(Courtesy of Rodney Fessler)

Shown above are four of the local men who went to California almost 100 years ago to work as carpenters. Shown are L to R, - Charles Mitchell, Charles Troxel, Luther Moyer, and Frank ‘Barney’ Moyer. Until his death in 1947, Frank ‘Barney’ Moyer was the beloved custodian at the Beaver Vocational High School.

(Which Beavertown carpenter was the Borough Secretary for many years? Answer next month.)

Answer to Last Month

In 1976, when Hilma Rigel’s brother Harold Markel died, she became the owner of his King Midget. To this day she still has this valuable automobile.

Your editor was delighted to learn that the King Midget his father titled new in 1965 was also returned to Beavertown and is now owned by Wade Snook. The King Midget is a VERY rare collector’s automobile, and Beavertown has two of them!!

(Courtesy of Cloyd W. Wagner)

In February, 1965, the first King Midget automobile was purchased and owned by a resident of Beavertown. It was the deluxe model which had an electric dash, windshield wiper and turn signals. Its electric horn sounded exactly like the roadrunner in the cartoons, “beep beep”. It was a rear engined convertible painted red and silver. It could seat two adults, and had a top speed of 45 MPH on level ground. It was a fun novelty car, but it was fully street legal built in Athens, Ohio. Then it cost $763.00. Today they are a collector’s item worth many thousands. Stephen Richard Wagner, shown sitting it it with his wife Helen, was its proud owner.

(Who as the second Beavertowner to own a King Midget? Answer next month.)

Answer to Last Month

“Going in cahoots” meant that two or more pinball machine players pooled their money, say 10 cents each, to play the game, each to go in turn until the money ran out or you all agreed to stop and take off the free games by the house. Any free games won were owned by the pool of players.

Some players were skilled at placing the machine on their toes which slowed the speed of the balls going down in play, thus giving a better chance of winning.

Other players were skilled at shooting the ball with just the right amount of speed to ensure getting a high and winning score most times.

(Courtesy of Cloyd W. Wagner)

The (inside) photo shown above is the pinball machine then in use at Bailey’s Restaurant (now the bank) in September, 1951. It received more play during the winter months than usual because there were less things one could do outside. Also, this was the hangout for the sledders. It was also the “bus station” for BVHS students in the morning. Going in “cahoots” was a way to stretch the time you could play and save money too.

(What was “going in cahoots”? How did it work? Answer next month.)

Answer to Last Month

The sawmill that supplied the lumber for the silk mill was located in the “Pine Swamp” and is now “The Hole” owned by the Mattern family.

This site was a sawmill for many years under several different owners. When the available raw lumber in its catchment area dwindled, the sawmill ceased operation... I think... in the late 1940s or early 1950s.

It had a first class spring that many persons used freely!