Memories of Cardwell High School

Today’s post is an article written by Blanche Layne Baldauf about her school days of the early 1900’s. Ms. Baldauf was born in 1892 and was a member of the graduating class of Cardwell High School in 1911-1912.

Blanche Layne Baldauf

Should school days be forgotten and never brought to mind, especially school days at old Cardwell? I do not think so, for they were light, happy days brimming full of laughter, work and play.

I wonder as I wander back down memory’s lane at the many changes time has wrought. The white, two-story frame building is gone and the present modern elementary school stands in its place. The line of school busses brings to mind the days I trudged two and a half miles through rain, sleet and snow to school and then had to take about half an hour to thaw out my fingers and toes by a wood stove. Most of the students walked to school, a few came by horse and buggy. I remember one girl who rode a donkey from Goochland every day. Many times I had to hurry to get to school by the time the bell rang for I did not like to be late.

High school classes were held on the second floor of the building. Desks seated two and we always chose our desk-mates.

Cardwell Faculty and Students 1914

Mr. Charles Burr and Mr. Francis Bear were the principles who guided us through High School. We had excellent teachers and were fond of them and tried hard to please them. Discipline problems were few. English, Latin, algebra and geometry kept us busy. Much home work was given us, which was done in the evenings usually by the light of an oil lamp before a big open wood fire.

There was no cafeteria then, so students had to take their lunches. We always enjoyed sitting around in groups at lunch time chatting and eating. Lunch boxes contained a variety of things, biscuits, preserves, sausage, a bottle of molasses, a sweet potato, a cup of beans, and maybe a rabbit leg or piece of chicken. It was a treat to go up to M.S. Bowles store at lunch time for candy and cakes.

The highlight of the school week was the Literary Society meeting, which was held on Friday evening. We often took our supper with us to school and a group would stay at school for the program, and afterwards walk by lantern light to a party or dance in the community. The program consisted of Cardwell news, though there were no telephones in the community then, and debates. We had many lively debates and one especially I remember was “Resolved That the Farmer has a Harder time than the Farmer’s Wife”. It was lots of fun.

Then on a bright spring morning, DeEtte Lowry Keeton and I, all dolled-up and feeling very important, boarded the train at the State Farm for a trip to Cartersville to debate at Hamilton High School. We were met at the station and taken in a hack to the home of Miss Meyland Irving, now Mrs. Flemming, where we spent the weekend. The subject of our debate was “Resolved that Women Should be Given the Right to Vote in Virginia”. We had the negative side and lost: but were told by many that we should have won. The judges were all from Cartersville.

For entertainment, there were drills, plays, and box parties. At the box parties, school girls would decorate beautiful boxes and fill them with goodies, enough for two in a box. The boys would bid on the boxes which went to the highest bidder and the girl would eat with the boy who got her box. There was much competition, and boxes often went high. Also, there was usually a cake for the prettiest girl. The proceeds went to the school.

The Class of 1911-1912 consisted of four girls and one boy; namely Everett Bowles, Anna Cottrell, Ida Bowles, Lillian Taylor and Blanche Layne. Graduation exercises were held in old Salem Church as the school did not have an auditorium. Everett gave the salutation, Lillian the class poem, Ida the prophecy, and Anna the valedictory, and I gave the history.

The Class had the pleasure of graduating twice-first when the school was a 3-year High School and the next year when it became a 4-year High School. So we graduated twice.

Much of Ida’s prophecy was fulfilled. Everett became a farmer, Ida and Anna taught for a while and then became home-makers. Though I never taught in college as Ida predicted, I did teach in the public schools of Virginia for a number of years, and then at Beaumont School for Boys. Later I joined the staff of the State Industrial Farm for Women where I served as Parole Officer and Assistant Superintendent until I retired.

So we have come a long way since those school days of by-gone years. But I wonder if the students of today are happier or better adjusted than we were. I just wonder.

Cardwell High School

Originally printed in the Goochland Gazette, March 25, 1970

Fire Department Memories

In order to preserve the memories of the past before they are lost, The Goochland County Historical Society conducts oral history interviews.  These interviews often touch on some part of the history of the county as told by the people who lived it.  It is our pleasure to share one of these histories now, the memories of Edith Richmond and her part in the founding of the Goochland County Fire Department.

Crozier Auxiliary 1966

“Years ago, Dover Baptist Church burned to the ground.  It was mentioned that if Goochland had a fire department, then the Church might have been saved.  In the days following, Ned Willis, who owned a fire truck for use on his River Road farm, offered to help the county establish a fire department.  This gentleman was a family friend and I, being a young secretary, was asked to go to the preparatory meetings and take notes.  That is how I first started working with what would become the Goochland County Fire Department.

After much effort, meetings and debates, the Dover Pembroke Fire Department, as it was then called, was formed.  The new department was strictly volunteer fire fighting.  The Richmond Fire Department sent some instructors and classes were held and the men were trained.  The new firemen were so enthusiastic; they could not wait for a call to come.  On one occasion, they raced to a fire and my uncle, Richard Cridlin, was so excited, he hooked the fire hose up backwards!  This was soon corrected and they were then able to put out the fire.  At that time, we still didn’t have a rescue squad, so Tom Norman graciously used the Norman Funeral Home equipment to transport patients to the hospital.

Controlled burn of the Layne barn

There were many dedicated men who gave their time and money to see the fire department become a success.  No one was paid to do a job, they were simply proud to do something for their fellow man.  Later, the county decided to re-name the fire department to Goochland County Fire Department.  At this time, the training became so complex that many of the volunteers did not have the time to extend their training and had to leave the department.

Firemen’s wives were also called into duty.  They became the dispatchers via a telephone emergency line.  Each dispatcher had around five firemen that they had to call and tell where and what kind of fire was burning.  Out of this, the auxiliaries were formed – Manakin then Crozier, etc.  These were the wives, girlfriends and neighbors of the firemen.  My husband, Harold Richmond, was a Crozier Company #2 fireman, so I became affiliated with the Crozier auxiliary.  When the men were out fighting a forest fire, we would take them drinking water and food.  It was a true community effort.

We worked hard to raise money for anything the firemen needed.  We bought the land, built the firehouse and purchased equipment by having pancake suppers, bingo, spaghetti suppers, selling fruitcakes and many other fund raising ideas.  We finally got our kitchen and then many things were donated such as a refrigerator, stove and other equipment.  At this time, we began having the still popular Chicken BBQ dinners.  This annual event still continues to raise much-needed funds for the fire department and I am happy to say that I still help out when needed.

Crozier Company #2 float

We participated yearly in Goochland Day and won several 1st place prizes for our floats.  One year, I was the Statue of Liberty and had to ride the entire route with my arm raised!  Another year, for our theme, we used the old lady and the shoe.  It was a large shoe shaped out of chicken wire with colored tissues stuck in all of the holes, it was quite a hit.  These floats were taken to other counties as well where we took part in various 4th of July festivals and won prizes in many of these as well.

There have been a lot of changes in my 60 odd years of working with the department.  It has gone from one truck and a few volunteers to many companies; paid personnel, rescue units and high tech equipment.  The dedication to the cause, however, has remained the same, everyday men and women, volunteering time and putting their lives on the line to help their fellow citizens.”  Edith Richmond, personal interview, 2011

If you know of anyone with a story to tell that may be of interest to future generations, please contact the Goochland County Historical Society to set up an interview.

The Story of Club Forest

The only known photo of Club Forest

Hidden from sight, just off of a gravel road, large pieces of pink masonry wall stand as the only relics of what was once Goochland’s notorious speakeasy, Club Forest. Built by Herbert Brooks in 1933, the Club property featured a service station next to the road and the Club was nestled in the woods behind. Brooks would only own the Club for a short time, in June of 1933; he sold the property to Margaret Herbert of Richmond. Margaret and her husband Joseph would then turn Club Forest into what the Richmond News Leader would call “Richmond’s most exclusive nightclub.” The main structure of the Club was two-stories, featuring a large dance floor that presented nationally recognized talent such as Ziegfeld dancers and touring orchestras. Gambling took place in the back rooms of the Club which led to many brushes with the law as evidenced by newspaper clippings and cases against the manager, Joseph Herbert.

August 13, 1934, the ruins of Club Forest

After a meteoric rise to prominence, came a dazzling slide to its finish. Amid scandals involving allegations of abuse of patrons, illegal gambling, murder and involvement with the Tri-State Gang, Club Forest would meet its spectacular end. On August 13, 1934, at about 2 in the morning, two masked men entered the club and ordered the night watchmen to leave. As the watchmen ran into the woods, they turned to see explosions rock the nightclub. By dawn, smoldering chunks of pink colored wall, broken glass and scattered gambling chips would be all that remained of the glittering speakeasy. The bombing made front-page news across the country. Several theories would emerge, such as disgruntled neighbors and rival gangs seeking vengence, but the investigation turned up nothing useful and the Club would be lost to legend.

Piece of the wall of Club Forest

Now, almost 80 years later, a visitor to the site still has to pick their way past broken bottles, jagged pieces of metal and over slabs of fallen concrete. The reward for this trek is the sight of the remains of Goochland’s “premier nightclub.” Nature has somehow spared the pink stucco and even though encroached on all sides by development, progress still hasn’t claimed the site. Due to the dangerous aspect of the ruins and the fact that it is private property, I will refrain from giving a specific location of the site. Please enjoy the photos and try to think of another time when gin was made in bathtubs, poker was dealt in back rooms and big bands played till the early morning hours.

The pink color is still visible

Contributed by James Richmond of the Goochland County Historical Society

To read more about Club Forest and its connection with the infamous Tri-State Gang, read “Gangsters in Goochland: The Fast Lives & Violent Deaths of the Tri-State Gang and Club Forest” featured in Volume 42 of the Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, on sale now at the Society office and the Goochland County Clerks Office