Past and Present

White House in Leetonia

Millworkers

Leetonia was once a booming Tannery and Mill town, now the sounds of work have turned to sounds of recreational cabins and hunting. I remember the White House when I was a kid in the 60's I don't remember exactly when it was torn down, but the Forestry Department used it for a while as a residence for the Forester, Ray Low, who grew up in our place as a kid.

Living in Leetonia back then wasn't an easy life. You worked for the company town and owed most of your paycheck to the company store by the end of the week. Your house didn't have insulation or insulated glass windows, cracks in the wall where covered with newspapers or anything you could jamb in a crack to stop the wind. You didn't set a thermostat to stay warm. You chopped wood and were happy if the temperatures stayed above freezing at night. No indoor plumbing(which was probably good, since it would have froze), water came from the creek or a spring. Baths were seasonal events not daily. Yep the sights and the sounds and the smells were very different then.

Now you would never know this past existed. Leetonia is quiet except on Holidays and weekends during the summer and hunting seasons. For people out of the area, Leetonia, which is still on the map is an illusion of a living town with food, shelter, and gas.  When you look at signs and road maps it makes you think, a State Road, and signs to Leetonia,  it must have something. This  thought has gotten many a person lost or stranded in Leetonia. It isn't uncommon for someone to run out of gas, break down.  If this happens to you unless you can walk four to five miles to the top of the mountain for cell service or walk eight miles to Cedar Run. You are at the mercy of the woods and hope someone will come down the road.

Yesterday, while working at Cassel's camp, a man walked up asking if I knew where he could get a motorcycle tire fixed. He and his wife were touring the area and gotten a flat. This presented two problems: nothing is open on Sunday, and nothing is close. I took them back to my place and found out the Harley dealer in Mansfield was still open, so we loaded it up on my trailer and I hauled them there. We made it ten minutes before they closed and wouldn't be open until Tuesday. Sometimes life works perfectly even if it isn't what you planned for the day.

As many of you know I had a bad accident in the woods a little over six years ago and if it hadn't been for others coming to our aid with food and finances we wouldn't have made it. I have always helped others when I could, but my accident made me realize how important the help of others can be. So thanks to you all who helped me I continue to pay it forward and you are part of that spirit. I hope these people enjoyed the rest of their vacation and their misfortune became a good story they have to share with others.

Short note: our power issues continued for a couple days with on and off issues. I am hoping things get ironed out before Labor Day weekend. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

Power Out Heavy Rain

The Power has been out in Leetonia, since 8/21 at  6 PM or earlier. We arrived home after being out to find no power. We are on the generator to send this message. There was a high amount of rain that surged the creeks and there is a chance for more rain today. We lost power the night before due to a tree falling by Hooke's Camp. This outage is more severe and is taking a longer time to get repaired. I will update when we get power again.

Lastest UPDATE: Power is back on 7:45 AM 8/22. Major storms hit Westfield, Blackwell and English Center, Hail, heavy rain and flash flooding. More rain in forecast for today. Summer is the time to lose power a lot due to these kind of storms combined with a lot of trees. Hopefully, the rest of the day won't bring too much more rain. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

Leetonia School Early 1900's

Leetonia School House that sat on Boneyard( currently Bonitz's Camp)

This is a picture which hangs on the wall inside the Bonitz camp. It doesn't have a date on it but I am guessing it is early 1900's. If any of you know the people in this picture we could nail it down closer. I know from my grandfather that the school closed in the early 1940's. The remains of the school were torn down in 1958 when the current Bonitz camp was built. Jack thinks they might still have the school bell somewhere. Not as many people seem to know about this school as the one near the graveyard was in more of the old pictures.

The school was divided into two pupil groups Primary and Intermediate.  According to a historical account Intermediate schools were for children who could write and speak English. Primary generally ages 4-7 for children just learning these skills. Although, some older immigrant children would end up in primary classes until they reached proficiency. 

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I have a list of students at Leetonia that were in each of those categories during the 1905-6 school year.  I know there are a few of you whose relatives are in this list and I would be happy to hear from you.

LEETONIA GRADE SCHOOL  NO. 5

Elk Township

Tioga County, Pennsylvania

1905 -1906

James Bailey Pres., Gustave Gross Secr’y, W.T. Schanbacher, Teas., J. F. Grimm, Lesslie Lockwood, William Kelly, W.R. Longstreet County Superintendent

Names of Pupils

Primary Department

Nellie Bailey

Bessie Bailey

Prudence Bailey

Anna Borden

Dessie Borden

Rupert Borden

Fred Cole Harold Daniels

Talbert Davis

Ora Fritchel

Danniel Goodwin

Owindlin Gilbert

Madge Gilbert

Barton Gilbert

Susie Gubbins

Joseph Hartman

Ella Hartman

Helen Husted

Floyd Johnson

Ruth Kelley

Willie Klinegardner

Eddie Klinegardner

George Lloyd

Harry Lloyd

Pearl Loucks

Rosa Loucks

Nellie Louchs

Richard Kuttner

Gladys Morse

Velma Morse

Robert Mattison

Mary Marzo

Pearl Meeker

Ludwig Nissler

Elsie Nissler

Eddie Naegely

Frances Pepper

Freida Rief

Freida Schwab

Mildred Schramm

Joe Sereno

Victor Sereno

Mildred Schramm

Mildred Warren

Intermediate Department

Vern Anderson

Catherine Bailey

Leo Bailey

Eddie Bailey

Florence Bordon

Warden Casbeer

Leon Campbell

Max Crumm

Earl Dobbs

Robert Dobbs

Blair Daniels

Mary Daniels

Adelia Davis

Florence Davis

Maisy Furman

Daisy Furman

Frank Kelley

Mary Kennedy

Bennie Loucks

Plamos Loucks

Jason Loucks

Bert Lockwood

Helen Low

Earl Morse

Fannie Morse

Nora Mattison

Jessie Misner

Yerson Misner

Henry Nissler

Marie Nissler

Cleon Goodwin

Colin Goodwin

Ursel Gorton

Delilah Gorton

George Husted

Wilbur Husted

John Huggler

Walther Huggler

Willie Huggler

Charlie Hartman

Earl Hartman

Albert Johnson

Alma Johnson

Albert Kuttner

Ida Kline

Chauncy  Klinegardner

Tina Klinegardner

Ada Klinegardner

Clark Kelly

Frank Naegely

Pauline Naegely

Harry Pepper

Ernest Robinson

Mable Robinson

Ervin Rief

Herman Schwab

Sophie Schwab

Lottie Schwab

Emma Schwab

Bertha Schwab

Otto Schramm

Edith Schramm

Clair Stickley

Wilmot Stickley

Wildah Stickley

William Starner

Walter Starner

Stella Starner

Mary Sereno

Olive Shegog

Thanks to the Bonitz family for letting me scan their photo and recreate the old list. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

Dog Lost in Leetonia

Ace and Ti

Super Moon over Leetonia

Last Saturday I came home and Lee meets me saying, "We got an extra dog."

She didn't seemed thrilled about it so I figured it wasn't voluntary. "Some guys found her over on Francis Leetonia road and they couldn't find the owner and wondered if we would take her," she added.

The dog, a Tri-colored English Setter, sported a training collar, bell, and full name and phone number on the collar. Lee had already called the number, which was a down-state number and left a message. We called around to Slate Run and Cedar Run as well as the local Dog Shelter to let them know we had the dog. You can see the dog in the first picture with Ace a friend of ours who was here helping clear some brush.

It is good when people have as much information as possible on the collars to help find them. But we knew from past experience if this was a cell-phone they weren't getting their message up here and would have to find cell service somewhere to connect with us. After a few hours Lee suggested I go look for the people in the area where the dog was lost. So Ace and I headed down the road. We didn't get far when I saw an out of the area car approaching followed closely by another car. I slowed them down and asked if they were looking for a dog. They said, yes and they were headed to our place next. 

We quickly found out the dog's name was Ti, as the women in the group proceeded to talk to her and tell her what a bad dog she was all while giving her happy embraces. Ti danced and whined for joy at the sight of her owners trying to make up for her bad behavior. Dave had his dog out training and he thinks she chased a deer and got out of range of the collar. It doesn't take much to jump over the ridge of the mountain and be out of range of the transmitter. Fortunate for Dave someone picked the dog up and dropped her off here where she could be easily found and not become coyote bait with a bell on. Dave didn't have his cell phone with him and had to call someone back where they were staying in Ansonia to get our message. Happy fast ending to our lost dog in Leetonia.

Kathy Davis who was in the group looking for Ti, told me they have a hunting FB group called Hunters United and I could post a lost dog message there if I ever find another dog or should I say when we find another dog. Ti was dog number three we have reunited with their owners since we have been here. The worst of the three was a six month old beagle who broke her chain over Easter near Gamble Run and was gone for a week in the woods before we found her running up Leetonia Rd. Many more go lost in this large area never to be found. Keep your dog's close and well identified so if the worst happens it is easier to get them home.

Ti in action

Last night was Super Moon in Leetonia. I caught the moon just as it came up over the mountain and it was beautiful and a bit eerie. The moon lite always lights up the forest and makes it so you can see just about anywhere without a flashlight. The last couple of nights have been cool in the mid-forties, but it warms up quickly into pleasant seventies during the day. This is some of my favorite weather easy sleeping and comfortable to work in outside. Of course the cool night weather leaves a heavy due that doesn't dry out until almost 10 am so you have to wear something waterproof to walk in early in the morning. Loving the moderate weather and the moon lite nights in Leetonia. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

The misty days of Leetonia

Trailer leaves the woods

For those of you interested in the trailer it has found a good home. We bid it farewell and remember the fun days of having friends stay there and enjoy the woods. We still have the deck for sale and some leftover steel roofing. Also anyone wanting a full RV hook-up where the trailer used to sit it is for rent by the day, month or season. Contact me at campeaglebear@yahoo.com for more info.

On to other subjects I wish my camera could have caught the picture the other night when I was driving home in the dark. It was a misty,foggy night. The water droplets hung on the trees in a way the light from my headlights made them glow. The fog kept my travel slow and shadows danced through the trees. On a night such as this alone in the woods, dark and foggy, your mind plays tricks on you. You think you see a bear or something moving ahead and when you reach it there is nothing. It makes you feel that something supernatural is out there. Your brain goes to wild-men or Bigfoot.  During the day it is easy to laugh at such folly of the mind. But I assure you the next time you are alone on such a night in the woods it isn't hard to go to a very dark and scary place. 

Usually, this kind of post would be a good Halloween post but it came early in August this year. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.