Spotlight on:
Avis
A HUNDRED YEARS AGO by Lou Bernard
The Clinton County Times, one of my favorite old newspapers. In addition to reporting wild and interesting stories, they had columns on the back pages in which they’ d list local news to each small municipality. Many of these were about who visited who, and probably only of interest to the people involved, though it’ s possible to perhaps find a relative in there.
I love reading through these for pure entertainment. The columns almost had their own kind of poetry to them, and gave an interesting insight into the communities at the time. In Avis, a hundred years ago this month, there were visits and meetings going on.
“ Mr. and Mrs. Albert Rhinehart and Mrs. George Rhinehart spent Saturday with Mr. and Mrs. John Shaffer. Miss George Allen McCloskey, of Chatham’ s Run, spent the weekend with Mrs. Everett Crothers.”
This was all reported on in an issue a century ago, on March 12, 1926. A group called the Sunshine Circle met at one PM for lunch at the home of Mrs. Bruce P. Lundy. Ten women attended, not a bad turnout for lunch in Avis in 1926. One of them, Edith Straight, came all the way from Jersey Shore to be there.
Clara Shaffer had returned home to Avis as the weather warmed up. Over the winter, she’ d moved in with her sisters in Lockport, but with winter coming to a close, she returned to Avis.
Mrs. Clarence Worth had traveled to Clearfield to visit Mrs. Guy Stabley, who was in the hospital there recovering from surgery.
The Methodist Church had an organization called the Queen Esther Society, and they’ d held a meeting at the home of Kathryn Spinney. On the first day of March, Kathryn opened her home to the nineteen members of the society. They discussed some group business and planned to put on a play in the near future.
Led by teacher Ruth Barton, the first grade at Avis Elementary School had held a fundraiser, selling seeds to plant. They raised eighty dollars, of which twenty would go to buy books for the school library.( Twenty dollars could get a lot of books a hundred years ago.)
I enjoy reading these. There’ s a beautiful sort of rhythm to it, and an insight into the local communities. Like Avis, a hundred years in the past.
10--“ Good News”-- March-- www. bearcountrygoodnews. com
- Lou Bernard is a local writer and can be reached at loulhpa @ gmail. com.
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