Parkesburg Yesterday - Continued

This picture from Kerry Glenn provides additional background on the 1968 fire where seven children perished:

"This house was built in 1917 by Horace A. Beale, Jr. at 430 Maple Street and was then known as the "Parkesburg Community House." It was used by the Red Cross and other support agencies during World War I. Following the demise of the Parkesburg Iron Co. in 1926, the house - along with multiple other facilities owned by P.I.C.O. - was sold and was converted into a dwelling. In the subzero predawn hours of January 5, 1968, a kerosene-fired space heater which was connected to the chimney shown here overheated and set the house ablaze. A westerly breeze quickly spread the fire eastward and destroyed four other dwellings as well. Seven of the eight Hoover children tragically perished in the catastrophe; the eldest (Mary) escaped out one of the second-floor windows on to the roof in the rear and jumped to the ground and survived."

Community Yard Sale

The sign says it all.

Next Saturday is Parkesburg's annual community Yard Sale.

Call Wendy Keegan at Borough Hall to place your yard sale on her official map.

Wendy will publish the maps on Thursday  (4/28) or Friday (4/29).

Where In Parkesburg - The Winner

And the winner is...

Earlier this week and earlier today I asked for the street address of this building.  The Ford dealership and the gas pumps are long gone but the building remains and is in active use today.

In fact over the years the building has served as a

• car dealership (1923 - 1947)
• a snack food factory (1948 - 1956)
• a district court office
• business offices and storage (1981 - 2000)
• a warehouse (present)
• a food bank (present)
• a youth center (present home of The Point youth center)

The structure itself was built in 1922 by Charles and William Kalber on land purchased from E. H. Keen & Son.

Once construction was complete the father and son duo opened up a Ford dealership selling cars, tractors and trucks.  The business remained open until 1947.

And the winner is...

First thanks to the many who participated.  Getting and reading your emails was fun.

365 Main Street as in looks today

While some sent me just the address (365 Main Street) or pinpointed the building as being at the bottom of the steps under the Parkesburg School or across the street from the Methodist Church, others went further and shared memories and recollections of the building and the Ford dealership.

Kerry Glenn talked of the building being at 400 Main street and noted the building had a 1922 date stone at one of the corner before being covered over in stucco.


Suzzanne Groff remembered being a school safety in front of the building in the '60's.

And the winner is . . .

Francis Underwood identified the building and wrote the following:

"The garage in the picture was owned and operated by William (Bill) Kalber (His brother had a Chevrolet agency across the street from the Wilde Funeral Home.  Bill sold Ford cars (only one or two in the showroom at a time) and sold Esso (now Exxon Mobil) gasoline.  The garage was located just opposite the steps leading up the Parkesburg School.  My dad was a mechanic there for many years along with Marshall Crawford.  The garage was later the home of a snack food producer.  I believe the product was called "Corney-Cues" (sp)."

Francis, thanks for sharing your memories of the building and your dad's service.   You memories propelled you to the first place slot and the winner of our first ever 'Where in Parkesburg? contest.

And thanks to Gerry Treadway whose unrivaled treasure trove of Parkesburg memorabilia and history made this thread possible.