tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12631722.post9146936697799682528..comments2024-03-23T15:06:27.495-05:00Comments on The Lucas Countyan: Prof. Goltry's scholarsFrank D. Myershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09553291415988366101noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12631722.post-31134641511502291922013-10-23T14:03:20.831-05:002013-10-23T14:03:20.831-05:00Thanks, Frank, for sharing this photo and for prov...Thanks, Frank, for sharing this photo and for providing names to go with it. Dr. Charles Fitzgerald Goltry (1863-1950) was a first cousin to my Grandmother Mollie (Goltry) Wright (1868-1954). She said he was always called Steve by his family and friends but she had no idea how he acquired that nickname.<br /><br />I correspond with a wonderful lady living in Warden, Washington named Isabelle Van Nice Winship who will be 98 years old in December. She was valedictorian of the RHS class of 1933. Her roots in eastern Lucas County are deep and she has an amazing memory of her early years there and the stories of her parents and pioneer grandparents who were among the earliest settlers of the region. Not long ago she sent to me a copy of a photo of her father Lester R. Van Nice and his friend Fred Goltry, a younger brother of Dr. C. F. "Steve" Goltry which she said was taken when they were students at the Chariton Academy. Isabelle wrote that she never heard her father mention his studies at the academy but he talked about how Chariton looked in those days and "what stores were where." He said that the south side of the square used to be all saloons, brightly lit up at night. And why wouldn't teenage boys who left farms to stay in the city and attend the academy not be amazed at such a sight and accompanying sounds.<br /><br />Isabelle's father had also been a student at LaGrange School when C. F. Goltry taught there. She wrote that it was sometime between 1881 and 1891 for her father was born in 1875 and his first teacher had been his "double cousin" Miss Carrie E. Allen. He recalled that C. F. Goltry always carried a yardstick in the classroom and once when he was gazing out a window at the treetops, he was jolted back to reality at the sound of heavy footsteps coming up the aisle, then the loud whack of the yardstick on his desktop. When he protested, "I wasn't doing anything!" Professor Goltry replied, "Well, you'd better get to doing something!" -- insisting at least on a semblance of studying.<br /><br />Isabelle's father said that Professor Goltry believed in giving his young students at LaGrange time to exercise outdoors after they finished lunch. He amused the citizens of the town with one of his activities. He had a very long rope that he laid out in a big loop. He required every student to take hold of it, the biggest and strongest at the center front to help pull along the others. Then he took hold of the ends and "drove" his whole school up and down the streets of town, calling directions to the leaders as if they were horses.Charles M. Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10883642260125734859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12631722.post-48233336962269364272013-10-22T10:36:57.077-05:002013-10-22T10:36:57.077-05:00Great information Frank. Harry McNeely was my gr...Great information Frank. Harry McNeely was my great-uncle, brother to my Grandmother Myrtle McNeely Pierce. Fun to learn new information about him.<br /> I grew up hearing lots about Doc Goltry, unfortunately I don't remember any of the stories!<br /> Carol Pierce Coulsonnoreply@blogger.com