The ALEXANDRIA PAPERS #7

VICKY'S TEETH

I particularly like a series of books I keep on my shelf...  There Will Be War edited by Jerry Pournelle.  This is also the label on the notebooks in which I keep my notes and lectures for the Cleves-Juelich Succession Crisis and Twentieth Century military history beginning with the Franco-Prussian War.  One of those lectures is on the politics that set the stage for the Assassination in Sarajevo of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and lit the Twentieth Century on fire...  I, lacking a better idea, got descriptive and called the lecture "Vicky's Kids."  This collection of paragraphs is about her teeth.

Vicky... Victoria Regina or, Her Royal Highness Victoria, By the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India... had bad teeth.  Bad teeth seem to be a British thing, at least if Monty Python has any credibility.  Here is where the personal connection comes in.

When my wife and I were undergrads at the Ohio State University's Main Campus, my classes were somewhere around 12th and 17th Avenues.  Hers were south of the hospital.  We would meet for lunch on South Campus and, depending on the weather, sometimes I would attend her afternoon Anatomy and Physiology lecture with her.  I confess, the most useful thing I learned in her lecture was that a lower-case "c" with a bar over it was medical shorthand for "with."  My wife's lecture was in the huge auditorium in the School of Dentistry.  I have literally walked by the statue of Willoughby Dayton Miller over a hundred times.  In a fit of irony, the University of *ichigan also has a statue of Willoughby Dayton Miller.

Willoughby grew up on his father's farm along the north side of Hardscrabble Road on Lot 15 in Liberty Township.  This is approximately where the Stiers farm is today.  Willoughby was the youngest of eleven children.  About half of his older siblings had unnaturally short lives.  Willoughby did not do so much better, thanks to appendicitis.

I would not attempt to recount the esteemed Doctor's biography, please use your mad Google skills.  I just want to say four things,

• Dr. Miller wrote The Micro-organisms of the Human Mouth.  Today, it is considered foundational in modern dentistry and the primer on dental cavities.
• Dr. Miller worked on the teeth of many crowned heads of Europe.  Although ostensibly the Court Dentist of Prussia, the King of Prussia was Vicky's son.  Dr. Miller attended Vicky's cavities.
• Dr. Miller never forgot Alexandria and Alexandria never forgot Dr. Miller.  The names Willoughby, Dayton, or Miller were used in various combinations in the Bishop, Brooks, and Cady families, as well as others I may not have seen.
• Willoughby Dayton Miller is buried in our Maple Grove and is the only headstone in the shape of a cross.

When I was stationed in Germany, there were times when it seemed like we lived on the edge of a straight razor.  Tactical nukes, a lifespan that could have been measured in minutes and hours if the Cold War went hot.  Fears over whether my wife could get herself and my daughters to France in time, if that even mattered. Mom got me a subscription to The Johnstown Independant.  By the time I got it, it was old news, but still news to me.  I never forgot Alexandria.  Neither did Willoughby.

While it is tempting to say that W. D. Miller is Alexandria's greatest son, as I go through Alexandria's citizenry, so many have done so much who have called Alexandria home.

The ALEXANDRIA PAPERS #6

D O   N O T   P I C K   M E   F O R   B A S K E T B A L L

I do not run anywhere.  Those days are past.  I do not shoot well.  Never did.

There used to be a number of small high schools in Licking County that are no more.  There was Union High School along State Route 37 between Granville and Luray at little known Union Station.  A distant relative of mine helped plan this school and sat on the board.  This was a rural high school for people who did not go to Granville, Hebron, or Pataskala High School.  This school disappeared when Granville absorbed outlying areas, when Pataskala consolidated with Etna and became Watkins Memorial, and when Hebron took in southeastern Licking County to become first Lynnwood, then Lakewood.  Just a few miles away along Route 40, Kirkersville High School was renamed Harrison Township High School around 1940 before consolidation with Watkins Memorial about 15 years later.

In 1938, the Licking County League looked like this:  Alexandria, Etna, Granville, Hanover-Toboso, Hartford, Hebron, Homer, Jacksontown, Johnstown, Kirkersville, Pataskala, Summit, and Utica.

Then, there was what I call the Classic Licking County League: Utica, Northridge, Johnstown, Licking Heights, Watkins Memorial, Lakewood, Licking Valley, Granville (Exempted), and Newark Catholic.  That is how I remember it in the 1970s.  But for a brief moment, two years, I was able to enjoy the past.  I was an Alexandria Red Devil.  The junior high schools kept their pre-consolidation community identities.

Consolidation was painful for some.  The first graduation class from Northridge did not necessarily identify as Vikings.  One person in particular was upset that after three-and-one-half years in Alexandria High School, the remaining time meant their diploma would say Northridge, not Alexandria.  But Northridge was a consolidation of consolidations.  Before Northridge was Northridge North (Hartford and Homer) and Northridge South (Alexandria).  I suspect that for all the consolidations, there are similar stories.

I was a Red Devil.  I shared a past with many community leaders I knew.  Alexandria played six-man football.  I played outdoor sports on the Red Devils football field.  When former Alexandria resident and teacher Helen Irwin Cunningham shared some ticklish stories about shenanigans at that football field, I knew exactly where she was talking about.

The 1954 Lickingana (Licking County High School Yearbook) lists these schools:   Alexandria, Pataskala, Homer, Hanover-Toboso, Summit Station, Jacksontown, Hebron, Kirkersville, Johnstown-Monroe, Utica, Etna, and Hartford.

Alexandria "Red Devils" (Red and Black) - became Northridge South (1960), then consolidated with Northridge North (Croton and Homer) into Northridge (1963)

Etna "Eagles" (Green and White) - consolidated into Watkins Memorial (1955).

Hanover "Panthers" (Maroon and White) - renamed Hanover-Toboso 1934, consolidated into Licking Valley (1959).

Hartford "Yellow Jackets" (Orange and Black) - consolidated into Northridge North (1960), consolidated into Northridge (1963).

Hebron "Trailblazers" (Blue and Gray) - consolidated into Lynnwood-Jacksontown  (1958), consolidated into Lakewood (1960).

Homer "Blue Devils" (Blue and Gold) - renamed Northridge North 1960, consolidated into Northride (1963).

Jacksontown "Trojans" (Red and White) - consolidated into Lynnwood-Jacksontown  (1958), consolidated into Lakewood (1960).

Johnstown "Johnnies" (Red and White) - at some point, became Johnstown-Monroe.

Kirkersville "Komets" (Red and White) - consolidated into Watkins Memorial (1955).

Pataskala "Blue Streaks" (Blue and White) - consolidated into Watkins Memorial (1955).

St. Francis "Green Wave" (Green and White) - later changed to Newark Catholic.  [Found on 1950s era Alexandria Sports Schedules - TEB]

Summit (Summit Station) "Yellow Jackets" Maroon and Gold - consolidated with Jersey to form Licking Heights (1958).

Toboso - consolidated into Hanover-Toboso (1934).

Utica "Redskins" (Red and White).

Today's Licking County League is a different entity than this poor Red Devil remembers.  The following list comes from Wikipedia with team name, dates of inclusion, and colors:

Big School Division

Granville Blue Aces (1927-1950, 1963-1991, 2013-) Colors: Blue and White

Zanesville Blue Devils (2020-) Colors: Blue and White

Licking Heights Hornets (1927-1983, 2013-) Colors: Maroon and Gold

Licking Valley Panthers (1959-1991, 2013-) Colors: Red, White and Blue

Watkins Memorial Warriors (1955-1991, 2013-) Colors: Black and Gold

Small School Division

Heath Bulldogs (1964-1991, 2013-) Colors: Brown and White

Johnstown-Monroe Johnnies (1927-1991, 2013-) Colors: Red and White

Lakewood Lancers (1959-1991, 2013-) Colors: Red, White and Blue

Newark Catholic Green Wave (1973-1991, 2013-) Colors: Green and White

Northridge Vikings (1963-1986, 2013-) Colors: Green and White

Utica Redskins (1927-1991, 2013-) Colors: Red and Gray

Somewhere is the Red Devil that was center court in the 1954 gym before it was replaced by a Viking.  I may no good at basketball, but it would be nice to revisit this old icon.

ADDENDUM:

Union Township High School graduated classes into the 1940s. However, I have not fully researched their participation in the Licking County League.

At various times, Utica High School appears as Washington (Township) High School or Washington-Utica High School.

The ALEXANDRIA PAPERS #1

T H E   E P W O R T H   L E A G U E

A N D   T H E   C O O K   G A N G

John Wesley, the man who changed American Episcopalian belief from old Anglican ways, through Wesley's paradigm called Methodism, to today's Methodist Episcopal Church.  Although there seems to be a political schism afoot today, Wesley's Methodism held sway for over a century.  Wesley was born in Epworth, northwest of Lincoln, England.  This is the origin of the name Epworth League.

The Epworth League was established within the Methodist Episcopal Church as a sort of Boy Scout organization.  Since the Boy Scouts were not founded until 1910, the Epworth League filled a niche.  Alexandria had a chapter of the Epworth League.  The basic tenets were founded in the following areas: Spiritual Life, Social Work, Literary Work, Correspondence, Mercy and Help, and Finance.

Two Alexandia men were involved with the Epworth League: Professors O. (Oliver) C. Larason, Superintendent of Schools, and Lawrence Irwin Mathematics teacher.  This is a bit perplexing; Lawrence Irwin was a Baptist.  On December 20, 1894, the Christmas Tree ceremony in Alexandria was held by the Methodist Church with a social afterwards hosted by the Epworth League for a 10-cent ticket.

Let's briefly look back at the Epworth League in California.  The California State Legislature passed the Organic Act on March 23, 1868.  This instituted the California University system "in order to devote to the largest purposes of education the benefaction made to the State" by the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act. The act stated:

[I]n order to fulfil the requirements of the said Act of Congress, all able-bodied male students at the University, whether pursuing full or partial courses in any college, or as students at large, shall receive instruction and discipline in military tactics in such manner and to such extent as the Regents shall prescribe, the requisite arms for which shall be furnished by the State.

On September 15, 1931, the Board of Regents promulgated an order requiring students to take the course in military science and tactics in the Reserve Officers Training Corps as prescribed by the War Department.  A group of students filed a lawsuit against the university which ended up being heard in the Supreme Court as Hamilton, et al. v. Regents of the University of California, et al.  Hamilton, et. al. lost.  

Meanwhile, Christmas has just past in 1894, with reportage on the Epworth League and Christmas festivities.  The Johnstown Independant makes another report about the Cash Gang on Thursday, December 27th, (Christmas was on Tuesday)

The noted Cook gang of the "wild and wooly West," arrived in town [Alexandria] Monday evening and amused themselves in shooting revolvers in a haphazard way in the streets. [...] The gang composed of Col. Hubbard, Capt. Beaumont, and Irwin [...decided] to pay Buxton and Van Ness a call.

The Johnstown Independant, December 27, 1894, page 4

The article goes further in saying that the author has no reason to offer for the incorporation of Alexandria, that Mayor Ladd only makes "stylish laws," and that the people of Alexandria should elect officials with fortitude.  Further, George Cash, assaulted by the Cook gang, swore out a warrant before the mayor.  Hubbard can be identified as Harry Earl Hubbard (1874 to 1937), while Beaumont and Irwin's identities are difficult to define.

The following week's Independant (January 3, 1895) states tha on Wednesday, January 2, Harry Hubbard was found guilty of assault and was fined $8 in Mayor's Court.  Additionally, Hubbard pled guilty to drunk and disorderly conduct as well as firing a weapon in town and fined $2.  Hubbard's cohorts also pled to drunk and disorderly with weapons and each fined $3.  They were assessed costs and promised to do better in the future.

They Alexandria news in this edition of The Independant concludes with a special event to be held on Sunday evening by the Epworth League with papers, songs, readings, and a special address by Professor O. C. Larason.

Perhaps the title A Tale of Two Cities might be appropriate here.  On one hand, we have the history in town of a religious oriented towards wholly good practices and on the other hand, a gang of 20-something-year-olds shooting up the town on Christmas Eve 1894.  Alexandria is on the verge of major change.  A new Century is approaching.  Changes are coming.  Some people seem to need help coping with change... or perhaps the status quo.

The ALEXANDRIA PAPERS #2

O L D   D A Y S   -or-   S U R V I V I N G   T H E   6 0s

I never meant to do it. I started my own business...

Dad thought that Lawnboy mowers were the best, at least until he got a part-time job at Sears. Employee discounts are important. Accordingly, every other week or so, as needed, Dad would give me a quarter (yes, I literally mean twenty-five cents) to fill the one-gallon gas can and make sure I brought home the change! I dutifully grabbed the can and walked past my neighbors, Ed and Gene Maxwell, often sitting on the front porch, to the gas station where Burt Burgoon would pump a gallon of gas and I would walk home with a full can of gas, a nickel, and a penny. Eventually, I would mow a few of yards in Alexandria.

My regret was not stopping to ask Ed Maxwell to tell me more. Let's go back to World War I (1914-1918) to find out why.

The US Air Force renamed Lockbourne Air Force Base after local legend Eddie "Cap'n Eddie" Rickenbacker. This is, in my opinion, right. Mott's Military Museum in Grove Port has a copy of Cap'n Eddie's house on the grounds. Warren Mott was also able to procure a surplus radar scope that I used when I was a US Air Force Captain to run NORAD's Southeast Sector, but I digress. Please support Mott's Military Museum, even if you just visit there. You will find Arnold Schwartzenegger's tank there from when he served in the Austrian army. But I digress...

After Rickenbacher's experience in World War I came to an end, Cap'n Eddie still felt the need, the need for speed. To race fast, he needed an ace engine mechanic. Somehow, he hooked up with Ed Lehman. I really wish I knew more. When I ran a Bob Evan's Restaurant, I met Rickenbacher's biographer when he stopped by for dinner on his way home from Indianapolis. But I digress...

Meanwhile, and I haven't looked up the dates, Ed Lehman married Miss Mary Maxwell, sister of Ed Maxwell, my neighbor. To be sure, I was a fan of the family. Ed and Mary's father, Bruce Maxwell, kept beehives on the back of Ed Lehman's property - he was an older widower and lived with Ed and Mary next to Ollie May Parker. Mary took good care of Ollie Mae in her years. Neighbors take care of neighbors. I recall many, many times seeing Bruce Maxwell all suited up to collect honey. Bruce's honey was clover-rich and delicious, but the comb (Mom used the comb to chew instead of chewing gum) was also a real treat. Thank you, Mr. Maxwell.

Cap'n Eddie (sorry, so many Eds in this story) bought 'The Brickyard.' Today we know it better as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indianapolis 500. Cap'n Eddie needed his engines to perform at their peak, and Ed Lehman was Cap'n Eddie's man. I wish I had asked Ed Lehman more about this. Ed was a dear friend, but we never went beyond more than trivial conversation. I also knew all Ed had to do was listen to the engine idle and he could diagnose by sound. Meanwhile, his brother-in-law wanted to make sure your engine oil had been changed. I don't ever forget, thank you Ed. After the Eds sold the gas station, Ed Lehman went to work for Kenney Chevrolet and sold Dad a 1965 Malibu, which I wish I still had. Okay, it was four-door with a 350 automatic... but I digress.

As late as 1910, there was a creamery in Alexandria across from where CR 21 (Northridge Road... um, Appleton Road in my generation) ended at SR 37 (Main Street). At some point it became a gas station owned by Ed Lehman and Ed Maxwell. There's a whole another article coming on the gas stations and cars of Alexandria, but I digress...

Yeah, I don't remember that personally. I missed my chance by not asking. Sorry Ed. By the time I was sent to buy gas, the station was owned by Homer Harper, known among us kids as a great place to get STP stickers for our bikes. Besides, by then I had yards to mow...

An additional connection. Tony Hulman bought the Indy from Cap'n Eddie. I have good memories of Tony Hulman. Tony also owned WTHI, Terre Haute's first TV station. As a child, I eagerly waited to 10 AM when they would air episodes of Space Angel on my favorite TV station, WTHI, Channel 10 in Terre Haute, Indiana. Thank you, Tony...

D O N' T   C A L L   T H E M   'F A I L E D'

The St. Albans area is often called 'Alexandria and St. Albans Township.' Just look at one of our Fire Trucks. If it says so on the Fire Truck... well, Fire Truck don't lie. When I grew up in town, that was fine. But now, it gives me pause.

There were communities here that never really happened. They were not failures, they were necessities. From the earliest days, neighbors relied on neighbors. They were communities formed by social groups and relations. Here's my list,

Hardscrabble - a loosely and vaguely related group of farmers in the vicinity of Hardscrabble and Battee Roads. They had a schoolhouse and a church, but Hardscrabble was never geared towards becoming an incorporated village. It relied on trade and agriculture. Hardscrabble had no restaurant, hotel, or hardware store. People in Hardscrabble had to rely on nearby Clemons Station or the villages of Alexandria or Granville for goods and wares. People from Hardscrabble have fond memories of life there.

Ash - Perry Wintermute opened a general store in 1879 at the intersection of SR 310 and Morse Road. This land is now largely owned by Lynd's Fruit Farm. Ash's structures were lost to an accidental fire and to the Ohio Department of Transportation when they increased the intersection and added turn lanes. Soon, Wintermute asked for a post office and Ash opened one with Wintermute as the first postmaster of 43002. (Zip codes are alphabetically ordered.) Mail was dropped off from Pataskala as the courier travelled to Jersey. There was no rural delivery, so local farmers would make their way to Wintermute's to pick up mail, goods, or gossip. Ash once had a successful baseball team - "The Corn Fielders."

Scott's Corners - was once located at the intersection where the south ramps to SR 161 accept traffic from SR 37. (SR 161 West exit-ramp to SR 37 and SR 37 on-ramp to SR 161 West.) Older drivers will recall that the Captain Scott House once squarely stood on the northwest corner there. In addition, the first still in the area was at Scott's Corners, as was a school which doubled as a church. A watch factory was there, though it did last long. Other concerns have made brief appearances at Scott's Corners.

Scott's Corners was named after Captain J. M. Scott, whose family came through Washington County, Pennsylvania, and eventually settled in Utica. Scott was an avowed Abolitionist and friend of Senator John Sherman, brother of General William T. Sherman. Senator Sherman held Abolitionist rallies in the basement of the old Baptist Church, no doubt attended by Scott. Scott went on to recruit and command Company B, 76th Ohio Voluntary Infantry. His tenure as an officer was short when he disagreed with his commanders over the assignment of his Lieutenants. Scott would go on to be prominent in the local Prohibitionist movement and eventually moved to Granville in 1909, where he passed away in 1919.

Clemon's Station - Clemon's was never intended as a community, but the area became a place known to all. When the Toledo & Ohio Central finally ran tracks from Hartford (Croton), through Johnstown, Alexandria, and on to Granville and Central City, they needed a place for water, coal, and a place to bed down employees. Clemon's allowed people a convenient place to send telegrams. Presumably, they could get their Sears order delivered there. (Central City is on Cherry Valley Road where the Market Basket is located, shortly before Main Street on Newark's far west side.

Blood Hill - Originally, the road we now know as SR 37 went straight. Just take a look at the electric poles as you get near Baker's Acres. The intersection was, in the past, located where Duncan Plains Road takes a hard turn to the west. In the early 1800s, three settlers built cabins there. One was a tavern; another was allegedly a house of 'ill repute.' Fradrick Blood (yes, I spelled it correctly) bought the land and opened up a farm to support his main desire - a tavern. With the log cabins vacated, a school opened here. When Blood built his frame tavern, his old cabin became the schoolhouse. The area served as a central gathering spot and a destination for groups as far away as Newark.

This is not an exhaustive list. Ed Maxwell could give you a better one. Sadly, he has passed away. According to Ed (and I trust his memory), every major or popular intersection had a name associated with a well-known property holder. For example, there was Hazelton's Corners and Brooks' Corners. These communities are still there but they seem to be drive-by locations, not destinations.

There was a community named Beech. The homes have been bulldozed. The only remnant of the community is Beech Road. Now, it is a server farm for large, internet corporations. This was once a homeplace to the Fisher family of Alexandria fame. It is now a road. Please, remember our past.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I recall when Les Wexner bought New Albany. Things here in St. Albans went crazy as the township developed minimum lot sizes and frontages. As I write this, Intell has purchased a vast majority of Jersey Township and it has become 'New Albany.' Realtors and developers drive by my house daily. Residents of Johnstown fear they will lose their community. I cannot say their fears are unrealistic. Please save our heritage and please support out township trustees as they struggle to preserve our identity.

The ALEXANDRIA PAPERS #3

G O O D B Y E,   A L E X   H I G H

The other day, I experienced a feeling of dread as I scrolled past a headline that began with "Northr." Having sat through many a football game, my mind filled in the rest. N-O-R--T-H-R--I-D-G-E, LET'S GO! I always thought that was a bit quirky until I went to see my cheerleader daughter at Reynoldsburg when they traveled to Pickerington North. A Spelling Bee broke out that night.

My experience has usually been that Northridge is not a headline you see often - or want to see. But I knew it would happen. Alexandria will tear down another school.

Sometime around 1900, Alexandria built a schoolhouse that consolidated several one-room schoolhouses in the township. Things went quite well. Local teachers taught local children in a local school. Neighbors are neighbors are neighbors. There are so many names to parade in front of you - of teachers and principals - that I fear I would leave one out. Please comment.

Perhaps the most iconic feature to me was the Red Devil in the center court in the gym. There were some who used "Devil" synonymously with the Biblical Satan, or in Hebrew "Nakash." Perhaps a better name? Well, although I eat Devilled Ham, I refuse to eat Devilled Eggs. It is not because I believe these foods are Satanic, it's just because the word "devil" has more than one definition. And please, I do not like eggs, don't offer. I was also pleased to find out that several decades ago, the Newsletter/Student Paper was called "The Checkerboard" for the Red and Black.

I have so many memories invested in those rooms and teachers at Alexandria School. It tears me that those memories will lose their substance. I could walk here in the school and tell you what happened. Hopefully, I will be allowed to take home a brick.

Yes, there are economics to consider. But there is a community to consider. I still have questions.

Mitch Lynd can tell you tales of Alexandria in the 1950s. Bob Fisher, Beck Shaw, Betty Icenhouer, John Hankinson, and John Brooks, plus so many others, could fill in more details. Helen Irwin Cunningham - who was Dr. Fred Nichols 6th grade teacher - has left me with stories of hi-jinks involving the outhouse during football games behind the school.

Honestly, I don't know what to believe, think. or feel. The school board has been told to hang on to the property because -- reasons. Alexandria has had a poor record when it comes to municipality - the burnt Town Hall was never rebuilt. The bricks were repurposed as homes. So was Alexandria's first schoolhouse - on the northwest corner of SR 37 and CR 21 Northridge Road sits a house made of the foundation stones of Alexandria's first school.

Today it is hard to find a teacher who lives in the community where they teach, without regard to district. Personally, I was embarrassed more than once to follow, as a substitute at Northridge, to follow the lesson plans given by the teacher. Our neighbors are not necessarily our neighbors. Welcome to the 21st Century.

Perhaps it is best we tear down our past... perhaps we should look to the future. I mean, in the face of intrusion of a company and employes with no connection to our past, what impact will you accept? To be honest, I've seen it before.

AUTHORS NOTE: As I write this, Bischoff Braueri (Brewery) in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany - my favorite beer - just announced its closing. As in Steven King's The Langoliers, my past is being erased.

The HORSE DRAWN Papers #14

A L L   G O O D   T H I N G S...

The first automobile did not really herald the end of the horse drawn days.

It was actually the steam engine that ended the Horse Drawn era.  A steam powered tractor could pull a 40 bottom plow and make short work of plowing a field. This also changed the paradigm of the Revolutionary War.  In older times, 40 acres would support a family.  As the availability of steam power grew, 40 acres became a small farm.  Farms grew to hundreds of acres and herds grew to hundreds of heads while family heads resorted to business concerns.

The Toledo & Ohio Central was established with stops in Croton, Johnstown, Alexandria, and Hardscrabble before reaching the more metropolitan towns of Granville and the outskirts of Newark.  Catalogs, magazines, and other mail order opportunities brought the wares of the cities to one's doorstep, much like Amazon does today.  We can credit the steam engine once again.

The arrival of the automobile in Alexandria in 1907 was not the death knell of the horse, but it was a final warning shot.  Some farms keep their horses, but John Deere, Massey Fergusen, International Harvester, and others soon found their way onto the farm while Ol' Dobbin enjoyed his retirement.  These tractors are still to be seen at the Tractor Pull at the annual Alexandria Fun Days celebration.

In one moment, it is sad to reflect on these bygone days.  In another moment, I am a product of the muscle car generation.  But there remains a certain nostalgia for the Horse Drawn era.  My good friend Kristen, my neighbor across the street, my former neighbor to the north kept horses.  Kristen is an avid horse fan.  Although Kristen enjoys riding her horse, she is also aware of the history she represents.

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS396.  The bulge on the hood is the cowl induction.

On the other hand, I had 396 horsepower under my hood...   with cowl induction.  I miss those days too.

The HORSE DRAWN Papers #12

T H E   T I N S M I T H

In 1880, Alexandria and St. Albans supported two tinsmiths.  The 1890 Federal Census was destroyed by fire.  By 1900, there were no tinsmiths listed in town.  By this time, Alexandria had Hardware dealers who could have easily ordered tin items.

First, what is tin?  In those days, tin was produced by dipping thin steel sheets into liquid tin until the desired level of coating is achieves.  The tin acted as an anti-corrosive.  At this point, I must acknowledge Karl Schmidt of Dakota Tinworks.  The tinsmith tends to work with flat metal and use bending, rolling, or soldering techniques to create three-dimensional objects.

One of these local tinsmiths is Lewis Twining, whose relationship to Charles Maranville's wife, Julia Twing, beyond a distant (fourth) cousin, is unknown. The other was John Scureman, a neighbor of Charles Maranville. Scureman was a native of New Jersey who was born in 1837, served in the Civil War, and died in 1905.  I have seen several variations on the spelling of Scureman that vary from the Anglicized to the obvious French spelling.

While tinsmiths can make a variety of objects for the home, especially for the kitchen.  By this time, Columbian Home Products of Terre Haute, Indiana, had been established to produce what my grandparents called Graniteware.  Today, we have plastic cookie cutter sets, the infamous red party cup, and a variety of kitchen gadgets and items now made of plastic.

While plastic was not even invented before 1900, I suspect that the modern hardware store was more able to accommodate the needs of the community by taking advantage of then modern factories using mass-production to provide lower cost.  The tinsmiths probably could not find enough work in Alexandria.

By this time, Alexandria had turned a corner from cottage industries and small business providing necessities to the area farmers to merchandise stores providing standard parts such as nut and bolts and perhaps finer goods than could be had locally.  Alexandria had turned the corner and would soon see the arrival of the automobile to make the transition complete.

The HORSE DRAWN Papers #9

L I G H T I N G   T H E   W A Y

A hearse on display for the 1930 Alexandria Centennial.  Notice the magnificent lamps.

A coach on display for the Alexandria Centennial.  Please note how the lamps are different than the hearse lamps.

An inspection of the Federal Censuses of 1870, 1880, and 1900 reveal two tinsmiths.  There was a Federal Census in 1890, but it was entirely destroyed by a fire.  For those searching for Veteran records, there are similar problems.  Vets, do yourself a favor and please save copies of your orders.

Lamps on a carriage tended to be more of an urban thing than in the farmlands and village.  At the risk of sounding anti-safety, the horse could see better than us humans at night and knew where it was going anyway.  If a farmer needed a light, he or she could easily hang a tin lantern on his or her wagon.  Anyone who has been out and about on a clear, moonlight night knows it is quite easy to see without a lantern.

The M. T. Gleeson Company produced lamps until the company failed in April 1898.  In 1890, the M. T Gleeson is listed as a brass foundry at 228 to 234 North Fourth Street (now occupied by Wolf's Ridge Brewing) with his residence at North Fifth Street in Columbus.  Gleeson also had a shop at the northeast corner of Broad and High, across from the Statehouse in 1874.  In 1878, he is also shown as a dealer in carriage mountings.  It is likely that Alexandria would have ordered from there.  These fittings could include whip holders, various ornamentals or decorative castings, or other latches and accoutrements.

I place a distinction between Lamps and Lanterns.  A lamp is highly finished with a silvered interior to catch and reflect light while the exterior is brass, usually with some fanciful additions and possibly figurines or some other ornamentation.  A lantern is a windowed, tin box with a candle or oil lamp inside. Largely, farmers saw no need for nothing more than a lantern hanging from a hook on the side of the wagon.  City folk, and those needing to show prestige, opted for lamps.

One of the things a luminary does that I have not noticed among tin smithing is the spinning of brass.  Spinning is a special, practiced art that involves a special lathe which can absorb the pressures applied on the shaft against the motor.  A lathe-turned, bowl-shaped pattern is mounted on the spindle and a circular piece of brass sheet is placed against the pattern. Blunt shaping tools are used to conform the brass to the pattern to create a bowl shape.  This can be used to hide a soldered join, or two placed together to form a decorative object.  

Alexandria and St. Albans had two tinsmiths in 1880.  One of these is Lewis Twining, whose relationship to Charles Maranville's wife, Julia Twing, beyond a distant (fourth) cousin, is unknown.  The other was John Scureman, a neighbor of Charles Maranville.  Scureman was a native of New Jersey who was born in 1837, served in the Civil War, and died in 1905.  

Alexandria had no lamp maker.  While there were tinsmiths, Alexandria probably could not support a lamp maker and rely, instead, on catalog and mail order.  It would be sad to see a lamp maker's family starve.

The HORSE DRAWN Papers #11

B O U D I N O T   N E E D S   A   T O P

Generationally, the Boudinots engaged in a couple of different of businesses. They were successful rope makers and successful in dry goods.

There are a series of pictures in Alexandria and St. Albans showing the young ladies of Alexandria dressed in white for Decoration Day.  Their role was to place flowers on Alexandria's fallen soldiers, hence Decoration Day.  Today, we call this Memorial Day.  Back then, Decoration Day was the day to recognize the fallen soldiers of the community by decorating houses with bunting, much as we celebrate the Fourth of July today.  Decoration Day used to be a big event and was reserved solely for honoring those who died in the service of their beloved country with a focus on the recently fought Civil War.  It was the day when the young women decorated the graves of veterans by placing flowers on the graves of the fallen.  The observance of Decoration Day started in the South shortly after the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln - a singular event with profound effect on our community.

One of the first mentions of rope making in Alexandria is a rope factory built by Alexander Devilbiss in the back of Lot 20, or what I remember as Earl and Pauline Rusk's house.  This happened in 1833 and was named the Devilbiss Rope and Harness Company.  Very early on, a rope bridge over the Raccoon Creek was made along what today is Tharp Road.  This rope bridge was in existence in the early 1900s and is mentioned in The Buxton Journal.  Then it was known as the South Road.  It is also not clear if Devilbiss worked leather or were made from finished rope.

A hemp field as it may have looked along Mounts Road.

Another 1800s Alexandria farm and business family was the Boudinots.  In 1866, Elisha Boudinot owned the farm northeast of Alexandria and grew hemp.  Boudinot harvested, dried, and processed the hemp into fibers from which he made rope.   By 1875, Boudinot extended his farm to the highland along the east side of Mounts Road.  Elisha also owned properties in Alexandria.  These included the lot where the firehouse currently stands, although in 1866, there was a house there.  He also owned the lot across the street.  On this lot, there was a house on the west side of the lot and a harness shop on the east half.  Elisha also owned a large house on the east side of North Liberty across from the current township garage.

Elisha Boudinot got his start growing hemp.  With so much farmland devoted to staple crops - often with so much excess of grains that it was converted to whisky and rye - Boudinot could afford to grow hemp and buy flour.  Boudinot would dry the hemp and work it into fiber with which to weave rope.  It is not clear if this led Boudinot into the leather business or if he stuck to rope, but we do know Boudinot & Oldham's offered custom shoes.

An example of a rope making egg.

Making rope is not a difficult thing, but it requires patience, consistency, and some experience.  The first step is to break the hemp into fibers.  Then the fibers are spun into threads.  Individual threads are then twisted into a twine.  Twines are twisted into a strand.  At this point, the rope maker takes three or four strands and use a wooden block called a top.  This top looks like a flattened egg, some have a hole through the long axis.  Three or four grooves are cut along the outside of the top.  These guide the strands as they are twisted into a rope.   There are older methods used to make rope, but this is how you can expect rope to be made in the late 19th Century.

The Boudinots would leave the rope making business behind and would go into the dry goods business.  The family was loyal to their community and to Decoration Day.  Their advertisement would also announce they made custom shoes, a possible throw back to their harness making days. 

The HORSE DRAWN Papers #10

T H E   T R I M M E R

Regimental Flag of the 113 OVI

As Dave Engels of Engels Coach Shop has pointed out, the are several trades that can get sewn into the title 'Wagon Maker.'  If I recall correctly, these include Wheelwright (chassis, wheels, suspension, and frame), Wainwright (body), Trimmer (Upholstery, coverings, and other canvas or fabric accoutrements), Painter, and Striper (pinstriping).  This is not an inclusive list and in an industrial manufacturing system, these trades may have been split into separate shops.

Captain James Royal Ladd is listed as a Trimmer in the 1880 Federal Census.  His pension records indicate he served in the Civil War beginning in 1862 as a private.  At some point, he was promoted to Sergeant before receiving a Congressional Appointment as an officer.  James had three children: Harry, Walter, and John.  The good Captain married Miss Mary E. Van Buskirk.  James was born on June 21, 1835, in New York to Royal and Mary (Gay) Ladd.  In the 1900 Federal Census, he is listed as a gardener, and this makes sense because by this time, James was collecting his pension.  James did not need a job but could supplement his income selling produce.  James passed away on or before March 17, 1905, and laid to rest in Alexandria's Maple Grove Cemetery as a veteran.  One record gives a death date of February 4.  In rural areas, the soil may be so frozen that burials were postponed until after the Spring Thaw.  Accordingly, Maple Grove Cemetery build an above ground mausoleum to accommodate this issue.

James may have enlisted as a private, but after initial training, was officially made a Sergeant shortly after.  By his discharge at war's end, he had been promoted to the rank of Captain. This is not unusual.  Along the way, James was, according to laddfamily.com, was inducted at either Camp Chase in Columbus or Camp Zanesville in Zanesville.  The regiment was ordered to secure Louisville at the very end of 1862.  They then went to Nashville and by September 1863, they were involved in Chickamauga.  The 113 OVI was also at Ringgold, but generally stayed in the northern portions of the south, that is, Kentucky, Tennessee, and the Carolinas, at least until they joined Sherman's March.  James was mustered out of Company H on July 6, 1865

By way of example, James left behind a diary.  Here is an entry from December 6, 1864,

Nov. 14th.  Marched at 6 A.M. passing over the ground near Kinesaw [Kennesaw] Mountain where we fought last summer.  Little did we think at that time that so soon again would we be called upon to remarch the same again.  We passed through several lines of works which the 113th had built itself and saw several graves of the boys we had buried, which served to awaken sad thoughts within our breasts.  We continued our march late in the evening marching 24 miles and burning everything we came to as we went, camping for the night at Vinings Station.

[Author's Note:  The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was one of the bloodiest battles in Sherman's March on Atlanta.  After nearly a week of fighting, and dying, Sherman was able to outflank the Confederate troops.  Once successful, Sherman's approach to and capture of Atlanta became the next objective.]

So why be a trimmer?  When I retired from the Air Force, I still needed a job to bring in income.  I wanted 40 hours each week, but more importantly, I was done with the 24/7 life.  I love barbecue, so I worked as a meat cutter and fishmonger for a major grocer to better understand the steaks I love.  I never took work home and after an eight-our-day, I was my own person.  I cannot imagine James Ladd feeling differently.

I am going to guess they was little need for a trimmer in Horse Drawn Alexandria.  His absence was not replaced by any carriage maker, and more than likely, the wagonmaker added this job to his own skillset.

James, from Captain to Captain, thank you for your service.  Rest easy, my brother.

The HORSE DRAWN Papers Addendum 1

H O R S E   D R A W N   I N D U S T R I E S   I N   A L E X A N D R I A

A N D   S T.    A L B A N S   B Y   F E D E R A L   C E N S U S

1866 Business Directory

C. D. Maranville, Carriage, Turning, and Trunk Factory

William H. H. Barrick, Wagon Maker and Blacksmith

A. B. Dille, Dealer in Hides, Pelts, and Furs

1870 Federal Census

C. D. Maranville, Journeyman Harnessmaker

Francis Wickison, Journeyman Ropemaker

Richard Stewart, Journeyman Blacksmith

George Sherman, Teamster

Thomas Stewart, Blacksmith

Lorenzo Skinner, Tanner

James D Gould, Blacksmith

Elisha Battee. Blacksmith

William C Momsell, Wagonmaker

Alexander Gould, Journeyman Blacksmith

William H Barrick, Blacksmith

John J Miller, Wagonmaker

William Prout/Pruit, Ropemaker

Blacksmiths - 6; Harness Maker 1

1880 Federal Census

Daniel C Shuee (retired), Blacksmith

Lewis S. Twining, Tinsmith

Charles D. Twining, Harness Maker

John Scuraman, Tinsmith

Elias Penn, Blacksmith

James D. Gould, Blacksmith

Elisha Battee, Blacksmith

Alexander Gould, Blacksmith

Richard Stewart, Blacksmith

Elmer Wells, Wagonmaker

James J. Miller, Wagonmaker

James F. Catrell, Wagonmaker

Silas Bishop, Blacksmith

Watson Davison, Carriage Maker

Thomas H. Stewart, Blacksmith

William Stewart (son of Thomas), Blacksmith

James R. Ladd, Carriage Trimmer

Shadrack Carlock, Cooper

John Leach, Ropemaker

Joseph T. Mowry, Cooper

William Moran, Blacksmith

S. G. Goddard, Blacksmith

Wiley S. Oldham, Blacksmith

Samuel Friend, Journeyman Harness Maker

Blacksmiths - 12; Harness Maker - 2

1900 Federal Census

Alta Curtiss (resident of the hotel), Halter Maker

Thomas Baker, Jr. (Teenage Child of Thomas Baker), Halter Maker

Ellis Baker (Teenage Child of Thomas Baker), Halter Maker

Ruth Baker (Teenage Child of Thomas Baker), Halter Maker

Mary Baker (Teenage Child of Thomas Baker), Halter Maker

Ida (S?) Baker (Teenage Child of Thomas Baker), Halter Maker

Almond McClain, Blacksmith

Richard Stewart, Blacksmith

Earl B. Stewart (son of Richard Stewart), Halter Maker

Charles Maranville, Halter Maker

Albert Tyler, Horse Trainer

Blanche Graham, Halter Maker

Thomas M. Rugg, Halter Maker

H Dean Ashbrook, Stock Dealer

Perry M Ashbrook (brother H Dean Ashbrook), Stock Dealer

Clifton Moss, Halter Maker

David Beaumont, Halter Maker

Alexander Gould, Blacksmith

Frank Gould (son of Alexander Gould?), Blacksmith

William H. Roffey, Halter Maker

Silas Bishop, Blacksmith

William Proctor, Blacksmith

Christopher Piles, Blacksmith

Richard Proctor, Blacksmith

Jacob Shrader, Halter Maker

Ethel Shrader (daughter of Jacob Shrader), Halter Maker

Herbert Thorpe, Halter Maker

Lester Webb, Halter Maker

Diane O. Thornberry, Haltermaker

John T. Reese. Grain Dealer

John Berger, Halter Maker

Samuel Watson, Halter Maker

William Stewart, Blacksmith

John S. Rugg, Halter Maker

Thomas H Perry, Wagon Maker

Orville Renick,  Halter Maker

Susie Renick (wife of Orville Renick), Halter Maker

C. Bruce Adams, Hay and Grain Dealer

John Young, Rope Maker

Frank S Fouler, Harness Maker

Rachel Fouler, Harness Maker

Blacksmiths - 8  Halter; Maker - 18

 The HORSE DRAWN Papers #7

A   R E T R O S P E C T I V E

The following is pages 141 to 142 extracted from an unattributed article from Alexandria and St. Albans Township (1952).

When Phineas Ford with his wife and family were pushing through the forests on their way from Frankinton (now Columbus) to a spot in what is now Union Township in April 1800, they passed through the southern part of our present St. Albans Township.  Their only help in seeking out a home in an entirely unsettled region was a pocket-compass and a map of this part of the Ohio Company's lands.  Their worldly possessions were all packed in a wagon drawn by an oxteam.  The first day out of Franklinton a wheel of their wagon broke under the strain of hard traveling.  Mr. Ford made some felloes for the wheel, it is recorded, from a crooked dogwood, screwed on the tire and started on again.  The next day a member of the party thrust his gun into a wheel to save the wagon from turning over and broke the stock off his gun.  When coming down a steep bank on Mootz Run, probably where the old trail crossed the stream on what is now Forsyth land, a grape vine caught under the oxen, and the of the wagon drove them forward with such impetus that is swung the cattle from the ground until relieved by cutting the grapevine.

In 1815, Lewis Martin and family and several relatives were on their way from Charleston, Va., to Jersey township where Martin had already built a cabin.  They got as far as Mootz Run where they had to cut out a wagon road before they could proceed with their teams.  Mr. Martin and his company were assisted in cutting out a wagon track by Joseph Headley and the colored [sic] in his employ.  They left the Worthington Road on what was later Spellman or Forsythe land.  The first day in opening the road they came to a point on Mootz Run where the Jersey road first crossed it, probably just below the present covered bridge.  On the second day they succeeded in cutting their way through to their new homes, all moving into the cabin on the 15th day of June 1815.

Wickliff Condit and his wife of Morristown, New Jersey, when migrating to Jersey Township in 1819 arrived at Blood's Tavern on the road from Granville and Alexandria on June 6, stayed all night, left their baggage as security for payment for lodging and walked to Jersey on the 7th.

An example of the Conestoga wagon.  The front axle is lower front axle.  Smaller wheels in front means tighter turns and the inclusion of the "lynch" or king pin necessitates more wood bolstering the front.

Although the simpler means of transportation already described really did the first work of opening up the overland trails for the onrush of settlers, it is the lynch-pin Conestoga or "covered wagon" of a slightly later period which has somehow come to be the symbol of America's great movement of western expansion.  St. Albans knew the lynch-pin wagon best in te 1830's and 1840's.  At least two of St. Alban's township's highways developed early into transcontinental emigrant routes.  The old Delaware road and the Worthington Road were among the most traveled routes for settlers seeking the west and northwest during the first fifety years of the last fifty years of the last fifty years of the last century, partially because, no doubt, because there were no toll gates on these highways.  The Worthington Road, the present Route 161, was an important emigrant route as early as 1805, early maps of the state reveal.  Several decades preceding the Civil War period, caravans of covered wagons in steady succession were probably the most conspicuous feature of St. Albans highways during the seasons of the year when travel was at all possible.  Needless to say, the taverns which sprang up along these routes, nearly as thick as filling stations today, did a thriving business.

The lynch-pin wagon continued as a much-used vehicle for many years, for local as well as for cross country travel.  [...]

Locally, there was of course much recourse in early years to oxcarts and sleds and particularly horseback for transportation.  The young swain very commonly took his best girl on horseback and Dobbin was made to carry "twice".  Buggies were being manufactured in a limited way at this time, but few were in general use.  Wagon travel was common.  When the family went traveling in one of these early wagons, either the kitchen chairs were brought into use for seats or improvised wooden springs.  One method of shock absorbing was by means of two hickory poles about two and a half inches in diameter suspended by iron hooks over the sides of the wagon body, one on either side with seat boards covered with bed blankets resting on the poles.  In this manner comfort in riding was greatly improved.

In the late 40's and early 50's buggies began to come into common use.  The earliest of these were clumsy, heavy affairs with wooden axles, wheels as heavy as those on a light one-horse wagon today, and rigid tops fastened to a post at each at each corner of the body, but with steel springs, a great advance over the wagon for the convenience in travel.  In the 50's these vehicles were greatly improved by means of iron axles, lighter wheels, and more shapely bodies.  Spring wagons also appeared at this time for taking the family.  In the 60's came the lighter one-horse buggy with an adjustable top similar to those of the present day.  The body from the seat to the floor of the buggy in the rear was a direct slant like the roof of a house.  In the early 70's came the buggy with a "boot" body, followed in the later 70's with the "piano bed" body which is still with us.

In the 70's also, for light business driving, the "skeleton wagon" was quite commonly used.  This vehicle had no body, simply the gears, a slatted floor, a seat resting on half elliptic springs.  In the 80's carts for the same purpose were popular.

 The HORSE DRAWN Papers #6

T h e   L I V E R Y

One of the more iconic features of the horse drawn world is the Livery Stable.  It is probably what we think of when we think of the Horse Drawn world.  In an 1881 edition of the local magazine. Church and Home, the following advertisement appeared,

G. P. Walrath

Livery and Feed Stable

Alexandria, Ohio

I   have   New   Buggies   and   Good   Horses,

and  am  prepared  to  wait  on  customers  at

all hours. Terms Reasonable. Satisfaction guar-

anteed.  Give me a call

The Walrath family were farmers and ran a Livery and Feed Store.  I have found no further reference to this facility in village plats, but at this time, the village did not include the extension on Main Street from the Baptist Church to Northridge Road, or the Granville Street extension.  It is then entirely possible this livery was located by the Toledo & Ohio Central Depot, outside of town.

When the Great Fire of 1905 destroyed the downtown business block in Alexandria, one of the casualties was the Procter Brothers Blacksmith Shop.  A "fireproof" livery made of block replaced the wooden smith shop.

What is a livery?  In modern parlance, it refers to a common paint scheme used across the company's fleet.  We instantly recognize Delta Airlines, or Checker Cab, or even a Wal-Mart bag.  In the late 1800s, a livery was a place which catered to horses.  Here, you could rent or buy horses, carriages, harnesses, lamps, or other accoutrements.  You could also buy feed.  This was a sort of Wal-Mart in the horse world.  Often liveries would operate horse-drawn taxis or busses.  During this time, most schools were within walking distance of the students, school busses were not a thing until after 1900.

A view of North Liberty Street of the E. H. Hammond.  (Yes, the photo incorrectly states North Main Street) A livery bus/hack can be seen parked on Church Street.

The Hammond family was prolific in St. Albans.  E. H. Hammond operated the new livery built after the Great Fire of 1905.  The new livery was built where the Proctor Brothers had operated a blacksmith shop at the southwest corner of Church and North Liberty Streets.  The Boudinot house was on the other side of North Liberty to the right of this picture.  Edmond Hammond was a local guy whose family made their money in the northwestern corner of St. Albans' as farmers.  Edmond wanted to be a businessman.  I cannot discern if Hammond absorbed any of Shrader's business, inasmuch as this is concurrent with Shrader's removal to Monroe Township.  The building is still there.

Edmond was born to John and Clara (Webb) Hammond.  The Hammond family migrated Sussex, England, to New Jersey, where they remained for a few generations before coming to Alexandria.  Edmond was born in St. Albans Township on November 10, 1877, and died in St. Albans on November 12, 1951.  Edmond married Esther Johnson in 1905, and they had two children, Keith and Annabelle.  Sadly, Annabelle died in 1932.

In the early Summer of 1902, The Johnstown Independant listed Ed. Hammond as the owner of a livery stable.  No indication of the location of the business is mentioned.

At some point, the building was sold to St. Albans Township to serve as their garage and workshop for snowplows and tractors with mowers.

St. Albans Township Garage from the approximate position as the photo of the livery. (2019)

Today, the gas station serves as the closet relative of the livery.  But the reality of the two do not compare.  A livery might run a taxi or a bus.  You could rent a horse, a buggy, or both.  You could pick up feed and grain, although the miller might have a better deal.  You might be able to get a harness or harness equipment.  Small hardware such as buckles might also be had there.  It all depended on local needs.

By the time Edmond sold or closed his business, the town had three gasoline stations, on just a short, one-minute walk away.  In the 40 or 50 short years since the first automobile appeared in St. Albans, the way of the horse was over.  Today, as agriculture is supplanted by country housing, small stables are popping up all over.  Lobdell Park, a converted farm, offers horse trails which prove quite popular in warmer temperatures.  Even so, the horses arrive in trailers pulled by heavy duty pick-up trucks.  It is an irony.

The HORSE DRAWN Papers #5

T h e   M E R C U R I A L   M.   D.   S H R A D E R

The name M. D. Shrader consistently appears in Alexandria's history in the late 1800s through the Great Fire of 1905, then promptly disappears.  It took some research to find out more about Mac.

Mac, as I shall call him, came from a very German, Revolutionary War family.  For reasons now lost, after a long series of Germanic names, the Shraders named their son MacKindra Douglas Shrader, a very Scottish name.  Mac went into business as M. D. Shrader and was active in the Republican party.  Mac lived on Church Street near North Liberty Street with his business on the opposite side at least an alley west between his house and work.  The picture of Buxton's 'Old Red' Tavern shows a wooden structure along Church Street... it might be Mac's.

Trains need wood or coal.  The future automobile will need petroleum.  While horses can graze, but as good stewards, we feed them in order to keep horses healthy.  Initially, it appears as if Mac ran a food and grain store.  I am not as familiar with horses as I would have liked to be, but I know there are riding horses, team horses, buggy horses, draft horses, and a pony for your daughter.  Along the way, there are also mules and donkeys.  These equines all need tended and fed.  At the same time, a Mr. Latham appears to have owned a feed and grain store as well.

Because little documentation exists, this may belie two grain stores or a succession of business.  By 1902, M. D. has an advertisement in the Johnstown Independant as a dealer in "agricultural implements, stoves, windmills, buggies, wagons, harnesses, etc." while John D. Loyd, a Welsh immigrant, handled "wool, poultry, seeds, grains, produce, etc."  But, in 1900, Mac had sold some property to the Alexandria Harness Company.

For reasons not entirely clear, by 1910 Mac and his family removed to Monroe Township.  This most likely was the result of the disposition of his parents' farm.  With this move, Mac disappears from Alexandria and St. Alban's history.  M. D. died on April 10, 1926, and is buried at Green Hill Cemetery in Johnstown.  From Mac's obituary we learn that he was elected Mayor of Johnstown for several terms, when he suffered a substantial stroke and died the following evening.

With all the mentions in Alexandria's history, Mac's role has been difficult to track.  Mac is on my radar...