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Styer’s Garage: Ledger Accounts examined

The ledgers from the Waterford Garage, or Styer’s Garage as it was more commonly called in later years, are useful in many ways. Covering the years from 1928 through 1938, they name the businesses and people who had charge accounts. Careful examination of these records reveals information about the times. For example, only a limited number of women had charge accounts. The businesses and people were nearly all local. Even early school bus drivers are noted.

One repair order in 1935, made out to Guy Hupp of Beverly, listed the parts needed to overhaul an engine which included eight pistons ($10.88), two rods ($2.80), one block and cam ($47.25), sixteen valves ($5.12), spring and keepers ($2.28), four rod bearings ($7.20), motor gaskets ($1.28), set of rings ($4.50), oil ($1.25), labor ($12), other charges ($3.75), and tax ($2.48). The total – one of the highest – was $100.79. Danny Drayer, owner of Performance Auto Repair in Waterford, said a repair was probably made on a V-8 flat head. Work similar to this would cost over $1,500 today. Danny’s father, Kenny Drayer, and uncle, Jim Drayer, both excellent mechanics, operated the repair garage and filling station at Waterford Garage for a year starting in June 1963, working under an agreement with the Styer family. Charging gasoline was still common, but times had changed and some people would patronize other stations so they would not be reminded of their bills. The Drayers were probably the last to operate Waterford Garage.

The business’s letterhead during 1928-29 and the early 1930s says “Durant Sales and Service.” Later it was a Plymouth and Dodge dealership. Several businesses were listed in the ledgers. Other businesses with accounts in 1928 were the Cash Feed Store, a Waterford lumber company, Beverly Garage and Beverly Auto Sales. By 1930 the Muskingum Valley Hardware (of Waterford), Waterford Mill and Supply, Constitution Stone Company and Beverly Ice Company were added. Marietta Truck and Equipment was charged $3 for “labor on Story tractor” and $2.50 for “labor on Morey School Bus” in 1935. The same year the Keever Estate paid $1 for “trip to farm,” 50 cents each for “labor on potato planter” and “welding cultivator points.” Wheeler S. Keever had been killed in an automobile accident near his farm (now Lakeside Golf Course) in 1929.

Styer’s Garage also distributed coal. In 1934 they ordered several tons of “Famous Blue Rock Coal” from the Irish Rock Coal Company. On rare occasions a customer paid their bill in coal. E. A. Mathews did this in 1929. This may have been Ermine Arthur Mathews of Center Township, Morgan County, Ohio.

In 1928 Mrs. Wible was one of only two female account holders. This was certainly Mrs. Hattie Wible, a widow about age 54 years, whose occupation in the 1930 census is listed as a music teacher. Women drivers increased steadily through the 1930s. By 1930 Mrs. White, Alberta Freshwater, Mary Simpson and Rosa Strahler had accounts. In 1932, added to the last three, were Maria Leeper, Florence Arnold, Mildred Pickens, Sara Leake and Mary Cisler. Hattie Morrison was added in 1933 and Sara Bell in 1934.

In 1932 the account of Joe Keith, who drove the Big White Bus to transport Watertown students when their high school combined with Waterford High School, lists numerous entries, some with “C” and others with “B.” This was Styer’s way of showing charges for Keith’s car and bus. He averaged about five gallons of gasoline per week day. In 1933 he had the usual charges during the school year, but none in the summer months. The accounts also show George Drake drove a bus starting in 1933.

One account was labeled “Washington County Truck” in 1931. During this time the county’s trucks were busy with road improvement projects. The drivers were: truck 20, Clyde Spung; truck 21, J. Bishop; truck 22, Mr. Walker; and truck 23, Charles Spung.

The largest account holders – often with six or more pages – through most of the ten year period were L. Leroy Johnson, Seth Fisher, Walter E. Bingham, Ray Angle, John W. Dunbar, W. Riley Skinner, C. C. McNeal, Ivan E. Sampson, Wilbur Stevens, Lawrence Budd, and Sam Paxton. Some of these men were truck farmers.

The picture shows the block garage (left) owned by Vernon Skinner and two-story frame building owned by Joseph L. Huck by the early 1980s. The block building was the original Waterford Garage until 1930, when the other building was added.

Phillip L. Crane, a Waterford resident and Marietta history teacher for 32 years, will share historical events in the Lower Muskingum Valley.

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