The Dec. 8, 1941, copy of the Original ran a story stating MHS had organized an all-girls band, which was the second of its kind in the USA. Their statement read, "Marietta High School is at the top again," and according to the article, it was due to it having the honor of having the second all-girls high school band in the country. The article went on to state it was the only all girls band east of the Mississippi River. The other one was in California.
The band had been organized late in 1940, and it had made phenomenal progress both in playing and marching ability. The statement went on to say by some very diligent practice several of the girls had become very good players.
Due to the Boosters Club, more than $500 had been raised for uniforms, and the girls were able to wear them for the first time at a game with Parkersburg.
Members of the band were Dorothy Davis, Nola Barnhart, Noreen Blair, Ada Bozman, Margaret Berger, Gloria Callander, Sara Lou Carmicael, Wanda Cox, Margaret Drumm, Margaret Edmonds, Eleanor Fisk, Kathryn Goudy, Margie Griffiths, Dorothy Gibbs, Mary Hardy, Pauline Howard, Marjorie Huff, Pauline Hupp, Edith Kerns, Betty Kirkpatrick, Joan Lauer, Catherine Lorence, Dorothy Matheny, Alma Parks, Evelyn Payne, Marcie Phillips, Janet Russell, Charles Tebay, Betty Weinstock, Donaldeen Whetstone, Ann Whipple, Laura Williams, Mary Francis Young, Mary Lou King, Ruby Anderson, Georgetta Wainwright, and Marjorie Leasure.
For some reason the name Charles Tebay was in the list of young women, and either it was an error, or Charles was the only one who could play a particular instrument. If anyone knows why Charles was in the band, please let me know. I would also like to know who the director was.
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The Sr.-Jr. Hi-Y's were set up to sponsor the annual New Year's Ball. By a vote of the members, the Junior and Senior Hi-Y clubs had agreed to join their resources in sponsoring the "Annual New Year's Eve Ball. Heading the joint committee as co-chairmen were Richard Krause and Gwynne Myers. Representing the younger club of the general committee were Randall Metcalf, James Nelson and Clarence Daugherty. Included from the older club were Mason Lindamood, Fritz Furbee, and Roger Buchert.
According to the article, the New Year's Eve Ball was initiated as an annual event in 1940 by the Junior Hi-Y Club.
At that time it was considered one of the top dances of both 1940 and 1941. However, plans were also being made to make this next dance bigger still. Plans were also being formulated to hold a school election for "Miss 1942."
Temporary arrangements had been made with the Betsey Mills Club for the use of the dance floor and for Walter Wolfe's Orchestra. The publicity campaign was to start that week (December 1941), and inasmuch as the ball was the "last of '41 and the first of '42" a large crowd was expected.
The Original of Dec. 18, 1941, stated plans for decorating were under way, and if the plans were followed it was to a a new and novel plan - more outstanding than ever before. The hours were to be 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. It also stated elaborate preparations had been made for welcoming in the New Year and co-chairmen heading the committee were Dick Krause and Gwynne Myers.
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I mention the Nye family when the Marietta trolley arrives at the Castle on Fourth Street. The reason for this is that the last individual to live in the house was Lucy Nye Davis, who died at the age of 99. But that doesn't describe anything about the Nye family, who is mentioned in the 1903 "History of Marietta" written by Thom. Summers.
It is a short segment, but it tells something about The A.T. Nye & Son Co., including in later years, 1866 to be exact, the company was moved to the "point" where it occupied an acre of ground bounded by the Muskingum, Post and Monroe streets. Muskingum Street is no longer visible and is probably under water.
According to Summer's history the Nye establishment demonstrated Marietta's claim the city was a superior point for manufacturing purposes. Anselm T. Nye was born Nov. 9, 1797, in Campus Martius, and spent most of his life in advancing interests connected with the city. About 1829 a foundry was started near the old Fort Harmar site, and this was sold to A.T. Nye Sr. in 1830, who associated with Ichabod H. Nye and Rotheus Maynard as A.T. Nye & Co.
The junior partners retired in 1854 and A.T. Nye Jr. became a partner, the firm name changing to A.T. Nye & Son, the latter being he active partner until his death in January 1899.
Marietta had many companies in these days gone by, and the Marietta Chair Co. was the leading industry of Marietta. (For those of you not informed, The Chair Co. was located where the Marietta College has built its new dormitory at the corner of Putnam and Seventh streets.) Its lumberyards and buildings covered 11 acres, floor space 168,500 square feet, and it employed about 500 persons. The chair business, which was started there in 1820, was succeeded by the above mentioned company in 1856, and the company had a very extensive business. Believe it or not, all employees were union men, but there were never any strikes. and this proved to be a great factor in the prosperity of the place.
The Marietta Manufacturing Co. began operation in 1856, under the W.F. Robertson & Co. I continued operation after that under various names, with the name adopted in 1890, during which year it was incorporated. The works covered about an acre of ground, and the principal products manufactured were stoves, ranges, iron and brass casting, plows and repairs, and compound and condensed engines, pumps, etc. for steamboat trade.
The Diamond Pants and Notion Co. had its beginning when George Blake started in a small way to manufacture overalls, in 1890. Morris Brothers a few years later bought out Blake, and from that time the business prospered and extended, until it occupied the entire section of 207 Second St. and the fourth floor of 209. They turned out about 25 garments daily and the company became incorporated Jan. 1, 1900.
The Leidecker Tool Co. was located on Second Street between Greene and Butler. It dated from Jan. 23, 1891, when it was incorporated under the laws of West Virginia. It was one of the largest manufacturing plants of the city and its principal business was manufacturing oil well supplies. Their products were known all over all southwest oil fields.
It employed 100 hands and had branch plants at Sistersville, Mannington and Salem, W.Va. The plant did a lot to make the name of Marietta known as a center for the manufacture of oil well supplies.
This is just a small number of the companies that did business in Marietta, and if you drive around the city today, you can tell by the size of the large number of homes built in the 1800s how the money flowed in the old town.
Right now we are suffering from the lack of companies and jobs, but there is no reason why businesses can't grow again. It simply takes someone to get it started.
Joan Pritchard is a longtime columnist for The Parkersburg News & Sentinel. Contact her at joprit@sbcglobal.net
