Growing up in Louisa – Huntington!
Weekly feature . . . by Mike Coburn
When I was growing up I was reminded many times that I had been born in Huntington rather than in Louisa. My mother lived in Louisa at the time in a house on Water Street, so I envisioned that we must have been taken by ambulance to the Memorial Hospital in the west end of Huntington. I assumed it was because of some risk either with mom, or maybe me. In my old age I have figured out that perhaps my mother was temporarily living with my uncle, Dr. Loyal Wray, who had a practice in the big city. That actually fits and makes sense given her young age, a slight deformity she had as a result of a birth defect, the recent death of her grandfather, Dr. WW Wray, and that her mother was in ‘faraway’ Salt Lick, KY. I don’t ever remember seeing the hospital of mention. I think it was razed right after my birth, perhaps to insure no other such birth should damage its heretofore good reputation. Nonetheless, as I recanted in a recent article, I had a number of occasions to make day trips to this largest of all cities in the great Mountain State.
I do recall a number of shopping trips to Huntington, usually combined with a visit to some relative that I hardly knew. I think one was kin to the Chapman’s, the family of George Edward Chapman, Sr., the husband of Shirley Wray Chapman, a well-known math teacher at LHS. I recall visiting them in a pretty stone-faced house on one of the quieter streets. Their daughter was deeply involved with ballet and had been since her earliest age. She was now an older teen and had just been named ‘prima ballerina’ in her ballet troop. I barely recall that she was pretty, but very thin, and several years my senior. I was not yet a teen-ager, yet she was nearing maturation into college prospect. I was too young to have any particular interest in her or her chosen vocation.
I remember that on one visit, the father of the house, whose name I long ago have forgotten, turned on his small-screened television. The whole crowd gathered, not just to see the TV, but the program was of national interest. It was the Jersey Walcott fight of the century! On another trip I got to see Rocky Graziano fighting. I remember everyone was excited and screaming after each brutal punch. I backed away in the crowd, not wanting to get hit, or splattered by the ample amount of blood flying around. Still, I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. I thought that perhaps this was how the crowds in the Roman Coliseum felt during the gladiator battles.
I mentioned in two earlier articles about going into Huntington to get my Cub Scout uniform. I was so proud and pleased to join the troop. Our troop met at the Christian Church on Madison once a week. I was pushed by the scoutmaster to learn the pledge, and other things so I might attain the exalted title of ‘tenderfoot.’ Some of the boys had already attained rank and were earning badges of merit. That required some memorization, not my strong suit, or developing a skill like knot tying, also not my strong suit.
I mentioned recently a trip by Bailey’s Cafeteria, and to Shoney’s. There were more trips, usually with purpose. A common visit included the West Virginia building downtown. It was a place I got to visit multiple times. The first floor had a large Walgreen’s with a lunch counter, miles of things like hair coloring, perfumes, greeting cards, and remedies, none of which were of much interest to this kid. They did have something I liked. It was a hot nut display. They would fry peanuts or cashews and sell you a little bag of the hot nuts. On one occasion I got to see and shake hands with Mr. Peanut! There he was in his shell, top hat, monocle, bow tie and shiny leather shoes. I think someone took a picture of us, but I don’t recall ever seeing the result.
This grand fifteen story building had a marble lobby and a set of elevators that went all the way to the top. This was my first elevator ride, but afterward I felt sophisticated having accomplished one of life’s important feats. From the top I was taken to a window where I could look out at all the other buildings downtown. I remember seeing a bridge which mom told me went to Ohio. Just think! I was in West Virginia but I could actually see Ohio!
There was one time that we went on a tour of the TV station, WSAZ, Channel 3. This was the one I watched most often at home. It may have been the one with the best reception. This time I saw the news station ‘set,’ and several big box cameras on wheels so the newsman could be seen from several angles. There were lots of lights in the ceiling and the set was so bright it nearly blinded me. It was hot, too. I felt you could melt in front of those strong lights. The guide showed us monitors of what was playing right then, and also showed us a bunch of engineers behind a wall of glass that would run commercials during the breaks. We saw a live commercial on another set, but I don’t remember the product. Maybe baking powder or something.
This was the same place that sometimes had Flat and Scruggs playing, or even Hank Williams. The deal was that in those days nearly everything was live. That means if you make a mistake an awful lot of people would know what you did. That was true even on the national networks. Lucile Ball actually made her show better by the goof-ups! Later others followed and America laughed. Just to think that right here in the West Virginia Building that TV struggled to find its way into the American home. Growth would snowball over time as one channel turned into three, then eight, and now into the hundreds.
Other trips would take me to Marshall College (at that time) where Joan Bailey took music lessons and Billy Elkins would later play football, or to the State Hospital where my uncle worked as their general practitioner, or where my mother had a job at a hardware supply center.
Sometimes when we went to Huntington we’d take the road through Fort Gay, up over a mountain on the horse-shoe curves, and into Wayne. From there on to Huntington we’d fly at 35 miles an hour. Oh, I know, the speed limit was a good bit higher than that, but aunt Shirley was a ‘careful’ driver. Never mind that twenty cars were backed up behind her, some honking, and one or two on tractors, she would still go at her own pace. I would slide down in the seat in embarrassment, but that’s what kids do.
The other way was out toward Fallsburg, then past uncle John’s farm outside of Catlettsburg, across the Big Sandy to Ceredo Kenova and on to Huntington. Both took over an hour and both took us over some winding roads and steep mountains. I think the higher ones were on the Wayne road. A few times we took the train, loading of course at our depot. I loved the little whistle stops along the way, but I think mother was irritated when the train was flagged by too many. When I joined the Air Force years later I found myself traveling the same line once I got to Ashland. I had to travel across West Virginia and Virginia to get to coastal Newport News. Travel was less curvy and many times faster without my aunt at the helm.
The little railroad town was named Huntington after railroad magnet Collis Huntington, who had a big hand in the transcontinental railroad. He was there when the golden spike was driven on Promontory Summit, Utah Territory, to connect both coasts and begin an amazing transition of our country. Of course Huntington had grown into a big city by the time I was born in that hospital somewhere in the western end. I learned over the years that the Huntington name seems to pop up now again in different areas. In California Collis also had a city called Huntington Beach, after the same guy. So too, he built the railway to run from the Ohio southeast all the way to Newport News point where he built the piers for shipping the coal taken from the Kentucky and West Virginia mountains. From there it was put on colliers and shipped out to the heavy industrial sites in the north, and then also overseas to fire the industrial revolution. He built the largest private shipyard in Newport News and had a park named for him right on the banks of the James River. He was smart, rich, and willing to take risks to continue building his businesses.
As antitrust laws strengthened and the economy was affected by a downturn, or two, and wars, newer and faster highways, and the like, he and his enormous wealth settled. He lost some power and faded a bit as he grew older and his prodigies took over the family ‘trade.’ Even today, his legacy is huge. When we think of the tunnels and bridges that helped the C&O grow and supply the nation’s needs, and its effect on our little valley, his influence was and remains substantial. Even though we didn’t know him, his life had a big effect on ours. So the message is, we should each always strive to do our best for we know not who we may affect in the future. Here’s hoping our legacy helps someone over the next generations. mcoburncppo@aol.com
