Saturday, November 2, 2024

Recollections from generations past. (Katherine S. Etchison- 3)

 

        

INTERVIEWER: Let me see. Something about your brothers and sisters.

KATHERINE: I had three brothers and two sisters. There was six of us. We had a very nice home. Our mother was always delighted for us to have friends to come in. She had parties for us. It was a house for everybody. I remember my sister said one time, she had this one person that came to see her so often, and I heard my sister say, “I wish she would stay home so I could go to see her.” She was always at our house. We had a very nice home.

INTERVIEWER: Did you raise your own food?

KATHERINE: No, not to any great extent.

INTERVIEWER: What were the businesses in town?

KATHERINE: I imagine they would like to know about the businesses that are not here now. They used to make barrels in Pocomoke, because the farmers shipped their potatoes in barrels, so they had a barrel factory. And they had a basket factory where they made baskets for the tomatoes. And that was at the Schoolfield Mill, and the Schoolfield Mill was out near the, it was on Clarke Avenue, where the first railroad station was, the early one. They had shipyards. In one shipyard that made boats, and I mean real sure enough boats. And they used to launch the boats and that was a big time in the town when they would launch a ship. Many times the ship that they’d launch reached the entire width of the river. I mean that was the size of the ship. They had lumberyards. They had a bottle factory at one time. I remember that when I was a little girl. Somebody was talking about it one day and they said, “I don’t ever remember a bottle factory.” And I said, “I do.” I remember I looked in the window one day and they were making bottles and bottles on kind of a belt, carrier belt. It was down on Clarke Avenue. I think when I was a child, I explored all the time, I mean I was always looking for something. My father had an ice cream manufacturing. He manufactured ice cream. He had a factory down on Railroad Avenue. There was a soft drink factory in Pocomoke. They had glass smiths. We had three glass smiths shops in Pocomoke. Of course, horses then. Automobiles changed all that. They had wheelwrights and cabinetmakers. I remember Mr. Farlow was a wheelwright. He had a shop. I used to, we lived not too far at that time to Mr. Farlow. And I used to go over to his shop in the morning and he would use a wood shaver, I guess you would call it, they would come out in curls, you know? And I used to pin the curls all around my face. They had a sausage manufacturing place, where they made sausage. The man’s name was George Johnson. They had oyster bars where men used to go in. I don’t think women ever went in an oyster bar in Pocomoke at that time. Where they just served not anything but oysters, serve them all different ways. They had a carriage factory in Pocomoke, where they made carriages. Livery stables. They had three livery stables. A millinery where they sold hats. Shoemakers, they had a bakery, and we had an electric plant right in Pocomoke where they made the electricity. The Presbyterian Church was the first church lighted by electricity, I think, on the shore, because the man that owned the electric plant was an elder in the Presbyterian Church, and I think it was through him. We had millers, flour mills. Two flour mills where they made flour. And they had an ice plant. There are some of the things …

INTERVIEWER: It sounds like Pocomoke was pretty big.

KATHERINE: It was. I don’t think the population of Pocomoke has changed too much. At that time when I was growing up it was around three thousand. It’s four thousand now. It may be around four thousand, but I’m not sure.

INTERVIEWER: It sounds like there was more industry then than there is now.

KATHERINE: There were more industries. And people used to come to Pocomoke to shop from all the surrounding, all the area, the Virginia part of the Eastern Shore. Now the livery stables, we had five hotels in Pocomoke, and as I told you, three livery stables. And salesmen used to come down. Of course, the transportation then was train mostly. And they would come down on Monday and go to the hotel and stay. Then they would hire a horse and carriage from the livery stable and go down all the area around. But Pocomoke seemed to get most of those travelling men, instead of Snow Hill or Princess Anne. I think maybe it was because they fed them so well. But many of them came here. Our five hotels, we had the Parker House, the Clarke House, the Ford House, White Hotel and then there was a River Hotel down by the river. I don’t know who stayed there but it was a very low-class hotel. The River Hotel.

INTERVIEWER: Did you have a policeman or sheriff?

KATHERINE: We had one policeman. His name was Mr. Stroud. And Mr. Stroud also delivered ice.

INTERVIEWER: You must not have needed to be protected.

KATHERINE: We lived at Hartley Hall and one time, this one time in my life I remember. Everybody left home and looked around for a front door key so we could lock the door, and we didn’t have one. And we had to have one made. Our front door wasn’t locked for years and years and years, day or night. So, you can imagine…

INTERVIEWER: When you lived at Hartley Hall was that sort of out of town then?

KATHERINE: At one time when Dr. Murray wrote his history of Pocomoke, that was in 1840 something, I think. The boundary of Pocomoke, your church was in the country. Your church, the boundary started there. Linden Avenue that was all woods and swamp. We used to skate out there sometimes.  

INTERVIEWER: When the swamps were frozen?

KATHERINE: Because there was a little bit of water, but it was enough water to freeze, you know.

(Continues next Saturday here at The Pocomoke Public Eye.)


Anonymous
Katherine Etchison's family owned and operated a business, Stevens Dairy. One of their products was, of course, ice cream. Sometime in the late '50s or early '60s my father and grandfather purchased a 1936 or '37 six-wheel ice cream truck from Mr. Stevens with the idea of removing the freezer box and replacing it with a wooden grain body.

They used this truck successfully for many years, finally retiring it in the late '60s. Since I just started to drive I needed (wanted) a vehicle to drive to school. My family suggested that I could use the former ice cream truck since it still ran and would be free. The truck had a straight transmission, milk crates for seats and you could watch the road go by through the gaping holes in the floorboards. But it ran, and it was free!

I drove it to school most days and, after school, many of my classmates begged for me to give them a ride home or to the pharmacy in my rattletrap truck instead of riding with more affluent contemporaries in their newer and shinier vehicles.


Thursday, October 31, 2024

October 31st marked Dan's final regular TV appearance-

 (WBOC)


DELMARVA - After 12 years with WBOC, Chief Meteorologist Dan Satterfield is officially retiring.

For more than a decade, award-winning Dan Satterfield has been the weather authority on Delmarva, keeping you in the know and prepared.

“Dan is among the top meteorologists in the country when it comes to television,” Draper Media President Craig Jahelka said.

Satterfield has been on location through hurricanes, blizzards, solar eclipses, and flares of the northern lights to keep neighbors on Delmarva - from Kent County, DE to Accomack County, VA - weather-aware and safe. He has alerted us to flash floods and tornado warnings, icy roads, and everything else Mother Nature has in store on the peninsula.

“We’ve heard from people who tell us that they think they’re alive today because of what Dan Satterfield and WBOC did to give them early warnings,” Jahelka continued.

Though retired to enjoy his love of family, photography, and travel, you can expect to see Dan on the air again - he has happily volunteered to fill in as meteorologist at WBOC when needed.

WBOC and all of Draper Media wish Dan a happy, fulfilling retirement and thank him for his years of service as Delmarva’s most trusted meteorologist. Thank you, Dan!



Halloween Costume Contest voting-

Congratulations to Downtown Pocomoke's Virtual Halloween Costume Contest Winners! Pictures were taken at the Annual Downtown Pocomoke Fall Festival & voted online by YOU, the public. Congratulations to the adorable children & creative parents. Happy Halloween!

1st Place - Cousin Eddie

2nd Place - Bingo

3rd Place - Beauty & the Beast





Wednesday, October 30, 2024

(Updated daily) And the DRY continues.

WHAT WE NEED:



FORECAST: 11/05 to11/11-
Predominant pattern
 

THURS 11/7 30% chance showers 

SUN 11/10 30% chance showers

SUN NIGHT 11/10 40% chance showers

 REMINDER:

AN OUTDOOR BURNING BAN IS IN EFFECT FOR SECTIONS OF MARYLAND INCLUDING THE LOWER EASTERN SHORE OF MD COUNTIES AND STATE-WIDE IN DELAWARE.
 (At last report no word issued on a Virginia burning ban.)

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Fly to Orlando from Salisbury?

 (WBOC)



SALISBURY, MD - The Wicomico County Office of the Executive has announced new grant funding aimed at making flights from Salisbury to Orlando, Florida a reality.

(View news story:)

Salisbury to Orlando: New Flight Route Prepares for Takeoff in Wicomico County | Latest News | wboc.com


It was not that long ago that we had service from SBY to SFB (Sanford/Orlando) on Allegiant, about the lowest cost carrier around. Sanford in only 20 miles from Orlando and a lot closer to Daytona Beach.

This is a feel-good proposal, a waste of tax dollars and will last less than 12 months (if it ever gets started).

Your friend,

Slim

Monday, October 28, 2024

Worcester School Superintendent's statement-

 

As Superintendent of Worcester County Public Schools, I feel it is necessary to address the rhetoric and misinformation about our schools that is circulating throughout this election cycle. While candidates are entitled to their own opinions, I will not stand idly by while our students, teachers, and staff are attacked with hateful and inaccurate discourse.

(View Superintendent's letter:)

An Open Letter from Our Superintendent of Schools | WORCESTER COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS


Save the date.. December 6tth!

 


Pocomoke City Mayor Todd Nock & the Pocomoke City Council will light the town’s Christmas tree while guests roast s’mores by the bonfire & enjoy FREE refreshments.

Live entertainment & music onstage all night!

Children can decorate Christmas cookies, make a holiday ornament, and visit with Mr. & Mrs. Claus!

There will be a Holiday Wreath Silent Auction to raise money for the Boys & Girls Club! If interested in donating a wreath, please email karah@pocomokemd.gov - prizes awarded!

For more info, contact City Hall at 410-957-1333 x111.

Sunday, October 27, 2024

Time Machine: 100 years ago this week in Pocomoke's newspaper; 2004-2014: fate of big project plans for lower E.S.

 

                                    
                                              
(Editorial)




(Worcester schools construction)






2004 - 2014

When the lower Eastern Shore was dreaming of a..

               Wal-Mart Distribution Center

It was a long and winding road that became a foggy and dusty, narrowing trail with no light at the end.  To explore the trail start here:

November, 2004

     (see enlarged text that follows)


         (continues upper right column)



January, 2005


February, 2005


February, 2005


March, 2005


April, 2005



May, 2005
                                        
                                                   


June, 2005    
                    


July, 2005




December, 2006



January, 2007


February, 2007


May, 2007


August, 2007


May, 2008


October, 2008

March, 2009


March, 2014



(All above news items from The Salisbury Daily Times)

The Pocomoke Public Eye says: "Whew!  Let's proclaim this trail icy cold and acknowledge that as enticing as the proposed project was, it wasn't meant to be."


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