For those who read Bob'n'Along Monday, you may recall I mentioned a 1942 telephone directory serving Clarksburg, Lumberport, Salem, Shinnston and West Union which was given to me by Mr. Louis Cinci.
I only briefly acknowledged receipt of the phone book, not going into any detail. However, perusing it over the weekend, I spotted many interesting businesses that I don't believe I've mentioned in past reminiscences.
For example, who remembers when American Airlines had an office in the passenger terminal in the airport at Bridgeport? What about when Ora Bachelor Hats & Gowns was located on Court Street? And when Blue Ridge Bus Lines operated out of the Terminal Building on North Fourth Street?
Cadillac Sales & Service was at 101 W. Pike St. I guess that would put it on the site more recently occupied by the Clarksburg Data Center. Then, of course, there was Candyland at Fourth and Pike streets.
Who can recall the Cherry Hill Hatchery at 404 E. Pike St.? I imagine that was about a block east of Raymon's Restaurant and the Knights of Columbus hall. And Clarksburg Ice & Storage Co. was on Peck Street. Clarksburg Dry Cleaners? That was on Willison Street, near Broaddus Avenue.
For women, there was the Darling Shop at 342 W. Main St. That site is now occupied by People's News. Benedict Lines Inc. was at 502 Monticello Ave. Dave's Place restaurant was at 103 W. Main St.
Does anyone remember Fesler's Service Station at Third Street and Washington Avenue? Or the H.L. Hollendyke welding shop at 109 N. 6th St.? The E.A. Jones Service Station was at Second and West Pike, and Johnson Hardware Company was at 507 Baltimore Ave.
May's Exclusive Cleaners was at 777 W. Pike St. near where Channel 46 is today. The Markert Waybright Bakery was at 412 Monticello Ave.
When Coca-Cola Bottling Co. was on North Fifth at Werninger Street, Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. was at 406 N. 5th St. But Dr. Pepper Bottling Co. was not in the neighborhood. It was located on the Limestone Road.
I'll have more info from the '42 phone book in a later column.
n
An e-mail arrived recently from Philip Mosher of Canaan, Nova Scotia, who says he has been researching an event on and off for the past 13 years involving an individual he believes grew up in the Clarksburg area.
"The event that I have been researching is Thomas H. Smith's Transatlantic attempt on May 28, 1939. His flight was to take him from Old Orchard Beach, Maine to the Croydon airport near London, England. He was never seen again.
"His small plane was found in the rugged barrens of Newfoundland by an RCAF patrol aircraft in 1941. When they investigated the site, they found no trace of Smith. The plane was intact, but was in a crippled state. Inside was a note which he stated he was going to try to walk out and that the weather was sleeting."
Mosher said in the e-mail that he had just returned from the crash site and would like to try to locate any relative who may be in the area to pass on the information that he has collected over the years.
"The only relative I know of is his father, who was an attorney in Clarksburg whose name was Harvey F. Smith. The report of the finding of his plane appeared in the Associated Press on Set. 13-14, 1941."
Mosher can be reached at 552 Canaan Cross, Kentville, Nova Scotia, B4N 4K1, Canada, or he can be e-mailed at u4eah@fox.nstn.ca.
Have an enjoyable weekend. More Bob'n'Along on Sunday.