REUNION TIME – The “old-timers” of the high school class of 1931 are gathering this week for a reunion on Saturday night…A lot of water has gone under the Ironton-Russell bridge since that class graduated…If memory serves me correctly, 1931 was the year of much excitement in Ironton…
The city manager’s plan of government was new…Leonard G. Howell, an old graduate of Ironton High School, had been city manager for less than two years and Dr. W. F. Marting was president of the City Council, which automatically made him police judge…Henry F. Heider was president of the Chamber of Commerce and the town was enthused as construction of the Henrite Products Co. was underway…The class reunionists perhaps will recall three big things that happened in town following their graduation.
July 14, 1931, was recorded officially as the hottest day ever in this city…Between 3 and 4 p.m., the thermometer reading was 106…
On July 30 the first big balloon to land in town, the Goodyear Blimp “Columbia” took guest passenger flights over the city, courtesy of H. E. Wileman and Carl Zimmerman of the Iron City Tire Shop…It was the first time in the air for many prominent citizens.
August 7, the Coal Grove-Ashland bridge was opened for traffic with a dedication program attended by thousands of Irontonians…
September 28, the first river regatta with speedboat races was held here…
Tuesday, October 21, 1931, was an unforgettable day for thousands of Irontonians…The Iron City Savings Bank folded that morning and many life savings were frozen…Mrs. Faye Ferguson, a local pianist of rare ability, made her New York debut before going on radio in Chicago…
The Fish and Game Association was building a big dam for a lake which is now known as Lawco Lake…Newspapers were printing editorials about a young man named Franklin D. Roosevelt as the logical candidate to defeat Herbert Hoover for a second term the next year.
I met the first of the fine group of the class of 1931 Saturday morning on a downtown street corner…Adam Payne, who is with Nationwide Insurance claims department in Baltimore, his charming wife, son, and daughter who are 13 years apart, the daughter just graduating at Annapolis, Md….
They came home to visit with the grandparents, Mr. And Mrs. A. T. Payne, 2437 South Ninth Street…Grandpa, who is better known as “Shoe Doc” Payne, will be 75 Saturday and this brings home more members of the family of eight children and 16 grandchildren of Alpha T. and Catherine Payne…
Also in the traffic-blocking group on the corner were Alva Payne and the family of Newark, Ohio…It was nice to chat with the Paynes who will be remembered by many old friends who attended high school during the thirties.
Written by Charles Collett
Huntington, WV Newspaper – June 13, 1961
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