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A History Lesson Up Close

People my age and older often talk about their “bucket lists.” You know, that list of things they wish to accomplish or obtain before life’s last call. Recently my husband and I accomplished a common wish list item when we drove to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to take in the historic sites and learn more about the Battle of Gettysburg. It’s one thing to read about the Civil War and that famed battle in Gettysburg. It’s a whole lot more meaningful and memorable to stand on the same grounds where so many human lives were lost. The Battle of Gettysburg occurred over ...

Vampires Continue to Take a Bite Out of Collectors

Vampires remain a popular topic at Halloween. In fact, my 4-year-old grandson Angelo is looking forward to scaring his brothers and friends decked out as Dracula today rather than a current pop culture character. But the legend of Dracula has been around for a long time and of course, much of its on-going popularity began with Bram Stoker’s 1897 classic novel “Dracula.” It continues today with books and films that glamorize the spooky theme. Even Charles Schulz’ famous comic strip dog Snoopy has been pictured vampire style. But what if instead of fantasizing about ...

Baking Family Ties

After organizing my kitchen cabinets, I realized I have five pie pans. So when my sister Marilyn asked me the other day if I needed another pie plate, I just laughed. Ever since I was old enough to sift flour, I came to the conclusion that you have to have more pans than you need for a good reason. Our mom taught us that you never go to a picnic, visit a friend, or greet the new neighbor without taking a gift of food. Funeral home visits also meant taking along a plate of muffins or cookies for the bereaved family. Mom was big on breakfast breads or muffins that traveled well. At ...

Preserving People, Places And Pigs

The pigs are gone; the goats and chickens are no more as well. We had gotten accustomed to seeing the farm animals in their enclosure just off the road on short GC&P. We would pass their homestead many times a week on our way to and from our own country home. We would often marvel at the size of the pigs, noting how they had grown since last year. They had increased in size to the point of their bellies nearly dragging the ground. They enjoyed a good mud puddle and a rare, cool summer day in the grass. The goats provided some entertainment as they climbed atop boxes or milled ...

Fire Up The Kettle

Who would have thought that kettle corn could mean so much to so many? Apparently that large kettle over an open fire producing hundreds of bags of the sweet corn at Oglebayfest each year is one of the most popular attractions at the fall festival. And it’s just not the kettle corn people are clamoring for; there are other traditions that have taken on an especially significant meaning this year. Since 1978, people from the Ohio Valley and beyond have traversed the winding routes leading to Oglebay Park’s hilltop perch in Wheeling to enjoy the annual weekend autumn festival. It ...

Collectors Treasure Railroad Memorabilia

A few days ago, I was walking on the Wheeling Heritage Trail in Warwood with my daughter and her three sons. Two of the boys were on bikes and we followed with a stroller and her youngest son. We came to some side rails that remain in place and lead from the walking trail into a large parking lot. Naturally, my grandson Gabriel, 7, noticed the still visible train rails running through the parking lot that were used to take loaded trains off the main track and into the nearby factory. These rails actually lead right into the factory. I explained how we used to have train tracks ...