Merry Christmas from the Past

Wishing you holiday cheer with handmade Christmas cards from the Historical Society of Upper St. Clair Archives!

These cards were created by Margaret Gilfillan [1901-2001] circa 1930-1950.  They depict the spring house and farm buildings on the Gilfillan farm on Washington Road.

Hope you have a happy and safe holiday season, and be sure to make many memories worth preserving!

Snow Scene

From the Historical Society of Upper St. Clair Archives

Image credits:
Source identifier: PC1685
Title: Gilfillan house in snow, old wide porch
Creator: Unknown
Description:  20th century photograph of the Gilfillan house on Washington Road.  When the porch was later remodeled, the width of the porch was decreased.
Date: c. 1920-1935
Historical Society of Upper St. Clair Image Collection, 1875-2011, Historical Society of Upper St. Clair Archives

Christmas Greetings from 1946

From the Historical Society of Upper St. Clair Archives

Image credits: 
Source identifier: PC1702
Title: Gilfillan house in snow
Creator: Margaret Gilfillan
Description: Christmas greeting card from the Gilfillan family on Washington Road.
Date: 1946
Historical Society of Upper St. Clair Image Collection, 1875-2011, Historical Society of Upper St. Clair Archives

In 1883, in Upper St. Clair...

From the daily journal entries made by John Gilfillan [1826-1885] in the year 1883.  In a small leather book entitled Excelsior Diary 1883, John would record brief notes about his farm, the travels and events of note within his family and friends, and a few financial transactions.

Let's take a peek at what happened...

October Sunday 7, 1883
All went to the sanctuary but Rob, grandmother, and Sarah Finaziem.

October Monday 8, 1883
Lovely day
Finished up potatoes in field No. 2.
Sowed two bush wheat and 4 quarts of McGehee wheat in corner nearest old house.
Rob & Alex went to town.

October Tuesday 9, 1883
Lovelier than yesterday
Raised potatoes in [truck] patch.
Ella went to town.
To cash Ella $15.00
Put on load of hay.
H. home
Picked load of apples.

October Wednesday 10, 1883
Jim Rankin took three horses [illegible]
Billy had the two charlies.
7 barrel apples 3 band potatoes
To repair to harnes .90 cts
expenses 85 cts
By cash for apples and potatoes $18.00

October Thursday 11, 1883
Billy hauled 50 bush coal for himself and To cash Billy $7.00
put on load of hay. H. home
Jim R. fixed up hog pen.
John Willson and Mrs. Porter came out this evening.
Alex and Maggie went over to Uncle Wills to hear a base drum play.

October Friday 12, 1883
warm
sent Dave to mill 12 bush wheat
had on 3600 lbs hay to car stables
expenses 65 cts
Alex and I went over to [Langs]
told Arthur about taking back the farm in the spring.
J. Rankin got 105 lbs ham.
got Buck at Bridgeville.

October Saturday 13, 1883
warmer
Mother, Retta, Sara, and John and I went to Uncle Thoms.
Rob came back with us.
drove the two charlies

On this day 130 years ago...

This post is the first of many to highlight the daily journal entries made by John Gilfillan [1826-1885] in the year 1883.  In a small leather book entitled Excelsior Diary 1883, John would record brief notes about his farm, the travels and events of note within his family and friends, and a few financial transactions.

Let's take a peek at what happened...

On October Thursday 4 1883

[illegible] and daughter, H. Murray and Laura, Ella, Alex, Rob and I all went to the fair.
drove [illegible] spring wagon.
came back to gas well at 6 o.clock.
got to Hicory 1/2 [illegible].
7- had supper stayed all night
very tired
extra for sundries

October Friday 5 1883

This entry consists of John's transactions from the day, such as, "By cash for load of apples about 25 bush $15 50" and "To cash paid hotel bill five dols"

October Saturday 6 1883
[illegible] sheep frame
very much pleased with my purchase all round

Party Time in Upper St. Clair

With fall here, we will likely see cooler weather before too long, which for many people means spending more time indoors.

Before televisions, gaming consoles, and computers, what did Upper St. Clair residents do to pass the time? A hundred years ago, friends and neighbors would get together on occasion and throw a house party.

According to a 1975 interview with Emma Hoffman [1903-1982], the small youngsters, as she called them, would go into a room at parties so that they could play games, pop popcorn, make taffy, etc. away from the hustle and bustle of the older "youngsters."  The older age group would usually dance, and the older men played euchre on occasion.

What does a house party look like? The interviewer asked Ms. Hoffman, "How did they dance in the homes? Did they just roll back the rug, or what did they do?"

Ms. Hoffman replied, "Well, they either danced on the carpet, or we had a piece of muslin that they used.  Of course, the carpet was from wall to wall, they didn't have rugs then, it was mostly carpeted, and to make it slide easily, they would put this muslin over top of the wool rug.  There was always somebody in the party who played the violin or played the piano."

Ms. Hoffman goes on to explain that these events were family gatherings. "It was a family type activity- children, all ages, would go with their parents to different houses."  Even though dancing was the highlight of the evening, the young folks didn't think too much about dancing with the right guy or gal.  They were just there for an evening of fun with other local families.  The young folks didn't go out in couples but came with the entire family for what sounded like a good time for all.  "A crowd of us would get together and we had square dancing and round dancing."  If during the wintertime someone's house wasn't available to host the dancing party, Ms. Hoffman says they would travel to Castle Shannon to the dance pavilion at Grove Station.

While you might not roll out the muslin fabric for smooth dancing this winter, we hope you have a few fun family gatherings of your own to look forward to as the chill begins to set in.

Image from the Archives of the Historical Society of Upper St. Clair. 
20120210-hpicusc-0020. A group photograph with corn husks ca. 1910-1930. Unknown creator. Possibly those pictured were members of the McEwen family.

Back to School

An excerpt from an oral history interview with Margaret Gilfillan recorded in 1974.  

Her memories of school:

M. Miss Poellot was the first teacher, Annie Poellot.  They lived right here where this restaurant is, which was Gammons.  Her house was torn down.  But she knew all of the children in her one room school, maybe twenty-five, knew all the families, knew all the circumstances, everything.  Every child was well-known to her.  She knew what to expect from them, what to allow for.  She was a good teacher, but I never remember of her being cross.  That was children from six years old up to fifteen or sixteen, all in one room, all subjects.  You just moved along as you were able.  There weren't any grades.  Some of them never got very far, but they went to school until they got old enough to do something else, and then quit.  They didn't have to go to school until they were sixteen. 

 Q. Did most of them quit to help out on the farm? 

M. Mostly.  Then the big boys come in during November, or in March, and then if there was something doing at home, they would drop out.  Some of them seemed enormous to me.  I thought they were men, but I don’t know how old they were, but they would take the same thing over and over again, maybe the same books, and probably about in the same place if they really wanted an education.  But they would go wherever the teacher thought they should be, and I know we read the same books, readers, over and over again.  You had a first reader, and you read it through, and started over again reading it three or four times.  There were no new books.  You stayed right in that room.  And I learned to read long before I started to school so that was real interesting. 

 Q. Did you help any of the students that were less able?  

M. No. There weren't that many.  Well, the building was just down here until a while ago.  Where the tennis courts are now. 

 Q. What was the name of that school? 

M. Clifton School.  It was a Lodge Hall at the last.  There is a football field there now.  They filled it all in.  But the school was right up on Washington Road.

From Margaret Gilfillan [1901-2001], life-long Upper St. Clair resident.