hill High School downtown.

“Mother died in 1978, she said. “That old house played a long and pivotal role in our family’s history. Hopefully, a state historical marker will one day be placed at the site.” 

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