The Streets Where We Grew Up

The top photo is of Poplar Avenue about 1918. The first visible house on the right is the Squibb's, one of the first built. Next door is Anne Brown's family home. The bottom picture is of Maple at Woodlawn Avenue. The first visible house would be where the famous Wheeling musician Kim Butler grew up. The house (not visible) with the hedge next door was Goodwin's, my grandparents. How lucky we were to grow up in a neighborhood where the streets were often our playground, everyone knew each other, and crime was unknown. Our neighborhood is now on the Register of Historic Areas.

Good OLD Woodsdale

This is a postcard of Woodsdale as it appeared between 1907 and 1918. In the foreground are the trolley tracks that eventually ran thru what we now call Lovers Lane or the Pig Path. You are looking at the rear of the houses on lower Maple. Woodlawn Ave and the Trolley Station would be to the right of the fifth house. Goodwins, my grandparents, lived across from the Walkers whose house is sixth from the left.

Up on the hill, behind the houses is the Stratford Hotel. It was located just off of Edgwood Street. At the time ,it was one of the largest spas east of the Mississippi. It had 84 rooms, three sun parlors, two dining rooms, a spacious lobby, a tennis court, pool, and a billiard parlor. It had an on site power plant and a phone in each room.

One dining room seated 300 and was the site of many luncheons including one for the WVU football team. Invited guests included the Welty's, Speidels, Eckharts, Hazletts, McLures and Franzheims. Lily List, the manager and Pres. of the Corp that owned the hotel was said to be the most beautiful woman in the city.

The hotel was popular with high society and it was cheaper for them to live there in the winter than heat their houses. They brought their own furnishings, enjoyed delicious meals, drank the spa water, and best of all....enjoyed the many masked balls held there. It cost $15 a week for a suite.

On January 13th, 1918 a spark from a gasoline engine in the ice department set waste nearby on fire. The fire spread quickly, but there was little that the fire department could do as they only had one steamer to supply the hoses and the water froze as it hit the building. Ms. Meek, who taught many of us English at Triadelphia told me that she watched the fire from her bedroom and her father went to help fight the fire. No lives were lost, but the building was a total loss.

I have much more information about the hotel and the springs. If you are interested, feel free to contact me, but be prepared to write a post for this blog spot in exchange.

Oh, and by the way the correct spelling is Edgwood Street...it is a combination of the names Edgington and Wood, the families that owned the properties originally .

Linda Rogers Owen

We mourn the passing of Woodsdale Kid Linda Rogers Owen, sister of Nancy Rogers Rea and Judy Rogers Towns.

Linda Rogers Owen

Born in Wheeling, West Virginia

Departed on Nov. 22, 2011 and resided in Waynesville, NC.

Linda Rogers Owen, age 69, of Allens Creek Road, Waynesville, NC passed away on Tuesday, November 22, 2011.

A native of Wheeling, West Virginia, she had previously resided in Hollywood, Florida before moving to Haywood County in 2006. She was the daughter of the late Edward and Dorothy McColloch Rogers and was also preceded in death by her husband, Don R. Owen, who died in 1995 and a sister, Ellen Tharpe.

Linda worked as a nutritionist and was a professional artist. Linda was devoted to all God’s creatures, especially her cat, Charlie.

She is survived by her daughter, Traci Owen, of Waynesville; one son, Travis Owen and his wife, Carol, of Port St. Lucie, Florida; two sisters, Nancy Rhea and Judy Townes, both of Crystal River, Florida; one brother, Bob Rogers of Plantation, Florida; and two grandchildren, Kyle and Kady.

Memorials may be made to SARGE’S Animal Rescue, P.O. Box 854, Waynesville, NC 28786.