=================================================
The paragraph was sent by a person who wished to remain anonymous, but also
thought many people would be interested to get a little first
hand information about Randy Hugill.
If you haven't heard, Randy Hugill is
married and lives in NY. He does
some Broadway but he is a writer and
choreographer for many shows. He had
one of his shows that he had written
and chor. go on the road
about two years
ago. His wife is an agent for some very
big names (the ones I knew about I've
forgotten) They have no children.
He had worked with Carol Channing
at one time. Pat O'Brian helped him.
That's all I know about him and that
information is about two or three years
old. His mom Kay Hugill lives in Olney
and travels to Terre Haute to visit her
daughter Jacque.
He is a talented, interesting person. He deserves to
be recognized in Olney. The show he
took on the road, I should have said
he had some cities lined up in Tenn.
and PA just to see if it would work.
I haven't heard anymore.
============================================================
Rich........ Wilson761
Thanks for the most recent issue of Olney
Memories #4 :-)
The little cafe across the corner from the Olney courthouse was, I think,
called Kurtz Coffee Shoppe and Cafe. I have an old Olney telephone book
so I'll take a look and see if it's listed in it...
And of course everyone and his brother had to put bubble bath in the fountain
in Bowers Park next to the Town Talk on Whittle.
Do you recall the Olney Civil War Celebration in the 1960s? Everyone
dressed in period clothing. All of the men in town were to grow beards
for the big celebration. They blocked off main street
and stewed up some mystery concoctions in enormous copper and cast iron pots
claiming it was authentic food eaten by Olney volunteers during the War. It
tasted suspiciously like chowder. Any local man who appeared for the
street party but did not grow a beard was sprayed with shaving cream.
Another lasting image of Olney are the grain trucks
lined up on Walnut Street on Saturday mornings to be weighed. On rainy
days hundreds of local farmers would socialize under the awnings and in the
recesses of downtown stores while their wives shopped for groceries, etc.
Woolworth's, Tresslers, Sherman's, and Gaffners were favorite spots. It was a good time to swap
jokes, news, and tips. And somehow they all dressed alike: faded blue Osh
Kosh B'Gosh bib overalls,
lace up work boots, a gray canvas Fedora and a dark gray suit coat. Every
pair of bibs proudly displayed rolling tobacco in a draw string pouch, a well used pencil, and a packet of receipts and other
valuable papers. Modern "farmers" show up with corporate logos
on their color-coordinated designer caps, shirts, jackets, Palm Pilots, and
trucks :-) Ah, progress!
I am glad that I live in a metro area of 4
million yet my neighborhood has a vibrant town square. It reminds me of
Olney in the 60s but has more places to eat and fewer places to drink. We
even have freight trains cutting off traffic 3 or 4 times a day. It's fun
to be able to walk across the street to eat lunch with friends, go to church,
catch a play, or go shopping. And it's my best explanation to "city
kids" of what it was like to grow up in rural America. Of course the
locals recall their "good ol' days" when
mule drawn cotton wagons lined up on the Square and ....
- Rich in Atlanta
============================================================
Noaxelson1@aol.com
I remember the Picnics in the park where the main
course was Corn Chowder. The play ground had a swing
that twirled around a post and it looked like a gate. That was fun for
3-4 kids at a time. I also remember the White squirrels running rampant
thru the park. Last year I didn't see a one. What happened to our White
Squirrels??
Norm Axelson Class of 65
===========================================================
Mverdine2@webtv.net
It's interesting to read everyone's memories from
their viewpoints! We
sometimes saw things differently, or knew different people so you know
the real story of someone else's "memory"... but it has been a real
revelation to find that everyone in Olney lived the SAME life!!! A
few
turns here and there, but basically all the same. Amazing.
And we
thought we were all so different from each other.
===========================================================
knbwood@otbnet.com (Kerwin & Bobbie)
Some of my best memories are of all the antics that
occurred while I worked 3 seasons at DOG N SUDS. If I had only kept a diary of
those years! Jack passed a few years ago of a heart attack, but Mary Lou is
going strong. She's been taking wedding pictures for some time. I remember the
feud we (the Dog N Suds girls) had with the Town Talk crew. We would visit each
other and swipe mugs, trays, glasses, etc. That brings up "draggin' main". We used to go from Town Talk to Dog N
Suds....now it's down to the Print Shop around the block and up Main to
Whittle, around the block and back to Main. Look what they're missing! 'Course
now gas is about 5 times what it was in the 60's! I grew up in the country
south of town. We didn't go into Olney very often until I started HS. Does
anyone remember the "Free Shows"? Keep dragging out the memories,
Ann!
Bobby Cravens Hoff
Class of 1960
======================================================
HI Olneyites! It's time for the
Memories #5 publication! This is such a fun thing that everyone is
contributing to. It appears the more memories we send and read it brings
even more memories to our mind! I have received to
many positive comments about these memories and what a fun thing it is to do.
Keep thinking and keep writing!
Ann Weesner King
pianoann97@aol.com
=====================================================
The paragraph was sent by a person who wished to remain anonymous, but also
thought many people would be interested to get a little first hand information
about Randy Hugill.
If you haven't heard, Randy Hugill is
married and lives in NY. He does
some Broadway but he is a writer and
choreographer for many shows. He had
one of his shows that he had written
and chor. go on the road about two years
ago. His wife is an agent for some very
big names (the ones I knew about I've
forgotten) They have no children.
He had worked with Carol Channing
at one time. Pat O'Brian helped him.
That's all I know about him and that
information is about two or three years
old. His mom Kay Hugill lives in Olney
and travels to Terre Haute to visit her
daughter Jacque.
He is a talented, interesting person. He deserves to
be recognized in Olney. The show he
took on the road, I should have said
he had some cities lined up in Tenn.
and PA just to see if it would work.
I haven't heard anymore.
============================================================
Rich........ Wilson761
Thanks for the most recent issue of Olney
Memories #4 :-)
The little cafe across the corner from the Olney courthouse was, I think,
called Kurtz Coffee Shoppe and Cafe. I have an old Olney telephone book
so I'll take a look and see if it's listed in it...
And of course everyone and his brother had to put bubble bath in the fountain
in Bowers Park next to the Town Talk on Whittle.
Do you recall the Olney Civil War Celebration in the 1960s? Everyone
dressed in period clothing. All of the men in town were to grow beards
for the big celebration. They blocked off main street
and stewed up some mystery concoctions in enormous copper and cast iron pots
claiming it was authentic food eaten by Olney volunteers during the War. It
tasted suspiciously like chowder. Any local man who appeared for the
street party but did not grow a beard was sprayed with shaving cream.
Another lasting image of Olney are the grain trucks
lined up on Walnut Street on Saturday mornings to be weighed. On rainy
days hundreds of local farmers would socialize under the awnings and in the
recesses of downtown stores while their wives shopped for groceries, etc.
Woolworth's, Tresslers, Sherman's, and Gaffners were favorite spots. It
was a good time to swap jokes, news, and tips. And somehow they all
dressed alike: faded blue Osh Kosh B'Gosh bib overalls, lace up work boots, a
gray canvas Fedora and a dark gray suit coat. Every pair of bibs proudly
displayed rolling tobacco in a draw string pouch, a well used pencil, and a
packet of receipts and other valuable papers. Modern "farmers"
show up with corporate logos on their color-coordinated designer caps, shirts,
jackets, Palm Pilots, and trucks :-) Ah, progress!
I am glad that I live in a metro area of 4
million yet my neighborhood has a vibrant town square. It reminds me of
Olney in the 60s but has more places to eat and fewer places to drink. We
even have freight trains cutting off traffic 3 or 4 times a day. It's fun
to be able to walk across the street to eat lunch with friends, go to church,
catch a play, or go shopping. And it's my best explanation to "city
kids" of what it was like to grow up in rural America. Of course the
locals recall their "good ol' days" when mule drawn cotton wagons
lined up on the Square and ....
- Rich in Atlanta
============================================================
Noaxelson1@aol.com
I remember the Picnics in the park where the main
course was Corn Chowder. The play ground had a swing that twirled around a post
and it looked like a gate. That was fun for 3-4 kids at a time. I
also remember the White squirrels running rampant thru the park. Last
year I didn't see a one. What happened to our White Squirrels??
Norm Axelson Class of 65
===========================================================
Mverdine2@webtv.net
It's interesting to read everyone's memories from
their viewpoints! We
sometimes saw things differently, or knew different people so you know
the real story of someone else's "memory"... but it has been a real
revelation to find that everyone in Olney lived the SAME life!!! A
few
turns here and there, but basically all the same. Amazing.
And we
thought we were all so different from each other.
===========================================================
knbwood@otbnet.com (Kerwin & Bobbie)
Some of my best memories are of all the antics that
occurred while I worked 3 seasons at DOG N SUDS. If I had only kept a diary of
those years! Jack passed a few years ago of a heart attack, but Mary Lou is
going strong. She's been taking wedding pictures for some time. I remember the
feud we (the Dog N Suds girls) had with the Town Talk crew. We would visit each
other and swipe mugs, trays, glasses, etc. That brings up "draggin'
main". We used to go from Town Talk to Dog N Suds....now it's down to the
Print Shop around the block and up Main to Whittle, around the block and back
to Main. Look what they're missing! 'Course now gas is about 5 times what it
was in the 60's! I grew up in the country south of town. We didn't go into
Olney very often until I started HS. Does anyone remember the "Free
Shows"? Keep dragging out the memories, Ann!
Bobby Cravens Hoff
Class of 1960
=====================================================jacleath@earthlink.net
From: Jack
Leathers
To: Margaret
Ann
Subject: Olney Memories
Margaret Ann is my cousin, but more like my sister. We
constantly keep in contact via email and have fun doing it. I am quite a
lot older than most of you who have been discussing Olney and it's different familiar places. Since I had spent some
time in Olney around my senior year in high school, she sent me some of your
comments. In return I sent her some of mine, just for her benefit, but
she asked me to include them in the group. I have rewritten them
somewhat, since they are going to be published in this, what might be a large
circle of Olney fans. As I told Margaret Ann, I am an old man compared to
most of you, but I remember a few things that some of you probably never heard
of, so here goes. I lived on a farm SE of Olney and went to Claremont
High my first three years, which is all they taught. My senior year which
was 1943-44, I attended Olney High. I didn't know anyone when I went in
there, but my cousin Betty Rash. She introduced me to her group and we
had a lot of fun together. You might have heard about some of
them-----Allen Welker (football star), Charlie Jones, Jane Hampton Jones,
Louise Laughton, Puzi Weber, John Doan, Jo Ann Zimmerly, Jackie Negus, Nancy
Poland, etc. Mr. Newton was the football coach, a rough one but a successful
one.
My first job in Olney was at a drive-up hamburger-shake bus like structure
located on Boone St. in the first block and just across from the Poland Hotel.
I was young and a friend of mine ran the establishment (using the term
loosely). We had curb service then and I was the fastest curb-boy around!
I also worked at the shoe factory one summer on S. Whittle by the
railroad tracks. I remember when the skating rink was located in the
park. I'll bet no one remembers Bond's Drug Store across from the Arcadia
Theater. I worked there during my senior year, where I mixed up some of
the best shakes and sundaes ever! Probably not better then Mike's though.
After I graduated I went to work in Centralia for the National Supply
Company, (oil field equipment). John Doan and I hitch-hiked home on
weekends to be with our friends, mainly our girl friends! I remember my
Uncle Carl Rash was custodian at the Cherry Street School. Since we lived
in the country it was always a great treat to go to the Richland County Fair.
I spent my allowance shooting those cork guns at cigarette packages and
other items on the shelves, one never knocked off!
In January 1945, I entered the army and went to Camp Hood, Texas for my basic.
Goodbye to Olney, and away to living my life. Ended up many years
later (1989) retiring to Temecula, CA, where we enjoy the weather and
environment. Hope I didn't bore you all too much.
Jack Leathers
Class of 1944