KAY WILLIAMS: Wow! One of Clark Gable’s wives was from
Johnsonburg!
That’s the word from L.J. Gorske of Johnsonburg: “Some years
ago, Johnsonburg was the birthplace of Kay Williams. However, she
would always give her birthplace as Erie.”
“She went on to become a model and at one time was called the
‘Chesterfield Girl’ to advertise Chesterfield cigarettes.
“I was married to Lucille Williams, who was a distant cousin to
Kay, and her sister Alfrieda Williams used to babysit when Kay was
a baby before her family moved to Erie.
“She married one of the top male movie stars, Clark Gable, of
Hollywood fame back when.
“I always wondered why she didn’t come back to Johnsonburg to
visit.
“I wonder if any of the old timers, of which there are few left,
remember her.”
LEEK NOTE: Anticipating a spring-time ritual, we had this plea
from a former resident. Joan Kan Schmidt: “I would be more than
grateful for any donations of leeks. A couple of years ago my great
nephew picked them for me. I sure do miss having them.” Her address
is: 716 Route 537; Cream Ridge, N.J., 08514.
’42 FLOOD: Jeanne Sheffer of Bradford tells us more about that
historic flood of 1942:
“… At the age of 13, my uncle and I went to pick up my friend
Pat Henry who lived on the corner of 17th and State Street, Olean,
to take her to my house in Allegany. We stood on that corner and
watched an ever-widening stream coming down the street. It was a
very strange feeling to be fleeing in the wake of the flood.
“The next day, the road between Allegany and Olean was flooded.
It was too deep for a car to go through. This was located by where
the Wal-mart Plaza is today. At that time, it was a junkyard. My
friend and I went wading, and, as a result, had to have scarlet
fever shots.”
SLED PLANT: Lorine Rounsville of Smethport passes along a
question: “I was recently contacted by a woman in Ohio who is
seeking information on the Safety Sled Co. She knows that it was
originally in Mount Jewett around 1915, and the president of the
company was F. Hornquist, but that’s about the extent of her
knowledge.” If you know anything about it, please drop us a
line.
