Graysville, Ohio late 1920's - 30's

As recalled by Delven W. Devore

I thought I should list some facts as I remember about Graysville, where I graduated in 1938.

Three stores were operating at that time as follows:

1. Booths, founded by Henry Booth and operated by his son J. Booth, who married Ethel Murphy Booth.

2. Halls, operated by Ollie Hall, once owned by Knowltons, who moved to New Matamoras and later by Tommy Christy. It burned and was across the highway from Booths.

3. Forakers, operated by Roscoe and Hila Foraker, with former owners being Catherine Fedorchak's father, sold to Harold King about 1946 and later to Dale and Pauline Williams.

Other establishments included:

-One drugstore, operated by Maywood Christy, featuring a warm peanut machine in the front.

-One barbershop, operated by George Decker, who married Dorothy Winland, later various barbers.

-One ice cream store, operated for a period of time by Harry Scott, featured a live monkey.

-One doctor, R. H. Latta, who married Ethel McHugh. His father was a doctor as well. Dr. Latta kept a record of births (home delivery) well over one hundred by the 30's, mine one of them.

-A funeral home, run by Chauncey Mann, and later by Errett Mobberly. Most viewings were in the home.

-One auto repair shop, run by various people, including Hupp, Craig, and later operated by Wick Gardner and Harry Sivard.

The Buckeye Pipeline office was located on the left as you entered from the north. They had piles of pipe (2 inch, mainly) wagons, horses and all the equipment necessary to carry the oil down each valley by gravity toward St. Marys, West Virginia. Every well was connected by tank to the pipeline.

Schools consisted of a two room elementary in Graysville and a high school built in 1928 that featured a basketball court with nine-foot baskets (low ceiling). One-room schools in the township closed about 1936 when an addition was added to the high school so all grades were housed in the one building, except the Rinard Mills two-room which closed later. Principals included Finch, Myron Harmon, Victor Salisbury, and Roy Miracle among others.

Churches during this time consisted of the Methodist and Church of Christ. Both churches still remain as of this writing in 2006. Other churches existed earlier, and I have a baptismal certificate of my grandfather's, given by the Mormon Church of Graysville.

Livery stables to house horses were in operation as this was the method of transporting goods to the area. Shoeing horses and repairing wagons were a part of the operation. In the 1920's automobiles came into use and the horse was forced out as tractors came into play.

The post office was operated by Ross Mann and the mail to Graysville was delivered from Woodsfield, and later from New Matamoras as well. For many years George Briggs served the route from Woodsfield by horse cart, then by Model T Ford, then a Model A Ford.

Telephone service existed with many party lines hooked up to a central switchboard in Graysville. There the attendant could switch from one party line to another. Margaret Adams operated the switch for many years. I am sure she knew all the good and bad things discussed over the line. Each party line had perhaps ten families on it, and they maintained the line and paid the operator at the switchboard. Of course you could listen in to calls on your party line, our call was one long ring, a short ring, and two long rings. We could call any of the people on our party line; we went through the switchboard to call others.

In summer we had a lighted outdoor horseshoe court, a baseball team, community get-togethers (social) and musical group get-togethers. Every spring brought the Huntington Players tent on the vacant lot by Dr. Latta s. Plays and programs were given in a large tent to large crowds. Fall brought the Farmer's Institute where vegetables, canned goods, and baked goods competed for prizes. Winter was basketball time and 1938 brought Graysville an undefeated team. I played Forward on this team.

When a couple married, we had a serenade. The community, especially the youth, would gather all kinds of noise-makers. The noise brought the couple out on the porch where it was expected they would treat the crowd to candy and so forth.