Looking Back: A Journey Through the Pages of the Keowee Courier with Feature Stories, Items from Ashton Hester’s “Observations & Meditations” Column, and Highlights for the Years 1966–1968

By John Ashton Hester

This book consists three sections: first, feature stories about various local area people and events taken from old issues of the Keowee Courier; second, items from an editorial-page column written by the book’s author, Ashton Hester, during a forty-four-year period from 1974 to 2017; and third, week-to-week highlights from the years 1966–1968. It is the author’s hope that these stories and commentaries will bring back some nostalgic memories for longtime residents and provide some historical insight for younger people and newcomers to the area. The Keowee Courier, founded in 1849, is upstate South Carolina’s second oldest newspaper—second only to the Abbeville County Press and Banner / Abbeville Medium, which was founded in 1844.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 4, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543454956

John Ashton Hester

Early in his career as a reporter, photographer, and editor for the Keowee Courier, ASHTON HESTER became fascinated by the volumes containing issues from past years of the paper, which was founded in 1849. He began compiling a weekly column containing news highlights from the corresponding dates 10, 20, 30, 40, etc., years ago. He first titled the column From the Past but eventually changed it to Looking Back, which is also the title of this book and six previous books which highlighted different years and contained different stories.

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Copyright © 2017 by John Ashton Hester.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2017915141

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-5434-5497-0

      Softcover      978-1-5434-5496-3

      eBook         978-1-5434-5495-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 10/04/2017

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Contents

I

Walhalla Rotary Club Completes Its 80th Year

Grandma’s Boarding House

Ralph Miller Was a Pioneer Radio-TV Businessman

Thomas Honored for ‘Save Stumphouse’ Efforts

Memories of Morgan’s Music and Appliances

Vietnamese Refugee Returns To Thank Church

Jack Returns For A Visit

Teaching Career Spans 64 Years, Still Going

WHS Class of 1950 Has Five-Year Reunion

WHS Class of 1950 Has 65-Year Reunion

Bus Driver Honored for Two Million Safe Miles

CCC Members Hold Reunion in 1982

CCC Members Hold Reunion in 1997

The Life of Billy Hunt, Court Crier

Man Had Same Mule about 40 Years

Old Well Contains Many Memories

Sloan’s Barber Shop Closing after 46 Years

Local Man, 72, Winning ‘Walking Horse’ Events

Jim Farmer Has Been in Scouting 37 Years

Joined Navy In 1961

Returned To Walhalla

New Stages Improve Travel to Highlands

Boone’s Creek Teacher Overcame Hardships

A Tribute to the Next-to-Last Man

D.H. Buck Crenshaw Recalls Law Career

Began Law Enforcement Career

Plans For Retirement

Mason DuPre was Oconee Creek’s ‘Post Office’

Hetrick Hosiery Mills Thrived Here in 1911

Personnel of Company

Parking Lot Dedicated to Dr. Delwin King

Dr. John Davis Honored upon Retirement

A Biographical Sketch

‘Cruising’ Stirred Emotions in 1987 Debate

Hundreds Honor Dr. Earle upon Retirement

Henrietta Brandt Gets Weather Service Award

The High And The Low

Walter Moore Honored by Former Employees

Dr. B.F. Sloan Served Area from 1900 to 1935

Two Local Area Women Have Been Olympians

Kathlyn Kelley High Jumped

Go-Kart Team Wins 105 Races in Two Years

Eulala Kelley Taught School 35 Years

Lady Wove Rug Using Just One Hand

Local Pilot Commutes 2,000 Miles to Work

Mish Barnett Was First Oconee County Agent

Postmaster from Same Family 100 Years

Blue Miller, the Christmas Tree Man

At Age 90, Billy Hunt Serves as ‘Court Crier’

Baptist Mission Thrived in Walhalla

II

A Pleasant Outing at the Tunnel

When the Cry of Fore Was Heard on Coffee Road

False Alarm Electrifies Short Street

The End of Something

The Right Decision

A Dual Escape?

The Last of Many

Textile Baseball Memories

Dream Becomes Reality

An Impromptu Study of Parking Violations

A Pair of 95’s

A Delegation-less County

Moment of Truth Nears

Behind the Gates?

Political Rumors

Future Mayors Ask Questions

First Stump Meeting Cool as the Weather

An Impromptu Sports Quiz

Hogging the Spotlight

Asking and Receiving

Understatement of the Week

Seasonable Hospitality

Oconee Schools Changing Computer Gurus

Students Return to the Auditorium of Their Grandparents

And We Didn’t Even Have To Fly Our Planes Up to Nova Scotia

A Good Swap in West Union

One Not Convinced

Patriotic Servers

Time Stands Still

A Democratic Dilemma

School Trustees Feel Left Out

A Lack of Job Security at the Tunnel

Measuring in Meters

Going After Voters

A Frightful Encounter

Salt and Pepper

Remembering the Charlie B Ranch Rock Concert of 1973

End of an Era; Shorty Shaver Passes On

Computer for Rent?

Just Following Orders

Council Tackles Small Problem

Noontime Showers Prevail

An Enjoyable Olympian Encounter

Recording the Play-by-Play

Fewer Pigeons, More Regulations

More Traffic Lights Sought

GOP Again Fizzles

Country Music Prevails

Not Your Everyday News Release

A Sad Day at Chicopee

All in a Day’s Work

A Surprising Mixture in the Christmas Parade

The Remarkable Col. R.T. Jaynes

A Childhood Memory of Col. R.T. Jaynes

Walhalla Night Generates Excitement

Streakers by a Landslide

Thar’s Gems Near That Thar Stadium!!!

The Hog Lady now The Fish Lady

Mechanization Prevails

Paradise Discovered?

Ooops!

Possible New Energy Source?

Stuck on 50

That’s the Way the Castle Crumbles

Color Changed by the Years

What’ll You Have?

Record Crowd Attends Council Meeting

Four Against One

Why Even Bother?

Failure to Communicate

Next Item, Please

Changing Hats

Hog Rally Pros and Cons

The Cars Arrived!

Passing through Oconee, Slowly but Sho’ly

Crowe vs. Cow

Subway Hopes Thwarted

Another Long One

First-Class Company Wants to Design Jail

Birds of a Different Feather

Local Ref Completes 50th Season

A Well-Deserved Honor

Avoiding the Heavy Traffic

Reconsidered Recognition

The Long Road to Pickett Post, There at Last!

A Former Local Sports Star Passes On

Less Chaos, More Order

Tempus Fugit!

The Origin of a Nickname

We’ll All Be Pretty Old by Then

Sheep Farm Project Drawing Near

Cyclists from Above

More Elbow Room at Keowee

A Worthwhile Historical Project

From O’er the Sea

Blue Knows Snow

East Elm Next?

A Change of Seasons

A Pair of Octogenarians

The 1,161 Names Dilemma

Old Glory at Night

The Mail Goes Through

A Simple Explanation

Ten-Four, Etc.

A Batty Problem Caused Disruption

Flowers, Etc., For Sale

Jaycees Pay Bill

A Lost Nighttime Convoy Meanders through Keowee Key

The $10 Million Came!

The Third Millennium Approaches

Our Last Pearl Harbor Survivor Is Gone

How to Say How

Netters vs. Batters

Speak Softly, Please

If You Lease It, They Will Come

International Night at the School Board Meeting

To Curb or not To Curb

The Race to the Register

A Reluctant Photographer

Confessions of a Reformed Shoplifter (Hoping the Statute of Limitations Has Expired)

The Night of Satchel and the Marlins

III

JANUARY 5, 1966

JANUARY 12, 1966

JANUARY 19, 1966

JANUARY 26, 1966

FEBRUARY 2, 1966

FEBRUARY 9, 1966

FEBRUARY 16, 1966

FEBRUARY 23, 1966

MARCH 2, 1966

MARCH 9, 1966

MARCH 16, 1966

MARCH 23, 1966

MARCH 30, 1966

APRIL 6, 1966

APRIL 13, 1966

APRIL 20, 1966

APRIL 27, 1966

MAY 4, 1966

MAY 11, 1966

MAY 18, 1966

MAY 25, 1966

JUNE 1, 1966

JUNE 8, 1966

JUNE 15, 1966

JUNE 22, 1966

JUNE 29, 1966

JULY 6, 1966

JULY 13, 1966

JULY 20, 1966

AUGUST 3, 1966

AUGUST 10, 1966

AUGUST 17, 1966

AUGUST 24, 1966

AUGUST 31, 1966

SEPTEMBER 7, 1966

SEPTEMBER 14, 1966

SEPTEMBER 21, 1966

SEPTEMBER 28, 1966

OCTOBER 5, 1966

OCTOBER 12, 1966

OCTOBER 19, 1966

OCTOBER 26, 1966

NOVEMBER 2, 1966

NOVEMBER 9, 1966

NOVEMBER 16, 1966

NOVEMBER 22, 1966

NOVEMBER 29, 1966

DECEMBER 7, 1966

DECEMBER 14, 1966

DECEMBER 21, 1966

DECEMBER 28, 1966

IV

JANUARY 4, 1967

JANUARY 11, 1967

JANUARY 18, 1967

JANUARY 25, 1967

FEBRUARY 1, 1967

FEBRUARY 8, 1967

FEBRUARY 15, 1967

FEBRUARY 22, 1967

MARCH 1, 1967

MARCH 8, 1967

MARCH 15, 1967

MARCH 22, 1967

MARCH 29, 1967

APRIL 5, 1967

APRIL 12, 1967

APRIL 19, 1967

APRIL 26, 1967

MAY 3, 1967

MAY 10, 1967

MAY 17, 1967

MAY 24, 1967

MAY 31, 1967

JUNE 7, 1967

JUNE 14, 1967

JUNE 21, 1967

JUNE 28, 1967

JULY 5, 1967

JULY 12, 1967

JULY 19, 1967

JULY 26, 1967

AUGUST 2, 1967

AUGUST 9, 1967

AUGUST 16, 1967

AUGUST 23, 1967

AUGUST 30, 1967

SEPTEMBER 6, 1967

SEPTEMBER 13, 1967

SEPTEMBER 20, 1967

SEPTEMBER 27, 1967

OCTOBER 4, 1967

OCTOBER 11, 1967

OCTOBER 18, 1967

OCTOBER 25, 1967

NOVEMBER 1, 1967

NOVEMBER 8, 1967

NOVEMBER 15, 1967

NOVEMBER 21, 1967

NOVEMBER 28, 1967

DECEMBER 6, 1967

DECEMBER 13, 1967

DECEMBER 20, 1967

DECEMBER 27, 1967

V

JANUARY 3, 1968

JANUARY 10, 1968

JANUARY 17, 1968

JANUARY 24, 1968

JANUARY 31, 1968

FEBRUARY 7, 1968

FEBRUARY 14, 1968

FEBRUARY 21, 1968

FEBRUARY 28, 1968

MARCH 6, 1968

MARCH 13, 1968

MARCH 20, 1968

MARCH 27, 1968

APRIL 3, 1968

APRIL 10, 1968

APRIL 17, 1968

APRIL 24, 1968

MAY 1, 1968

MAY 8, 1968

MAY 15, 1968

MAY 22, 1968

MAY 29, 1968

JUNE 5, 1968

JUNE 12, 1968

JUNE 19, 1968

JUNE 26, 1968

JULY 3, 1968

JULY 10, 1968

JULY 17, 1968

JULY 24, 1968

JULY 31, 1968

AUGUST 7, 1968

AUGUST 14, 1968

AUGUST 21, 1968

AUGUST 28, 1968

SEPTEMBER 4, 1968

SEPTEMBER 11, 1968

SEPTEMBER 18, 1968

SEPTEMBER 25, 1968

OCTOBER 2, 1968

OCTOBER 9, 1968

OCTOBER 16, 1968

OCTOBER 23, 1968

OCTOBER 30, 1968

NOVEMBER 6, 1968

NOVEMBER 13, 1968

NOVEMBER 20, 1968

NOVEMBER 27, 1968

DECEMBER 4, 1968

DECEMBER 11, 1968

DECEMBER 18, 1968

DECEMBER 23, 1968

I

This section of the book contains a collection of stories about people and events that have appeared in the Keowee Courier over the years. When I know who wrote the story, I have included that information.

Walhalla Rotary Club Completes Its ⁸⁰th Year

(This story was in the December 26, 2007 issue.)

The Walhalla Rotary Club, which is Walhalla’s oldest civic club, turned 80 years old on Nov. 29—the club having been organized on that date in 1927.

The first mention of a Rotary Club in the Keowee Courier was in the Nov. 23, 1927 issue, when the following article appeared:

Recently a gentleman was in Walhalla looking over the field here as to whether or not this good old town was a Rotary town. He spent several days here among our people, and after a careful survey of the situation he made an announcement of the fact that opportunity would be given the town to become a Rotary town.

The fact that the people are in the frame of mind required is attested by the action of citizens on learning that we could have a Rotary Club here. And Walhalla will have the distinction of being the smallest Rotary town in the State.

A Rotary Club cannot be formed with less than fifteen members, nor can the club be launched with more than twenty-five members. The start in Walhalla will be made with an even twenty members, that many having volunteered for the organization.

L.P. Hollis, president of the Greenville Rotary Club, will come here in a short while to perfect the organization. He will be accompanied by David Clark, governor general of this district, who will cooperate with him in the organization.

* * * * *

One week later, on Nov. 30, 1927, the Courier contained the following report:

The Rotary Club of Walhalla was organized yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon. Those who had previously signified their desire to become members assembled at Hotel Alexander at noon, where a Rotary lunch was served.

Immediately after the lunch, all went to the City Hall, where the organization was perfected. Fourteen of the twenty charter members were present, the others being unable to attend.

The following directors were chosen: James M. Moss, J.C. Neville, Dr. J.W. Bell, Dr. W.C. Craig, J.A. Steck, Broadus Thompson and S.H. Ballenger.

The directors then met and chose the following officers: president, Jas. M. Moss; vice president, J.A. Steck; secretary-treasurer, W.B. Bell; sergeant-at-arms, D.B. Darby.

* * * * *

In most years ending with a 7 thereafter, the Courier contained stories that the Rotary Club would be celebrating its anniversary. Following are some excerpts from those stories:

Dec. 2, 1937: The Walhalla Rotary Club will celebrate its tenth anniversary on next Wednesday night at the D.A.R. School. Rotarian Lewis Harrison will speak on Ten Years of Rotary in Walhalla.

Dec. 14, 1947: The Walhalla Rotary Club will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a gala program at the DAR School Thursday night. The club boasts one charter member, Ralph C. Carter, who has never missed a meeting in the 20 years the club has existed.

Dec. 13, 1967: The Walhalla Rotary Club will mark its 40th anniversary with a banquet at the Oconee Country Club Thursday night. The Walhalla High School Chorus, under direction of Miss Henrietta Brandt, will provide musical entertainment.

Nov. 9, 1977: The Walhalla Rotary Club, which was founded in 1927, will hold its Golden Anniversary Banquet Monday night at the Tamassee DAR School dining hall.

* * * * *

The last surviving charter member of the club was E.B. Stoudemire, who died on Nov. 25, 1987, just four days before the 60th anniversary of the club’s founding.

Grandma’s Boarding House

(This story was in the October 21, 1987 issue. It was written by Eulalee Puckhaber Lyle of Walhalla.)

When I recall my childhood, some of my most vivid memories revolve around my grandmother, Adlena Brandt Puckhaber, and her summer boarding house located in Walhalla on the corner of S. Tugaloo and Boundary streets. She was a widow and the boarding house was her means of support.

I especially remember summers during the late 1920’s. I was about 9 or 10 and was old enough to help her in small ways. We called her Grandma (the last syllable pronounced with an a as in mat). Her many nieces and nephews, however, called her Tanta Lena in deference to their German heritage.

Grandma’s house was a large two-story white-frame house with a porch across the front, upstairs and down. It had three bedrooms downstairs with a hall running from front to back. There was also a large living room, large dining room and fairly small kitchen. Upstairs were eight bedrooms with only one bathroom. Of course there was the customary outhouse which grandma called the water closet. The house was furnished comfortably by that day’s standards but not elegantly by any means.

There was no formal landscaping around the house but there were many large oak trees which gave good shade over the spacious, sandy yard, and we were allowed to play almost any place in the yard.

Most of the boarders came from Charleston. Many were friends or friends of friends. They came to spend their vacations in the cool mountain air where there were no mosquitoes. Many came by special excursion trains which the railroads sponsored several times during the summer. Some, however, had their own cars but usually when they got to Walhalla they didn’t expect to do much traveling. Regardless of the means of transportation it took nearly a whole day to make the 250-mile trip. On the return trip Grandma usually packed a picnic lunch for them to eat along the way, as restaurants were a long distance apart.

Some of the boarders came for a week but others stayed longer. For a week’s stay with room and three meals a day they paid $7.00 for adults and $3.00 for children.

Occasionally Grandma had as many as 20 boarders and she did most of the preparing and cooking by herself, cooking on a wood range. Sometimes an older niece or two would help when the crowd got too big. The meals were served family style at a long table. My family lived nearby, and sometimes it was my job, or pleasure, to help set the table for meals. This was often done immediately after the dishes from the previous meal had been finished. I would set the table by placing the plates upside down on the table to keep flies and dust from getting on them. The sugar bowls, salt and pepper, vinegar, etc. would be left on the table from one meal to the next, covered by a smaller table cloth. Each guest usually claimed his same place at the table and had his own napkin ring in order to be able to identify his napkin, as the napkins were used more than once. There were no paper napkins back in those days. I don’t remember how often the table linens were changed and laundered but I do remember that Grandma had a washhouse in the back yard. She did the laundry there, using a big copper pot to boil clothes in and other tubs for rinsing, etc.

Grandma had a Frigidaire. Owning an electric refrigerator was somewhat of a luxury in those days. The freezing department was very small—large enough for only two ice trays. The remainder of the cooling space was small too. Of course she also had a large oak ice box in which a big chunk of ice was placed. The ice man delivered it every other day. There was a drip pan under the ice box to catch the melted ice. If we forgot to empty it there would be a puddle on the floor and sometimes a scolding from our grandmother. However, as I recall, those scoldings or any other punishment was very rare.

In case both refrigerators were full, the milk or butter could be kept cool by putting them in a bucket and lowering them into the well. This well was conveniently located on the porch and although Grandma had city water the boarders enjoyed the novelty of getting a cool drink of water out of the well. Usually there was a dipper hanging beside the well and nobody seemed to mind drinking after one another. The cool mountain water tasted good just the same.

The folks were called to meals by a big hand-rung dinner bell. I loved it when I was around to get to ring the bell.

Most of the vegetables she served were raised by her in her garden located next to the house. However, she had to buy flour, coffee, tea, sugar, etc. I really don’t ever remember her going grocery shopping. Usually she phoned in her order and it was delivered from the store on a one-horse wagon.

It was always a treat when some of the boarders brought their children or grandchildren. We had very few neighbors in those days and it was good to have playmates. Of course most of these were city children and in my country eyes I thought there was something special about them. I envied their fancy clothes and shoes. My sisters and I usually went barefooted in the summer. Some of these children had even taken dancing lessons or gymnastics and had ridden trolley cars and had other city experiences, and although I had visited my other grandparents in Charleston, I didn’t know much about city life. It made me feel a little inferior at times. Nevertheless it was fun having new playmates.

Usually all the people took naps after dinner, the noon meal, and then dressed for the afternoon. As I think back now I wonder how they could sleep on those hot summer afternoons without airconditioning and fans. I do remember them sitting on the porch fanning themselves with their fancy fans.

I’m afraid these days that a vacation such as that at the boarding house would indeed be too dull. There was no radio or television of course but there was a small movie theater in town with silent films. Mostly, however, they spent the afternoons and evenings entertaining themselves by playing cards, reading or just talking. Sometimes they listened to the