CHAPTER 18

This week we will watch the three daughters (Lois, Victoria and Candace) of John and Eleanor (Ralston) Wickerham as they prepare for a party; they never receive an invitation to attend. The time is Christmas 1872.

Perhaps the possibility of an airplane ride to the moon seems no more unlikely to most of us today than did any prospect of a railroad in the vicinity of The Ridge (Nichols Ridge) at the middle of the nineteenth century. True, there had been one running from Sandusky to Cincinnati since 1846, but Cincinnati, sixty-seven miles west seemed very remote to the people of The Ridge. Along a southern slope of The Ridge lay the old McCullough farm. The house was built against the hill and overlooking an expanse of flat bottomland along West Fork Creek. Here lived Billy and Peggy McCullough and their large family.

Just how one of the boys, Sam, got the idea, I never heard, but not long after the Civil War, he began to predict there would be a railroad built from Cincinnati to West Virginia. This visionary railroad was to pass through his father’s farm, running parallel with West Fork Creek. His further predictions were that there would be a railroad station and post office. Thus, the reason the McCullough place became jokingly known throughout the community as “Sam’s Station.”

This McCullough family was Associate Reformed originally, now United Presbyterians, but closely related to Covenanters of the Steelite variety. Consequently, when the segregated party era was on the wane, the McCullough’s were more or less accepted among the Steelites. One of “The Ridge’s” famed segregated parties was held at “Sam’s Station” on a dark, stormy night during the holiday season of 1872.

Reverend Fulton had moved away in 1864. Reverend Gailey and Reverend Steele had periodically returned until old age had prevented them from traveling about much. The burden of discipline and leadership now rested on the Elders. They did the best they could, but they lacked the power of command possessed by the pastors.

Young people had been mingling together with a measure of freedom in their social life. George, a young man from a Covenanter congregation in Canada, was visiting Steelite relatives in the community. Victoria Wickerham, (1855-1919) then sixteen, was teaching a subscription school over beyond Locust Grove but was home for the holidays. She and her older sisters, Lois Ann (1851-1930) and Candace, (1852-1883) were all atwitter with anticipation to attend a party for the visiting young man.

When she came home, Victoria had contributed generously to their mother’s “egg and butter money” dress goods fund. The three girls had gone up to Wilson’s store at Tranquility and bought three dress patterns of lovely soft wool-cashmere, red for brown-eyed and brown-hair Victoria, blue and buff for her blonde sister. Lois Ann, with the whitish blonde hair and slight figure, was the type for the pale blue. Plump golden hair, Candace would be stunning in the buff that was just right to bring out the gold in her hair.

They sewed from dawn till long after lamplight for three days to have them ready for the party, and pretty dresses they were! How disappointed they were when the holidays were nearing a close and they heard of no party. But it leaked out; there had been a party, but the Gaileyite young people had not been invited. Not only disappointment but deep resentment filled the hearts of these young people. “Perhaps,” said someone, “the Elders desired to eliminate Gaileyite competition with their own daughters.” There did seem to be an unusually large number of spinsters among the two groups of “ites” evidently because there were just not enough acceptable mates to go around. Many of the young men were going west seeking their fortunes but girls, except those who could go away to school, remained home. Of course, the Elders were sincere and not given to missing personal gains with loyalty to church, even to gain a son-in-law.

Winter school terms wore away. There would be a month of spring school here, but Victoria’s subscription school closed with the ending of the winter term. “Literary” was meeting for their last meeting down at Lower George’s Creek schoolhouse. These community affairs were presided over by the local teacher. Teachers and pupils from Upper George’s Creek school were often visitors and if West Fork was running low enough so the channel could be forded, No. 7 School (where Tranquility Pike & 770 come together today) would attend. Declarations, a debate and papers written on topics of general interest were usual features. Knowing Victoria would be home for this Spring meeting, she had been handed a slip during the holidays with a subject written on it for a paper. She had been assigned: “Something of an International Nature.”

When she had gone back to her school, her assigned topic for the next Literary and the party she was not invited to, began to get together in her mind. Perhaps she would write a paper on social life in Washington where guests of other countries were entertained. She had read several very interesting articles and a book or two on this subject. Then: oh, brilliant thought, oh instrument of sweet retaliation! She had almost thought “revenge,” but that was an ugly thing and could not be employed. This would be just sort of evening up a score.

The subject she chose for her paper was: “The International Soiree.” From references I heard some of the old folks make to it, I gathered it was a masterpiece of wit and satire. The story was of a party for an international visitor. At first, it appeared to be just a write-up from data of a party given during The War for Independence, preparation for the party having been made in secret; guests making their way through the darkness so they would be unseen by the enemy. Soon, Jim O. McCreight, one of the visiting teachers, began to catch on that it was a local story. When the reading progressed to the last sentence; “Through sleet and storm they safely reached the station,” he gave a suppressed but very distinct, “Ha! Ha! Sam’s Station!” he said in a loud stage whisper to someone near him.

The party givers were the Steelites, the enemy the Gaileyites and George from Canada furnished the international touch. Everyone saw it now. Some were, for the moment, chagrined, but as the ludicrous aspect of the whole thing dawned on everyone, laughter “brought the house down.” No one was offended and there was never another segregated Steelite or Gaileyite party on the “The Ridge.”

Written circa late 1950s and early 1960s by Lena McCoy Mathews (1893-1988) and transcribed for The Defender by Joyce Wilson. Look for more history in future issues of The People’s Defender.