2014
1814
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Bicentennial organizers thought it appropriate that the 200-year celebration include a salute to the village's best known citizen ... Walter "Smokey" Alston - Hall of Fame manager of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers.
As plans evolved, the tribute that was initially planned for ONE member of the Alston family transitioned into an exhibit about TWO Alston athletes.
Virgil Alston, Walter's cousin, never made it to the national stage; however, as displayed by the artifacts and clippings below, he gained considerable athletic acclaim in the world of Miami University track.
On Saturday, July 5, 2013, the Darrtown Lutheran church hosted the Alston Exhibit that was organized by Darrtown native, Ron Wiley, with the cooperation of Harry Ogle, Walter Alston's son-in-law and Kim Ogle, Walter Alston's grand-daughter.
The Alston Exhibit and the Bicentennial auction items were available for viewing in the Lutheran Church, from noon to 2 pm, on Saturday, July 5, 2014.
RIGHT:
The Virgil Alston portion of the Alston Exhibit.
These Images depict scenes and artifacts from the life and career of Virgil Alston.
Close-ups of these items appear below.
BELOW: Virgil Alston served with the U.S. Army during World War II. He appears at the far left of Row 2.
ABOVE: The barn, that is depicted in the image above, stood at the southwest corner of Darrtown, on the north side of the bend/curve in Darrtown Road. Unfortunately, the barn no longer exists.
After his military service, Virgil became a commercial artist in Cincinnati, Ohio. He eventually was a teacher and director of commercial art at the Central Academy of Commercial Art, Cincinnati. Two of his recreational pieces that were on display during the Alston Exhibit appear below.
RIGHT:
The Walter "Smokey" Alston portion of the Alston Exhibit.
These Images depict scenes and artifacts from the life and career of Virgil Alston.
Close-ups of these items appear below.
To learm more about Virgil Alston, see his biography page at: Biography: Alston, Virgil
RIGHT:
The second item from the left is a facsimile of Walter's plaque at the Baseball Hall of Fame, in Cooperstown, New York.
To learm more about Walter Alston, see the Walter Alston biography.
