Historically Speaking

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING

1976 Camping experience held for Center Point Grade Schoolers at Rothwell Park


Remembering Rothwell Park 

and Blandville Softball

By: Carl E. Polan

(Not many of you remember either one)

Recently I received a most interesting phone call from a wonderful gentleman, Carl E. Polan, who wanted to offer me some history of Blandville and Rothwell Park.  We spoke at length about both, and I asked him if he would write this down and give me permission to print it in the Herald Record, for I had found it so fascinating and was certain that our readers would as well.  He was kind enough to do that for me and asked his granddaughter, Carly Dove, to email it to me.  I have included it in the remainder of this article.  

I should include that Mr. Polan is the son of William Davisson and Flossie Iona Trent Polan.  He was born in 1931 in Blandville and grew up in the Blandville and Eibbs Camp area.  

I want to thank Mr. Polan and his granddaughter, Carly Dove, for taking the time to preserve his 1st hand and personally witnessed community history for all of us, especially those citizens in the Blandville area. 

“This was in the late 1930s before WWII.  Rothwell Park sat on the banks of Meathouse Fork on what was the Bob Maxwell farm by the creek crossing at the mouth of George’s Camp.  Rockwell Park was named for Bill Rothwell, a gas company official.  His company probably helped fund the setting up of the park.  (One baby in the community was named Rothwell, Rance Rothwell Willis, Bud’s younger brother.)  For its day, it was pretty well equipped.  It had a drilled well with a hand pump under a picnic shelter.  Also, picnic tables were under the shelter.  A good swimming hole was nearby with a rope from a tree that would swing over the water.  There were men’s and women’s sanitary toilets.  The backstop and home field of the Blandville softball team was nearby.

Blandville baseball team was formed in April of 1939.

The team played other community teams in the county and maybe in surrounding counties.  I remember some of the ball players.  Bill Trent (Slick’s grandfather) was always the pitcher.  His first pitch usually went over the backstop – then he settled down.  Meig Hart (Rev. Jack Hart’s dad) was the catcher.  Paul Davis played first (Paul was a schoolteacher and Sheriff of Doddridge County in the early 1950s; remember Veda in West Union).  Paul’s brother, Blaine, also played infield.  Paul Keister, from New Milton, played a base.  And Pink Fisher, the fastest guy on the team always played shortstop.  Harry Trent, Junior Trent, or Bud Willis may be in the field.  Shelby Van Scoy from West Union sometime played on the team.

For refreshments, Coca-Cola from Pennsboro iced down plenty of drinks in their coolers (remember, this was before electricity).  Glendale White was responsible for selling drinks.  A nickel for a bottle, of course. 

Bill Knight, who worked with the power company in West Union, usually was the referee and called the games.  Bill had a larger-than-average frame and was well-muscled.  Games usually went smoothly.  But one game Alf Willis (great-grandfather Chuck Willis in West Union) thought Bill made the wrong call.  Now Alf was a respected member of the community, nearly 70 years old, and a smaller, wiry man with an instant hot temper.  Alf was going after Bill with his knife flashing and exclaimed, “I’ll cut your heart out faster than hell can scorch a feather.”  Some men got a hold of Alf, got him calmed down and the game went on to completion.  

I have spent many happy hours at Rothwell Park, either for ball games, family picnics, or just swimming.”

As written by Carl E. Polan

     Softball/baseball teams were organized throughout the county and surrounding counties by their local businesses as well as the communities themselves..  Some of which were Ashley, Big Isaac, Blandville, Center Point, Franks Run, Greenbrier, Greenwood, Sedalia, Ten Mile, and West Union.  Several churches enjoy the friendly competitive sport, including Center Point Christian Church, Reynoldsville Christian Church, West Union Christian Church, and the Wilsonburg Baptist Church.  Many grade schools, including Greenwood, as well as Doddridge County High School, engaged in the sport.  Doddridge County High School discontinued their sofball/baseball program in 1963, then reorganized in the 1970s.

  I found this article to be of great interest and plan to do an in depth article on it in the near future.  I hope you will enjoy it when I submit it for you.

Note:  Many activities were held at Rothwell Park, as told by old newspaper clippings: