Bob Jordan

After reading the various articles written by Ed Houck, Don Rodgers, Mary Hoke and others about their remembrances of growing up in Emmitsburg, I can remember other events or happenings and some personal moments.

I remember...

• in the summer time when occasionally Flat Run would over flow it's banks on N. Seton Ave. causing a flood and cars would flood-out and get stuck, we kids would push them out of the flooded area. Sometimes being tipped other times not.
   
• during the dog days of summer when we would head to Kump's dam or the Willows to do some swimming, my mother, as mothers will do, would worry about us kids catching polio. Polio being a major health scare of the times.
   
• My mother came home one Sunday evening from work at the restaurant and informed the family that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. It was December 7, 1941. Nobody at the time really knew where Pearl Harbor was but we sure found out in a hurry.
   
• Emmitsburg having two newspapers. One of course being the Chronicle the other I believe was the Observer.
   
• an Air Force jet crashing in a field along Bollinger School road, killing the young pilot.
   
• Emmitsburg having an American Legion baseball team being managed by Jack Rosensteel. I guess only those that remember were the ones who played on the team. I being one, along with Pat Boyle, "Pinhead" Mick, Bill Sterbinsky, Mickey McNair, and when we could coax him to play, Buzz Walter. This is to name but just a few.

On a personal basis

• working part time at Bill Rowe's grocery store for a couple of years. I would work after school on Wednesdays and Fridays and all day Saturdays. Among other chores, on Wednesdays we would stack the shelves, clean the produce and candle eggs. We being me and Bill Sterbinsky. By the time I got to work on Fridays, Bill would have filled several boxes with groceries and using a hand cart I would deliver the groceries to some older ladies living on the east end of town. Our normal closing time was 9 P.M. but on Saturday nights we would remain open a little later just to make sure our biggest customers would get their weekly groceries.
   
• HITCH-HIKING: We didn't have cars available to us and we were not afraid of being kidnapped or any other real harm coming to us, we did a lot of hitch-hiking. We would hitch-hike to Thurmont, Fairfield and other surrounding towns. Then one day Don Rodgers and I got real brave and hitch-hiked to Baltimore.
   
• Buzz Walter's uncle lived in Annapolis and Buzz's father would occasionally take us down to Annapolis to do some fishing and swimming. One Saturday, Buzz's father and brother went to Annapolis but Buzz did not go along. That Saturday night I left work at 9 o'clock at Mr. Rowe's, met Buzz and we hitched-hiked to Annapolis, arriving there early Sunday morning. We met Buzz's father and brother at mass. I do not think Mr. Walter was too happy to see us. Maybe mad might be a better description. On the way home on Sunday evening the announcement came over the radio that North Korea had invaded South Korea. It was June 25th, 1950.

one summer Bo Caddle and I thought we would sail to Europe....on a cattle boat. We would pay our fare by working on the boat. The only work that I could think of on a cattle boat was shoveling. We didn't take the trip.

Looking back ON those days brings back many fond memories. It was a wonderful life.

Read other memories of growing up in Emmitsburg of old