POST SCRIPT: We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention some comments
by Jim Herzog of Smethport when he passed along the family history,
“Smethport Memories,” penned by members of an African-American
family who grew up in Smethport in the early 1900s.

“It is unusual to have a multiple children family with all three
being valedictorian or salutatorian: it makes for interesting
reading. An equally interesting fact is the three children all went
to college during the depression when their father was a
barber.”

The Gaskin family produced three such stellar students — Naomi,
Gladys and Emma.

Jim writes, “Apparently, the school administration didn’t know
how to handle Naomi Gaskin’s record setting grades achieved by both
a girl and being black. They let the senior class vote, selecting
from honor students, who would be valedictorian and salutatorian
per attached story. I’ve never heard of a valedictorian being
selected that way.”

True to his word, Jim attached a new story about the class
vote.

In the Smethport Memories, Gladys Gaskin Reed and Emma Gaskin
Bright had touched on this situation, too. Naomi Gaskin Brooks died
in 1999.

Here’s how the authors wrapped up that discussion:

“We continued our education receiving highest honors in college,
too.

“After college, the three of us became teachers. Naomi retired
as a reading specialist, Emma as an elementary principal, and
Gladys as a department head in the Baltimore city schools. Naomi’s
granddaughter, who is a teacher in Baltimore city, represents the
fourth generation of our family to be a teacher in the Baltimore
schools. All of us married and all of our children have college
degrees and have been successful. Three of Naomi’s five have
doctorate degrees.”

All in all, a pretty astonishing story given the times, not just
in Smethport but in the country as a whole.

Incidentally, Jim believes the Holcomb family also had multiples
children become valedictorians but the Gaskins were first.

SKATING PONDS: Larry Skiver wants to send us on another trail
(rather than swimming holes) — ice skating rinks. “Time for
favorite ice skating ponds. Ours was down behind York Avenue and
East Main Street,” he says.