Another piece of the puzzle

As a military kid, we were constantly moving when I was growing up, and my parents also moved many additional times that were not required by the service. It was a crazy lifestyle for a kid, and I am still trying to construct my own history. It’s very difficult to do, as I do not have anyone to ask anymore (father gone 1967, mother gone 1993, no siblings). I might run across an old, hoarded and sometimes inherited piece of paper – a letter, postcard, receipt – and from that I find an address or date to help complete the puzzle. Sometimes, all I have are memories, which was the case here. I had no address, and all the landmarks had been destroyed.

Daddy was transferred to the North Pole, on the DEW Line to keep an eye out for the Russians during the Cold War (and in his case the "cold" part was literal), an 18 month assignment with no families allowed (what I know about that one deserves its own post), so my mother and I ended up waiting this one out in Carterville, Illinois. It was a really small town with a population at the time (1960-1961) of about 2,600 people. The house we lived in was a tar paper shack, which was a little wooden structure covered in a paper-based material that is tar-coated to be water-resistant. A lot of it (most of it, really) has a fake brick appearance. The house, although it was right in the middle of town, had no electricity, heat, or plumbing. I have no photos of it (Daddy took his camera with him to the Arctic) but found this pic on flickr that resembles it very much. Click to view larger at its source. Seems like our shack was in better shape, even though the front steps were rotten enough for Grandma to fall right through one of them once.

Mother would attach a water hose to the neighbor’s faucet, and ran the hose through a hole in the wall of our little cottage, that was our running water. I am assuming that she had permission to do that. There was a wood-burning potbellied cook-top stove in the house for both cooking and heat. She chopped wood for it every day. I don’t remember any furniture (I guess it was in storage). I do remember sitting on the floor playing with paper dolls while mice scampered around. I am not bothered by mice (luckily).

In the backyard, there was an outhouse, and establishing the boundary of the property in back was an active railroad track. My mother planted a food garden back there, and I remember homegrown corn and strawberries.

I tried to locate the house by looking for the railroad tracks, but Google maps didn't show any. I had to search online for an old map of the town that showed the old tracks.

On Google satellite view you can see the path going through that was left by the old railroad.

I tried locating it by finding my Grade School, seen below, but it has apparently been bulldozed as well, replaced by unremarkable modern buildings.

Look how close we were to the train!! I am amazed. The house next door to the east was even closer.

Here is the current Google street view of the place. It still holds a little house, but an infinitely better one. I got a kick out of the way the residents were captured sitting in their car, with the car parked in the yard, and one of them is sitting in the hatchback! That's a little bit hillbilly, but they've got nothing on us.

No retirement package

Barmaid in a dive, it's a job
You wonder how people end up in some situations, and being the barmaid in The Wheel Bar is one of those situations. To briefly sum up the situation, I had just completed 2 years of Fine Art at the Community College... receiving a degree meant for transfer to a 4-year college, but zero job training or career prep, and I had no money to continue with school. The fact was that I needed a job, had no job skills, and did not want to become a hooker. This bar was similar to all the other dive bars that I spent time in growing up (not voluntarily - my cousins and I had to amuse ourselves with the jukebox and such while our folks drank). I was a drinker, and had not worked in a dive or tended bar, so I was open to adding that to my life experiences.

When I walked in, the owner leered at me (as a young woman I was used to that), and said "God damn it. You wanna tend bar?" I did. "Ahright, get yer ass behind this bar afore we take you in the back room and check you for hemorrhoids." Yes, that's really what he said, and I didn't think it was funny, it was just typical old drunk in a bar low-class humor, and I had been sexually harassed on just about every job I'd had, so it was not a deal-breaker and I figured I could withstand it. Funny thing, he didn't even ask me if I was of drinking age (I was 21 [actually I may have been as old as 23], but he didn't card me. Whaddya think? Wouldn't you card me?).

The job paid $15 a day for about 9 hours of work, and it was 6 to 7 days a week. It was paid in cash. I was also allowed to serve myself alcohol, as much as I wanted, and I could have a frozen Tombstone pizza for dinner but had to eat it during the shift. There weren't breaks. Also, there were almost no tips. I'd get maybe a dollar or two during a shift maybe, but I remember one night when we were well into the night and I still hadn't been tipped. I told the owner, and he pounded his fist on the bar and yelled "God damn it!! You sonsabitches tip the god damned barmaid!!" Then a couple of people put quarters on the bar, and not without a grumble.

See, this was the kind of place where it's all regulars. Every night around 5-ish, the same people came in. I knew what their usual drinks were. I had to learn the signals, like the one guy, when he put his empty in just a certain place, that meant he wanted another one. The jokes and banter were the same every night. I heard the hemorrhoid joke nearly every night. I drank all night, and got through it, learned to roll with the punches (it wasn't recommended to go through a night in there sober, I tried it once). Some stayed until closing every night, and if somebody passed out, head on the bar, we could joke about them being "Asleep at the Wheel." The owner and his wife sat all night at opposite ends of the bar, glaring at each and sometimes arguing. When they weren't in the bar, they were upstairs (they lived there, literally).

Next door to The Wheel was a Sunday bar, which they also owned, called The Hub (I think). This was when MO still had the Blue Laws where you couldn't serve more than .03% beer on Sunday, so that's what they did. Hardly anyone would be around other than the most hard-core regulars, just the people who practically lived at The Wheel (or actually lived there). Both places had a jukebox well stocked with hard-core country music, and a pool table. The Wheel also one of those bar shuffleboard machines. One night, some black people came in. They were waiting for a bus or something and came in to play some shuffleboard. It was not the best idea for them to step into a bar that was as rednecky as this one. At The Wheel, they HATED people of color, and when they walked in everybody got a little nervous and jumpy. Pretty soon, the owner's wife told me to reach under the bar and hand her the gun. I refused. Guess I was the one with the risky behavior then, but guns are always bad news. Fortunately, they caught the bad vibes from the hostile stares and walked out. Sigh of relief. See, on that side of the highway it was mostly white and on the other side it was very mixed, and some of those old-timers are not big on diversity, to say the least, and can go over the edge over the smallest thing (just look at the Tea Party).

After a few months, they hired another barmaid. She was going to work days mostly. They really liked her even though she was kind of fat, because she had a pretty face, laughed a lot, had really big boobs and liked the skimpy sundresses. They really liked her, that is, until they found out she was dating a black man (although they never used polite terms) and she got fired on the spot. I was getting pretty tired of that place by then, and got myself hired as a cocktail waitress in a restaurant lounge with a piano bar, where they made me wear itty-bitty shorts with Budweiser logos all over them. I went from serving drinks to food, and then got notified that I'd been hired to work assembly at the GM plant that was in north St. Louis at the time. One of the foreman was a semi-regular at The Wheel, and had helped me get hired there and moved me into the next phase of my working life [I blogged that phase under the tag Autoworker].

I love Google Street View. I looked up this place and it looks like some kind of warehouse now, and except for the lack of bar signage, it looks the same.
There's the Sunday bar on the left, the little beige building.

Old Dominion Barn Dance, pt 3

Continuing with looking deeper into who these people are in my old photos. Click photos to enlarge.

"Wacky Red Murphy first saw the light of day in Hiedelburg, Ky. Started his radio career in 1932 in Covington, Ky. Since then has traveled all over the South on numerous major stations. He keeps the whole Barn Dance cast in good spirits--a likeable red head who radiates his happiness to others. From his role of comedian, he can change momentarily to serious singing. Joined the Old Dominion Barn Dance July, 1947."

Couldn’t find much on Wacky Red Murphy. He is mentioned in an account of the last night of Hank Williams (which is reposted a lot on the web), Murphy is not connected other than he performed in the same town, Knoxville, that night, New Year’s Eve.

New Year's Eve, 1952, was low-key by the standards of later eras. The Tennessee and some other movie houses were hosting midnight shows. But champagne was still illegal in Knoxville; you could only find it in private clubs. The city did sponsor a dry "Gala New Year's Eve Show & Dance" at Chilhowee Park, featuring Wacky Red Murphy and local comedian/politician Archie Campbell as "Grandpappy," plus the Cherokee Indian Square Dancers.

"Ray Berry is a most likeable fellow, playing his own guitar while he blows on a harmonica, sings the ballads of the hills in the style that suits everybody. Born in Corydon, Ky. Started pickin' and singin' at the age of 16. Has played on major stations from Texas to Pennsylvania. The more the folks of the Old Dominion see and hear Ray, the more they like him. The youngins' especially like his "Popeye" and "Donald Duck" characters he imitates."

I couldn’t find anything on Ray Berry beyond what is in his bio there.

"One of the newer members of the Old Dominion Barn Dance is little Nita Lynn, who stands just about 5 feet high, plays a "handfull" of guitar and has a distinctive style of singing and yodeling. Born in Middleboro, Ky. First radio work was in Chattanooga, Tenn., in 1939. Nita will fast become one of your favorite entertainers on the Barn Dance."

Nita Lynn was born Juanita Earlynne Morris, and she was another child performer who grew up onstage. She is still with us, as far as I know, and hillbilly-music.com has a pretty in-depth writeup on her that they did with her assistance. She played with lots of folks then and later, including Paul Howard. She may or may not have been in his band for this recording, but here he is in 1947, with a cover of a Hank Williams song that was recorded by Hank the same year.
Paul Howard and his Cotton Pickers: Rootie Tootie


Listen to Hank Williams' version here

Bonnie, Bea and Buster, the Puffenbarger Kids, were born in the hills of West Virginia. Later moved to the Shenendoah Valley of Virginia. Started in radio about nine years ago in Harrisonburg, Va. They joined the Old Dominion Barn Dance in 1947. Bea and Buster both play accordion and Bonnie plays bass fiddle. Bea is also the organist for the Little Church Across the Way program.

I found some info on this band from a couple of obituaries (below), and Facebook. "Buster" was Charles, and his sisters were Helen "Bea", Bonnie and Joan – so it looks like they later added one more sister to the band:

Charles E. "Buster" Puffenbarger - Died 2-16-2002 – Cancer. Born 6-17-1929 - Played accordion - He was one of the The Puffenbarger Kids who appeared on The Old Dominion Barn Dance variety show and a member of A Touch Of Class - Played alongside Chet Atkins, Mother Maybelle Carter and Grandpa Jones. Stewart, Helen Elizabeth, 80, of Mt. Washington, died Wednesday, June 7, 2006. She was the former Helen Puffenbarger and began her country music career in the 1940's along with her siblings Bonnie, Buster and younger sister, Joan, under the Puffenbarger Kids) at radio station WSVA in Harrisonburg, VA. In 1948, the "Puffenbarger Kids" became members of the "Old Dominion Barn Dance" located in Richmond, VA. In 1949, the "Puffenbarger Kids" were invited to join the "Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round" on station WNOX in Knoxville, TN. Later that year, Helen was asked by Mother Maybelle Carter to join the Carter Family band as a regular on WSM's "Grand Ole Opry."

Helen's son left a comment on John Carter Cash's page about his mother's time with the Carter Family band, and how she had lived with June Carter for two years. There's a lot more, if you want to look up the junior Cash, it's all there. Going to finish up this 3-part series with a Chet Atkins. I don't have his WRVA press photo, but I saw it in the Old Dominion video posted in part 1, where he was called "Chester Atkins."

Old Dominion Barn Dance, pt 2

The continuing saga of discovering who these people are in these old pictures on the wall... again, click on the pics to enlarge.

"The Saddle Sweethearts, Rose and Mary, two lovely young ladies, who pick and sing just as pretty as they look. On the left is Rose Schetrompf, who was born in Baltimore, Md. Started in radio at the age of 15. Plays guitar and does very nice solo work as well as harmony. on the right is Mary Klick, born in Hagerstown, Md. Started in radio in 1939, plays guitar and bass fiddle. The girls are nationally famous in radio, and joined the Old Dominion Barn Dance family in July, 1948."

Rose, in particular, had a career of note beyond the Saddle Sweethearts, which was her "good girl" WWII-era band. She was born Doris Schetrompf, and went on to marry Joe Maphis and become his duet partner as Rose Lee Maphis. I learned some of that through a Google-preview of this book: Lonesome cowgirls and honky-tonk angels: the women of barn dance radio by Kristine M. McCusker

Now Joe Maphis was a legend as a guitar pioneer and inspired Chet Atkins, Merle Travis and many others. He was a big deal. Here he is doing his comedy Barn Dance schtick as "Crazy Joe."

"Cousin Crazy Joe Maphis has been a radio entertainer since the age of 12. A native of Suffolk, Va., later moving to West Virginia. Has picked and sung with Sue, John and Sam Workman since 1940. Took time out for 3 years overseas duty for Uncle Sam. One of the original members of the old Dominion Barn Dance cast. Has been featured on most of the larger Barn Dance shows in this country. He is pictured here with his latest--Cindy the 1923 Ford, which he brings right out on the stage on Saturday nights."

Joe played in plenty of the Barn Dance bands. Here he is again with the "Korn Krackers," this time as Cousin Joe Maphis.

"The Krackers consist of Cousin Joe Maphis, Jackie Osborne, Buck Ryan and Ray Edenton. Ray was born in Richmond, Va. Started in radio in 1946, plays guitar and bass fiddle. Buck Ryan was born in Mt. Jackson, Va. Started his fine brand of fiddlin' in radio at the age of 15. Jackie hails from Grafton, W. Va. Made his radio debut at the age of 8 in Akron, Ohio. He plays guitar and bass fiddle. Cousin Joe Maphis, who plays most any instrument with strings, is a well-known radio artist to folks all over the country."

He might have been a legend among musicians, but his claim to fame is probably the song "Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (and Loud, Loud Music)" which has been covered by the Flying Burrito Brothers, Porter Wagoner, Flatt & Scruggs, and lots more.
Joe Maphis wiki Still more to come in part 3. Don't touch that dial.

Old Dominion Barn Dance, pt 1

I've had a stack of old 8x10s (press photos) pretty much all my life. I never knew who those people were, never looked them up or anything, but still hung them on the wall in frames because they are cool and kind of funny. Decided to scan them and share, and in the process I looked them up.

These things are from WWII era, from a radio show on WRVA Virginia call the Old Dominion Barn Dance. During these times, radio ruled, and these radio shows were not only heard locally (and attended live) but sent overseas for the entertainment of soldiers away from home.

Here she is, the first "Queen of the Hillbillies," Sunshine Sue (real name Mary Arlene Higdon). Caption below. Click any of these pics for a larger view.

"Sunshine Sue is Mrs. John Workman and is mighty proud of her "Big Sugarfoot" and little Billy Boy who was born in Richmond in 1941. Sue, along with John and his brother Sam, under the direction of WRVA, keep the Old Dominion Barn Dance rolling and strive daily to please you radio friends. Sue is the only "Femcee" of an nationally known Barn Dance. Born in Southeastern Iowa, as were the Workman brothers. She has been singing your favorite homespun songs on WRVA since January of 1940. As well as radio work, her interest is in being a housewife and mother."

The autographs on these are printed on, as they are on lots of press photos. Continuing in the series, which will take up a few posts here on the Oasis, are Benny and Curley.

"Yodeling Benny Kissinger and Fiddlin' Curley Collins are perennial favorites of the Barn Dance listeners. Benny was born in Fairchance, Pa. Started his radio career at the age of 15 in Fairmount, W. Va. Whether it's a Western cowboy ballad or an Irish ballad, the folks love to hear Benny sing. Curley was born in Catlettsburg, Ky. Started in radio at the age of 14 in Huntington, W. Va. Curley plays guitar, fiddle, and does fine MC work."

More to come! Gotta love these fashions!

Hillbilly Prayer Flags

Roots. Hillbillies part 1.

This is a picture of my Great-Uncle and Great-Aunt. They have been dead for about 20 years now and lived to be pretty old. His name was Otis, always pronounced "OUGHT-iss", and his nickname was "Tater". He was a hard-core Pentacostal fundamentalist... one of those folks who wouldn't go to the doctor... he'd just trust God to heal him up. He broke his leg and didn't go to the doctor. He'd walk near a beehive and let bees sting him all over his body... praying the whole time... ended up scarred and limping but that was OK by him. He'd take his Bible and go down to the main drag in the college town, and he'd preach fire and brimstone right there on the sidewalk. It was amusing to most people, but not to me because he was related to me. Nobody can embarrass you like family. Otis was the brother of my grandfather, Arch, and they were from rural Mississippi. There were 10 siblings in my grandfather's family -- 9 boys and 1 girl.

His wife, Hester (who always went by the nickname "Hess"), was the first cousin of Arch's wife Cora (my grandmother, who went by her middle name, Lee) -- so Hess was related to me in two ways -- one of those hillbilly titles, Aunt-Cousin. Hess and Lee were from rural Oklahoma. Aunt Hess was also a fundamentalist Christian but not as whacked as her husband. She made really good pie.

I have set several world records in that bathtub.

"I have set several world records in that bathtub". I was going to use that as an "out-of-context" quote, but the context is too interesting. First of all, nice hat, and how do you put it on?

Jackie Bibby calls himself the Texas Snake Man, and he just broke his own World Record by spending 45 minutes in a bathtub with 87 rattlesnakes (previous record: 75 snakes). Not sure why he'd want to break his own record, and my other question is who else is trying for that record.

More crazy crap at the LINK, including this:

Bibby also claims numerous movie, TV and theater credits, playing such roles as Hostage on Plane, Hillbilly, Liquor Store Owner and Irate Bar Patron.

I like this pic below, it has a Mister Bill look (Oh Nooooooo!!!), and wondering if the snakes are intimidated by that belt and buckle.

Music Legends to Honor and Celebrate

Happy 66th Birthday to local legend Billy Joe Shaver

So sorry to hear that we lost Vassar Clements, the Father of Hillbilly Jazz at the age of 77.