Treasure Chest Thursday - Portrait of Great Grandma Norris

The beautiful lady in the photograph above is Elizabeth Routsong Norris, my maternal great grandmother and the portrait and the obituary underneath are my Treasure Chest items for this Thursday.

The portrait was kept at my grandparents home, although I never saw it hanging on the wall. It wasn't as commonplace in years past as it is now to keep photos of deceased family members on display and I didn't actually see this photo until I was an adult. It now hangs in my mother's home, in it's original frame, in extremely good condition considering it's age. Libby, as my great grandmother was called, was the daughter of Henry Mathias Routsong and Clarinda Swadner. I have written about them in some earlier posts. She was married to Harry Norris 26 June, 1898 in Van Buren Township, Montgomery County, Ohio. They had two children, my grandfather, Leland Norris and his sister, Grace Naomi.

On the occasion of her death, the family was given the obituary above, laminated in heavy plastic with the newspaper's name stamped as well as the date of publication. Every one who has ever researched their family history will know how valuable something like this is to have.

So, once again, my treasures today are photo and document related. They truly are priceless!

Wordless Wednesday - The Miamisburg Mound

The Miamisburg Mound; the highest and largest of the
conical mounds found in Ohio.

Memories of an NCR Baby

It was massive. A tribute to the man who created her and the employees who made her run. NCR was a much a part of Dayton as the Great Miami River. The National Cash Register Company had been originally The National Manufacturing Company, begun to market the first cash register. John Patterson, a businessman who knew a good thing when he saw it, bought the company and the patent and turned the company into what would become the model for companies the world over. Mr. Patterson became both famous and infamous for the way in which he ran his business, but his ideas for employee well-being were far ahead of their time. During the Great Flood of 1913, John Patterson was almost solely responsible for saving the city of Dayton because of his early warnings and massive rescue operation. So beloved was he that the citizens of the area created a monument of his likeness that overlooks the land he donated for a public golf course. If you grew up in Dayton from the turn of the century until the 1970's, chances are you, your parent, or your grandparent worked for The National Cash Register Company. In my case, it was both my parents and two of my grandparents.

My maternal grandmother told the story of how she and her friend were riding on a transom car after work at NCR when my grandfather, still in his Army uniform, was introduced to her. He said he told himself that she was the woman he was going to marry; and he did! My father was a toolmaker and my mother was working as a typist in the parts inspection department (her boss was Pete Rose's uncle!). Dad's boss told him that he had seen a "cute blonde" downstairs and asked him if he would like to do some extra work in that department. He did. Dad told me once that when he went down to see her he thought "Wow!" A few months later, they were married and they had 42 years together before my father passed away. So, NCR was in the blood of our family. After mom and dad were married, he joined the Air Force and spent time in Japan, Texas, Mississippi, and Columbus, but he decided to come back to NCR.

During the 50's and 60's, NCR was THE place to work in Dayton. Growing up with NCR was wonderful for kids. Old River Park, created for the employees and their families was a haven for those needing a place to relax and have fun. A huge pool, miniature golf course, giant chess and checkers games, canoes to row on the Miami River, picnic grounds, band concerts, and movies were just a few of the items available in the park. Every year there was a special Christmas program (YES. A CHRISTMAS program, not a holiday program.) at the NCR Auditorium. We were treated to various types of entertainers, topped off with a visit from Santa and each of us received one of those little mesh stockings filled with candy. Once a year, we were treated to the "Toolmaker's Picnic". I assume that every job classification had a picnic, but I thought we were special. Each child was even given a special ticket that entitled them to pick out the "toy" of their choice in one of the special "stone" shelters in the park. NCR. It was wonderful; until about 1971.

I have several NCR magazines covering the time period of the 1960's to the early 1970's. Looking at them now, we should have seen it coming, but I don't think anyone did. The union certainly didn't. Times were changing quickly. Mechanical cash registers were on the way out and the microchip was taking over the world. The company began to try to make changes and the union fought back. Then, they went on strike. 8,500 people walked out on NCR.

I was only nine years old at the time, but I can still remember mom and dad turning on the news to see what was going to happen. I can still see the worry and tears. The strike went on for several months, but, like most strikes, it was eventually settled. I'm not sure what, if anything, was gained. Even so, after strike was over, things were never the same. Little by little, NCR began to lay people off. They just weren't needed anymore. The world was still changing. The factory was getting older. Now, there were empty buildings that weren't needed so they began to tear them down, one by one. Even the gorgeous architecture of the auditorium was not spared the wrecking ball. By the 1980's, the NCR property was a shell of it's once grand stature. Company presidents came and went, logos came and went. The University of Dayton bought a few of the company's buildings. The Dayton Daily News moved into a portion of another one. But, the NCR National Headquarters was still here, sitting on a small hill, behind an iron gate.

Then, another new company president, who decided he didn't want to be a part of the city that gave birth to the business that employs him, took the final step in 2009 and moved NCR away from Dayton and the state of Ohio entirely. Not with a bang, but with a whimper, the company that John Patterson and the citizens of Dayton built, moved away.

Thankfully, Dayton History has become the steward of Old River Park, hoping to restore it to it's former glory and The University of Dayton will assume ownership of the national headquarters building. Cox Ohio Media has taken over the building that houses the Dayton Daily News and plans to move their television and radio stations to the building as well.

To those persons living in the city who have no knowlege of Dayton history, it probably means nothing more than just an article in the newspaper or a clip on the news, but to those of us who grew up as "NCR babies", it's a loss we can feel to our souls. NCR may have left us physically, but the spirit of NCR will always live on in our hearts and in this city.

Tombstone Tuesday - Karen Lee Kelley

While searching through Fairview Cemetery in Gratis, Ohio I found the gravesite of Karen Lee Kelley. She is not a relative of ours, but I thought the memorial to her was so sweet, I had to photograph it. I thought I would share it for today's Tombstone Tuesday.

Sentimental Sunday - Getting Dad Home

The letter is addressed incorrectly to "Mrs. Esther Shoemaker", but it doesn't matter. The news it contains was what my mother had been praying for and waiting to hear for way too long. My father had been stationed in Japan and his tour of duty had been complete for some time, but the Air Force could not seem to find a way to get him home. He had not been well and homesickness was taking it's toll. My oldest brother had been born while he was gone and there had been precious little time with family since then. Both he and my mother were at their wits end. Out of sheer desperation, my mother and grandparents had contacted the office of their congressman, Paul F. Schenck of the 3rd Congressional District in Ohio, to see if he could offer an help. They soon received an answer.

His response had been written 1 June, 1954 and it states, "I have received a message from the Far East Air Force Command regarding your husband's rotation to the United States and am pleased to relay this information to you. They report that his return has been delayed because of a shortage of transportation facilities which, of course, you already knew. However, they also say that if they do not find space for him on a ship coming to the United States by June 5th, they will let him fly back and use him as a crew member on the plane. I am also informed that he will be assigned to Lockbourne Air Force Base on his return. It has been a pleasure securing this information for you and if I can be of further to you at any time, I hope you will feel free to call on me. With kindest regards, I am.......Paul F. Schenck."

On the 11 June, 1954, my father sent the following telegram, "Darling, leaving for Fuchu on the 14th. Will see you soon. All My Love."

He flew home on an airplane that was going to be taken out of service because it was no longer safe. I guess he figured it was worth the risk to finally be home!

Wordless Wednesday - Huffman Sisters - Part Two

Another portrait of my grandmother, Imogene Huffman Shoemaker (L) and my great aunt Lavonne Huffman Jackson (Sabina, Clinton County, Ohio) circa 1910

Memories of Rike's Department Store

Every metropolitan city had at least one major department store. Cincinnati had Shillitos, Columbus had Lazarus. Dayton had Rike's.

During my lifetime, Rike's had many different incarnations before finally being turned into Macy's by Federated Dept. Stores. The crown jewel of the chain, the huge downtown Rike's department store was torn down in 1999 to make way for the beautiful Shuster Performing Arts Center.

My purpose here is not to write a history of the department store, but to share a few of my own personal memories.

Kettering had one of the first "suburban" Rike's department stores ever built. We went shopping at what was known as the "Rike's Kettering" shopping center. At the time of my childhood, the store wasn't much different from the way K-Mart or Target is today. The check-outs were located in the front of the store and large picture windows lined the entrance. My brother and I would walk to Rike's with our friends and he would buy the latest record albums.

During the late 1960's my mother decided to take an evening job at the store to help with the bills. The cards above contain the dress code she was expected to follow. Reading it gives you quite an insight into the fashion expectations of the day. Some of the more interesting statements are " As a rule, sleeveless dresses should not be worn by mature women" and "the smart women is always accessorized properly from head to toe". I wish I had a copy of the dress code for the men!

My mother enjoyed working for Rike's, but she was working in the girls sized 4-6X department. A great plus for me since many nights she would come home with some wonderful new outfit, but it wasn't so good for her pocketbook! Some of my favorite memories were when she would bring home chocolate covered pretzels or the latest fashion accessory for Barbie! But, mom never enjoyed being away from her family for very long and so her career with Rike's soon came to an end.

In the late 1970's and early 80's Rike's changed the look of their stores. They decided to go more upscale. I remember clearly the white tile coming up and the hardwood floors going down! Even the mannequins began donning real eyelashes! We started shopping there a little less.

Soon, they changed their name to "Shillito-Rikes", combining with the stores in the Cincinnati area and then we lost the Rike's name altogether when all the stores became "Lazarus". The final change came when "Macy's" came to town. Although sometimes it's nice to say I bought something at "Macy's" (which is rare!) I have to say I really miss shopping at "Rike's". A large part of Dayton history is gone but it's not forgotten, at least for now.

The Rike's name may no longer hang over the door, but I still tend to call the place "The Rike's Kettering Shopping Center" and people just look at me like I'm from another planet.

Tombstone Tuesday - The Wright Brothers

For today's Tombstone Tuesday post, I have chosen the final resting place of Orville and Wilbur Wright. They are buried in the historic Woodland Cemetery in Dayton. Many of the Wright family members are also buried here. The Wright Family monument receives hundreds of visitors, with many leaving flowers or money on the stones; as you can see from these photos we took on our visit.

According to information listed on Ancestry.com, the Wright Brothers are my 7th cousins, 4 times removed, with our shared ancestor being James Sykes, my 10 great grandfather and their 6th great grandfather. I can't confirm or deny this information personally, because I haven't sourced the information myself, but I choose to believe it for the time being since I am so proud of the fact that were "hometown" Dayton boys! Their mark is seen all over this area, from the Wright Cycle Shop to Wright Patterson Air Force Base, to Wright State University.

Also created in their honor is the Wright Brothers Memorial in Fairborn, Ohio, which is a replica of the national monument built in Kittyhawk, NC and Carillon Historical Park houses a replica cycle shop and one of their original airplanes, and many other interesting items from the lives of these two great inventors.

Surname Saturday - Rowe Family of Emmitsburg, Maryland

Frank Rowe and Leland Norris, Sr.



Marriage Announcement of Effa Norris and Frank Rowe

Retirement Newspaper Announcement

Obituaries of Frank and Effa Norris Rowe

Gravesite at St. Elias Lutheran Cemetery

M. Frank Rowe was my grandfather's uncle, by marriage. He was married to grandpa's aunt, Effa Norris Rowe and they lived in Emmitsburg, Maryland. My mother recalled visiting her great Uncle Frank when she was a teenager during the one visit she had made with her parents to Maryland. By the time she had made the trip, her great Aunt Effa had passed away so she had no memory of her.

When I began my research on my mother's family, the first place I looked was in the Maryland census records because my great grandfather had migrated to Ohio from Frederick County.

It was a little tricky to find Frank Rowe, because, I discovered, his first name was actually Marion. After quite a few frustrating moments, I finally got the message that his family routinely used their middle names and not their legal names. So, on some legal forms, he was "Marion Rowe" or "M. Rowe". Once I figured this out, it became a little easier to find him.

Through the various census years, I discovered that Frank was a storekeeper and a shoemaker and was considered one of the prominent businessmen in the community. Another important source I was pleasantly surprised to find was the Emmitsburg.net website where photographs and stories of early Emmitsburg are plentiful. It was during one of my searches to that site that two photographs of Rowe's Shoe Store turned up! They are a little out of focus, but to me, they are very precious.

Continuing my search for Frank and Effa, I decided to check some Frederick County newspaper records and I happily found a remarkable amount information. Two of the most valuable were their marriage announcement and the news of Frank's retirement.

The story of the wedding, from The Frederick News, 24 December, 1898, reads:

Miss Effie Norris, daughter of Joshua H. Norris, and Mr. M. Frank Rowe, both of Emmitsburg, were married at the bride's home on December 22, Rev. Chas. Reinewald officiated. The bride was attired in a handsome brown traveling gown, with hat and gloves to match. A sumptuous dinner was served immediately after the ceremony. Mr. and Mrs. Rowe went to Washington and Baltimore and returned home Saturday evening.

The story of Frank's retirement reads:

M. Frank Rowe Retires at 86
Emmitsburg Shoemaker Had Plied Trade 65 Years at Same Stand
Emmitsburg: 65 years at the same stand is an enviable record of Emmitsburg’s oldest business proprietor, venerable, M. Frank Rowe, who last week announced his retirement.
Mr. Rowe has plied his trade, shoemaker, at the same location, on West Main Street, that is a familiar location to both old and young residents of the town, beginning his trade under his grandfather, James A. Rowe. The younger Mr. Rowe was taken into the concern as a full-fledged partner at the early age of 21. That was in 1887.
A native son of Emmitsburg, Mr. Rowe recalls that his grandfather had the distinction of making boots for the cavalry of officers when they were engaged in conflict at Gettysburg. He imparts the boots then sold for $16.00 a pair. At that time the concern ----and cut the patterns for the custom made footwear.
Not content with shoemaking alone as a business, the energetic Mr. Rowe opened a grocery store in the same building 14 years ago at age 72. He continued operating the store until until the past week when he suddenly decided to sit back and take it easy.
At 86, the enterprising Mr. Rowe has a keen sense of humor and is an active conversationalist, well versed in current events and possesses a keen memory of events of long ago.

Frank and Effa had two daughters, Mae and Frances.

Effa died in 1945 and Frank followed her in 1953. They were buried in St. Elias Lutheran Cemetery. Thanks to a wonderful Findagrave.com volunteer, I have photos of their gravesites. I also learned through that person that Frank and Effa had had a third daughter, Pauline, who died as a baby.

The only photograph I have of my great great uncle Frank is the one above where he is standing outside my grandparent's home with my grandfather. I am still trying to find a way to contact the children or grandchildren of Frank and Effa's daughter's, but so far, I have had no luck. I am very pleased with what I have learned so far, though, and I'm going to keep on searching!

Wordless Wednesday - Dad and the Crew of the B-29

My father was a radio operator on a B-29 in the early 1950's. I love this photograph of the crew; autographed by all. My father is standing, second from the right.