Story from an Old Timer

: Written by: Admin; Published: November 30, 2022; Hits: 959

Wording on the cornerstone reads: Verbena Lodge No 42 IOOF Instituted Feb 25, 1885 Rebuilt Apr 1 1903

Story from an Old Timer We found an interesting article in The Page Courier dated July 9, 1903. It was written by a gentleman from Rileyville Va. about his recent trip to Shenandoah City on July 4, 1903. He stated that an immense crowd had assembled on this day to watch a baseball game and to witness the laying of the corner stone by the Odd Fellows. They go on to say the crowd sized that day was between 3-5 thousand! They heard one bar keeper say that he had served 1,000 glasses of beer by 5Pm. and that Shenandoah had five bars in town and they were evidence everywhere. The corner stone he was referring to can still be seen today on the front left corner of the old Verbena Lodge building that is located on Pennsylvania Avenue in the town of Shenandoah. This cornerstone is pictured attached.

Full text of the article reads: Dear Courier: We spent the Glorious Fourth in Shenandoah City, where an immense crowd had assembled. The chief attraction was the laying of a comer stone by the Odd Fellows and a game of baseball between Shenandoah and Port Republic. The Shenandoah boys were the victors. The crowd was variously estimated from 3,000 to 5000. All the business houses (except the barrooms) were closed. We heard one barkeeper say at 5 o’clock in the evening that he had sold 1,000 glasses of beer. There are five bars in the place, and they were in evidence everywhere. On our return Saturday night in a crowded car a young lady addressed us as Mr. Dovel. We told her she was mistaken, and she remarked that she thought we were Mr David Dovel. We have our gun ready for Davy on first sight. While in Shenandoah we were the guest of Councilman C. B. Wood and family, where we fared sumptuously.