Mountain Men

When I was about five, I would sit on the back porch with my Dad and look up at the “mountain range” that rose above Edgewood Avenue. I would imagine all sorts of adventures on that mountain. “Come on, Dad…can we go up there tomorrow?” Dad would always tell me that I wasn’t old enough, but he always said that we would climb to the very top when I was old enough.


I don’t remember exactly when it happened. I think I may have been eight or so. A couple of us went up to the Etz house to sell some Cub Scout popcorn. No one was home. We went around to the back of the house just to make sure. We were not prepared for what we saw in the Etz’s back yard.

There it was…plain as day…no mistake... That was an honest-to-goodness opening there in the very back of the yard. No question….it was a path! Yep, a real pathway leading right out of the back yard and straight up the “mountain”. It must have been made by the Indians or the pioneers or somebody cool hundreds of years ago.

So three Woodsdale Kids dressed in Cub Scout uniforms stood there a minute looking back and forth at each other. It didn’t take long, maybe a second, before it was agreed with nods all around. And the adventure began that perfect summer day. Off we went to explore the unknown regions of Woodsdale. I would finally scale Mount Edgewood.

“Now what?” I remember saying about a third of the way up when the trail ran out. All we could see ahead were trees and more trees. Lots of thick underbrush made climbing even harder. There was no sign of the top. Surely we were close. Then out of nowhere….mosquitoes! Swatting was useless. I don’t remember who started, but the next thing I remember we were all running as fast as we could back down the hill. The trail reappeared. Then we burst out of the woods rolling into the beautiful green grass at the Etz house. Safe at last!!!

Then I remember that we all started to laugh…and laugh. You know, the kind of laugh that says you have done something really cool together. We laughed and joked all the way home. We had done it. We had discovered the entrance to Mount Edgewood.

We promised each other, that day, we would return soon. We would do it again. Only this time we would be prepared…we would bring mosquito repellent.

Circle of Life

My friends and I would make hundreds of trips to the top of “Mount Edgewood” in the years to come. We would camp, hunt squirrels, and simply enjoy being free and independent.

Thirty some years later, my family and I were visiting my Mom & Dad. It was a beautiful summer afternoon. I was sitting on the back porch with my five year old son when he said “Dad, have you ever been to the top of that big mountain? Do you think we could go up there some time? Tomorrow?”

The Man in the Bowler Hat

Does anyone else who lived on Poplar Avenue remember Joe Coberly? He used to leave the house only after dark and usually wearing a derby and smoking a cigar. I have no idea what he did for a living, but come to think of it, I don't think he ever spoke to anyone....at least anyone on Poplar. His aunt Aunty Freeze was the neighborhood "ghost". She would sit in her window and scratch on the windows. Some say she believed someone was hanging from the windowsill. She was in her 90's when I was a kid, but I don't remember her ever dying...isn't that strange?
Did you have any weird characters on your Woodsdale street?
Here's another question...were there snowplows plowing the streets of Woodsdale when we were kids? I never saw one, but I can still remember the sound of the chains on cars going up and down the street. How come no one uses them today?

On the way

The kadizzles are in San Fran on way to Mex

Kadizzlites Land in Cottonwood

The night sky in Villa Neuva was amazing. Kadizzle has not seen stars like that in a long time. Being in one of the few dark spots in the United States has distinct advantages. Every year we stop at this same wonderful little state park. It is on one of the oldest Spanish routes ever used in this country. From there we busted down to route forty and headed West. The snow disappeared and it was like a different world. Now for a few days we are holed up at Mae's. Mae is Kadizzle's 86 year old girl friend. Mae has one of those special chairs for Kadizzle that automatically lifts you up to a standing position. Luckily Mae lives across the street from Patty, Kadizzles little sister. Mae insist on treating us like royalty. So got to run in to her house and have coffee and breakfast.

Snow Daze

For several years now there has been a debate as to whether we had snow days, either at Woodsdale or later at Triadelphia. I honestly cannot remember school being called off during my childhood. In later years when I became a teacher, first in Massachusetts and later New Hampshire, snow days were commonplace, and I, along with my students would be up half the night awaiting "the call." But thinking back to the 50's and 60's, I seem to remember us always having school. Can other people remember? If school were called off, how were we notified?

Answers to Wheeling Questions

1. What was the name of the red-headed man who walked up Wheeling Creek each morning from Benwood to find golf balls at Oglebay and Wheeling Country Club.

Answer: Haney Scary scary man. He felt the woods around Oglebay and Wheeling Country Club were his and would chase you out of there.

2. What do Larry Dezio, Chris Smith and Rick Asmus have in common?

Answer: They black spray-painted “MOOSE” on the Linsly Aviator statue. A judge sentenced them to a weekend at, I believe named, Rooney's Point located out past Triadelphia...a halfway house before heading to Pruntytown. 'Moose' was Linsly's Latin teacher Miss Metzner's nickname.

3. Who was Alma Henderson?

Answer: An old cantankerous whore house madam in Benwood that we used to call and heckle

4. In the early 60's, what was the name of the hamburger place on the corner of National Road and Edgington Lane?

Answer: Purple Cow...hamburgers were 15 cents. Bruce and Tim Bandi, Joe Steger, I and others hung out in the back room. The pinball machine paid off.

5. What was 'Big Bill' Lias real last name?

Answer: George Liaskakos Here's everything you need to know about Big Bill:
http://www.flexassistant.com/images/Lias.pdf

6. In the book, “Captain's Courageous” (1897) what about Wheeling was mentioned?

Answer: Wheeling Stogies...some reference by a character that if he could survive smoking a Wheeling Stogie he could survive anything

7. What was Linsly School called in 1814?

Answer: Linsly Lancastrian Academy founded by Noah Linsly. Interesting bio link:
http://wheeling.weirton.lib.wv.us/history/people/hallfame/1986lins.htm

8. Who was the first coach of the Wheeling Nailers?

Answer: Walrus-mustachioed Doug Sauter. He moved with the Carolina Thunderbirds to Wheeling in 1992. The name was changed to Nailers due to a dispute with a west coast hockey team also nicknamed 'thunderbirds'

9, What was the nickname for Pogues Run Road?

Answer: Nun's Run

10. What football honor was bestowed on Chuck Howley that no other NFL player has received?

Answer: Chuck Howley from Warwood was named Super Bowl MVP for Super
Bowl V, the first time that a defensive player
received the honor and the first time a player
from the losing team won the award.

The Little Kids Table

How many of you had a "little kids table"? Such a table was necessary when the number of children exceeded the number of seats at the main dining table. Of course, high chairs were still allowed at the "big" table out of necessity, but if you could feed yourself, you were assigned to the little kids table.
At the Quinnery there was a constantly revolving number of kids joining or leaving the little kids table...which was a high honor. As the older ones went off to college or elsewhere there was less and less need for the table and eventually it was just a memory.
I loved being at the main table and able to listen in on all of the talk. My father was a Republican and my mother a Democrat so political talk would have been lively...if there had been any..but my mother didn't proffer her opinions. Most of the talk was about school or weekend plans, books, hobbies, etc.
The most important thing one learned at either table was that manners were not just important, they demonstrated who you were. Too bad fewer families feel that way today using conflicting schedules as an excuse for not sitting down together.
Graduating to the big table was as important in our family as an actual school promotion!