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. With Marysville and Union County celebrating Bicentennial anniversaries in 2019 and 2020, respectively, these articles help depict what life was like in those early years.
–––
When I was growing up in Marysville during the 1940s, there were three barbershops in town – Max Miller’s shop on North Main Street, plus the DeGood and Davis shops on West Fifth.
Over the years, I got my hair cut in all those places, but I usually went to Max Miller. He gave me my very first barbershop haircut when I was about four years old. Before that, my dad cut my hair at home.
I really liked Max, as well as his haircuts. When he finished with my haircut, he usually asked, “Do you want a little ‘girl catchem’ on that, Bill?” He was talking about some sort of tonic water he used. I always had him put some on because I liked the smell of it. Besides, maybe Max was right and the girls really did like it.
There was usually quite a bit of talking going on in those three shops, between the barbers and their customers. One of the main differences among the three was the things they talked about. For example, in Max’s shop, there was a lot of talk about sports – football, basketball and baseball. Sometimes it zeroed in on professional or college teams. Or they might talk about the Marysville Monarchs.
The conversations in DeGood’s barbershop were different. A lot of the time, they talked about fishing. Max DeGood was an avid fisherman, and no matter who sat in his chair, the conversation almost always touched on fishing, in one way or another.
I think that’s why my dad almost always got his haircuts at DeGood’s. He also loved fishing, and I think he went there to talk about it as much as to get his hair cut.
The conversations in the Davis barbershop are harder to pinpoint. They wandered all over the place, but they often seemed to revolve around funny things. Many times that was because of a man named Frank Galloway.
Frank operated a shoe store on Main Street for 56 years. He usually parked his car behind the Presbyterian Church, and then walked past the barbershop on the way to his store. As he passed the Davis shop, at the corner of Fifth and Court Streets, he sometimes opened the door, stepped inside, and said something funny.
My favorite was the day he walked by when the shop was full of customers. He opened the door and stepped inside. Then he looked around with a surprised look on his face and said, “Oh, excuse me. I thought this was the men’s room.” Then he left the shop and walked to his shoe store. He was really a funny guy.
Today, I miss all three of those barbershops. The place where I go to get my hair cut now is quite different. It’s on East Main Street, in Columbus. All of the barbers are ladies, and I think they prefer to be called “hair cutters.” I don’t think Max Miller would want to be called a hair cutter. He was just my barber.
Actually, all of those ladies are good at cutting hair, especially the one I ask for. Her name is Tanya, and my wife tells me that she gives me a good haircut. But it’s not easy to make conversation with Tanya, the way I could in all those old Marysville shops. She doesn’t know beans about football or basketball. Plus she has no interest whatsoever in fishing. And no one ever walks into her shop and says something funny.
So Tonya and I don’t talk much. Oh, we talk about the weather, and things like that, but those kinds of exchanges are fleeting. Boy, I really miss those three old Marysville barbershops.
Those wishing to contact Bill Boyd can e-mail him at bill@davidwboyd.com