As told by Mary Wright Christiana
At this point in time we Wrights are scattered all over the country, but there was a time when a large majority of our family lived within a five mile radius of each other. Every street in Larksville had at least one home occupied by a Wright. State and Murray Streets could have been named Wright Street as so many of us had homes there. It was wonderful growing up with so many relatives always happy to open their doors to welcome you. There were always cousins to play with, fields and school yards to play in, paths to hike on, street lights to play games under and on and on.
The story of Larksville “When Wrights ruled” deserves to be told. We who lived there have our own particular versions of that story and we invite you to share your memories on this website. This is mine…
My first memory is living in a former coal company home on State Street. I was four years old and I am remembering the birth of my sister, Ann. I can still see her lying in her crib in the middle room of our house. Many, if not most of the houses in Larksville had a formal parlor, then a middle room, then a kitchen. The upstairs usually had three bedrooms and the basement floor was dirt covered with a space where coal was stored. (On coal delivery day a big chute was placed inside the basement window and coal was poured from a big truck onto the chute and into the basement). Everyone used coal to heat their homes. Most residents had furnaces downstairs in the basement and the rest had a small coal stove in the middle room and a coal stove in the kitchen. In case you are wondering – no, it did not keep the upstairs warm in winter! We didn’t linger when we got up for school in the morning.
Did I forget to mention where the bathrooms were? Lots of homes had them, but some did not. They had little houses in the back yard – well, use your imagination here. While you are thinking about it, picture a cold snowy winter day or a pouring down rain summer day. Hey, it made us tough!!! On bath night we filled a round (or if you were more fortunate, a long oval) tin tub with hot water. Worked just fine.
That’s where we lived, but let me tell you how we lived. Here’s a list of what I remember as being the most fun: Parties They would be organized at the drop of a hat. The obvious occasions would be celebrated – Birthdays, First Communions, Graduations, etc. but we didn’t always need an occasion. We just liked being together. When I was a child and Pop was alive, we would have the best yard parties. The men would always dress in jackets and ties and wore great hats. All the families would attend, even those who lived as far away as Wilkes-Barre, the Hughes family. (I used to think W-B was so far away – it’s about five miles). There were two yards where most of the parties happened. On State Street between my grandparent’s home and Uncle Dick’s and in the back yard of the “Block”, four houses that were attached to each other and were always occupied by Wright families. That was my personal favorite place. There were also lots of parties at a Speakeasy that Uncle Jim and Aunt Helen owned, but that will be someone else’s story – I was too young to remember.
Backyard Bingo
During the summer, every week –night at 6:00 we would gather on the back porches of the block to play penny bingo. The porches would be filled with aunts, cousins and several friends. It would cost a penny a card to play and, if you didn’t have any money, you could be the “caller” and earn a penny a game. After a few games, you’d have enough money to get back in the game. The last game was always a “cover all” and that was the big jackpot – you could earn 50 cents or more! The winner would usually take his winnings to Uncle Dick’s store and spend it on candy and ice cream.
The Promise of a Trip to Harvey’s Lake
There was nothing we enjoyed more than taking a few trips to the lake during the summer. We didn’t get to go very often and we usually had to take turns going. The car only held so many and there were always disappointed hopefuls who just didn’t fit and would have to wait until next time. Uncle Bobby Jones, always pleasant and well meaning, would build our hopes when he would promise to take us if he could start the car. More often than not, the darn car didn’t start. But we did get to sit in it and pretend we were making the journey. I’m not sure the following photo is the old car I’m remembering, but it was someone’s.
Playing with Cousins and Friends
There were always so many playmates and so much to do. The most complex technology we had was television. We had three channels and no remotes, but it didn’t matter because we didn’t spend too much time watching it. Saturday mornings were a treat, though. Lots of cartoons and shows like Fury (the story of a horse and the boy who loved him), Circus Boy, The Lone Ranger and The Three Stooges (never a favorite of mine). Sometimes we would gather in someone’s house to watch something special but we really did spend most of our time outdoors.
There was a field behind the elementary school which was across the street from our house and we used to play baseball there. In that same field, the boys – often led by Bill Yosh – built forts that they tried to hide from the girls. We usually found them, though, and did our best to gain entry. The generation before us tells similar stories.
Pea shooters were often the weapon of choice and I remember some kind of tree that grew some kind of round berries or something that we used as ammunition. I think slingshots were a hot item, too.
There was a pond on State Street that served as a great ice skating rink and a hill in the same area that made for some awesome sled riding. If we didn’t have sleds, a big piece of linoleum or cardboard gave us a good ride, too.
We played lots of games in the schoolyard; rope games like High Water- Low Water, Snake (you just jumped over a rope that was being shaken) and plain old Jump Rope. We played running games, marbles and the baseball card game where you would win someone else’s cards if your tossed card landed on theirs. We had Mickey Mantel cards and others which became very valuable later on. If only we had known.
We sat on porches at night and played “Padiddle” where you got to punch someone in the arm if a car passed with only one headlight. You’d be surprised at how many there were. We played “Cars” often. As cars would pass, they would be given to the person whose turn it was. We’d laugh when someone got a truck or a “junker” and “wow” when someone got a new car.
We formed a chorus and practiced such songs as “Once I Had a Secret Love” and…hmmm, that’s the only one I remember. We thought we were great until Aunt Rea came outside one day and told us to be quiet, Pop was sleeping.
At night, we often sat on the back porch of the block and shook flashlights at the person who would make funny moves. It looked like an old silent movie and always gave us a good laugh.
We sat on the wall on Murray Street and played Telephone. The first person would whisper something in the ear of the person sitting next to him, then it would be repeated until the last person heard what was said. He would say out loud what he heard and it was usually not even close to the original message.
As teenagers, most of our social life revolved around dances – at the gym at the school before it burned down, San Souci (they were the best), various church halls, etc. We even organized a few of our own at the Larksville Fire Hall.
Lots more stories, but you get the idea. We were forced to develop great imaginations and we got more than enough exercise. They were innocent times so parents sent us out in the morning and sometimes we didn’t go back home until we were called. It just felt so safe. I miss that.
The Empty Lot
There was an empty lot next to the block on Murray Street that we claimed as ours. Many a play was performed in that lot and lots of games were played there. I guess it was our own personal park.
Family Closeness Perhaps my favorite memory of Larksville is the closeness we all enjoyed. We just really liked being together. There was an abundance of humor, never wasted on anyone. A sense of humor is a strong Wright Family trait. You can tell by the photos that we weren’t rich in material things, but we were incredibly rich in togetherness. Larksville looks different now, but there will always be a warm spot in the minds of those of us who lived there in those early years.
If I have painted a picture of perfection growing up in Larksville, I have not told the whole truth. It was not perfect by any means. It wasn’t easy being poor and there were the normal family disputes from time to time. It’s funny, though, that time softens all the negative memories and strengthens (even glamorizes) the good memories. I can say for certain, though, that the family bond is not exaggerated and our love for each other is as strong as ever.
The Larksville Anthem
(sung at all reunions and many other gatherings)
There’s a warm spot in my heart
Called dear old Larksville
There’s a warm spot in my heart
called old Larksville
And no matter where I roam
It will always be my home
For there’s a warm spot in my heart
Called Old Larksville
(up tempo)
Larksville will shine tonight
Larksville will shine
Larksville will shine tonight
Going down the line
Larksville will shine tonight
Larksville will shine
When the ball goes over and the
score goes up
Larksville will shine!