We lived in the Darrtown area from 1949 to 1959, when we rented a house on Schollenbarger Road that was owned by Carrie Ginter. Carrie was Hazel Green’s mother.

We had a large garden that Don Whitaker, who worked for Rich Green, plowed with a horse. Or sometimes my dad, Ed, and I spaded it by hand. Like everyone back then we had a coal furnace. If the coal truck was unable to get into the yard because the ground was too wet, the driver dumped it in the driveway and I moved it to the coal bin.

And, how could I forget the outhouse? I really miss it - just kidding.

My mother, Marie (Stempfley) Pater, cleaned houses for a living. She spent a lot of time canning vegetables from the garden and making jelly.

I went to grade school at Queen of Peace in Millville, along with my sister Patty. After Queen of Peace, Patty went to Seven Mile School and then to Stewart. The church school bus dropped us off at the end of the bus route (which was located at the corner of Nichols and Lanes Mill Roads and approximately a mile and a half from our driveway). Then, we walked home - rain or shine.

I had two older brothers, Don (nicknamed Digger) and Jerry. After school, Jerry served in the Air Force from 1950 to 1954, with some of his time spent in Guam. Both of them attended Gruen Watch School to become certified watchmakers. Don did this full time until his death in 2012 at the age of 82. Jerry worked for the U.S. Post Office and repaired watches part time. He is now retired, and still repairs them, but more as a hobby.

I remember ice skating on the farm pond, and working for Bob and Marie Bowman. They lived across from the Darrtown Cemetery in the big two-story house that has since burned down. I helped make hay for $.75 per hour; that was the average pay back then. I drove the tractor - plowing and working the fields, fed the cows, pigs and their horse. Bob, who was a big man, was the strongest guy I have ever been around. They had no children of their own, but treated me and other kids like their own.

While in high school I worked for Milford Township at the Darrtown Cemetery under the management of trustee Warren Hansel and cemetery sexton Ed Thome. When Ed retired, I took over his job of cutting the grass with an 18” push mower. It did have a motor to run the blade; but, you still had to push it. We dug the graves with a pick and shovel. I always had help from either Charlie Hansel or Dick Davish, and we split the payment of $35 per grave.

I have fond memories of Darrtown and had many friends there. We played baseball in the daytime and danced on the K of P slab at night. I rode my bike there every day to hang out with my school buddies, and older friends like Ed Thome, Luther McVicker, Harry Teckman, Red Ernest, Hap Davish, and Verl Kennedy. Owen Kelly was the constable, and after Owen passed away, Bob Lemmons was appointed to fill the position. Bob was a great guy and good friend.

Like everyone who lived in Darrtown, I have great memories of the Alston family. Smokey’s parents were fine people. As a teenager, I would stop to talk to Smokey’s dad, Toby and his wife. Much of the time, Toby would be in his woodworking shop. I remember when Toby would hitch up his horse and carriage and ride around town.

And, of course, I knew Red Huber. I learned to drink beer at the Hitching Post with Red. I was in the bar one night when Red came out and fired a shot into the floor. He would do that now and then, after having too many drinks. I still go to the Hitching Post, occasionally, to visit with the present owner, Sean Hurley.

Next door to the Hitching Post was Glardon’s Store which was run by Ellis and Ethel Glardon. Ellis' brother, Bill, helped them also. Ellis was known by his nickname, “Dugan”. For some reason, most everyone in Darrtown had a nickname. Glardon’s is now known as Don’s Carryout and Eric’s Pizza.

When I was 16, I bought a used 1950 Chevrolet. Luther McVicker who owned the Sohio station in Darrtown, told me that, if I drove the car the speed limit, and changed the oil and air filter regularly, the car would last forever. I believe he was right and that was good advice.

I guess, as we get older, we get more nostalgic and think about our childhood, remembering the older folks back then and what they meant to us. I have lots of fond memories of the area.

Recollections of Joe Pater

The following narrative was written and contributed by Joe Pater, via email on January 3, 2013.

Another Joe Pater Recollection

So, given the background that appears above,

HERE IS THE STORY THAT JOE TOLD...

Joe said that his memory was jogged by a 1925 newspaper clipping about drilling for gas, which he read in the July 1, 2022 Darrtown website newsletter.

To fully appreciate the memory that Joe shared, clarifying notes have been added to the map at the right (click the green and black "info" icons) and some history is listed below.

1901: Drilling began on the Nichols farm, south of Darrtown.

1921: Drilling was undertaken on two Mee farms - which were located west and north of Darrtown.

More information about drilling for gas/oil near Darrtown is available in a section of this website that is labeled the "Darr Gas and Oil Company."

During a July 5, 2022 phone call with the Darrtown webmaster, Joe Pater shared another memory of growing up in Darrtown (see "Corn Cob Rockets" below).

Back in the 1950s, around the time that Joe and his buddy, Charlie Hansel, were 14-15 years-old, the two boys worked as farm hands for Bob Bowman, who farmed the Mee property west and north of Darrtown.

While working ground on one of the farms, the boys noticed a six-inch steel casing that stood about 4-feet tall (they later found a similar casing on the other farm).

When Joe and Charlie asked Bob about the casing, he explained that it was left over from when some enterprising businessmen drilled for gas - back in the day. Nothing came of the gas business; but, it was generally believed that a low-level amount of natural gas existed underground in the Darrtown area.

Boys being boys, that was all the info that Joe and Charlie needed to hatch a plan for excitement. The next time they were in the field where the casing stood, the boys put their plan into action.

They found a dried-out corn cob and soaked it with gasoline, by dipping the cob in the gas tank of the tractor they were using. Then, they lit the corn cob with a match and dropped the cob down the casing.

Joe said he could hear the "whoof" of an explosion as the lighted corn cob fell to the level where gas existed and almost instantly the flaming cob burst out of the casing and rocketed into the sky above them. Joe estimated that the cob reached a height of at least one hundred feet.

And, yes, the boys re-enacted this form of entertainment on several occasions. And, yes, both boys still had all their fingers and eye brows afterward.