*
Surnames
All the major actors in the novel are completely fictional. As far as I know, there are no Frolics or Tellers living within the confines of Clarion County that I am aware of. Some minor characters do share surnames with people in the area, but the characters in the book are none-the-less fictional.
Since the book is about events in the history of Clarion County, historical personages do appear. David Lawson, Mr. Pinks, the people who speak at ceremonies and many, many others were real people whose names appear in history books. Some few of the people speak in the novel, but the words I have placed in their mouths are either a product of my imagination, or are derived from historic accounts of the times in which they lived. Nothing in the book should be taken as actually having been said by the persons involved. I was respectful of these people and believe they might have said something along the lines written.
The Stories
Nearly all of the stores in Toby's Curse are inspired by actual events that occurred in Clarion County over the past 200 years. However, the tales are fictional accounts of those events. Here, chapter by chapter, is where I discovered many of the facts upon which I based my fiction:
Chapter 1 - Brady's Ambush - 1779
• Accounts of Brady's Ambush appear in A. J. Davis's History of Clarion County (1887) pp378-387 and in Allan Eckert's That Dark and Bloody River (1995) pp198-201. I cherry picked the many tales of that day for my version.
• Throughout the book, anything having to do with Toby, the Frolics or the Frolic charms is complete fiction.
Chapter 2 - The Crossing - 1790
• This chapter has almost no basis in fact and serves to set up the premise of the charms and introduce Toby, Seth Frolic and Levi Frolic.
• Matlack and Maclay were surveying the Allegheny at about that time, but that is all that I know about them (Davis p74.)
• Fishbasket Indian village was also in existence at that time. (See Prehistoric Occupations at Fishbasket by Kenneth Burkett pp5-6 in the Pennsylvania Archaeologist Spring 1999 v1No1.)
• Buffalo - There may or may not have been buffalo in the region-- I like to think there were. See the map on the cover of the book-- why call it the Buffalo Swamp if there were no buffalo. However, see The Long Hunt by Ted Belue pp135-147 for a contrary opinion. Henry Shoemaker's A Pennsylvania Bison Hunt (1917) argues the other side, but Shoemaker's work is considered suspect these days. Also see Buffalo in Clarion Co - Herds of Buffalo Blazed First Trails Through County by George O. Heeter in the Rimersburg Record Centennial Edition (1939), where you can read-- "Near the present site of Clarion … an early settler built his cabin close to a salt spring to which the buffalo resorted in such numbers that he supposed there could not have been less that two thousand in the neighborhood of the spring.'"
Chapter 3 - Cowbell - 1803
• You can find a similar incident involving a cowbell in Caldwell's Atlas of Clarion County (1877) p8, and Davis p79. Rev. MaGarrah's lack of eloquence is briefly described in Davis p470. There are many other references to the man in both Caldwell and Davis, and he seems to have been a force for good in the earliest days of the county.
• Other than those inspirational tidbits, my story of the meeting of two settlements is fiction. Many of the details of pioneer life appearing in the early stories come from W. J. McKnight's Pioneer Outline History of Northwestern Pennsylvania (1905) and from Wright & Corbett's Pioneer Life in Western Pennsylvania (1940.)
Chapter 4 - The Wedding - 1809
• A wedding between a Sam McNaughton and Little Deer, a 14-year-old Indian girl did place about the time of my story, however, this happened miles to the north at State Road Ripple. (see: Edward Reighard's Alexander McNaugthon (1984).)
• Information on the configuration of the Indian villages came from McKnight chap.2
• Wedding customs among the Delaware are described in Paul A. W. Wallace's Indians in Pennsylvania (1961) chap.9.
Chapter 5 - Pike Bridge - 1821
• Information on the Susquehanna and Waterford Turnpike, today's route 322, can be found in McKnight chap. 11
• The turnpike bridge did open in 1921, but there is no record of that day and the story is completely fictional.
Chapter 6 - Circular Hunt - 1828
• Information on the circular hunt came from the back of Robert Walker Smith's History of Armstrong County vII (1883) The deaths described in the book are fiction. Also see footnote at Davis p85.
• More on circular hunts at History of Westmoreland County v1 Ch15 pt1 and History of Crawford County ch XXI
Chapter 7 - The Frolic - 1832
• The frolic at Rimer's Tavern is described at Caldwell p18.
• The song they sang at the frolic came from McKnight p232.
• Rimer's Tavern was built in 1829 by John Rimer (Davis p592.) I am unsure of its exact location within the borough but have been told it was located at the site of the beer distributor across Main Street from the library, which sounds not too unlikely. In the book, the tavern has closed by 1861, however after the book went to press, I saw an antique phone labeled Rimer's Tavern in an antique store in the town, so I certainly got that wrong, unless the tavern was moved at some point.
• The location of Pinks' first store was either in Curllsville (Davis p83, 496) or in Rimersburg (Caldwell p11)
• Applebutter see McKnight p230, Coffee see McKnight p481 and Davis p593, Early dress see McKnight p229, Early life see Davis p81, Kissing parties see McKnight p231-233.
• Seceders / Associate Presbyterian Church see McKnight p263-275, Davis p421
Chapter 8 - The Fourth - 1833
• The July Fourth Story including the business about the handkerchief can be found at Caldwell p18.
• Game see McKnight p107-155, p226-228, Hunting (Bill Long, the King Hunter) see McKnight p156-180, Indian trails see Paul A. W. Wallace's Indian Paths of Pennsylvania, p1-12
• Coal: the Rimersburg Record - Centennial Edition, June 30, 1939 --- Coal Industry Has Rapid Development "From the very earliest days … there was no lack of coal and the pioneers in the majority of instances were able to get fuel for their own use from their own lands. Nearly every farmer was more of less occupied during the winter months in digging coal for himself and his less fortunate neighbor, and as the little hamlets sprang up coal was increasing in demand. Historians tell us that it was not an uncommon thing for an early settler to mine coal, perhaps on his own farm, but always with someone on guard to give warning of the approach of Indians."
• David Lawson see Hank Hufnagel's Treasure Maps of Clarion County p144-145
• Treaty of Fort Stanwix see Davis p63-64, McKnight Ch IV
• The name Clarion see Davis pp98-99, Iron industry see Davis Ch XI
Chapter 9 - Pinksville - 1839
• Sale of lots story Caldwell p592-593. Also see "I Remember Rimersburg" column, Rimersburg Record, 10/30/1953 - 11/6/1953
• Early Clarion see James Campbell's Journal of James Campbell, (1955)
Chapter 10 - The Referendum - 1853
• Incorporation story see Caldwell p593-594
• Colonel Sloan's involvement see Cookie Daze Events Flyer, 2003
Chapter 11 - The Migration of the Dead - 1862
• The cemetery battle did take place, and the wedge was indeed removed from the Borough of Rimersburg, but the involvement of the Frolics and Mr. Pink's words are fiction. See Caldwell pp593-594 for what is known of the event.
• The supplementary act changing the limits of the Borough of Rimersburg can be found at Laws of the General Assembly of the State of Pennsylvania Passed at the Session of 1863 In the 87th Year of Independence, p408, 1863
• Rimersburg Raiders - Company E, 62nd Pa. Volunteers --- Caldwell p178-189, Google: Rimersburg Raiders 62
• Sligo telegraph a source of Civil War news see Caldwell p611
Chapter 12 - Runaway Riverboat - 1872
• The runaway riverboat story is told in Joseph Millard's The Wickedest Man (1954) pp162-167
• Parker City see Geo. W. Browns's Old Times in Oildom (1910) pp25-33
• Antwerp City see various news items in Gary McKinney's Oil on the Brain (2003)
• For the flavor of the times see Jack Cribb's The Adventures of Jack Cribbs (1911)
Chapter 13 - Edenburg Blaze - 1877
• Edenburg is now called Knox
• The story of the Edenburg fires is told in Davis pp503-505 and in Hettie A. Keatley's A Compendium of Edenburg and Edenburg People (1887) pp86-91
• Newspapers for the area are available on microfilm at the Clarion Free Library and at the Clarion University of Pennsylvania Library. These cover the time period from 1875 to the present and were invaluable in getting a sense of the times for this and all the stories that follow.
Chapter 14 - Cathedral Cross - 1886
• The details of the construction of St. Michael's Church and Henry Hargenrader's feat can be found in St. Michael's, Fryburg, PA. 1820-1974 (1974) pp15-20
• Also thanks to Bill Lauer and Mary Rose Ditz, who not only first told me the story of Hargenrader's beer drinking, but also taught me much about how to tell a story.
Chapter 15 - The Monument - 1897
• A description of the events of the day can be found in the Clarion Democrat, May 28,1897.
• Major Reid's speech comes from that paper as well, though I fiddled with it the tiniest little bit.
Chapter 16 - The Airship - 1905
• A description of the events of the day can be found in the Clarion Republican, May 25,1905.
• The newspapers just prior to the show have advertisements for the big day and the great airship. The announcers pitch for the airship comes from one of these ads.
• Pawnee Bill's Historic Wild West by Allen L Farnum (1992) had much information about the show in those years, though it does not mention the airship or Clarion.
Chapter 17 - Good Roads Day - 1915
• Many short articles appeared in the local papers concerning Good Road's Day. See especially:
Pithy Address of New Governor, Clarion Republican, January 21, 1915
Good Roads, Clarion Republican January 14, 1915
Good Roads Day Meeting at Sligo, Clarion Republican, April 29, 1915
Good Roads Day Urged for Clarion County, Clarion Democrat, May 1, 1915
Good Roads Day Wednesday May 26, Clarion Republican, May 20, 1915
Good Roads Day at Curllsville, Clarion Democrat, May 27, 1915. The speech on the women road makers of Curlsville came from this article.
Good Roads Day, Clarion Democrat, May 27, 1915
Good Roads Day a Big Success, Clarion Republican, June 3, 1915
• The picture of the women road makers is from the Clarion Republican, June 10, 1915
Chapter 18 - Thriller - 1924
• The flight under the bridge was actually just one event in a 3-day air show that was part of Trade Expansion Week in 1924. The flying events can be found described in OX-5 Holiday by Russ Brinkley in Flying Magazine August, 1958.
• For details of Trade Expansion Week see:
Trade Expansion Week, Clarion Republican February 21, 1924.
Trade Expansion Week Starts Saturday March 1, Clarion Republican February 28, 1924
Trade Expansion Week - Cramer will Fly Under Bridge, Bartow will fly from Main Street, Clarion Republican March 6, 1924.
Trade Expansion Week Ended Saturday, Clarion Republican March 13, 1924
Main Street Flight - Up Go The Balloons, Clarion Republican April 17, 1924
Street Flight Failure Clarion Republican May 15, 1924. This event is still talked about locally but does not appear in Toby's Curse.
• Mrs. Hauffman's Suicide see:
Searching for Homesick Woman, Clarion Republican March 15, 1923. First word of the suicide story.
Body Found at Piney, Clarion Republican May 10,1923. Mrs. Hauffman's body found.
• For bridge and river details see:
Bridges Will Be Raised, Clarion Republican July 5, 1923
Work Started on Raising Bridge, Clarion Republican July 12, 1923
Bridge Will Be Raised At Present Site, Clarion Republican August 23, 1923
Help Clean Up The Clarion River, Clarion Republican April 10, 1924
Dam Closed, Clarion Republican May 29, 1924
• The influenza poem came from a PBS documentary called Influenza 1918
Chapter 19 - The Air Show - 1932
• Parker Cramer's exploits
Cramer Forced to Land in Kentucky, Clarion Republican October 4, 1923
Had Narrow Escape, Clarion Republican, November 8, 1923
Up In The Air, Clarion Republican, November 29, 1923
Will Rebuild Hanger, Clarion Republican, December 13, 1923
Flyers Forced To Land, Clarion Republican, February, 7, 1924
• Parker Cramer's death
Clarion's Obligation to Parker D. Cramer, Clarion Republican, July 14, 1932
• About the air show
First Air Meet Now Being Planned, Clarion Democrat, August 11, 1932
Clarion Air Races September 10 And 11, Clarion Democrat, September 1, 1932
Large Crowd Will Witness First Air Race, Clarion Democrat, September 8, 1932
Record Crowd Attends Air Show, Clarion Democrat, September 15, 1932
Throngs Here For Air Races Last Sunday, Clarion Republican, September 15, 1932
• Also Google Parker Dresser Cramer
• Women flyers marking program, Google The Ninety-Nines
• Women in flying competitions, Google Women in Competition chet-aero
• Death Result Of Bad Storm, Clarion Republican, March 13, 1924. Aviator Pearson Looses Way and Crashes Near Curwensville.
• Aviator Urges His Pal To Stick To It, Clarion Republican, March 20, 1924
Chapter 20 - VJ Day - 1945
• Airport fire
Airport Hanger Razed by Flames, Clarion Democrat, June 21, 1945
Airport Hanger Razed By Fire Monday Morning, Clarion Republican, June 21, 1945 • VJ Day Celebrations
Victory Celebration Tuesday Rocks Town, Clarion Democrat, August 16, 1945
Community Observes Surrender News With Parade And Holiday, Clarion Republican, August 16, 1945
Up and Down Main Street, Clarion Republican, August 16, 1945
N. Bethlehem Celebrates Japs' Defeat, Leader-Vindicator, August 15, 1945
• Women flyers in WWII
Google women in military in World War II
Google WASP Program Guide
Google women's ferrying originals
Chapter 21 - Wa-Hi-Hi - 1958
• The detailed descriptions of events in this chapter are fictional, however the activities and many other general facts are true. See:
Announce Three-Day Program For Scout Wa-Hi-Hi At Cook Forest, Clarion Democrat, June 10, 1958
Legendary Paul Bunyan Will Visit Boy Scouts During Wa-Hi-Hi at Cook Forest, Clarion Democrat, June 10, 1958
• Event lists can be found at:
Troop 57 Boy Scouts Of Shippenville Take 1st Place at Scout Competition, Clarion Republican, June 5, 1958
54 Scouts And Leaders From District Take Part In Weekend Wa-hi-hi Events, Clarion Democrat, June 17, 1958
Shippenville Troop 57 Among Winners in Scouts' Wa-Hi-Hi at Camp Coffman, Clarion Democrat, June 17, 1958
Chapter 22 - Susan's Float - 1970
• About Environment Week
'Environment Week' is major project here, Clarion Area News, August 5, 1970
Teen group reports on Trout Run study, Clarion Area News, August 5, 1970
Environment Week - Citizen's Council, CSC task force sponsor joint project, Clarion Area News, August 7, 1970
Plan art-show for 'Environment Week', Clarion Area News, August 12, 1970
Litter clean-up, glass collection kick-off 'Environment Week' here, Clarion Area News, August 14, 1970. One of the pictures in this piece appears in the chapter picture in Toby's Curse and features a young Fred McIlhattan, then a high school teacher in Knox and later, for many years, State Representative for the 63rd Legislative District of Pennsylvania.
"Save The Clarion River" Float Trip, Clarion Area News, August 19, 1970
Our Opinion - Young, old at work, Clarion Area News, August 21, 1970
Old oil wells also causing pollution, Clarion Area News, August 21, 1970
Chapter 23 - The Hang Glider - 1987
• The death of Richard Thompson is described in Hang Glider Killed after 100-Foot Fall, Clarion Area News, April 21, 1977
• Hang gliding was the rage at the Narrows at the time this chapter takes place. See: Hang Gliding, Clarion Area News, August 24, 1978
• Environmental concerns:
Stripping Job Irks Sportsmen, Clarion Area News, February 23, 1978
Crop Walk, Clarion Area News, April 18, 1978
Fisher Residents Protest Proposed Strip Mine, Clarion Area News, September 28, 1978
• About hang gliding, Google Hang Gliding Fly like an Eagle
• The Narrows Auto Disaster is a true story
Chapter 24 - The Explosion - 1987
• Accidents
River Hill Mishap, Clarion Area News, September 26, 1978
Cleanup Operation Underway After Monday's Truck Crash, Clarion Area News, September 28, 1978
• The Explosion
Bridge repair stressed during Heinz's visit, Clarion News, August 18, 1987
New Bridge dedication, Aug. 28, Clarion News, August 18, 1987
Chamber Plans scrapped - Ceremony changed because of safety, Clarion News, August 27,1987
Pictures and captions of the demolished bridge, Clarion News, September 17, 1987
Chapter 25 - After Black Friday - 1996
• The Flood of '96, New Bethlehem Leader-Vindicator, January 24, 1996. This is not "the" flood, but one that occurred in January of that same year.
• About Black Friday and the cleanup:
Black Friday, Leader-Vindicator, July 24, 1996
Black Friday - Flood of '96 - Friday, July 19, Leader Vindicator special section
Articles about the flood continued for weeks after the event in the Leader-Vindicator.
The Earl and the Lawnmower story came from a Leader-Vindicator story concerning the cleanup efforts.
The Horse Buckle story is nearly fiction.
Chapter 26 - The Encampment - 2005
• Events at the Cook Forest French and Indian Encampment came from www.cookforest.com, but has since been removed from the site.
• Flax making, Google Making Linen from Flax
• Shoenbrunn Village, Google Schoenbrunn Village a History