Editor’s note: This is another column in Bill Boyd’s new series, “The Way It Was,” about growing up in Marysville. Bill continues to work with the Union County Historical Society to obtain information for his stories.
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Both of my parents came from small families. My dad was an only child, and my mother had only one sister. That sister and her family lived in Columbus, and they came to Marysville frequently for family get-togethers. Those were the only relatives I knew about.
Then one day, some old guy showed up at our house, and everyone called him “Uncle Jake.” I really liked him for a couple reasons. First of all, when he and my grandmother got together there was a lot of laughing and joking. I could tell they really liked each other. And secondly, he brought me a bag of some kind of candy made of caramel and pecans. It was really good.
I eventually learned that Jake was my great uncle. That is, he was my grandmother Tracy’s brother. His name was Jacob Hudson, and he lived in Bradford, Ohio. He owned a bar and poolroom there, and all that candy came from his business.
In 1937, we decided to visit Uncle Jake on the Fourth of July. In fact, we were going to spend the whole day there, because his little town of Bradford was planning a big holiday celebration. My grandmother and mother were going to make some fried chicken, potato salad, baked beans and a bunch of other stuff for a picnic.
On the morning of the Fourth, we loaded the car and took off for Bradford. It didn’t take long to get there, maybe an hour or so. We went right to Uncle Jake’s house for a short visit before going to the area where the celebration would take place. Before leaving there, I asked him if I could see his bar and poolroom. My grandmother was not keen about me going into the bar, but it was Sunday so the bar was closed. As a result, she dropped her objection. I not only got to see the bar and poolroom, I also got a small brown bag full of that wonderful candy. What a great way to start the holiday.
We then went to the park where the celebration was going to take place. There was already a crowd there, and a softball game was going on. We watched the game, and a lot of those local people asked Uncle Jake if he was going to pitch today. They told me he had been a really good softball pitcher when he was young.
Around noon we spread out all the food on a table, filled our plates, and ate on blankets that were spread on the grass. In the afternoon, there was a big event planned in the park. It was an auto race they called a “Junk Yard Derby.” All of the cars in the race were old clunkers, Model T Fords and the like. The track had been flooded with fire hoses, so it was a muddy mess.
When the race started, the car wheels couldn’t get traction, and they threw mud all over the cars behind them. The drivers couldn’t see through their muddy windshields, so they stuck their head out the side, only to get hit in the face with a chunk of mud. I mean, this was my kind of entertainment.
One by one cars dropped out of the race. Maybe the radiator boiled over and the engine froze. As I look back, I’m not sure how a winner was picked. It may have been just a survival contest, and the last car running was the winner.
After the race, we sat around and talked and ate leftovers for our dinner. Then we waited until it got dark and the fireworks show started. I had never before seen a night fireworks show. It was beautiful, and the perfect way to end the day.
When it was over, we said goodbye to Uncle Jake, and headed back to Marysville. I don’t think we had gone more than five miles or so until I was sound asleep in the back seat. It was July 4, 1937 … a great time to be a kid.
Those wishing to contact Bill Boyd can e-mail him at williamboyd514@gmail.com