Appalachian History

You could get the best refreshments in Fulda, OH at the Fisher Saloon. It was hopps fired brewed German beer, sparkling and crystal clear. Mrs. Frank Fisher grew the family's own hopps, fire cooked brewed the hopps, set them in a 10-gallon stone jar with sugar added, let it ferment for five days till worked off, then bottled, let set for five more days, then it was ready to drink. It was very good; people would come for miles to get a drink.

Frank came to this country as a single man. He married Margaret Hupp, and they built their home on Lot 7 in Fulda and raised 7 children there. Frank had learned the cobbler business from his father in Fulda, Germany. He ran the cobbler shop in the same room Margaret ran the saloon, so you could have a good drink while you got your shoes repaired or your harness or saddle repaired.

Fisher Saloon in Fulda, OH.

Eventually, Joseph Fisher took over the cobbler shop from his dad. Joseph was a bachelor. After his mother died he and Eddie Crock became great pals. Eddie and Rosey Crock bought the Ed Johanning home and store, which was directly across the street from the Fisher Saloon.

Eddie and Joe spent a lot of time in each other’s place of business, visiting with each other and the customers. They got to having a morning eye opener each day until it got to be a must. This went on for years without missing a morning.

They made a pledge with each other, that if one died the other would bring an eye opener and visit the grave. Joe died first and was buried in the 3rd addition to the cemetery, which was in sight of the church.

Each morning Eddie got up and poured two glasses of schnaps, one for Joe and one for himself. He would pick up Joe’s in his left hand and his in the right hand, tap them together and say “Here’s to you Joe,” then up and drink his, turn around and drink Joe’s.

He would then get his walking stick and along with old Shep, walk up past the church and down through the cemetery to Joe’s grave. He’d lean against Joe’s tombstone, take his left hand, open his fly and pee on the grass in front of the tombstone, and say “Here’s to you, Joe.” Then he’d rest a little bit and walk back home.

Eddie did this for several years each morning without fail.

Father Donaldson came to Fulda as the parish priest and noticed Eddie going by the church each morning at 8:00 AM prompt and that Eddie went to the same tombstone. One day when Eddie was going home, Father asked Eddie why he always went at exactly 8:00 AM and to the same tombstone. Eddie told him that was the grave of his pal Joseph Fisher, that he and Joe always had a morning eye opener for over 40 years, and that he was taking Joe’s down to him. Father said he never saw Eddie carrying an eye opener and it looked more like he was peeing on Joe instead. Eddie said he was just keeping his pledge to Joe, but he hadn't said he wouldn't run it through his kidneys first.


from Life of John Crock and Descendants, Born in 1811, Father of all Crocks in Ohio, by Leander Crock, publ. by Noble County University, Caldwell, OH, 1996 Online at http://bit.ly/qls9Z

Fulton Caldwell opened his personal diary with details of a trip from Ohio to Iowa in December 1859. His careful list of all expenses clues the reader in right away to a man concerned with the details. “Fulton Caldwell, now a prosperous farmer and a leading citizen, was born on the Caldwell homestead in 1833,” says his biography in the “History of Noble County [Ohio]” from 1887. “He was brought up a farmer, and has followed that occupation principally.”

Caldwell must have gotten waylaid by the business of living, however, since his next diary entry doesn’t turn up till 1873. The ‘History of Noble County’ profile gives a hint: “He was engaged in mercantile business four or five years, and for about two years was a stock-buyer and drover. With these exceptions he has devoted his time and attention to farming, stock-raising and dairying.”

But between January 1873 and December 1910 ‘Fult’ Caldwell managed the impressive feat of producing a daily journal entry. The typed, single-spaced document transcribes to 508 pages.

View of Caldwell, Noble County, Ohio, ca. 1886-1888. This photograph is part of a collection compiled by Henry Howe while researching the 1889 edition of "Historical Collections of Ohio."

Caldwell’s entries typically note the weather, farm chores completed or in need of attending, neighbors visited, village births and deaths. He didn’t vary that writing strategy much over the entire 37 years of diary keeping. Here are his diary entries for the last week of April, 1873:

Sunday, 27…Pleasant day – sun shines warm – at home – Mr. and Mrs. Moor here.

Monday, 28…Cloudy morning – quit at noon – rain early all day – Mr. and Mrs. Moor went home.

Tuesday, 29…Cloudy morning – sprinkles rain a little – I went to Gouchenours and Moors. Corden got hurt.

Wednesday, 30… Clear frosty morning – I commence plowing for oats – turn all stock on pasture – good pasture on Glidden farm – Sam Archer commence work today at $13.00 per month – boys haul wood.

MAY

Thursday, 1…Cloudy morning – we made a little garden – and finish sowing oats in field west of barn – rain in afternoon – we commence post holes for ball lot – Worthy McKee here.

…and 37 years later, that same last week of April in 1910:

Wednesday, 27…40 degress – rain during nt – cloudy threatening morning, clears off, pleasant by noon – cloudy again before night though sun sets red – find spring growing day – I am home – assist Ruth cleaning kitchen.

Thursday, 28…75 degrees – cloudy threatening day – sprinkles of rain – I borrow of C.C.C. check, $100.00 and pay same to Hugh Nughart to be accredited Mrs. Dr. Martin, money borrowed one year ago today.

Friday, 29…48 degress – Clouding threatening morning – clears off pleasant warm day – I walked with Marsh Merry to Ruths land west of town, then went on to Wm. Treadways home in hollow on west part of H. Caldwell farm where I have not been for over 50 years – called to see Mrs. D. Gouchenour, Dave Devold, Peter Walters and Mrs. Brock – Ben Davis hoed our sweet corn in garden – planted March 24 and all grew and standing now – also hoes potatoes well up in garden, Irish Cobble variety.

Saturday, 30…60 degrees – Partially cloudy morning and day – Ben Davis and I place logs front of west porch and stick poles and I plant 40 hills lima beans at west side of garden – also first beans – this ends a very favorable April with just about enough rain, though not as pleasant weather on average as March.

MAY

Sunday, 1…60 degrees – Partially cloudy morning – bright breezy warm day, flying clouds – we are home alone resting after weeks house cleaning – George Kean borrowed field glass to go to Mc Thorlas hill for observation.

Caldwell’s second to last entry in the diary tells the reader “I raid part of day working on books – worked steadily, drinking no whisky or other stimulant, took no medicine.” He doesn’t specify whether ‘working on books’ meant the accounting books, or something else.

But it’s quite clear that his diary by the end was meant to be passed on. The diary we now have opens with an “Index of Deceased” which Campbell later added after the original diary was completed, since it references diary entries that apply to each person listed.

And page 6 is titled “Index of Items for Future Reference” which opens with the perfectly expected entry “Page 8, 13 July 1873, Presbyterian Church Dedication” on through “Page 486, 13 Sept. 1910, mention again of Poochville school.” Quite useful for future historians and genealogists. Caldwell’s diary was transcribed in 1986 by the Noble County Historical Society.


Source: www.digitalshoebox.org ‘The Digital Shoebox Project, Historical Treasures of Southeastern Ohio’



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