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Random Thoughts from a Random Memory


By Edward Master


I recently lunched with the Turkey City lunch bunch, basically of which we all are either TC natives or have a connection through family such as a marriage. Judy Dehart’s hubby (Jim) grew up in Turkey, as did Judy Miller; Paula Dee’s mate Gary (recently deceased) was also TC born and raised. We ate at an oft-common spot in the Carriage Inn in Knox. Roberta Gates and her late husband (Bob) were locals from Alum Rock, just a stone’s throw from TC. Roberta hails from top of the Bostaff Hill and Bob picked up the bus with the rest of the kids from TC with is brother Jerry at Alum Rock.

There always seems to be plenty of diners at the Carriage Inn, at least it takes some time for the servers to pick up the lunch dishes. The used plates though always seem cleared of food. I guess people are hungry at what used to be the Underwood Hotel, and with that statement I’m dating myself.

You see, the Underwood, was at one time a mainstay in Edenburg (Knox). It was down street from the Knox theater and the Knox bakery. On the southern side of town, on the “old” road into town, was a blue and yellow state sign in the dip with name “Edenburg” in bold golden letters. I recall when I was a “wee one” my Grandpa Master telling tales of Edenburg Motors. I think it may have been across the street from the Carriage Inn. If not there, it could have been where Blauser Plumbing sat at a corner on Main Street. I’m old, but not that old.

Regardless, I do know at one time there was a bottling business in Knox. Soda pop was bottled and then delivered by truck to stores around Clarion County. I’m guessing it was Knox Beverage. I remember it was a real treat to go into Knox on a Friday night. On the south end of Main was McCleary’s restaurant. Across the street was the 5-and-10, the major source of my comic books. Early on, probably in my ‘older’ pre-teen days, I specialized in ‘Classic’ comics. My first real exposure to literature. Those comics were condensed versions of novels such as Ivanhoe, The Three Musketeers, Frankenstein, and Joan of Arc. I later sold my tattered collection to a comic books dealer in New Jersey. I didn’t make much of a profit as I said they were tattered pages.

Edenburg in the pre-medical center days always had more than one doctor, a G-P. I usually went to Dr. Koenig. One time though, a dog bite sent me to Dr. Houston (Doc Houston’s son Chip was a friend of mine and whom I believe is now a doctor). I heard my grandpa and my dad regale me with tales of Doc Kahle and Doc Vierling. I went to college with Doc Kahle’s grandson and I casually knew the two Vierling sisters who lived down the street from Doc Koenig.

Main Street was also home to Jordan’s hardware, Weaver’s jewelry, a pharmacy, a small restaurant (teen hangout), and Kooman’s market. The bank was diagonal from the 5 and 10, not far from Tommy Kurtzahl’s barber shop. Across from Kooman’s up Main was Dascombe’s hardware. My grandpa took me along to Dascombe’s for the Sunday paper. That may have been in the days of the Sun-Telegraph and Press.

One business I failed to keep tabs on (on purpose), however, was the Rod-and-Gun Club. Originally, the Rod-and-Gun was a second-floor establishment above a store along Main St. Its entrance was a set of steps from an alley in back of the main street stores. I believe I was there once with my dad and Jack Klingler. My one memory is the story of how a dead bird laid on its steps entrance for weeks and I was never told why it wasn’t disposed of. The Rod-and-Gun eventually moved to the east outskirts of Knox, probably for the betterment of its membership and the Knox borough.

Knox was also the home of my first two ‘real’ jobs out of high school—first at Knox glass, and then the B&O railroad. I believe I had to get working papers for Knox glass as I was 17 years old at the time. Delores (Warp) Best, who I had helped run a store one summer, told me the glass plant was hiring where she worked and I got hired. Her husband, Ivan, co-owned the store with her and was a foreman for the B&O, told me the railroad was hiring trackmen for the summer. I got on there another summer.

I had quite a few buddies in Knox and from Keystone High School with whom I ran. I worked with a few of them at the glass plant. Most of the guys for the summer at the railroad were from Punxsutawney.

That my friends was Edenburg. That my friends was and still is Knox.

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