Walter E. Mahan attended Follansbee High when it was located on Allegheny Street.  The total enrollment was ninety-four; there were eleven in the sophomore class. In an interview published in “The Ingot,” Follansbee High’s newspaper, Walter Mahan talked about his memories as a student.  “Mr. George Hubbs was my first football coach.  I played right end …We had to furnish our head gears, shoulder pads, shoes and football pants.  It was customary to take our last mill pay in the fall to buy our equipment. Our jerseys were blue with white letters, but we had no numbers.”

Walter Mahan attended Wells High School (Now Steubenville High School) during his junior and senior years.  After high school, he played football at West Virginia University. He was the hero of the WVU-Pitt game of 1922.   By blocking a kick and recovering the ball, he opened the way for a WVU touchdown and a 9 to 6 victory.   It was the first time in 11 years that the Mountaineers were victorious over Pitt.

Walter Mahan was unanimous choice for All-American first team in 1925.   He was part of a WVU dynasty which lost only three games in four years. The 10-0-1 1922 team earned WVU a trip to their first ever bowl game.   The Mountaineers beat Gonzaga 21-13 in the East-West Bowl in San Diego. Walter Mahan became WVU’s line coach from 1929 to1933.  In 1937 he emerged as a prominent lawyer in Wellsburg.

• The Ingot, “Former All-American Recalls School Days in Follansbee High,” February 28, 1940, p. 1.
• Blue & Gold News, “Walter Red Mahan,” July 3, 1999, p. 11.

According to a 1920 Herald Star article, the Garibaldi Lodge of Follansbee was one of the liveliest organizations in the Ohio Valley and its members were among the most respected Italians in Follansbee. As early as 1913, the Garibaldi Society was active in Follansbee.  Even earlier, Italians held annual celebrations called the “Italian Festival” and later “Garibaldi Days.”  For decades, Lower Enders will recall that activities began at 9:00 a.m. when folks were woken by a loud bang caused by fire works as St. Margaret’s Italian band from New Castle (PA) began marching through town.  For three days, the city enjoyed parades with local high school bands, games, bandstand music, sporting contests, bingo and other jubilee entertainment. Thousands attended.  When the band played the “Garibaldi March” tears came to many who loved the old traditions.

Traditional Italian contests featured morra games and bocce ball competition attracting players from local towns. While the annual three-day celebration was discontinued in 2004, the club continues to be a spark for community activities.

Early Lodge meeting occurred in private homes and later at the Penn Street Hall. The Lodge’s first building was purchased in 1940 at the corner of Main and State streets. In 1955 a new club was constructed at 650 Main Street. The Lodge takes its name from the Italian Revolutionary leader, Giuseppe Garibaldi. In Follansbee, the Garibaldi lodge was incorporated under the State Statutes in 1926. The following individuals were the charter members: Sebastian DeSantis, Pasquale Cipriani, Antonio Cocco,  Liberatore Ciccolella, and Giovanmi Bitonti.

Garibaldi Lodge members. Photo courtesy of the Garibaldi Lodge.

• Mill Towns Review, “Order of Sons of Italy to be Organized,” September 24, 1915, front page.
• Steubenville Herald Star, (Follansbee Section),  “Big Fun Festival,” September 2, 1920, p. 8.
• Steubenville Herald Star, (Follansbee Section), “Sons of Italy Stage Big Jubilee,” September 4, 1920, p. 1
• Mario Cipriani, Oral Interview, July 21, 2011, Follansbee.
• “Story of the S.M.S. Garibaldi Lodge,” (On-Line)    http://garibaldilodge.org/

In 1920, the Sons of Italy was the biggest Italian organization the United States with 1075 Lodges and a national membership of 200,000. In Follansbee, the Sons of Italy was established in 1915. Originally the club was exclusively of Italian membership, but gradually opened its doors to the general public.  Its popularity reached its height during the 1940s and 1950s as a fun place for drinking and dancing on the second floor of its club. The lodge was located in the lower end of town on the 500 block. It was demolished in June 2011.

The Follansbee Sons of Italy Society and the Giuseppe Garibaldi Lodge No. 438 held their second annual fest in the orchard just off Broad Street. Hundreds of Italians and citizens of other nationalities attended, including scores from out of town. The Steubenville Lodge of the Sons of Italy sent a great number of members to take part in the party-making. The Follansbee Sons of Italy band that marched in the 1919 city celebration of homecoming servicemen, provided music and marched through the city to open the festival. The band also played concerts all afternoon and evening.

Reports were received in Wheeling that “Follansbee was becoming a mecca for good beer, wine, and everything.”   A raiding party led by the Deputy State Prohibition Commissioner Philips came into town about 10 p.m. Saturday.   They slipped up to the home of Vess Mihi, a Romanian. Through the screen door they saw Mihi and a boarder lifting a can of mash on the fire. The two men were apprehended while attempting to escape through a rear window.

In the meantime, the streets became filled with foreigners, aroused by the Queen of Follansbee, a female gypsy who made a speech which excited the foreign element.  However, the raid was not delayed.  The next scene was at the residence of Gene Gremenna, 945 Main Street. Alerted by the Queen’s strident voice, Gremenna made his get away while the going was good. The Deputies found 134 bottles of raisin wine. The bottles were all smashed in the yard.

The last raid occurred at No. 10 Mill Alley about midnight on the ground floor in the rooms of a Romanian with an unpronounceable name. About 100 gallons of grape mash was found and destroyed.

• Steubenville Herald Star, (Follansbee Section), July 26, 1920, p. 2.

School children on Christmas vacation benefited from the heavy snow to go sled riding.  One of the popular tracks was the Penn Street route, starting on upper Neville Street and extending to Main by way of Penn Street.  Long time resident Peck Blakely recalled another popular route for kids during the 1930s.  Beginning on top of Parkview, kids sled down the long hill to Mark and Banfield streets and on to Main Street.  There were few cars in those days and always enough kids to sound the alarm if automobiles or street cars approached.

• Steubenville Herald Star, “Follansbee – Kiddies Sled Riding” December 23, 1919, p. 5.
• Gerald “Peck” Blakely, Oral Interview, July 2009, Follansbee.
• Mill Towns Review, “Bobsledding is the Rage,” January 29, 1915, front page.

Organized among the athletic boosters of Follansbee, the Pastime Athletic Club formed for the purpose of creating a baseball team and field facilities on the river bottom behind the present day James Funeral Home and the city firehouse.   The headquarters for the Pastime club were first located on the second floor of the Tony Leon building on upper Main Street. Business Manager, William Lake, had the responsibility for scheduling events and managing the park that reached its greatest popularity in the early 1920s.  (See The Golden Age of Pastime Park -Timeline 1922).

The enormous interest in the Pastime A.C. baseball team was illustrated by the 1920 series with the Weirton Steel team.  In the first game, the Herald Star estimated the attendance to be 5,000 at the Weirton Steelers field. Follansbee sent fully 2,000 rooters.  Four special street cars ran straight through to Weirton and returned immediately after the game.  Other rooters were loaded onto trucks and in automobiles. One group of fans known as “Bope’s Goat Getters” was led by Sam Baker of Follansbee.  They occupied the first base line and were easily identified by their red and white skull caps. The Moose lodge was the largest delegation attending with their ribbons bearing the letters “Moose Boosters.”   Over a hundred Pastime Club busters were also on hand.  The crowd was the biggest recorded in any ballpark in the upper Ohio valley so far that year.   The city of Weirton had 15 policemen on hand to keep the peace.

The first game of the series went poorly for Follansbee. Weirton’s explosive 6th inning with nine runs assured them victory. The Weirton Steel team won handily 13 to 1. The follow-up game was played at the new Pastime Park in Follansbee.   The biggest crowd of the year was registered as the enthusiasm for both teams was high. The city Chief of Police and the County Deputy Sheriff mustered a dozen more deputies to keep order. One fan was put in lock-up as arguments near the Weirton bench developed into fist fights. The game was close throughout with the Pastime Club coming back in the seventh and ninth innings before losing 9 to 7, giving Weirton the series.

The Pastime A. C. lineup included:  W. Ratcliffe (MF), Stockum (RF), Crum (RF & LF)), Hamilton (LF & P), Munn (1B & P),  R. Ratcliffe (SS), Wilcox (C & MF), Bounds (3B), McGannon (MF), Welch (C),  Stoops(RF),  and Grimm (P). As indicated some players were rotated into different positions during the game.

• Steubenville Herald Star, “Pastime Athletic Club Organized,” December 12, p. 3.
• Steubenville Herald Star, “Follansbee Cheer Squads Organize for Weirton Game,” August 14, 1920, p. 11.
• Steubenville Herald Star, “Weirton Steel Club Swamps Pastimes …..,” August 16, 1920, p. 8.

A city volleyball team composed of well known Follansbee men won the 1919 pennant in the Business Men’s League at the Steubenville Y.M.C.A. The Snakes were led through the season by manager Alfred May.  Other team members were E.E. Kessell, W.J. Kirk, Grover Brandon, Ed. Dunlevy, Alex Smith, William Lake, and George Floto.

• Steubenville Herald Star, “Follansbee,” October 30, 1919, p. 4.

The celebration was described as the greatest reception accorded service men by a city its size – one thousands locals attended.  Mayor Charles Berry acted as Grand Marshal.   The parade included three autos carrying 18 Civil War veterans.  Others being celebrated were the Spanish American War veterans, and hundreds of returning troops representing all branches of the armed forces.  The parade included the Sons of Italy band, Patton’s band, and the Follansbee High School band.   Patton’s band of Steubenville was organized by W.B. Patton in 1893.  It was a popular parade band of the day.

Among the activities scheduled was a football game between the Follansbee Tanks and the Toronto Tigers resulting in a 0-0 tie.  The game was played at the Duquesne Street field. Among the many other activities was a huge ox-roast, evening dancing with Caputos band of Pittsburgh, and a spectacular fireworks display.

The Cross Creek District sent 350 servicemen to war. Seventeen sacrificed their lives.  A souvenir program was issued listing the names of all of the District soldiers.  The Follansbee Review noted, “It is hardly probable that an event will occur within our lifetime to compare with the Service Men’s Welcome Celebration …”

  Front cover of 1919 Homecoming Program – Paul Freese

  Excerpt from 1919 memorial service to Follansbee boys killed in WWI

Picture of 1919 Follansbee parade showing Red Cross women. Photo courtesy of W. Va. State Archives.

• Steubenville Herald Star, “Great Home Coming to Service Men,” October 6, 1919, p.8.
• Steubenville Herald Star, “To Give Medals to Cross Creek District Heroes at Home Coming,” October 1, 1919, p. 6.
• Steubenville Herald Star,  “Every Service Man That Ever Lived Here Invited to Big Reception,” October 2, 1919, p. 7.
• Steubenville Herald Star, “Follansbee Tanks and Toronto Tie,” October 6, 1919, p. 4. Follansbee Review, “Welcome Celebration For District Soldiers Enjoyed by Multitude,” October 10. 1919, front page.
• Follansbee Brooke Co. Library

As part of the annual Follansbee Jubilees, the water battle royal was something new in water sports and local fans flocked to Follansbee to watch the results of the new pastime. The young boys event was first.  The battle was between eight contestants.  Wylie McBride won the first fight defeating in order, Harry Sheetz, “Red” Wilson, Tom Virgin, “Midge” Magee and Henry Kerr.   Several contestants failed to show up for the men’s event and McBride was allowed to enter. He was the last man standing when the fight was stopped with his nozzle spraying “Bill” Peach who was splattered on the ground trying to take hold of one of the seven nozzles laying about. The event occurred on Penn Street by the city building.

• Steubenville Herald Star, “Follansbee Boy Won Water Fight,” September 22, 1919, p. 4.