As I remember the good ole'' days in our town!. Looking back some fifty
years I realize how fortunate I was to live and grow up in Philadelphia.
Thinking back upon my High School days at Bogart
School- the "fun" of carrying water from the spring to the
school, and in the winter carrying coal from the basement to heat our potbelly
stove. We were taught responsibility as well as the 3 R's. We were assigned
our duties for the day and our comfort depended upon us doing our tasks.
Our town supported seven (7) stores, an active Bank, a telegraph office.
The telegraph office was one of my favorite places to visit. Mr. Barnhill
was the operator and Station Manager located in the Depot
and he would allow me to send messages on the telegraph. The bank was the
meeting place for the older men and it was the only bank in this area that
didn't go bankrupt during the great depression of '29. The building still
stands today, it is located next to the post
office. Our bank did close, but everyone received all of their money.
Frank Carter was the cashier during this period.
Another interest of mine was the stock yard, it was located between
the Baptist and Methodist
Church. I recall watching the cattle being loaded into the box cars
of the train.
Every opportunity I had I would visit the Blacksmith shop, which was
owned and operated by the Edward's brothers. To a young boy getting to watch
them take the red-hot steel and shape it into something useful was a thrill.
We would take our horses there to be shod.
Oh, how I remember Scott's Mill, not their product but the swimming
hole above the dam, no one had swimming trunks in those days. We enjoyed
the swim in the nude.
These are some of my remembrances of the "Good ole Days" in
Philadelphia, where a man's word was as so good as his bond. Our city was
called "The City of Brotherly Love," not only called by that name,the
people had a feeling of love and concern for one another. Good memories,
are a wonderful gift and enrich one's life all of their life, such as mine.
Amos Allen