Author: PHW

We continue our peek into the past this Friday with the 1914 historical and trade edition of the Winchester Evening Star. It is no stretch to say Winchester has always been proud of its history, and this can clearly been seen here. The paper leads with a promising block of introductory text:

Winchester, Virginia
Situated in the “Vale of Shenandoah” between the enchanted Blue Ridge and Alleghenies in a God-blessed and sun-kissed land of peace and plenty. Situated 70 miles from Washington, capital of the nation, and 112 from Baltimore, the “Metropolis of the South.” Located in a magnificent agricultural country in the famous apple belt. Once the home of George Washington and other noted men. Here sleeps Daniel Morgan, “Thunderbolt of the American Revolution” and the proud Lord Fairfax. An important educational and financial centre. Brief review of her past and present history with sketches of leading men and enterprises which have placed her in the present pre-eminent and exalted position she holds in the sisterhood of American cities.

The history of Winchester through the founding by James Wood through the Civil War was brief but full of intriguing tidbits of local lore. Most residents have heard the story of Winchester changing hands 72 times during the Civil War; a lesser known exchange happened at our Taylor Hotel and was recorded in this history of Winchester:

In a single day the old and famous Taylor House on Main [Loudoun] Street was taken and retaken five times in a single day, and was literally drenched in the blood of contending troops. . . . It was used as a hospital for the wounded of both armies, and thousands of limbs were amputated there. It is related by residents of the city that they have seen in the alley running along the side of the building, large and grewsome [sic] piles of arms and legs. These were carted away daily and buried, with little ceremony, in unmarked graves on the outskirts of the city with no distinction being made between the Blue and the Gray.

The list of famous guests at the Taylor were noted in this article to include George Washington, Daniel Morgan, and Davy Crockett, all of whom most assuredly visited the log tavern that operated at the site of the current Taylor Hotel, and which was replaced in the 1830s by the brick structure following a fire at the log structure. Also new on this list, though not surprising, is William McKinley, as many know he was made a Mason here in Winchester.

While history is a focal point of the paper, its real aim was to promote the people and businesses of of Winchester in 1914. One possibly surprising statistic cited was that New Winchester (so-called for the rebuilding of the town after the ravages of the Civil War) had nearly every important business enterprise in the town (80%) operated by someone “born and bred” in the area.

The Valley Pike, along with eight other macadamized roads that lead to Winchester, was praised as the reason Winchester is a hub of trade. Apples, of course, received the lion’s share of coverage in the section on agriculture. Perhaps the best nugget is the legend of how Apple Pie Ridge was named. According to the author, the German settlers on the ridge brought young apple trees with them, and when the trees began bearing fruit, the housewives “baked apple pies incessantly for their families.” The pies became so famous that people “from far and near” would visit to feast on the tasty treats.

The churches of Winchester received a very brief paragraph of coverage, but the lack of written information is offset by the inclusion of a photograph of the Cork Street Baptist Church, which has been demolished. The church, which appears to have been a brick building with highly ornamental Gothic embellishments, was once located between the Old John Kerr School and the Red Lion Tavern.

The topic of Winchester’s many benefactors was again raised, with this edition focusing on the Handley bequests to the City, said to amount to about $1.5 million. Although not a native or resident of Winchester, Handley was fond of the town and set aside a portion of his wealth (primarily derived from anthracite coal discovered on property he owned in Lackawanna Co. in PA). Lesser known educational benefactors John Kerr and R.A. Robinson were also mentioned in passing for their contributions to public schools.

The volunteer fire companies of Winchester also had a lively write up on which company could lay claim to being the oldest in town, with Friendship, Charley Rouss, and Sarah Zane all having their share of “firsts.” The author, however, dismisses all three as being the oldest fire company in Winchester, as “none of them are the original fire company, for files of old newspapers prove that there were at least two companies organized in Winchester considerably more than a century ago.”

The people in this edition are primarily judicial and civil servants. It is interesting to note that while all the businessmen previously detailed in earlier Friday Photos posts were honest and upright citizens, the paper has a slightly different angle for these fellows. They have “a large circle of friends” and are “public spirited” and “progressive” citizens. Among those pictured are Winchester’s Mayor Julian F. Ward, Hon. Thomas W. Harrison, Hon. Richard Evelyn Byrd, Major Holmes Conrad, Hon. Hal D. Flood, Commonwealth’s Attorney Herbert Larrick, Commisioner of Revenue J.E. Correll, Commonwealth’s Attorney James P. Reardon, Superintendent of County Schools Maurice Lynch, and Superintendent of Water and Sewers Thomas J. Trier. Each has a biographical sketch, but the most interesting may be that of Maurice Lynch. He had struggled to receive an education, and could not complete his schooling at UVA for financial reasons. He persisted, however, by teaching school himself (eventually becoming superintendent) and studying law on his own in the office of Judge William Clark, and was subsequently admitted to the bar in 1887.

View the full set of photos on Flickr.

It’s Friday, so it’s time to visit Winchester in 1914 with another historical and trade supplement to the Evening Star paper. Headlining the section is a half page article on Winchester’s greatest benefactor, Charles Broadway Rouss. The story of Rouss will be familiar to anyone who has attended any Rouss Day celebrations, but it bears repeating that his generosity to the city and its citizens is a rare and special thing.

Below the fold is another half page article on the Dunsmore Business College located in Staunton, touted as “none better in the United States.” The college, founded in 1872, was the first business school of its kind in Virginia or West Virginia. It remained in operation for 100 years, closing permanently in 1972. A collection of memories from past graduates can be found at newsleader.com.

On the next page, R.M. Swimley’s store at 117 E. Piccadilly St. was highlighted, noted for specializing in Thornhill wagons, Standard sewing machines, White Lily washers and wringers, a full line of farm equipment, and buggies by Buckeye and Blue Ribbon. The second floor of the store carried furniture and rugs and even musical instruments. The article takes pains to note Mr. Swimley made every effort to stock high quality Christmas presents for the holiday season instead of “trashy” ones that would be soon discarded by the recipients.

At the corner of Cameron and Baker Street was Robert W. Schultz’s farm supplies store. Mr. Schultz is said to have taken over the business from Lohr Capper about four years earlier (1910). Not to be outdone, there are articles featuring the J.T. Brown and Son’s stoves and ranges store at 133 North Loudoun St. and J.F. Kremer’s groceries, glass and woodenwares store at 10 South Loudoun St. Aikin and Taylor also grabbed a spot to promote their relatively new granite and marbleworks yard on East Boscawen St., located just before the Mt. Hebron Cemetery gatehouse.

Rounding out the page are two articles on restaurants downtown. One features Barker’s Restaurant at 168 North Loudoun St., open just six weeks at the time of publication. The proprietor, R. P. Barker, had recently returned from working at Child’s Restaurant of New York, and his mother was noted as being the proprietress of Jordan White Sulphur Springs. Perhaps the best photograph of the set, however, can be found advertising the Dellis & Pappas authentic Greek restaurant at 151 North Loudoun Street, which opened about eight years ago (1907). The image shows the owners inside of their store, which was noted for several innovations. A section was set aside for ladies and their escorts so they could dine while shopping downtown. The restaurant was also noted for never closing, a “greatest convenience, especially for the travelling public and to automobilists, many of whom make it their headquarters.”

View the full set of photos at Flickr.

We have a real treat for you in today’s set of Friday Photos. This promotional type of newspaper was tucked away in the PHW library. Upon opening the pages, we found a treasure trove of images from Winchester and surrounding areas dating to about 1904.

The Kernstown Distillery gets top billing on the front page, touting its whiskies are noted for “their purity, maturity, and excellent tonic qualities.” The manufacturing center was located in Kernstown, and branch offices and retail locations were located in Winchester, Berryville, and Harrisonburg.

Other businesses had photographs accompanying their articles, such as Funk and Ray’s funeral and furniture store at 7 S. Loudoun St., Valley Marble and Granite Works, Winchester Memorial Hospital, the James Clark Distilling Co., the Lyons Clothing Company, and the Shenandoah Valley National Bank.

Other businesses ran text articles, including the Miller Drug Store, Old Colonial Cafe at 126-128 N. Loudoun St., The Singer Manufacturing Co. at 5 W. Piccadilly St., Winchester Creamery, Dr. Whitlock and Nephew, J.J. Chrismore Harness and repairs at 139 S. Loudoun St., T.M. Bantz (noted as the oldest shoe establishment in Winchester) at 14 N. Loudoun St., The Union Bank, W.M. Hardy Harness at 135 N. Loudoun St., The Virginia Lightning Conductor Company, Robinson Bros. Dry Goods at 134 N. Loudoun St., Winchester Ice Factory, Simon Hausenfluck’s restaurant at 29 E. Boscawen St., E. W. Grant’s Livery and Sales Stable on Fairfax Lane, Archibald Oden Shoes, J.H. Bowman Groceries at 705 S. Loudoun St., Thos. L. House Groceries at 124 S. Loudoun St., Capt. George W. Kurtz funeral director and embalmer, Briggs Piano Co., The Winchester Hand Laundry, the Henry S. Baker & Co., The Moon Clothing Store at 200 N. Loudoun St., Robert L. Mitchell’s livery and drayage at 19-21 S. Braddock St., John W. Davis harness and leather repairs at 42 E. Piccadilly St., Jones’ Creamery at 31 E. Piccadilly St., J.W. Henshall real estate and loans at 26 Rouss Ave., jeweler and optician E. Bruce Capper at 11 W. Boscawen St., J.M. Fry plant nursery at 809-821 S. Loudoun St., C.W. Ramsburg poultry and produce, plumbing and electrician Chas. F. Seal at 28 E. Piccadilly St., and Bushnell & Co. cigars and drugs.

Front Royal and Stephens City shared a page for their enterprises, namely the Bank of Warren; J.F. Forsyth groceries and other goods; jeweler, watchmaker, and optician C. W. Johnston; Naylor, Shyrock, and Co. harness and farm supplies; Front Royal Milling Co.; E.H. Hoffman groceries and shoes; Front Royal National Bank; William E. Lake and Sons General Merchandise; E.D. Poulton book and stationery; Front Royal Ice Plant; photographer T.M. Hemming; and C.L. Brumback farming implements.

Also included are articles on public figures and institutions, including Judge William Atkinson, The Handley Library Fund, Auctioneer A. G. Swanson, Winchester Fire Department Chief J.W. Sibert, cobbler Julius C. Davis, and Winchester Steam Dying and Cleaning Works proprietor Harry Parsons. All were of course noted as being exceptionally good businessmen and honest, upright citizens.

But the best surprise of the paper was an image of the Aulick House at 414 S. Braddock St. with the family standing in the yard, promoting their florist business. Most likely pictured are Charles Eugene Aulick, Sr., his wife Rebecca, and Charles Eugene, Jr. and Mary Katherine as young children. This is the oldest known image of the Aulick house, just a little over twenty years after it was constructed.

View the full set of photos on Flickr.