November 2008 Interview with William and Roscoe Poole By Richard Anderson [Items enclosed in brackets [ ] are editorial notes inserted for clarification] Anderson: Today is November the 19th. And we’re at 340 Camellia Drive, in Charlottesville, Virginia. And I’m interviewing Mr. William Poole. William B. Poole, a former resident of Brownsburg. Mr. Poole, you want to tell us when you were born? William B. Poole: Yes, I was born in 1935. And I stayed at Brownsburg until 1954. Anderson: Were you in Rockbridge County? William B. Poole: In Rockbridge County, yes. Anderson: And who were your parents? William B. Poole: Virgie Nelton and Frieda Freal Poole. Anderson: And where did you live? William B. Poole: We lived on what road is it, Roscoe? Roscoe Poole: I don’t know Dutch Hollow Road. William B. Poole: Dutch Hollow Road. Anderson: Dutch Hollow Road. William B. Poole: Dutch Hollow Road was where it was- where it’s named at now. Anderson: And that’s where your parents lived? William B. Poole: That’s where my parents lived. Anderson: All right. And you had brothers and sisters? William B. Poole: Yes. Anderson: Who were they? William B. Poole: That was Carl, Roscoe, Bonnie, Lucy, Charlie, and myself. Anderson: Charlie is the contractor over there? William B. Poole: He’s a builder. Anderson: A longtime builder? William B. Poole: Yes. Anderson: And the rest of the family moved away pretty much? William B. Poole: Yes, all of us moved away. I got a sister there at Middlebrook in Augusta County, and Roscoe is from Waynesboro. I guess I’m the furtherest one away right now. Anderson: So you lived in Brownsburg through when? William B. Poole: From ’35 until ’54, 19 years. About 19 years. Anderson: What’s your first memory of Brownsburg? William B. Poole: Probably Supinger’s Store and that’s a long time ago. Anderson: Where was that? William B. Poole: That was right next to where the old Farm Bureau used to be right across the street. I came out of Supinger’s store eating a banana, my mom said at 3. She said “Where’d you get that banana?” And I says “Well, I got it there in the store.” So come to find out I just picked it up and started eating on it . So she went back in to pay for it, and Mr. Clint Troxell had paid for it. Anderson: So would that store have been where the Old South Antiques is? William B. Poole: Yeah, right now, yes. Anderson: Was that a general store? William B. Poole: That was a general store, uh-hum. Anderson: Were there other general stores? William B. Poole: Yes the Farm Bureau was there and then Huffmans had a store, and then later on John Layton Whitesell. Anderson: Whitesell. William B. Poole: Yes, he was the last one had a store up there which they needed in Brownsburg. Anderson: Who were some of your neighbors? William B. Poole: There was Alton Sandridge and Tom Swisher, Charlie Sandridge, Arlin Poole. Anderson: So were you in a farming sort of situation? William B. Poole: Yes, we had a little farm up there. A couple hundred acres. Yes, we farmed. Anderson: And I assume you attended some of the area schools? William B. Poole: Yes, went to Brownsburg. Only school there I reckon. Anderson: And what grades did you attend? William B. Poole: One through twelve. Anderson: So you graduated from Brownsburg High School? William B. Poole: Yes. Anderson: Can you tell us the name of some of your teachers that you recall? William B. Poole: Yes, just about all of them I expect. It was Miss [Elizabeth] Ward was the first grade teacher. Then Mrs. [Mollie Sue] Whipple. Anderson: That’s Mollie Sue, was it? William B. Poole: That’s Mollie Sue. And then the other Mrs. Whipple, she was Doug’s wife [Claudia]. She was the librarian. Mrs. [Nellie] Lowe. Miss [Elizabeth] Williams, Mr. Dan Burger, he was the Principal. And let’s see, Mr. McManama, Miss Jones, Mr. Lindsey. Mr. [Lynn R.] Woody was the agriculture teacher. Yes, I can remember just about all of them. Anderson: Now what year did you start? Do you recall what year you started approximately? William B. Poole: I had to be well I was born in March so it was probably 1941. Anderson: Forty-one you started? William B. Poole: Yes, I guess. Anderson: And what year did you graduate then? William B. Poole: Fifty-four. Anderson: Do you have any experiences at the school that you’d like to tell us about? William B. Poole: Well some of them I don’t even want to mention. We had a good time at school. We had a good time at school. We went on a field trip one time with the agriculture teacher. Anderson: That was Mr. Woody? William B. Poole: Yes, we went to a farm that had bullfrogs on it, so old Colonel Sandridge, myself and [Walter] Lunsford lives right up from you. Yes, we all put frogs in our pockets and we took them out and put them in the school and one started croaking and then they all started to croak. The principal was throwing them out the windows. We never did go on any more field trips. Anderson: How old were you when that was going on? William B. Poole: Probably 15, 14, 15. Anderson: How did you get to and from school? William B. Poole: Bus. By bus. Yes, Bud Wade was the driver. He was -- he owned the bus. He ran the barber shop there in Brownsburg for quite a few years. Anderson: That’s where the pool hall was, or was that a separate location? William B. Poole: Yes, that was where the pool hall was [2707 Brownsburg Turnpike], I reckon. Anderson: So the barber shop and the pool hall were- William B. Poole: All the same building I guess. Anderson: How big were the classes? William B. Poole: Our class wasn’t but 17. Seventeen in our class, because that’s when they took the eighth grade in. You had to take eighth grade. Anderson: So you took eighth grade. William B. Poole: Yes. Anderson: You say you were engaged in, your family, had a small farm. Can you describe the type of farming activities that were going on? William B. Poole: Cattle -- cattle, Daddy raised cattle and the grain. We raised all the grain that fed the cattle and hay. Put up our own hay. Anderson: Did you raise any crops? William B. Poole: Yes, wheat, corn, barley, alfalfa. He had an alfalfa field for the sheep. He wanted that hay for them. Anderson: So you had sheep as well as cattle. William B. Poole: Yes, sheep and cattle. We had two hogs. Anderson: And did the whole family help out on the operation? Was everybody involved? What did you do? William B. Poole: Most of us, well, helped with the work. We had a -- I had my couple little calves that I bought and feed them by buckets, but yeah, you had your work to do and wood to get in. That was -- you didn’t have to be told to do it. Anderson: So there was always something to do. William B. Poole: Yes, always something to do. Anderson: Did you have a lot of mechanized equipment to help on the farm like tractors? William B. Poole: Not at first no, horses. Anderson: Horse operations? William B. Poole: Yes, two sets of horses and a set of mules. Then we finally, Charlie got an iron-wheel tractor. I don’t remember what the name of it was. Anderson: When do you think you first got any kind of mechanized equipment approximately? William B. Poole: It wasn’t much before I left. Anderson: Really? William B. Poole: No, no. Done it all by hand. Anderson: And the animals, you had horses, mules. William B. Poole: Cattle, sheep. Anderson: Cows, sheep, hogs. William B. Poole: Chickens. Anderson: Chickens. William B. Poole: Yes, you raised chickens. Mostly all your food was raised. You had a garden. We canned it for the winter. Anderson: So you had everything that you more or less ate came off of the farm. William B. Poole: That’s right. Come off the land, yes, except for the coffee and sugar, and at that time it was rationed then. Anderson: That was during World War II? William B. Poole: Yes. Anderson: All right. Did you attend any of the area churches? William B. Poole: First Presbyterian when we got to go, because daddy never did drive at all. Anderson: Really? William B. Poole: No, he never wanted to drive, so if you went you had to go with my older brothers or very seldom Daddy would ever go. Anderson: Where was that located? William B. Poole: First Presbyterian. Anderson: In? William B. Poole: In Brownsburg. Anderson: Are you talking about New Providence? William B. Poole: New Providence, that’s right, you’re right. Anderson: So in order to go to church you had to have somebody else take you? William B. Poole: A neighbor would take you or you went with the wagon or something, but very seldom Daddy would go that way. Anderson: You remember any of the ministers at New Providence? William B. Poole: Reverend [Richard G.] Hutcheson was the minister. We got married there in the church. That was in ‘58. Anderson: Fifty-eight you got married? William B. Poole: Yes, ’58 after coming back from the service. Anderson: Did your wife go to the New Providence Church too? William B. Poole: Yes, she went to New Providence. Anderson: She was from where? William B. Poole: She was from Middlebrook, VA. Anderson: Up from Brownsburg. William B. Poole: Up the road from Brownsburg. Anderson: So she came-- is that how you met her? William B. Poole: No. Anderson: How did you meet? William B. Poole: I was getting ready to go overseas and Clyde Sandridge, and her and Dorothy Miller [Martin] was taking me back to the bus station, and I asked her to give me her address and I’d write her a letter, so that’s how we met. Anderson: So you went into World War II? William B. Poole: No, Korea. Korea. Anderson: Korean War. William B. Poole: My brother, he was in World War II. Anderson: That was after you graduated from high school? William B. Poole: Yeah, graduated one week. The next week I was gone. They drafted you. Anderson: So you got drafted? William B. Poole: Yes. Anderson: So that would have been ’54? William B. Poole: Yes, ’54. Anderson: Tell us about your military service. William B. Poole: My sister’s boy and I would stay together all the time I was in the service, and of course we both joined the Navy and we finished up after boot camp, three months in boot camp, they called his name out, “You’re going to Norfolk, Virginia.” And then I punched him on the side which I wasn’t supposed to do and I said “We’ll be home next weekend.” They called my name out and it was Italy. So I didn’t see him for two years. That’s just the way it was. Anderson: Where was boot camp? William B. Poole: Bainbridge, Maryland. Anderson: Bainbridge, Maryland. William B. Poole: Yes. Anderson: And so you spent two years in Italy? William B. Poole: No, I caught a ship there. I was supposed to catch a ship but I got to Italy after 36 hours on planes and got there and the ship had gone to France, so I had to go back to the airport and had to try to get a flight out to go to France. I went to France, caught it. I was still 60 miles from the ship, from the airport. So after about two weeks I guess, I finally caught the ship. Anderson: What was the name of the ship you were on? William B. Poole: The first one was the Coral Sea aircraft carrier. Anderson: An aircraft carrier. William B. Poole: Yes. Anderson: And then where did you go after you got on the boat? William B. Poole: Well we spent six months overseas all time. Each trip you went you had six months’ duty. Anderson: And what parts of the world did you go to? William B. Poole: All Mediterranean. All the Med, yes. We packed-- in fact then I transferred to another ship. That was an aircraft carrier, and that’s where John McCain went off of and he didn’t come back. Anderson: Oh really? William B. Poole: That’s where he was shot off of, where he was shot down. Anderson: So was that into the Vietnam era? William B. Poole: No that was in- Anderson: Korea? William B. Poole: Yes, he was in Vietnam at that time, but he was on the same ship that I was on. Anderson: What was the name of that boat? William B. Poole: Forrestal, USS Forrestal. Anderson: How long were you in the service? William B. Poole: Four years. Anderson: All in the Navy and all aircraft carriers? William B. Poole: Yes. Anderson: You said your father didn’t drive. When did the family first own an automobile? William B. Poole: I don’t think Daddy ever owned one ever. Did he? Roscoe Poole: No. William B. Poole: Maybe Roscoe and Carl had one, but Daddy never did own one, I don’t imagine. Roscoe Poole: No he bought it. Anderson: When did they first begin to use automobiles, then, in the family? William B. Poole: In my time it was when I was in school. In the middle of high school probably. Anderson: So after World War II? William B. Poole: Yes. Anderson: But not before? William B. Poole: No. Anderson: During World War II you didn’t have a car? William B. Poole: Not that I knew of, no. Carl or Roscoe there. Probably Roscoe had a car at that time, but I did not, I didn’t remember that. Anderson: If you had to get somewhere or if you wanted to go to Lexington or Staunton, how did you get there? William B. Poole: Well, one of the boys, one of the brothers. Anderson: They’d take you? William B. Poole: Yes. Anderson: Did you go to Lexington or Staunton very often? William B. Poole: Maybe once a month or once every two months. That’s it. Anderson: And why did you go to Lexington or Staunton? William B. Poole: Maybe just to get something at Christmastime. But there at Christmas, poor Mother put in Charlie’s car, she’d brought us some little things for Christmas and she’d put it in a car exactly like Charlie had. So that year we didn’t get nothing for Christmas. Somebody drove off with her Christmas presents. Anderson: At one time there was a train that ran through Raphine and Fairfield and Lexington. Did you ever have any experience using that? William B. Poole: No, no. Now we did catch a train over to Steele’sTavern to get fertilizer for the farm. Anderson: Where did that train go to? William B. Poole: Steele’s Tavern, on into Lexington, I suppose. Anderson: So you could get fertilizer in Staunton? William B. Poole: Went over there with a horse and wagon. Anderson: Was there any kind of bus service available? William B. Poole: No, no. No busses, no. I remember when we got electricity. Anderson: You do? William B. Poole: Yes. Anderson: How did you and your family keep up with what was going on in the county, the state, the United States, and the world in general? William B. Poole: Radio. That was it. Anderson: You listen to the radio all the time, pretty much? As often? William B. Poole: Listen to the news, yes. Dad always wanted to listen to his news. Anderson: This is an odd question but what individuals, male or female, stand out in your memory from growing up or living in Brownsburg and tell us why? Anybody in particular that you remember who are still around or not around? William B. Poole: Well, Mrs. [Mollie Sue] Whipple lived right down from the school, Fred Whipple’s wife. She was always good to me. I’d always at lunchtime I’d go feed and water her chickens. That was a deal just to get away from the school grounds I guess for a few minutes. Anderson: Whose chickens did you feed? William B. Poole: Mrs. Whipple’s. Mrs. Fred Whipple’s. Anderson: So you fed her chickens. William B. Poole: Yes, at lunchtime. Yes. Anderson: Anybody else you think of? William B. Poole: Not really. Well, John Layton, Whitesell’s Store. We’d always go in there after school. Anderson: So his store was open? William B. Poole: Yes, after I bought an old Model A, well we stopped by his store all the time. Anderson: Was that a gathering point for a lot of people? William B. Poole: Yes, all the people gathered in there and sat on the bench there in the store and talked. Anderson: Did you go there in the evening at all? William B. Poole: No, not at night, no. At night you had work to do on the farm. Anderson: Well if you lived in Brownsburg during World War II which you did, do you have any special recollection of what it was like at that time? Were there any special things that happened during World War II that you recall, things you had to deal with? William B. Poole: The only thing I remember when Carl come back, they had -- Mom had a dinner for him when he come back, and I think it was about 60 people there when Carl come back from overseas. Anderson: Where was he overseas? William B. Poole: He was in all them wars over there, Czechoslovakia, Germany. Anderson: He was in Europe. William B. Poole: Yes. Anderson: Was he there in the war the whole time? William B. Poole: Yes, he was there, well he was supposed to have been there for two years. He was there for three. But the Red Cross would come around and put a tag on your window if you had a service man in the service then. And then they’d put one on there when he was missing for quite a while. I mean I was a kid, but I still remember it. Anderson: He was missing for a while? William B. Poole: Yes. Anderson: And was he ever a prisoner of war? William B. Poole: No, no. He come out of it someway. Anderson: Did rationing affect your family in any way? William B. Poole: No. Only thing we couldn’t get was sugar and coffee and we didn’t have so much of that with rations as I remember. Anderson: What changes good or bad have you seen taking place in the Brownsburg area during the time you lived there? William B. Poole: Brownsburg was a nice little town. When we come up there was three stores, a post office, a barber shop, a bank, telephone office was above the bank. So it was a pretty thriving little town at that time, and then since then it’s like everything else. It’s gone by the wayside. Sometimes I think, of course, a lot of them I still know there and a lot of them died off too. Anderson: You mentioned that you recall when electrification got started? William B. Poole: Yes, I remember when we got lights. Yes, I sure do. Anderson: When was that do you think? When approximately was that? William B. Poole: Probably ’45 maybe ’50? No, couldn’t have been ’50. It was in the early ‘40s. Anderson: Was it during World War II? William B. Poole: Yes. Anderson: Prior to that time, what was it like, how did you operate without electricity? William B. Poole: Coal oil lamps. Anderson: What’s your recollection about them? Did you have to study by coal lamps? Do your homework? William B. Poole: Well we got electricity while I was in school, earlier school. But we had coal oil lamps there at the house at all times. Anderson: Was the electricity appreciated when it came? William B. Poole: Yes, I would say so. Definitely. Anderson: Changed things. William B. Poole: Changed things around, yes. Anderson: Did the school have electricity all the time when you went there? William B. Poole: Yes it did. Anderson: So were there areas that had electricity and areas that didn’t have it? William B. Poole: Yes. Definitely back off the road and the further you lived back off the road I guess there was less electricity. Anderson: How about telephones? When did they start? William B. Poole: That started after I left, finished school. Anderson: Didn’t get telephones until after? William B. Poole: Well we didn’t. We didn’t. Our neighbors had telephones, and if there’s anything wrong we’d go the neighbors. You would call for the doctor or whatever was necessary. Anderson: So a community phone. William B. Poole: It was totally a community. Doggone good neighbors at that time, yes. Everybody helped each other. Anderson: But there was a telephone branch office in Brownsburg? William B. Poole: Yes, it was up over the bank. Anderson: Where the bank used to be? William B. Poole: Yes, and I forget the two little ladies that operated it. Anderson: One was a Wade, wasn’t it? Wasn’t it one of the Wades? William B. Poole: Jen Wade? Anderson: No, it wasn’t Jen. Her sister. I should remember. William B. Poole: You’re right on that. It was a Wade [Mattie Wade]. Anderson: One of them was a Wade, I’m pretty sure. William B. Poole: Yes. Anderson: And the place where the museum [2716 Brownsburg Turnpike] is going to be operating . William B. Poole: Yeah right across from where the Farm Bureau was [8 Hays Creek Road]. Anderson: Somebody said that that was a location for I think they said for a telephone company or for the telephone company at one time. William B. Poole: Now that I don’t remember. Anderson: Do you remember how that building was used? William B. Poole: No. That was a house as far as I knew. Anderson: Just as a house. William B. Poole: Yeah. Because the Whipples lived- Anderson: Right next door [2728 Brownsburg Turnpike]. William B. Poole: Right next door to it, yes. Anderson: It was between Whipples and- William B. Poole: And Huffman’s Store [2712 Brownsburg Turnpike]. Anderson: And Huffman’s Store, yes. How about the paving of the roads? When did that occur? William B. Poole: Well it was still a dirt road where we lived on when I left. Anderson: In ’54? William B. Poole: In ’54 yes. Roscoe Poole: Dutch Hollow Road. William B. Poole: Dutch Hollow Road, it was a dirt road. Yes, all the way. All the way through. Anderson: Do you remember when any particular roads were paved like in Brownsburg itself? William B. Poole: Brownsburg was paved when I grew up. Anderson: Was it paved all the way to New Providence? William B. Poole: Yes, it was. When I came along, yes. Anderson: Some people have said it was only paved part of the way. It ended after you left Brownsburg. William B. Poole: Well now it could have gone out to uh.. now who would live there? Anderson: Out towards 39, the Rees’ [2315 Brownsburg Turnpike and 52 West Airslie Lane]. William B. Poole: Rees’ lived out that way. Yes, and the Cunningham sisters [371 Clear Fork Drive]. Anderson: Was all that area paved? William B. Poole: That was paved as far as I can remember. Anderson: You mentioned previously the businesses that existed in the Brownsburg area when you were growing up, or lived in Brownsburg. How did they affect your family? Did you all patronize all those businesses? William B. Poole: Yes, you had to. That was the only place you could go. Anderson: And what are the differences say between Huffman’s and- William B. Poole: Whitesell’s [2664 Brownsburg Turnpike]. Anderson: Whitesell’s. William B. Poole: Whitesell’s and Swope’s. Anderson: Where was Swope’s [Swope’s was located where Old South Antiques currently operated]? William B. Poole: That was Supinger’s Store after that. And they all had about the same thing. Anderson: But you patronized all of them? William B. Poole: Most of the time, yes. There at the last John Layton was the only one which was open, really. Anderson: Did they all have gas stations? I don’t know if Supinger’s did. William B. Poole: Supinger’s had one pump or maybe Carl Swope put that in after that, just one pump there. Huffman’s had one pump, one or two pumps. And then later on John Layton got a pump or two. Anderson: So it wasn’t too far to get gasoline? William B. Poole: No, not if you could get there. But we didn’t really need it without an automobile, we didn’t need no gas. Anderson: Did you have any special experiences with any of those businesses? Various people said they worked for them at different times. William B. Poole: No, never did. Never did work for any one of them, no. Anderson: And besides the stores you already mentioned the bank, the telephone company. Were there any other stores? William B. Poole: Barber shop. Anderson: Barber shop. Commercial? William B. Poole: No commercial, no. All privately owned. Anderson: Probably the farm store was there, that was a branch of the Farm Bureau. William B. Poole: Farm Bureau, yes. That was there [at 8 Hays Creek Road]. Anderson: When did that close, if you know? William B. Poole: Probably in the ‘60s. Anderson: This is an odd question too, but what stands out in your memory as the most significant or important event or events that occurred in Brownsburg during the time that you lived in that area? William B. Poole: Probably the baseball, things like that. Anderson: Tell us about baseball. William B. Poole: High school baseball. Anderson: So there was a high school team? William B. Poole: Yes. Anderson: Were you on the team? William B. Poole: Yes, football, baseball and basketball. I wasn’t good at it, but they kept me on the team. Anderson: So the school had all kinds of those typical sports, high school sports? William B. Poole: Yes, but you had to walk after you got done playing and practicing. You had to walk home which is about five miles. Anderson: Did you play football right up there at the school? William B. Poole: Yes, they had a football team but now we didn’t have any uniforms. The principal sold the uniforms and took the money as Stockton was the principal if I recall. Anderson: He sold the uniforms? William B. Poole: He sold everything he could get his hands on, I think. Anderson: What was the purpose of him selling all that? William B. Poole: I guess he wanted the money. We had to play without uniforms one year. Anderson: Who did you play? Other schools? William B. Poole: Goshen, Fairfield. Anderson: Now this was at the high school level? William B. Poole: Yes, this is high school. Goshen, Fairfield, Covington. No, it wasn’t Covington. Wasn’t that far away. Clifton Forge maybe? Anderson: Lexington? William B. Poole: Lexington but most of the schools right around there. Anderson: Right. And did you travel to other schools? William B. Poole: Oh yes. Went by bus. Anderson: And they played basketball there too right in the school in the gymnasium? William B. Poole: In the gymnasium, yes. Anderson: What other events took place on the gymnasium floor besides sports? Were there dances? William B. Poole: They had dances. Donkey basketball if you wanted to ride the suckers. Anderson: Did you participate in various club activities at school? William B. Poole: Yes, we had-- oh lord, yes we had an activity if you wanted to get involved in it. Anderson: That was after classes? William B. Poole: After classes or they may have who’s on patrol and things like that for the bus system. Anderson: I see. Did they have a school newspaper, a school yearbook? William B. Poole: A yearbook we had yes, yes. It was a little annual every year. Anderson: How about in the summertime? What did you all do in the summertime in the way of recreational activities? William B. Poole: Not much of anything. You worked on the farm in the summertime. Anderson: Was the ballpark over at Bustleburg operating? William B. Poole: Yes. That, well that came along later. I was a teenager because I went out to my brother’s, Carl, stayed all night. We’d work on the baseball field on Fridays and Saturday morning then they’d play baseball. Anderson: That was over at Bustleburg. William B. Poole: Yes, they had probably up to probably up to a couple thousand people come out there to them ballgames that time. Anderson: So that was- William B. Poole: That was a fairly big thing in that area. Anderson: How about the horse show? Did you participate in any way? William B. Poole: No, I didn’t. Wally Poole, he was always into that. Anderson: There’s no relation to you to Wally? William B. Poole: He’s my what, second cousin? I guess. Anderson: Just wanted to clarify that. So any other activities that you can think of? Does the church have activities that you could- William B. Poole: Not that I participated in. No, no. It was just too far away to go and no way to get there. Anderson: You’ve probably already done this once, but do you have any stories, humorous or otherwise that you’d like to tell us about of your experiences in Brownsburg? William B. Poole: No, I think I better lay off of that one. Anderson: We don’t censor them but if you’d like to tell us anything. The Poole family, how long do you think you’ve been in the Brownsburg area? Does it go back before your parents were there? Did you have grandparents who lived there? William B. Poole: No. Anderson: Do you know where the Pooles came [from]-- how did they get to Brownsburg? William B. Poole: Been in Wytheville or somewhere. Anderson: Wytheville? William B. Poole: Wytheville. Grayson County? Anderson: So they came up here from there? William B. Poole: Yes. Anderson: That’s unusual. William B. Poole: Wagon come down when he bought the farm I understand. Anderson: So how long-- did your parents move here from somewhere else? William B. Poole: They were over at Craigsville. Had a little farm over there. Anderson: Where was that? William B. Poole: Craigsville. Anderson: Craigsville. Craigsville? William B. Poole: Yes. Anderson: Augusta County. William B. Poole: Yes. Augusta County. Anderson: So they moved here from Augusta County. You know about when that was? William B. Poole: I don’t. Anderson: Do you know when that was, Roscoe? Roscoe Poole: They moved in April of let’s see I was 6 years old. ’26. Anderson: Nineteen twenty-six. Roscoe Poole: Uh-hum. Moved from there. They weren’t in Craigsville all that long. Anderson: Okay. Are you aware of any family members who served in either the Revolutionary War or Civil War? William B. Poole: No. Anderson: Any other subjects that you’d like to mention or tell us about regarding your life in Brownsburg? That’s an open-ended question. William B. Poole: Not that I know of, no. Anderson: Was your experience growing up in Brownsburg a good one? William B. Poole: Real good, real good. Anderson: Made lots of friends? William B. Poole: A lot of friends, a lot of good neighbors. The neighbors looked after each other. You was all -- it was all one. It wasn’t just one person. If somebody needed help, you went and helped them and that’s just the way it was then which is wonderful. Anderson: You moved away because of job opportunities? William B. Poole: Job, then I went to service. Anderson: After the service when you came back out after the service that was like 19- William B. Poole: Fifty-eight. Anderson: Fifty-eight. William B. Poole: Fifty-eight. Anderson: Did you come back to Brownsburg at that time? William B. Poole: no, no. Moved away to where Roscoe was, my brother. Anderson: All right, and when did you get married? William B. Poole: Fifty-eight. Anderson: Fifty-eight. So you got married about the same time. William B. Poole: A couple months before I got out of service. Anderson: Oh you got married before you got out of the service? William B. Poole: Just a couple months. Anderson: And then you moved to Waynesboro when you got out of the service? William B. Poole: Yes we did. Anderson: How long did you live in Waynesboro? William B. Poole: Five and a half years. My job brought me over here. Anderson: Your job brought you to Charlottesville. Who were you working for? William B. Poole: I work as an optician now, three days a week. I work a couple or three days. Anderson: I’d like to thank you for your participation in this here. William B. Poole: You’re welcome. I’m glad you came over. Anderson: Well, I needed to come over anyway. William B. Poole: [My wife] Joan said to tell you hello. Anderson: She said she might be home but she might not be here. Would you like to suggest the names of any other persons that we should interview? Anderson: Roscoe. Roscoe Poole: He’s about covered everything. William B. Poole: That’s why I asked him to come over. Anderson: Well, Roscoe, since you’re here, let’s see how much time we’ve got left. We’re doing all right. Still got 38 minutes. Tell us what your natural name is. Roscoe Poole: Roscoe Melton Poole, better known as “Jack”. That’s the only name I’m known by in Rockbridge. Anderson: You’re Bill’s brother. Roscoe Poole: Right. Anderson: And you were born in Brownsburg also? Roscoe Poole: No, I was born in Craigsville. Anderson: So you were born before your family moved to the Brownsburg area. Roscoe Poole: Right. I was born in 1920 and I don’t know how long we’d been in Craigsville. About three or four years I reckon before I was born. I stayed there [telephone ringing]. I was 6 years old when we left. Anderson: How many children were born in Craigsville besides yourself? Roscoe Poole: Three of them. And three of them in Rockbridge. Anderson: How old were you when your family moved to Rockbridge? Roscoe Poole: I was six. Anderson: Six years old. So then you attended Brownsburg School as well? Roscoe Poole: Oh yes. Anderson: What year did you graduate? Roscoe Poole: I graduated in I think in ‘41. Anderson: Forty-one, all right. Roscoe Poole: Took me a while. Anderson: That’s all right. But you went along for the whole- Roscoe Poole: Oh yeah, I got the whole smear. Anderson: All the grades. Except they probably didn’t have the eighth grade at that time? Roscoe Poole: No. No, they didn’t have the eighth grade. Anderson: Were the teachers the same as Bill mentioned that you had, or were there other teachers that you can think of? Roscoe Poole: Things were pretty much as Billy mentioned. Of course I’m much older. I’m 88. Anderson: Well what I’m thinking of, different teachers? Roscoe Poole: Well, yes to some degree. Miss Osie Trimmer was the principal. Anderson: I’ve heard her name mentioned many times. Roscoe Poole: She was the finest. She was mean as a snake too. Anderson: Everybody that I’ve interviewed who mentions her name said she was very strict. Roscoe Poole: Very strict and she had your whole business, she wanted you to learn everything. She was good. Anderson: But she lived right there in Brownsburg, didn’t she? Roscoe Poole: Yes, she did. And well, she wasn’t a native of Brownsburg but she came there in the season. Anderson: Were there any other teachers that you remember particularly from the time you went there? Roscoe Poole: Well of course our coaches, I remember them. Lunsford, Al Lunsford. Anderson: Which Lunsford is that? Roscoe Poole: Well he’s not kin to any of the Lunsfords around there. He’s from Alabama. Anderson: What did he coach? Everything? Roscoe Poole: He coached everything: baseball, basketball, football, track. Anderson: Did you participate in those activities? Roscoe Poole: I participated in all of them, uh-huh. Anderson: How about the other things. Any other activities that you want to mention that went on through your recollection? Roscoe Poole: The only thing that sticks out in my mind is [prohibition]. They changed that when I was a youngster. Anderson: So that was during prohibition period. Roscoe Poole: Yes, the prohibition period but it went on for prohibition why when liquor came back you could go to Brownsburg on Saturday night and watch the Saturday night fights before television came around. Anderson: When did they occur? Roscoe Poole: On Saturday nights. Anderson: At some particular location? Roscoe Poole: No just depends on where they happen to see one another. They didn’t pick any location. Anderson: They weren’t prearranged. Roscoe Poole: They weren’t prearranged. And they weren’t concerned [inaudible] -- Anderson: How did these fights occur? Would there just be somebody that had a grudge against someone else? Roscoe Poole: Well you know they had a few beers and [inaudible] that was the only reason they had the fight, yeah. So they got pretty rowdy and then we’d go home and forget about it. Anderson: Now there was another church that I’ve heard mentioned that was really on the property where we now live. Roscoe Poole: Yes, right. Anderson: Tell us about what your recollection of that church is? Roscoe Poole: I don’t know. I forget what denomination they called it. I’m sure there’s some people up there that can tell you but Miss [Mamie] Morris was one fine individual. Anderson: And she was sort of a minister? Roscoe Poole: Yes, I figured that if she prayed for me to die, I’d start combing my hair. Get ready to go. Anderson: Did a lot of people attend that church? Roscoe Poole: No. Very, very few. We dropped in there once in a while and listened to her, and we had a lot of regard for her. Anderson: One other thing I forgot to mention to Bill and he can add whatever he wants to add about this. What were the relationships with the black people in Brownsburg? What were yours or anybody else’s? Was the relationship a good one? Or did they participate in things? Roscoe Poole: Seemed to me that they were there and I accepted it and so forth. I thought their little school down there was pretty lousy. Anderson: Where was that? Roscoe Poole: It was right there near or in that little log house [2763 Brownsburg Turnpike] down toward the creek from Supinger’s Store, on that side of the street. Anderson: I’ve had others describe it as being in a building that was a cannery. Roscoe Poole: Yes? I don’t know what was in there before that. Anderson: Do you remember the cannery? William B. Poole: I remember the cannery. Roscoe Poole: No, I didn’t remember that. Anderson: That was during World War II apparently, and Mr. Woody had something to do with it. William B. Poole: I remember the cannery there at one time, then that went down and we went to Middlebrook. Anderson: Some people said that was the location of the black school. William B. Poole: Could have been. Could have been, right down from the Supinger’s Store. Anderson: How many black people were there, numbers-wise more or less? Roscoe Poole: It would be hard for me to say but there is a pretty good sprinkling of black people there. Anderson: Did they work in homes and on farms? Roscoe Poole: They worked in homes and they worked on the farms. Whatever they could find to do, they had to accept whatever came along. Anderson: Would you describe the relationship as good, bad? Roscoe Poole: I’d see them, talk to them, carry on a conversation with them. My relationship was no problem whatsoever. Anderson: Trying to think of other things. Overall other stores or commercial establishments do you recall other than the one that was mentioned? Roscoe Poole: No, we came to Brownsburg in ’26 I guess it was. Anderson: This is one period I wanted to ask you; didn’t seem to apply with Bill. Do you have any special recollection of the Depression years? Roscoe Poole: Oh yes. Anderson: Tell us what your recollection is of the time. Roscoe Poole: Well you know as a youngster, we accepted it, what it was. Dad had gone in debt for the farm to some degree. I didn’t know a whole lot. But he managed to pay for it during the Great Depression, we called it. And it was tough. We could tell, you know just a youngster but when we were 8 years old we were up out in the field at seven o’clock in the morning. Come in for lunch and stay until six in the afternoon. We got it taken care of. Anderson: You pretty much had to raise all your food products on your own. Roscoe Poole: Oh yes, you know, hogs ten cents a pound. Anderson: Did anybody get involved with any of the New Deal programs like CCC? Roscoe Poole: Oh we had people that were interested in the New Deal but we weren’t. They thought the New Deal was great and it helped some people. Anderson: But your family didn’t have any special involvement with that? Roscoe Poole: No. They had to do something with the Depression. And not knowing what to do but then some of the things were good, and some weren’t any good at all. Anderson: Do you have any special stories you want to tell us? Roscoe Poole: I don’t think so. We used to do a lot of walking on Sundays when we didn’t have to go to work. We would walk down to Goshen Pass and go swimming. Anderson: Really, you walked that far? Roscoe Poole: Oh yes. And this sort of thing, whatever we’d find to do. I walked over on Walker’s Creek to the [Emanuel] Presbyterian Church for a good long while until I got my Catechism and I was proud of that so I quit walking so far. So I left Rockbridge in 1942. Anderson: So you left in ’42? Where did you go at that point? Roscoe Poole: I went back to Craigsville to the bank and spent two years there, and then I went to Waynesboro to the bank and spent [40 years]. Anderson: You worked at the bank in Craigsville? Roscoe Poole: Yes. Anderson: Which bank was that? Roscoe Poole: It was the only one there. It was the Bank of Craigsville. It was a thriving community then because we had the two, the three mills there. One at Craigsville. One at Augusta Springs. and they hired a lot of people, so it was a thriving community then. Anderson: So then you went to Waynesboro from Craigsville? Roscoe Poole: Yes. Anderson: And you’ve been in Waynesboro ever since? Roscoe Poole: Right. Since 1944. That’s where I retired from. It changed names any number of times and it’s now the Bank of America. And I enjoyed it. I was in lending for the most part, and I enjoyed it a lot working with the public. Anderson: And you were married? Roscoe Poole: Oh yes. Anderson: Did you marry somebody from the Brownsburg area? Roscoe Poole: Uh-huh. Anderson: Who was that? Roscoe Poole: Bustleburg, Wade. Anderson: Wade? You married a Wade? What was her name? Roscoe Poole: Mary Frances Wade. There were four of those girls. Anderson: Is she related to any of the Wades ever over in Brownsburg now like Jim Wade? Roscoe Poole: No, she was related to the Wades at what am I trying to say? William B. Poole: Bustleburg? Roscoe Poole: Bustleburg. Anderson: Different branch of the family. Roscoe Poole: Oh yes. They were members down at the Bethesda Presbyterian Church. And also at the McElwee Chapel. Anderson: Right. Did you go to New Providence? Roscoe Poole: I went some. I went with the Cale family that lived up north of us there in Dutch Hollow and I went with them quite a bit. Anderson: I see. Roscoe Poole: We had great folks in Dutch Hollow. They were the best. I’ve often thought and wondered what in the world I could do for them to repay them. Anderson: Is there anybody else that you think we should interview? That you would know about? Anybody who lives there now or lives somewhere else? Who grew up in Brownsburg? Roscoe Poole: We had a one-room school that I went to through the fourth grade up in Dutch Hollow. Anderson: Oh really? Roscoe Poole: Yes. Anderson: Where was that located? Roscoe Poole: Well, are you familiar with Dutch Hollow? Anderson: A little bit. Roscoe Poole: Well when you go across the hill to go into Dutch Hollow, then it was on up to the north end. And we walked up there to school. Anderson: So how big a school was that? Roscoe Poole: Just a one-room school. I guess there were about 15 students, 16, something like that. Anderson: And it was a log building? Roscoe Poole: No, it wasn’t a log building. Anderson: It was a frame building. Who was the teacher? Roscoe Poole: The last teacher I went to was Thelma Leach. And the first one I went to was Miss Quizzy [ph?], Quizzenberg [ph?]. I can’t seem to remember what it was anymore. Thelma Leach was one great teacher. She was wonderful. Anderson: And how many students would be there? Roscoe Poole: About 15 or 16. Anderson: All from the Dutch Hollow area? Roscoe Poole: Oh yes. Anderson: Then you went from there to Brownsburg? Roscoe Poole: Yes, that’s when they closed it up. Anderson: So they closed it up. Roscoe Poole: Yes, all the way and they started running the busses so when we started doing that of course I rode the bus most of the time. Sometimes I walked home from school because of punishment. Anderson: I won’t ask what they punished you for. Roscoe Poole: Well I don’t even remember. I was pretty decent in school. I knew when I got home if I had trouble why then I had trouble at both ends. Anderson: Right. So prior to closing that one-room school down would you have kept on going there if that school had stayed open? Roscoe Poole: Yes, I would have kept going. Anderson: For how long? Through high school? Roscoe Poole: No, I think they went through the seventh grade maybe. Anderson: So the first seven grades, and then you would go to Brownsburg through high school. Roscoe Poole: Yes, you would have had to. Anderson: Had to, right, okay. So when would that have closed down approximately? Roscoe Poole: Let’s see, my first year at Brownsburg was in the fifth grade. It must have been ’32 or ’33. Anderson: That period of time. Roscoe Poole: Yes. Anderson: That’s interesting. I didn’t know that. William B. Poole: I don’t remember it either. Roscoe Poole: We had outhouses and the spring down at the neighbors down there at the school and get water to drink. Teacher would send us to get a bucket of water. Anderson: So it was just one teacher there? Roscoe Poole: Right. Anderson: That’s very interesting. Roscoe Poole: We had a little playground, about as big as this yard, I reckon. So we’d play baseball and that sort of thing at recess. Anderson: Okay, well is there anything else you want to tell us about your experiences growing up in the Brownsburg area or during your time you lived there? Roscoe Poole: I don’t believe so. I liked the folks there. I worked at the store some. Anderson: What store did you work in? Roscoe Poole: Whipple’s. Anderson: Whipple’s? Roscoe Poole: Yes. Anderson: What did you do there? Roscoe Poole: Just opened it up in the mornings and then I’d go to school. The first year of football, so working on the farm wasn’t too good. And we had uniforms. Anderson: Before the uniforms were sold. Roscoe Poole: Right. Anderson: Who was running Whitesell’s at that time? John Layton? Roscoe Poole: Running Whitesell’s Store? Anderson: Yes. Roscoe Poole: That was a funeral home. Anderson: For a while there was a joint operation, a funeral home and a store right? Roscoe Poole: Right. Anderson: I interviewed John Layton earlier and it’s a little bit confusing as to the store was closed at different times, apparently. Periods of time it was open, and periods of time it was closed and, you know, it was a lot of back and forth. Roscoe Poole: It was back and forth, yes. William B. Poole: Where was Whipple’s Store, Roscoe? Roscoe Poole: Huh? William B. Poole: Where was Whipple’s Store? Roscoe Poole: That’s where the Farm Bureau was [8 Hays Creek Road]. William B. Poole: Oh okay, I didn’t remember that. Anderson: Was that before the Farm Bureau? Roscoe Poole: Yes, I would go over there and start the fire in the morning and stay open until school time. He was working there in Winchester and I stayed at his home and then I worked in the store in the evening. People then would come sit in the store, and I would sit there and until the customers went home. Anderson: I forgot to mention or ask about the post office. Where was the post office located when you all were growing up? William B. Poole: I was trying to think of that myself. Roscoe Poole: It was in Bosworth’s Store [2707 Brownsburg Turnpike]. Anderson: Bosworth’s Store. Now there’s another store. Where was that? Roscoe Poole: That was directly across the road from the service station [2712 Brownsburg Turnpike] . In the white frame building. Anderson: Which service station? Roscoe Poole: Huffman’s. Anderson: Across the road from Huffman’s. Roscoe Poole: Next to the bank [2711 Brownsburg Turnpike]. Anderson: Next to where the bank is. Roscoe Poole: South side of the bank. Anderson: Well now there’s a telephone company building right next to the pool hall. Where was Bosworth’s Store in relation to the pool hall and the barber shop [Bosworth’s Store, the pool hall, and the barber shop were all located in 2707 Brownsburg Turnpike at different times.]? Roscoe Poole: I’m a little lost as to where the pool hall and the barber shop was at that time. William B. Poole: That’s where Bud Wade had a barber shop and pool table in there right next to the bank. Anderson: Next to the bank. Roscoe Poole: That was next to the pool hall. William B. Poole: That was after. Anderson: So Bosworth’s still would have been when? William B. Poole: Before that. Anderson: Before the pool hall and the barber shop? William B. Poole: Yes. Anderson: In that same building. Roscoe Poole: It may have been in the same building but that’s where the post office was then it carried a small line of groceries, not very much. Tommy [Bosworth] was in my place at school. He graduated and went on I think to become a doctor. Anderson: Tommy? Roscoe Poole: Tommy Bosworth. But he’s passed away. Anderson: He passed away recently, yes. So after that do you remember the post office being in Whitesell’s Store? William B. Poole: Oh yes. Anderson: So that happened pretty early on too, after Bosworth? Roscoe Poole: Yeah, after Bosworth. Anderson: Went to Whitesell’s. I’d like to thank you again, both of you for all your help in this process. William B. Poole: You’re welcome. Good to see you again, too. Roscoe Poole: I’ve been wanting to get it off my chest for a long time. Anderson: If there’s anything else you all think of feel free to let it loose at this time. Again, if there’s anybody that you all think we should interview, we’re trying to interview as many different folks who either lived in Brownsburg or worked in Brownsburg or had some connection to Brownsburg now or previously. Roscoe Poole: I’ve been gone for so long, all the people I knew, most of them have passed on now. Anderson: Well, I got to know him so well myself, Pete Carwell. Do you have any recollections of his shop up there -- he had an automobile repair shop at one time? William B. Poole: Oh yes. He was -- he had his own little shop. If he liked you, he liked you. If he didn’t like you, you didn’t go there. That was the way I felt. Anderson: He sold gasoline too, didn’t he? William B. Poole: Yeah, I think he did at one time. I believe. I don’t remember it. Anderson: When I first came here I think there was an old pump up there. Roscoe Poole: I know they had a sign up there. William B. Poole: It’s still there. It’s still there. I always stop by to see when I went over to the old trailer where I’ve got over there. He out there on his porch, and I always stopped. He was always nice to me. As I got in the trailer now, he gave me the old stove. He said “You don’t have nothing to eat on so take that thing.” Roscoe Poole: Yes, he was a good man. William B. Poole: He was good to people. Anderson: Do you have any recollection of when his house burned down? Roscoe Poole: Yes, his house burned down in the 1930’s. Anderson: The house that’s there now is a Sears and Roebuck house. But prior to that there was a fire and he lost his child. William B. Poole: Yes, he lost his daughter [Lois Carwell]. Anderson: Yes. William B. Poole: That’s too bad. Anderson: Were there other disaster incidences like that that occurred in Brownsburg? William B. Poole: I used to have to take walk the five miles to the store. That’s a disaster. Anderson: You all didn’t get there? Roscoe Poole: Yes, they got there. I’d rather do that to walk to the store than be out in the field working. I may have gotten a pack of chewing gum or something. But everything was much easier but it’s well I enjoyed living there. Anderson: Did you ever have any opportunity to work for the bank in Brownsburg? Roscoe Poole: Seems to me like somebody said something to me about that at one time. Anderson: Miss Mattie Wade worked in the telephone company is that right? William B. Poole: Yes. I was trying to think what her name was. Anderson: The bank there in Brownsburg was always open when you all were growing up. William B. Poole: [Inaudible] worked there one time. He played baseball. I used to try to get out there in time to Brownsburg when I was a youngster and I’d take my dog there and the guys would show up to go somewhere to play baseball and once in a while they would invite me to go with them. That was quite a treat. Anderson: Well again, thank you very much for your responses to these peculiar questions. And if you think of anything else at any point we can add to it. This will be transcribed into a written form, and I’ll send you a copy. William B. Poole: Okay. Anderson: And at that point I’d like you to read it over, and Roscoe as well, and if there are any corrections, particularly misspellings of names or things like that we want to try to get them corrected as much as they can. And then we’ll redo if there are any changes that need to be made we’ll have them done as well. And eventually you’ll get a copy of it. William B. Poole: Okay. Roscoe Poole: Always did appreciate your effort because this is a lot of work for you. Anderson: I don’t mind doing this kind of work. This kind of work. [Side conversation unrelated to Brownsburg] #### End of Poole, Wm. B. Roscoe.mp3 #### William B. and Roscoe M. Poole Index A Automobiles · 12 Model A · 15 B Baseball · 22 Bethesda Presbyterian Church · 37 Black School · 33 Bosworth, Tommy · 43 Bosworth’s Store · 42 Brownsburg · 16 Barber Shop · 5, 21 Gas Stations · 21 Huffman's Store · 3 Post Office · 42 Saturday Nights · 32 Supinger's Store · 3 Brownsburg High School Baseball · 22 Football Uniforms · 23 Yearbook · 24 Burger, Dan Brownsburg Principal · 4 Bustleburg Ball Park · 24 C Cale Family · 37 Carwell, Lois · 45 Carwell, Pete · 44 Christmas · 13 D Depression Era · 34 Donkey Basketball · 24 Dutch Hollow One-Room School · 37 Closed in 1932 · 39 E Electricity · 14, 16 Emanuel Presbyterian Church · 35 F Farm Bureau · 3, 22, 41 Farming · 6 Fertilizer · 13 Horses · 7 Tractor, Iron Wheel · 7 H Huffman’s Store · 20 Hutcheson, Rev. Richard G. New Providence Minister · 8 J Jones, Miss Teacher · 4 K Korean War · 9 L Leach, Thelma · 38 Lindsey, Mr. Teacher · 4 Lowe, Nellie · 4 Lunsford, Al · 31 Lunsford, Walter · 5 M Martin, Dorothy Miller · 9 McElwee Chapel · 37 McManama, Mr. Teacher · 4 Morris, Mamie · 32 N New Deal Programs · 35 New Providence Presbyterian Church · 8 P Poole, Arlin · 3 Poole, Bonnie · 2 Poole, Carl · 12, 24 Brother · 2 World War II · 15 Poole, Charlie · 2 Poole, Frieda Freal Mother · 1 Move to Brownsburg in 1926 · 26 Poole, Lucy · 2 Poole, Mary Frances Wade · 37 Poole, Roscoe Melton "Jack" · 2, 12, 29 Banker · 35 Birth in Craigsville, VA · 29 Brownsburg High School graduation in 1941 · 30 One-Room School · 37 Poole, Virgie Nelton Father · 1 Move to Brownsburg in 1926 · 26 Poole, Wally Brownsburg Horse Show · 25 Poole, William B. Birth · 1 Brownsburg School · 4 Marriage in 1958 · 28 Military Discharge in 1958 · 27 Military Service · 10 Optician · 28 USS Forrestal · 11 Wife · 9 Prohibition · 31 R Radio · 14 S Sandridge, Alton · 3 Sandridge, Charles "Colonel" · 5 Sandridge, Charlie · 3 Sandridge, Clyde · 9 Sears and Roebuck House · 45 Stockton, Mr. Principal · 23 Supinger’s Store · 21 Swisher, Tom · 3 Swope’s Store · 21 T Telephone Service · 17 Brownsburg Branch Office · 18 Trimmer, Osie Principal · 30 Troxell, Clint · 3 U USS Forrestal · 11 W Wade, Bud Bus Driver · 5 Wade, Mattie · 45 Telephone Operator · 18 Ward, Elizabeth · 4 Whipple, Claudia Librarian · 4 Whipple, Fred · 14 Whipple, Mollie Sue · 4, 14 Whipple’s Store · 40, 41 Whitesell, John Layton · 3, 15 Whitesell’s Store · 20 Whitesell's Funeral Home · 41 Williams, Elizabeth Teacher · 4 Woody, Lynn R. Agriculture Teacher · 4 World War II · 9, 15 Cannery · 33 Rationing · 7, 16 Red Cross · 16