It has been awhile since I traveled down Memory Lane in the Tug Valley area and it’s interesting to note the happenings that were claiming our attention in 1942 (the first year of World War II) and today during the Mideast conflict in which we are participating.

Day-to-day activities 67 years ago were not so different from those of today. Potential petit jurors summonsed for duty during the September 2009 term of Mingo County Circuit Court reported Monday, Oct. 5, 2009. Chief Judge Michael Thornsbury is the presiding judicial officer.

The September 1942 issue of The Mingo Republican (a weekly newspaper established in 1904 and later produced at the Williamson Daily News’ former location near Harvey Street for several years) contained a story about petit jurors directed to report to court on Oct. 5, 1942. Judge Charles W. Ferguson of Wayne, who served both Wayne and Mingo Circuit Courts for 36 years, was the presiding officer during the time of World War II.

Everybody in the Tug Valley area was excited about the impending visit of a then popular screen star, Greer Garson. The Sept. 3 edition of the Mingo Republican carried a story about arrangements being completed for her visit. Merchants and others had arranged patriotic displays in anticipation of her visit.

Not many of today’s residents would remember the Garson visit because that was 67 years ago, but this writer not only remembers it but was present when she spoke to a crowd in courthouse square. I remember how beautiful she looked with her auburn hair complemented by a green suit with matching accessories. Her mission was to sell war bonds.

Over 300 mothers of sons and daughters serving in World War II had been contacted through the Civilian Defense headquarters and had agreed to participate in the great war bond parade on Greer Garson Day. A follow-up story in the Republican as well as the Daily News told how Ms. Garson (star of the movie, “Mrs. Miniver,” and others) unpinned the orchids she was wearing and presented them to two Gold Star Mothers.

The actress commented she had never seen the patriotic spirit any place like that observed in Williamson. Later, she conveyed her thoughts on the city in a letter to then Mayor Roy M. Taylor. Luncheon was served in the King Cole room of the Mountaineer Hotel that day.

The Sept. 17 issue of the local newspapers held a story about the pulpit for the new East Williamson Baptist Church under construction at Peter Street and Sycamore Street. Wood for the pulpit came from the giant Mingo white oak tree located at the head of Trace Fork of Pigeon Creek.

Discovery of the Mingo White Oak, the largest tree of its kind in the world at the time, its history and ultimate death were familiar to Mingo Countians. A friend and I visited the tree several times during its lifetime. Many local citizens, officials in Charleston and in Washington, D.C., were in possession of small pieces of the great tree which formerly towered over the region where it stood.

The tree was discovered in 1930 by John Keadle, a member of an early Williamson family headed by N.J. Keadle (his father), who was the first sheriff of Mingo County when it was formed from Logan County in 1895.

Later, the Game, Fish and Forestry Commission executed a lease with the land owners, setting aside two acres under the management of the Commission for as long as the tree should stand.

The tree’s sudden demise came in 1938 (the year this writer was graduated from Williamson High School). State Forester R.O. Told then Williamson Fire Chief Wilton Fields he felt the fumes from a large slate dump nearby had quite a bit to do with killing the tree.

Fields owned enough of the tree’s lumber for use in constructing the new pulpit for the East End church where he was a member. Expert cabinet maker J.D. Sizemore of Siler City, N.C., constructed the pulpit, which still shines from sun rays entering the church’s stained glass windows.

While e-Mail is very popular among Internet users in this day and time, there was a time when a fast V-mail system was introduced during World War II to handle correspondence from the mainland to armed forces afloat and afield. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, commander-in-chief of the Pacific Fleet, urged the use of space- and weight-saving air mail service for officers and men of the fleet who were writing letters home.

It was observed that delivery of personal correspondence by means of microfilm would solve some of the mail difficulties and ease the congestion then present in the greatly overtaxed postal system of the 1940s.

Hawaiian air mail, for example, was photographed on 16 millimeter microfilm spools in Honolulu. Those rolls, two of which contained as many letters as an ordinary mail pouch, went to the mainland by the first available air transportation, rating highest priority and going immediately.

By fast mail train, completed V-mail was then sped to recipients, who got 4-by-5 1/2-inch enlargements of the tiny negatives in official envelopes - without charge.

Days were saved and valuable airplane space was conserved for vital war goods in the days of World War II. Remember, the United States had entered the war just months before, after Pearl Harbor was bombed on Dec. 7, 1941.

Meanwhile, in Williamson, over 60,000 pounds of scrap metal donated by local residents and business establishments had been collected in the local salvage drive, it was announced Sept. 10 (1942). The bin at the courthouse was overflowing as workers continued to bring in salvage that was to be used by the government in defense industries. It is recalled that the old cannon that sat at the east side of the old courthouse was given up for a good cause during the scrap metal drives – it was used in the manufacture of defense items.

Even hunters were requested to save empty shotgun shells for the metal they contained. Fire wardens were made custodians of all the empty shells turned in by hunters. The collected shells were then handed over to the county salvage unit.

Many area residents do not recall when Lefty Hamilton Park in West Williamson was called Montezuma Park. Home football games of the Williamson High School Wolfpack during the 1942 season were played on Montezuma’s field. WHS Principal A.H. Spangler said the grounds had been rented. The game played on Sept. 25 was between Williamson and Matewan.

For a number of years prior to that game, the Wolfpack played on a field overlooking Mulberry Street. Fans’ rows of concrete seats on that field are still intact behind the Williamson Memorial Hospital complex which occupies the site today.

Pages of old files of the “Republican”; another newspaper, “The Mingo Democrat,” and the Williamson Daily News provide interesting reminders of the old years. Those of the 1941-45 era were full of World War II news, on the battlefront and the homefront. There were many stories and photos about draftees going off for training, and news of service men and women in the various areas involved in war activity.

One interesting story that caught my eye on the front page of the Oct. 1, 1941 issue of the “Republican” told of “Angels of Mercy working here daily for sake of our wounded service men.” There were 14 such angels working each afternoon and night in the American Red Cross surgical dressing room on the third floor of the Cinderella Building.

Dressed in red and white uniforms, cap and veil of the Red Cross, they wore no nail polish, no lipstick, and no set jewelry of any kind, since any of these articles might get in the sponges, pads and dressings which they so diligently made for 100 hours per year. Those articles were being requested by the thousands for use through the War Department in caring for our wounded service men.

There were three quotas yet to be filled for Mingo County at the time of the story: 68,700 articles which were to be completed by Nov. 1. Among those lauded for their work were Mrs. Helena Linkous, Mrs. James H. Shumate, Mrs. W.H. Cantees and Mrs. D.D. McMullin.

One feature I used to enjoy in the old newspapers were the story serials that ran regularly. The one being published during 1942 issues I perused was titled, “The Forgotten Fleet Mystery,” by Van Wyck Mason.

A November 1942 story reported on the gaining of national recognition by Mingo County’s “Mark Twain” – Mark Hager, whose down-home stories were published in various magazines and newspapers. The Williamson Daily News recently published our story remembering Mark Hager’s “old master” genius.

News doesn’t change that much as the years pass and some events seem to repeat themselves. Stories tell of joyful things and others tell of tragedies, such as the loss of loved ones in the armed forces. But, it’s an interesting hobby, leafing through old books, newspapers and magazines. It takes one’s mind off worrisome things for a time.