OMAR and the trolley

     

CLICK TO ENLARGE. Lower Front Street, Marietta OH 1947. From Pinterest.com.

Comedian George Carlin used to say that people or things he did not like should be "phased out," for example, people who attempt to harmonize the final refrain when singing Happy Birthday. He was not wishing people dead; it was just his amusing way of saying that certain things annoyed him. Changes in society regularly bring about transformation, and certain things become obsolete, and - you could say - are phased out. And something new is phased in.  

     Two focal points in this lower Front Street photo in 1947 were being phased out - the trolley and the sternwheel steamboat. Ironically both modes of transport - interurban electric railroads (think trolleys) and steamboats themselves wrought major changes in the 1800s and early 1900s. The interurbans connected hundreds of cities and towns, hauling freight and passengers. They were electric powered, lighter construction than regular railroads, more passenger-focused with frequent stops, and often ran on existing city streets. Our local system operated for nearly 50 years from Parkersburg to Marietta and northwest to Beverly. It ended shortly after this photo (maybe this was its final run), replaced by buses and automobiles.

     The steamboats revolutionized freight and passenger transport for industry in the 1800s. Dredging and lock and dam systems opened many rivers for steamboats – and for recreation. Both the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers have such improvements. But steam powered towboats like OMAR were being displaced by more powerful and cost efficient diesel powered towboats. Today, towboats and other carriers on inland waterways move 15% of total freight in the United States. The OMAR, named for the coal mining town Omar WV, was similar to the W P SNYDER JR boat moored at the Ohio River Museum. OMAR was "phased out" as a towboat pushing coal barges in 1961. But then, when most similar boats were scrapped, she began an amazing encore career as a museum and showboat. OMAR was enlarged and renamed RHODODENDRON for the West Virginia Centennial celebration on 1962-63. She moved to Clinton Iowa in 1966 and entertains audiences today as the CITY OF CLINTON Showboat Theater.

     What do you see in the photo? Hotel Lafayette is on the right, the Dime Savings Society clock on the left. Most of the cars shown are 1930s vintage. Automakers in 1947 were just starting to make new vehicles after WW II. Look at the paddle wheel on OMAR. It's not moving. Why? The barely visible rowboat at the shore gives a clue; crew members are transferring to or from the boat. They still do similar crew transfers between stops today.

The Flag Was Still There

     I was struck by comments of the 2026 Winter Olympics gold medalists. Their greatest emotional reaction came not at the moment of victory, but upon hearing the National Anthem played at the medal ceremony. It's then that Olympic medalists experience pride, emotion, gratitude, even relief. Betsy Mitchell, Marietta native who won gold and silver medals in swimming at the 1984 Olympics: “I felt a tremendous sense of pride at representing my hometown of Marietta, Ohio, and our country…I still can’t hear the national anthem without just sort of getting a tear in my eye.”  Gymnast Simone Biles: "When they raise the flag and play the anthem, that's when I get emotional (and) realize what I accomplished."  The Star Spangled Banner has a similar impact at other times, evoking feelings of patriotism and unity - such as after 9/11.

     Francis Scott Key experienced those powerful emotions when he peered through his telescope on September 14, 1814, and saw something he hadn't expected. The "star bangled banner" waved defiantly after the 25 hour bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British.  Key was in the right place at the right time. He had just negotiated with British Admiral George Cockburn on the British ship HMS Tonnant for the release of Dr. William Beanes, an elderly American non-combatant. After Beanes was freed, he and Key returned to an American ship where they witnessed the bombardment from a distance.

Remnant of flag from Fort McHenry that inspired the Star Bangled Banner. From History.com

     Francis Scott Key then wrote the lyrics. Note: there are four verses, not just the one we sing. He recorded his observations while on the ship then wrote complete verses soon after. The handwritten final draft of his song survives at the Maryland Historical Society. It has a human touch; he ran out of room on the page; the fourth verse is crowded in at the bottom. The lyrics were first published as a poem, "Defence of Fort M'Henry."

     Key's brother-in-law, who fought at Fort McHenry, put the lyrics to an existing melody, a common composer practice then. That existing melody, “The Anacreontic (say it fast) Song,” was sung at meetings of the Anacreontic Society, a popular late 1700s London gentlemen's club. It was named for 6th century B.C. Greek poet Anacreon whose songs celebrated women and wine. Society meetings featured musical performances from “the best performers in London,” drinking, and socializing. The Duchess of Devonshire created a hubbub within the club by attending (stealthily) one of the all-male gatherings - hidden behind a partition - to hear the beautiful music. Seems harmless enough. Apparently the word of her presence got out. Some song lyrics "not calculated for the entertainment of ladies" had to be sanitized, angering the vocalists. Members resigned. By 1792, "the society was dissolved." The organization died but the namesake melody lives on in our national anthem.

     The Fort McHenry flag? There were two, actually, sown by Mary Pickersgill in1813. One was a 17x25 ft. storm flag for inclement weather. It flew during the attack. The other was a huge 30x42 ft. garrison flag that was unfurled after the bombardment. Mary was assisted by four teenage girls. It took 7 weeks to complete the two flags. Each had 15 stars and 15 stripes for the 15 states at the time; Vermont and Kentucky had been admitted. The original large flag is displayed at the Smithsonian Institution.

     But wait. There were 19 states in 1814, so why were there just 15 Stars and Stripes on the Fort McHenry flag? Well, the American flag design was determined by Congress then. The Flag Act of 1794 specified the number 15 stars and 15 stripes because that’s how many states there were in 1794. But the law was not updated, so flags were still the same in 1814. The situation was corrected by the Flag Act of 1818. It specified what we see today: 13 stripes are set permanently for the original states, and stars are equal to the number of states (50 today), updated as new states join.

     Francis Scott Key’s poem went viral; soon the song version was published. It grew in popularity and was used for military ceremonies,  becoming the de facto national anthem in the late 1800s. Congress made it official in 1931. The British withdrew after the unsuccessful attack, not realizing they had unleashed a powerful symbol of American patriotism.

 

    

    

Schools and means of education shall forever be encouraged,” Ordinance of 1787

     Every settlement in Washington County provided schooling early on. Marietta started classes taught by Major Anselm Tupper in the winter of 1789-90. Joseph Barker: "Tupper had a genius & Capacity & taste for literary pursuits." The same Joseph Barker, master builder and businessman, also taught school in 1793-94 in Stone's Garrison at Belpre.  The first schools were often in private homes. A Mr. Curtis held classes in his barrel-making shop at The Point. Young Nancy Allison recalled the Campus Martius stockade school “ was kept every day of the week, both summer and winter." She also remembered that one teacher was too strict and beat one boy "mercilessly." The teacher was soon "turned out" by the parents. 

     Teachers were paid little. Schools were supported by residents, with limited funding from the Ohio Company. Teachers in Belpre earned $5 per month. Ephraim Cutler negotiated a detailed written contract with a teacher in Warren Township near Constitution OH at $25 per calendar quarter. Best laid plans: the teacher signed the contract but quit after a week. Dang.

     A typical schoolhouse in the early 1800s was a crude log structure with benches (no seatbacks!), a fire place (students near the fire roasted, those far away froze), puncheon floors, mud "chinking" between logs to keep out weather, a small window or two, and an outhouse. Shelves along the walls served as desks. All students were taught together, from age 5 to 18.

     Ephraim Cutler fought for free, universal education, as practiced in his native Massachusetts. He worked for years in the Ohio legislature to establish schools funded by property taxes. Finally, “An Act to Provide for the Support and Better Regulation of Common Schools" was passed in 1825. Cutler was exuberant; he compared the law’s passage to Simeon’s lifelong wait to see the Christ child in Luke 2:29. The law required that teachers be tested for qualification. Notice April 1, 1825: "...the following gentlemen were appointed Examiners for the County of Washington...William Slocomb, of Marietta, William P. Putnam, of Belpre. Anselm T. Nye. Esq. of Waterford.

Fort School (1890s - 1952), predecessor to Harmar School

     Each township was required to establish a school district. The Ohio State Journal urged compliance as "essential to the interests of the rising generation." Hundreds of community volunteers, many of them prominent citizens, became involved in schools. They held meetings, set up committees, debated best practices. In 1837, the Washington County School Association was founded for “promoting the interests of Common School Education.” They met semi-annually. Some examples of topics were "best methods of teaching reading and grammar; introduction of Vocal Music, Natural Science, and Science of Agriculture; Construction of School Houses.” At meetings "no speaker could occupy the floor more than 15 minutes at a time." They must have had long meetings.

            Located between Lowell and Beverly, Ohio

     Discipline was a frequent topic. One policy recommended that “…discipline be maintained by moral persuasion…corporal punishment (should be a last resort)". Teacher William Slocomb meted out severe punishments early in his career; later he advocated milder discipline. At one meeting, a former student mocked Slocomb’s change of heart. The student noted that trees near Slocomb’s school were barren of branches that he had cut for switches. Slocomb heard the comment; he retorted that he never knew whether students’ punishment was too much or too little, but in that student’s case - “either was a failure.”                 

     In 1849, a major step in Marietta was adoption of a “union plan,” which combined smaller districts (there were 5 in Marietta alone). This allowed introduction of graded schools (students grouped by grade level) and formation of a high school. Gradually similar changes were introduced in other townships. A Teachers Institute was established in 1851 to better train teachers; 104 teachers enrolled. Teachers learned the best teaching methods, subject knowledge, and morality. This was similar to continuing education programs today.

     We can be grateful for the energy and passion that so many devoted to better education.

 

   

Bitter Words: Civil War Feelings Split Families

      We talk about how divided our society and political discourse are today. Avoid discussing politics at family gatherings, we say; don't want to trigger an outburst from Aunt Edna or Cousin Eddie. This pales compared to the deep divisions during the Civil War: North vs South, Slave vs Free, States rights vs one Union. Virginia had seceded from the Union in 1861, yet western Virginia (present day West Virginia) residents mostly favored staying in the Union. Emotions often ran hot in border areas, including the Ohio Valley. Disagreements led to the breakdown of relationships between family members, friends, and neighbors. 

     Such was the case with the Hendersons of Henderson Hall in Wood County WV. George W. Henderson, builder of Henderson Hall Plantation, was a slave owner but an ardent Union supporter. He was a delegate at the First Wheeling Statehood Convention and active in forming the state of West Virginia.

Henderson Hall, Williamstown WV, founded 1836 by George W. Henderson and Elizabeth Tomlinson Henderson

     Letters from daughter Mary Henderson Beeson to her sister Margaret Henderson (Bartlett) reveal stress within the family. Mary was married to Benjamin Beeson, a prominent Parkersburg resident and Confederate sympathizer. He was jailed in the early part of the war for his vocal secessionist views. George's son, George Jr. was a passionate Union man, having served briefly in the Union Army at Camp Chase in Columbus before being discharged due to illness in the fall of 1862. Junior had railed against Mary and her husband for their successionist views, as the letters show. This letter from Mary to Margaret was written in August 1861:

"Dear Sister:

...We are all well but Ben he has been suffering with toothache. How are you all, why don't you write, you need not be offended at me because (brother) George so foolishly got angry. I hope you will not resent his imaginary insults, but he got so angry; no one meant to insult him.

We spoke in all kindness, but he so far forgot himself as to wish we were all dead. He wishes all secessionists dead and their children. I told him he includes me and my children and he said, well if we were such fools as to be secessionist...; but I forgive him, he knew not what he said.

I cannot resent such things though I can never forget them. I maintain the same feeling for you that I always did. We bear no enmity though there have been hard words & insinuations.

Ever yours, (Mary) P. Beeson"

     A second letter from Mary to Margaret a few weeks later concluded with these poignant words: "I have forgiven (my brother’s) cruel words but I do not want to see him. Time may wear off the edge of bitterness, but it is very hard for a sister to be told such bitter words by a brother whom she has nursed and tendered and dearly loved from his infancy, but I suppose loyalty now must supersede anything."

     Troop activity in Marietta-Parkersburg was intense. Union General McClellan recognized the importance of securing the Ohio River and B&O rail corridor running through West Virginia. Parkersburg was a key staging point because it was the terminus of the Northwestern Virginia Railroad connecting to the Baltimore and Ohio line at Grafton WV. That offered access to all of northern and western Virginia. Newly formed Ohio units crossed the Ohio River at various points. Many passed Henderson Hall Plantation on River Road. Family records indicate that troops bivouacked on the property and may have conducted drills there. 

     George Jr. was home for Christmas in December, 1862. He decorated the third-floor ballroom at Henderson Hall, writing to his father in Wheeling on December 18 that the family enjoyed a party and dancing in the ballroom. Three weeks later on January 5, George W. Henderson Jr. was dead – a victim of the typhoid fever that had stalked him for months. Due to extreme winter weather, no preacher was available; his father was forced to read the burial service for his own son. His death was a crushing blow. The family no longer used the ballroom that George Jr. had decorated. It’s doubtful that his passing healed the pain of his “bitter words” the year before. This was the story of a single family. Millions of others endured similar suffering during the Civil War.

Explosive Cyclogenesis and the Blizzard of 1950

     Pardon the weather-speak. I'm talking about the Thanksgiving Day Blizzard of 1950. It was a POWERFUL storm with snowfall, temperature, and wind records that still stand. Technically, it was a large extropical cyclone - think of a wintertime land-based hurricane. "Explosive cyclogenesis" means that the storm strengthened explosively and fast. The storm system created havoc throughout the eastern US: Crippling snow (Marietta 27 inches, Parkersburg 37 inches) from the Ohio Valley eastward, record low temperatures throughout the South (Miami FL 28 degrees), and 100+ mph winds in Northeastern states. The Weather Channel rated this storm 8th in the top ten storms of the entire 20th century with nearly $1 Billion damage in today's dollars. Here are a few stories, most from Roger Pickenpaugh’s fascinating book Buckeye Blizzard.

Blizzard street scene in Parkersburg WV. From Marietta Times, courtesy of Paul Borelli Collection

     Junior and Catherine Steele's wedding at Belpre almost didn't happen. Junior's nephew, the impromptu best man, drove him from Waverly WV. They stopped in Parkersburg to pick up the pastor and his daughter who had walked 3 miles to meet them. The daughter served as piano player and bridesmaid. The wedding trip was a slog through deep snow to their new apartment.

     Births and deaths did not wait. Clair Linton died near Little Hocking. Her grandson John Linton worked to clear the road on a bulldozer. The dozer broke down. A team of horses finished the job. The hearse was pulled by one tractor and followed by two more, just in case. An Ohio National Guard tank was dispatched in Cleveland to retrieve a corpse on someone's porch. The "corpse" came alive as the tank approached: the man, facing the massive gun, jumped up and fled.

     Arlene Ball lived near Dungannon, northeast of Beverly, Ohio and went into labor. They called Dr. Victor Whitacre's office, but baby Sharon arrived before he did. A neighbor bravely cut the umbilical cord with a sterilized pair of scissors. Dr. Whitacre had started for the Ball home, but his car died. He continued on foot at great personal risk, reaching Ball’s home after dark "looking like a snowman.” The next day the doctor acquired an army four-wheel drive jeep. Quite by accident he gave a ride to Ralph Hanson, Arlene's father. As the men traded storm stories, Ralph learned that his second grandchild had been born.

     Most people behaved well, but not always. 297 prison inmates were forced outside in Alabama when their prison camp caught fire. None escaped; it was too cold. Three prisoners in Fayetteville WV set for release begged to stay until the storm passed. The Sheriff "extended their sentence." Others were less charitable. Homeless people were denied access to a city’s open jail cells by an insensitive judge who refused to shelter “bums.” A group of volunteers worked to free a bus stuck in the snow, expecting a ride. The bus driver drove away, leaving the incredulous helpers stranded.

     Many stepped up to help. Marietta City Clerk Carroll Irvine was pressed into service operating a grader – a respite after answering many frantic phone calls at City Hall. It was not a respite. The grader hit a hidden obstacle in the street, throwing him into the cage and knocking him out. Former Mariettan Rich Price, then 15, and his father helped clear roads using a bulldozer from their quarry in Morgan County. That dozer “never shut down” for an entire week. Rich recalled that “people were sure glad to see that big yellow machine coming,” so they could get out for supplies and food.

     Despite blizzard conditions the Ohio State-Michigan football game, dubbed the Snow Bowl, was played in Columbus. It was a fiasco from the start. It took 2 hours to remove the frozen tarp from the field; fans were recruited to help and also to keep the lines and hash marks clear with brooms. Michigan won 9-3 on a safety and a fumble recovery in the end zone - despite never earning a single first down. OSU’s sole score was a 27-yard field goal; quite a feat since the kicker couldn’t see the goal post. In blinding snow, strategy was simple: avoid possession and force a turnover. There were a total of 45 punts in the game, sometimes on first or second downs. One Michigan player said the heroes of the game were punter Chuck Ortmann and center Carl Kreager who flawlessly made the long snaps to the punter “as though it was a normal day.”

Snow Bowl 1950, from Instagram

     There was chaos off the field, too. Toilets froze, Ortmann saw bonfires in the stands, and fans milled around the sidelines. Under-the-influence fans slid down the huge snow piles, some offered nips of whiskey to players. One fan got very close to the action. OSU receiver Tony Curcillo recalls being tackled on the Michigan sideline. He looked up to see a Wolverine player in a parka - cuddled up with his girlfriend. The crowd at the Shoe was light by normal standards. Some estimated that by the fourth quarter, there were fewer than 10,000 present. The smaller crowd meant that vacant premium seats were open to all. One attendee sitting in the end zone at kick-off moved to the 50 yard line and found plenty of empty seats. 

     Days later warm weather cleared the snow. Life went on. There would be many stories to tell grandchildren and anyone who would listen.