| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| gridironmike |
Posted - 02/01/2007 : 10:46:37
I stumbled across this wonderful website yesterday while searching for information about a trophy I found in the gym at Rainelle. Before I go any further, let me say that you have done a FANTASTIC job with this website. Now, about the trophy. My son plays youth basketball for the Rainelle Rangers 5th and 6th grade team in the Western Greenbrier Elementary League at Greenbrier West. His team practices at Rainelle. About three weeks ago, I was admiring the trophies at the entrance (I am a big sports history buff) when I noticed three or four trophies on top of the case that were filthy with dust. I climbed up to look at them and one was in shambles. I brought it to work with me to clean it and repair it. I returned it to the top of the case last night in much better shape than it left in. I have a question about it. Overall, it was about 26 inches tall. The base was made of yellowish-orange plastic that had a marble pattern. The base was approximately 10 inches wide, four inches high, and four inches deep. Extending vertically (approx. 10-12 inches) from the center of the base was a rectangular column made of the same yellowish plastic. It had a gold nameplate on it with the names of about 26 players, three managers, and two coaches. On each side of the column was a gold figurine of a winged female holding a torch over her head (approx. 6 inches tall). On top of the center column, there is a gold lamp (like Aladdin's lamp) and on top of the lamp is a figurine of a punter (approx. 6 inches tall) with his right leg fully extended and both arms raised over his head. It is a beautiful trophy. Some of the names on the trophy are M Vaughan, M McQuain, C Rogers, K Forren, and T Bobbit (my third cousin). Coaches are J Hamrick and D Goddard (my great uncle). I could see where someone had attempted repair on the trophy once before. The base is hollow but someone had custom fit a piece of plywood in the bottom and attached it to the base with finishing nails. In doing so, they put a vertical crack from the nail hole up on the left front and had cracked the left rear corner off completely, although the nail holds it on and it may even be glued. My question is this. You can see where there was another nameplate on the base at one time that I'm sure identified the accomplishment. It is gone. It wasn't on top of the trophy case either. What was this trophy for? Lacy Smith told me that he thought Rainelle had an undefeated season one or two years before winning the state championship but didn't have enough points to qualify for the playoffs because the WVSSAC only had a four team playoff. Does anyone recall this trophy?
My next question has to do with Memorial Recreational Field. I never knew the field had a name until I read the article on this website http://www.rainellereunion.com/images/history/RAINELLE%20HIGH%20SCHOOL%20FOOTBALL%20FIELD%20COMPLETED-OCT%2010,1947.jpg. The article makes mention of the room for a baseball diamond and playground. I attended Rainelle Junior High from fall of 1981 until spring of 1984. I also played Little League baseball at that time. In 1984, if you were sitting on the pressbox side of the football field facing the school, the baseball backstop was directly to the right (3 o'clock). Was the baseball field always in that location? I looked at an aerial picture of the lumber company and if you look closely, it looks like the infield dirt for the baseball field is in the same place http://www.rainellereunion.com/images/history/meadow_river_aerial.jpg that I described. Two years ago, we (Western Greenbrier Little League..but mainly Jerry Lively) built a new field on the same location, but we flipped the field over. A new backstop was built on the playground side and the old infield is now the new outfield! Dugouts have been added, one of which has a press box over it. There is a little work left to be completed, and hopefully we'll complete it this season. After reading the article, I'd like to know what the alumni thinks about rededicating the field as Memorial Field. If the alumni is pleased with this idea, I'd like to get a plaque that details the information in that article and the history of the field up through the rededication. Do you have any thoughts or suggestions?
Mike Goddard
Western Greenbrier Football League
Western Greenbrier Little League
Western Greenbrier Youth Wrestling
RJHS '84 |
| 5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| gridironmike |
Posted - 02/05/2007 : 14:07:40
Thanks Janet. In my spare time (wishful thinking), I'll try to research it more. Question (this is probably painfully obvious): Were the floors in the old gym and new gym at RHS made by Meadow River Lumber Co.? What about Greenbrier West's floor?
RJHS '84 |
| Dale Tincher 64 |
Posted - 02/03/2007 : 09:04:34
quote:
Originally posted by gridironmike
Thanks for the reply Andy...
I have one other question that is not as directly related to RHS as my first. Arnold ("Lefty" or "Hook") Carter is the only Major League Baseball player to ever come out of Rainelle. He was born on March 14, 1918 in Rainelle and died on April 12, 1989 in Louisville, KY. He played for the Cincinnati Reds in 1944 and '45. You can view his statistics here http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=cartear01 . Did Mr. Carter attend school at Rainelle or was he born here only to move on? If he has any ties to Rainelle other than just his birth, I might see if we can honor him somehow at one of our ballparks.
RJHS '84
Mike, I also found a brief write-up on Arnold Carter in Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Carter. Since he played in 1944, some of our group must have known about him. I look forward to learning more about him. Dale
Dale Tincher - Class of 64
919-272-8052
dale.tincher@rainellereunion.com |
| Janet Ballengee Estep 68 |
Posted - 02/02/2007 : 13:54:51
Mike, do you know Arnold Carter's parents' names? I looked in the 1920 census for Greenbrier County and found only one Carter family in Rainelle at that time: John Carter, age 27 and his wife Goldie Carter, age 27. John's brother-in-law Emmett Martin, age 22 lived with them. John was a setter in the lumber mill.
In the Blue Sulphur District (North Alderson) there was a Daysie Carter, widowed, age 35 and one of her children was Arnold Carter, Jr. age 3 months. Now the handwriting on this particular page was not good, I'm using the spelling of "Daysie" because that's the way it was transcribed and typed. I couldn't make it out in the written page. And. . .Arnold Jr is MY interpretation of the scribbling on the census page. Didn't see any Arnold Carters in the 1930 Greenbrier Census. Janet. |
| gridironmike |
Posted - 02/02/2007 : 09:25:30
Thanks for the reply Andy...
I have one other question that is not as directly related to RHS as my first. Arnold ("Lefty" or "Hook") Carter is the only Major League Baseball player to ever come out of Rainelle. He was born on March 14, 1918 in Rainelle and died on April 12, 1989 in Louisville, KY. He played for the Cincinnati Reds in 1944 and '45. You can view his statistics here http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=cartear01 . Did Mr. Carter attend school at Rainelle or was he born here only to move on? If he has any ties to Rainelle other than just his birth, I might see if we can honor him somehow at one of our ballparks.
RJHS '84 |
| Andy Aide Pendleton 64 |
Posted - 02/01/2007 : 20:51:53
Mike,
I graduated in 1964 and the baseball field is very clear in your picture.. I attended Rainelle school for 12 years, the baseball field was where it is now ...the homeplate was located toward the woods. I too enjoyed my time on that field !!!! Yeah Mrs. West.
I never knew the field was named memorial field.
I also would like to say the Western Gbr. Little league and Jerry Lively did a fantastic job with the field...Gerry did a great job with the drainage. On my walks I would go by the school and watch the progress of the field....GREAT WORK...
Thank you Mike for all the information describing the trophies. I am hoping the young men of yesteryears will be able to fill you in on the knowledge of the trophies.
Mike, Jim Hamerick former coach for many years at Rainelle High school may be able to help you. Coach Hamerick now lives in Meadow Bridge.
I personally think rededicating the field would be a great idea..
Thank you for dusting the trophy.... It would be nice to have them looking nice for our reunion. SHINEY AND BRIGHT
Oh! I knew your great uncle Coach Goddard. A very nice person that everyone liked.....
Andy |
|
|
