The land that Mahan School was built upon was formerly occupied by Thomas Skews. Skews’ home was moved by contractor Joe Zago to a lot near the school site.  The contract to built Mahan School was awarded to Craig & Co. of Follansbee.  Mahan School contained eight rooms, two large halls and basement. The basement was divided into a cafeteria area and a basketball gym.   The building was built of Coshocton mat faced buff brick, trimmed with Indiana limestone.   Mahan School opened its doors on Tuesday, February 23, 1915.   The first teachers were Ida Riggs, Garda Batchcll and Jessie Lantz. When the school became over-capacity in the 1930s, a small one-room building was built along side the school, known as the “chicken shed,” where first grade was conducted.

Mahan School served the Lower End of town and the Cross Creek area. In 1962 fire damaged the rear portion of the building. Children were temporary placed in vacant rooms leased by the school district while renovations occurred. In 1969 when the new Jefferson School opened, children from Mahan began to attend Jefferson. Classes were discontinued at Mahan. The school building was demolished in 1973 and replaced with a recreation site, including basketball courts.

• *See Final Days of Mahan School
• Mill Towns Review, “School Contract,” June 19, 1914, front page.
• Mill Towns Review, “Mahan School Opened Thursday,” February 26, 1915, front page.

Top Row: ____________, ____________, ____________, Joe Boniey (?), Joe Sebastanelli, Steve Bellanco, Mr. Walmsley
Second Row: Isaiah Owens, Amelia Tecca, Gilda Consalvo, Emily Charakopos, Blanche Checca, Alexandra Puy, Anna Cavatassi, Helen DeAngelis
Third Row: Susie DeStefano, Eva Dalesio, Helen DeSantis, Doris Fields, Virginia Furdea, Eldora West, Bill Chiodo
Bottom Row: Joe Duckworth, Joe Settimio, James Molnar, Mike Kokos (?), Dick Johnson, Bill Kleiner, ____________, Mike Falbo

The Koppers plant was built on a 33-acre site in Follansbee along the Ohio River and south of the Wheeling Steel coke plant. Throughout its history the facility has changed ownership several times and has always operated as a coal-tar processing plant.   The plant is capable of converting crude coke oven tars into chemical oil, naphthalene, refine tars, paving materials, roofing products, and various specialty pitches. Koppers products are used in various industries such as utilities, construction, and chemical manufacturing.

Due to nearly a century of coal tar operations, the Koppers facility has contaminated nearby soil, ground water, and bedrock along the sensitive ecological habitat of the Ohio River.  Correction and recovery of the area has been guided by the Environmental & Protection Agency and state of West Virginia under a 1990 consent order.

• Mill Towns Review, See Personals section – Joe Zago, August 8, 1913, front page.

A 1931 Ingot student newspaper referred to George Hubbs as “the father of athletics, as he was the coach of all sports during the early period.” According to Hubbs, the earliest sports were football, track, and baseball.  The first football game and track events began in 1910, baseball in 1911, and basketball in 1916.

 The Steubenville Herald-Star (Oct. 13, 1919) reported that the rival between Toronto and FHS went back to 1912.  In 1917, Hubbs was the first to coach Walter “Red” Mahan, who in 1925 became an All American at West Virginia University.  With “Red” on the 1917 team, Follansbee tied Wells High School (now Steubenville Big Red), 0-0.                                

The above 1931 Ingot article also claimed that the 1914 team was the first to officially represent FHS.  Earlier teams did exist but were not entirely made up of high school students. According to the1969 “Forge” yearbook, the 1914 team had only 11 players.  Their first game was against Steubenville Wells High School’s second team, played at Ferguson Field located north of Mahan Lane. Steubenville won 27-17.

Among the 1914 footballers who played for coach Hubbs were: Russell Cox, Lester Stephens, Clarence Goettling, Gerald Ledger, Lou Diller, Baxter Duncan, Roy Stocks, Emmett Lantz, Harry McGraw, Frank Krager, and Dave Cory.

 During the early era, FHS did not have an athletic field or budget for sports. Athletes paid for their own equipment and travel.  Only one faculty member was appointed as the team coach, and members from the faculty or community volunteered to assist as “team trainers.” There were no assistant coaches by today’s standards.  In the case of coach Hubbs, and Herschel R. Ice, who coached during 1919-1920, both performed double duties as the school principal and athletic coach.

The school depended on local boosters such as confectionaries and pool halls to organize team events.  An example of the role boosters played occurred on July 22, 1920. The Steubenville Herald-Star reported: “Candidates for the football team met at Ed Ratcliffe’s poolroom. Plans for the coming season were discussed with those who wished to play on the team.  Ed Ratcliffe was assured that the new Pastime Park athletic field would be available to the team.”                                                                    

Little attention was given to rules regarding player eligibility. Especially before 1916, the FHS male enrollments between 9^th and 12^th grades barely provided enough players for a full athletic team.  In order to have enough athletes, some local boys were recruited who were not in school, but working in the Mill. They were called “ringers,” a common practice at the time.                                         

In 1916, the State Scholastic Sports Association was organized with rules requiring players to be in school on a continuing basis.  For the first time, high schools were given more control over their athletics previously organized by outside groups. 

Hubbs first official football schedule was established with the 1917 squad.  During that year Follansbee played the following opponents (F. Review, Sep. 3, 1931, p.1). 

1917 FHS Schedule (3 -2- 3)

• FHS  0-19  Cameron   
• FHS  0-27  Wellsville, Ohio   
• FHS 13-0   New Cumberland
• FHS  0-0   Steubenville Wells High School JV (now Big Red)                                                      
• FHS 18-0   Cadiz
• FHS Mingo – No Score Reported     
• FHS 2-17 Wellsburg        
• FHS New Cumberland – No Score Reported                                                      
• FHS  0-0  Bethany College JVs                                        
• FHS 32-0  Mingo

The 1917 team lineup were: Russell Cox, Lester Stephens, Clerence Goettling, Gerald Ledger, Walter “Red” Mahan, Robert Hurl, J. McBride, P. Miller, T. Evans, Lawrence Claypool, Dawson Riggle, J. Lindell, S. Berardelli, J. Hussar and Ray Stocks. F. Tew assisted Coach Hubbs.                                                    

Hubbs quit coaching in late 1917 to take a position at Follansbee Steel.  George Hubbs graduated from West Liberty Normal School in 1907.  He was a former principal of FHS, and mayor of the city in 1944.                                                                           

*Photos 1 and 2 taken in front of the Ferguson Field grandstand north of Mahan Lane. 

*Photos 3 & 4 in front of old Follansbee High school on Alleghany street.  (published schedule in photo incorrect, see 1917 FHS Schedule above.

• Steubenville Herald-Star, “Football Meeting,” Jul. 22, 1920. (Meeting at Ed Ratcliffe’s poolroom.)                  
• Weirton Daily Times, “Follansbee Athletes Honored.” Dec. 12, 1960. (George Hubbs recalled his early coaching years.)

The great evangelist conducted six weeks of tabernacle meetings in Steubenville. The Follansbee churches, Follansbee Tin Mill employees, and community organizations attended, taking special streetcars to Steubenville.  About 500 mill employees and the Citizens Band of 24 pieces led the procession to the tabernacle.  Five men carried a large electric banner bearing the inscription: “Follansbee Bros. Co. Employees.”  William Banfield, general manager of the Follansbee Bros. Mill, presented Rev. Sunday with a large bouquet of flowers.  The famous evangelist Rev. William A. Sunday received $11,334.79 in donations over the six weeks of prayer meetings.   D. J. Sinclair, the prominent citizen of Steubenville, contributed $500, the largest sum given during the campaign.  The tent tabernacle was put together in leaps and bounds by the labor of many people.  Rev. Sunday compared the walls of his tabernacle to the building of the old time walls of Jerusalem.

Billy Sunday Tabernacle

• Mill Towns Review, “Evangelistic,” September 12, 1913, front page.
• Mill Towns Review, “Many Will Pray,” August 29, 1913, front page.
• Mill Towns Review, “Almost 8,000 Converts,” Oct 31, 1913, p. 8.

At the time of the Follansbee Brothers created their relief plan for disabilities, there was no Workman’s Compensation Law in West Virginia.   In 1913, the Follansbee plant employed nearly a thousand men.  Realizing the dangers of being injured or killed at work, and knowing that the dependants of those injured were without means of support, the company conceived a plan that covered every employee of the mill.  The cost of the plan was paid by the company. Under the list of permanent disabilities were the following with the amounts paid:

• For loss of hand, 12 months’ wages
• For loss of arm, 18 months’ wages
• For loss of foot, 9 months’ wages
• For loss of leg, 12 months’ wages
• For loss of an eye, 6 months’ wages

For loss of both hands or both feet or both eyes was classified as permanent disability. Death benefits depended on the deceased’s salary and if married with wife/children.

EMPLOYEES KILLED WHILE WORKING AT FOLLANSBEE STEEL

*1954 – Rocky Comisso killed in Follansbee Mill.  My grandfather Rocky Comisso was crushed to death in 1954 at Follansbee Steel. He left behind a wife & three small children.  He clocked out and came back into the mill to show another employee something inside of the annealing furnace and others didn’t know he was in that confined space and set the furnace on him.   *Submitted by Theresa Comisso, May 4, 2019. 

*Pittsburgh Press, Sep. 8, 1947 – (Entry by Paul Freese) Gas killed three men in a “wet well” at the Follansbee Sheet Metal Specialty Co. plant. The men were making repairs in a 45-foot deep well used by the company to pump water from the Ohio River when they were overcome by “black damp” gas. The men who died were:

*Charles Flower, pipe fitter foreman.
*John Schmitz, pipe fitter helper.
*Roger Ryan, died attempting to rescue the other two men.

*Follansbee Review, Oct. 2, 1941– Louis D. (Shoto) Accettola met instant death at the Follansbee Steel Co.  The accident occurred while Accettola was at work repairing a furnace when his overalls caught in a conveyor and he was drawn into the furnace.  Louis was born in Mingo in 1915 and lived in Follansbee most of his life. He was survived by his wife Rose and two children.

* Follansbee Review, “Body in Scale House,” Feb. 24, 1922, 1. Gennaro DiPasquale Commits Suicide  – The body of Gennaro DiPasquale was found in the Scale House on the riverbank at the Follansbee Sheet Mill.  He was 28 years.  The investigation showed that the shot, which penetrated DiPasquale’s heart, came from his own gun, which lay, on the floor beside his body.  The verdict of suicide was concluded. 

*Follansbee Review, Sept. 10, 1919, p. 1. — Gerald Ledger lived only a few minutes after a motor he was operating fell with him crushing his neck and shoulders.  The incident occurred in the wareroom.  He died in the office of the mill surgeon, just as the boy’s mother arrived.  He was 19 and recently graduated from FHS.

*Mill Town Review, Mar.  27, 1914 p.1 — Nestae Paull, a foreigner was badly burned when he fell into an acid tank up to his waist, while at work at the pickler at the Tin Mill.  His struggle to live ended after suffering five days of intense pain. 

*Mill Town Review, July 18, 1913 — John Muntean, a 47-year-old Hungarian immigrant, was crushed to death when a pile of black sheets fell on him while working in the wareroom.  He had a wife and 4 children in Hungary.

*Marion Ohio Daily Star, May 16, 1908 — Alonzo Slee 33, a bar mill catcher at the Follansbee Mill, was struck on the head by a heavy iron bar and killed instantly.

• Follansbee Review, “ Local Mechanic Fatally Burned,” Oct. 2, 1941.
• Mill Towns Review, “Voluntary Relief Plan of Follansbee Company..,” Dec. 19, 1913, front page.
• Mill Town Review, “Succumbs to Acid Burns,” Mar. 27, 1914, p. 1.

A society for mutual aid among the Italians of Follansbee was organized and named the “Tripoli Italian.” It is believed that the individuals behind this movement were actually founding the Follansbee Giuseppe Garibaldi Society.  A number of important leaders of the Italian community were present.  The officers were elected including: (President) Joe Zago, (Vice President) Sebastiano DeSantis, (Treasurer) Liberatore Ciccolella, (Secretary) Joe Bonitatibus, and (Auditors) Antonio Ciccolella, Lorenze Dalessio, and Antonio Cocco.  Rev. A. Cremonesi, of the Italian Presbyterian Mission, was elected as Honorary President.   Joe Zago, who was selected to serve as president, was a prominent Follansbee businessman and general contractor.

• Mill Towns Review, “Italian Aid Society,” September 19, 1913, front page.

During this early era, the Follansbee High School team was only in its third season.  Most folks attended the club games. The Welsh Lads were reorganizing after a year layoff.   James Stephens was the team manager.  He piloted the Welsh Lads through three earlier seasons.  The Welsh Lads lost their first game at Toronto against an ex-high school football team.   The score was not reported.   In other games during the season, the Welsh Lads tied the Wellsburg Merchants 0-0.  The two teams were scheduled to meet again on November 15 and play for the Brooke County championship.  The Welsh Lads also tied the Wheeling Island A.C, 0-0. The Lads lineup included:  W. Blakley (LE), Kruger (LT), Williams (LG), Lindell (C), Dennis (RT), Kell (RE), Heid (RG), Nolan (Capt. Q), Cooper (LH), Shanks (RH), and R. Blakley, J. Stephens, Roberston, and Meyers were subs.

Another city team was the Follansbee Tigers who were defeated in their first game by the Mingo High School football team 7-0 at Mingo.   According to Tigers Coach Holland, his team lacked practice and preparation for the game.  The Tigers averaged 115 pounds to the Mingo 140 pounders.  Oliver Lewis was quarterback for the Tigers.   The paper reported the following players on the team:  Guilym Jones. Ira Millington, Harry Cooper, Glen Williams, Elmer Jackson, Hayden Evans, Roland Johnston, Cecil Shanks, John Power, Oliver Williams and Sid Lewis.   Tom Grabor, formerly with W&J, was scheduled to be the team coach.  However, Holland coached the first game against Mingo. The Tigers were no push over.  They beat Brilliant High School 21-0.

Unfortunately, the scores and schedules of these club teams no longer exist and were not reported in a timely manner to the paper. It appears that several players were members of both teams, not an unusual practices during this time period.

• Mill Towns Review, “Organize Foot Ball,” September 26, 1913, front page.
• Mill Towns Review, “Tigers Too Light For Mingo H.S., “  October 10, 1913, front page.
• Mill Towns Review, “Football,” October 3, 1913, front page.

For years the city depended on a Mill whistle as a fire alarm.  In 1913, the Follansbee city council made funds available for remodeling the hose house on Penn Street.  A representative of Fabric Fire Hose Company of New York visited and took specifications for a fire bell and tower.   The hose house was completely remodeled including a cement floor.  A high tower was erected for the bell.  In 1922, the bell was replaced by a fire siren. Among the 1913 officers of the Volunteer Fire Department were:  Jenkin Jones (President), Charles Petch (VP), Blair Burchard (Recording Secretary), William Brandt (Chief), and Sid Lake (Captain). (See 1907 First Volunteer Fire Department)

• Mill Towns Review, “Firemen Elect New Officers,” December 26, 1913, front page.

The opening game of the season was played on May 10 at Ferguson field just north of town.  The contest involved the Lincoln Social club of Follansbee and the Colliers team.   Colliers won 7-5.   In a follow-up game played at Colliers, the Lincoln Club won 3-2. The lineup for Lincoln was as follows: Criffith (2b), J. Jones (1b), S. Jones (3b), Rateliffe (m), Kruger (lf), Claypoole (cf), Williams (ss), R. Blakeley (rf) and W. Blakeley (p).

In a Lincoln game played at West Liberty State Normal School, the contest was stopped in the eighth inning “on account of a rank decision made by the umpire.”  Lincoln lost 9-8.   In September, the Lincoln club battled the Wellsburg Giants for Supremacy of Brooke County.  Wellsburg won 4-2.   The Lincoln Social Club was organized for young men in 1911.

Other Follansbee teams mentioned in the 1913 city paper included the Follansbee Athletic Club that was defeated in an early season game by West Liberty State Normal School 16-3 at West Liberty.    The Follansbee team left early on Saturday for Wellsburg, where they changed streetcars for Bethany and then rode a horse-drawn wagon to West Liberty.  The Mill Towns Review reported that the Follansbee team was “defeated on account of the condition of the baseball diamond at the place (West Liberty).  The infield was on the knob of a hill and only the heads of the outfielders were visible.”

Follansbee’s Harmony club team played their city rival the Lincoln club on June 28. Lincoln won 7-4.

• Mill Towns Review, reference to Lincoln-West Liberty game, July 25, 1913, front page.
• Mill Towns Review, See Base Ball Section – See Follansbee Athletic team, May 16, 1913, front page.

Silent pictures had become the rage by 1913.   Three movie theatres, which appear to have been branches of home-operations from other towns, opened their doors in Follansbee.  Located opposite the Hately building store  & post office, the EDISON began featuring movies in June.  A newspaper advertisement read, “The New Edison Theatre in Miller building opposite Postoffice will be opened Saturday Afternoon and Night 3 Reels of Pictures will be shown at each performance with entire change of pictures at night ADMISSION 5 cents.”

In spite of an extensive advertising campaign, the Edison appears to have only survived a few months. Another movie theater, the PALACE, started advertising shortly after the closing of the Edison.  Mr. Papulas of Wellsburg bought the Edison Theatre and remolded the interior.  The new Palace theatre was opened in early December with large audiences.  The theatre was a branch of the Palace at Wellsburg and owned by a company that controlled a circuit of motion picture houses and their own films.  The Miller building, used earlier by the Edison, was also the location of the Palace.  Its lobby, scenery, and entire interior were repainted in pretty designs.

Frequently, movie theaters featured a movie serial in conjunction with the city newspaper, which featured a printed version. In 1915, the Follansbee Review and Palace simultaneously featured “The Black Box” serial (See photo of newspaper ad “The Black Box”).   The Black Box serial marked an important stride for Palace theater manager Louis Cantos, who had just installed a “modern picture machine which operates the film by electric motor and does away with the awkward hand crank.”  Mrs. Helen Krager, pianist of Follansbee, and Mr. Wilbur Kelly, violinist of Wellsburg, provided music to accompany the silent movies presented at the Palace.

Star Theater Ad in Mill Town Review 1914.

Ad featured in 1915 Follansbee Review.  The Palace showed the movie version of The Black Box, while the printed episodes appeared in the Review.

Also mentioned in the Mill Towns Review was the STAR Theater.  During August 1914, the Star Theatre featured ‘Million Dollar Mystery– Nine Miles of Love, Romance and Adventure.”   It was a serial production by the Thanhouser Film Corporation.   The forty-six reel series was released in two-reel installments each week.  The film was actually advertised as “nine miles of film.”  A national promotional contest worth $10,000 cash prize was paid for the best 100-word solution to the mystery.  The Star Theater went under the management of L. R. Myers in 1914.   During the summer 1915, the Star Theater became the FAMILY Theater.

• Mill Towns Review, Review of the Week – reference to Edison, June 20, 1913, p. 5.
• Mill Towns Review, “the New Edison Theatre..,” June 27, 1913, front page.
• Mill Towns Review, “Palace Theatre Showing Pictures,” December 12, 1913, front page.
• Mill Towns Review, See Star Theater Ad, August 7, 1914, front page.
• Follansbee Review, “Fine Picture Machine at The Palace,” September 3, 1915, front page.