Larry Curfman Takes Us Through Mid-20th Century Roaring Spring

If you ever want to know anything about the history of Roaring Spring and its environs, it might be worthwhile to head over to Robinson Avenue and spend a little time with Larry Curfman.

Curfman was born in Roaring Spring, at the original Nason Hospital in July 1938. Today at the age of 84, Curfman’s sharp mind recalls detail and emotion so quickly, it’s difficult for a scribe to keep pace.

He recently put some of his thoughts to paper and we’re going to pass along what he had to say.

Curfman’s story will continue in the Herald in coming weeks.

Meanwhile, sit back and read in Curfman’s own words what his life was like. Many readers will recall names and places in Roaring Spring over the past near century.

It’s clear family and the neighborhood were huge in his life as a young man and beyond.

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My family lived on the corner of S. Spang and Cherry streets in a double house with no indoor plumbing, only with cold water, and a big outhouse, no less a four seater.

I lived there with my parents John and Martha Curfman, two brothers, Jack and Bud, and my grandmother Ida Roush. Across the street was the Oldham family, Tom, Helen, John and Margi Ruth.

On the other corner was the Shambaughs: father Alfred, mother Ruth and children Bill, Boyse and sister Arlene, and on the other corner was the Hall family: father Peanuts, mother Clova, children, Margi, Donny, Linda, and Cheryl.

Margi later became my sister-in-law.

Back then everybody helped each other. Everybody had a garden, not a yard. You grew what you could and canned for the winter.

The Oldhams had the biggest garden, a full lot, it’s now a duplex. It was from the sidewalk to the alley, they grew and canned everything and they also had the only car of the four families.

Tom worked at the paper mill and was killed when it blew up in 1951.

In our part of town we had two mom-and-pop stores. At the end of Cherry Street near P.S. McGee Dairy was Boyer’s Store. The space is now apartments.

Down the hill at the corner of Poplar and Spang streets was Francis Longenecker’s, then Stump’s Store. That was where we bought and charged (yes, charged) our groceries.

My brother Bud and I talked about growing up on Cherry Street just a couple of months ago, before he passed away. I miss that now.

We seldom got off Cherry Street much, only to go to school on Poplar Street (building now town down) and to go to church at the Lutheran on East Main Street.

A friend of the family, Paul Clapper, who had a car, would often take our family to Lakemont Park. Those were a few times we got off Cherry Street.

Around 1949, we moved uptown to a house next to where my dad worked at Mauk’s Dry Cleaners. When I said it was uptown, that’s exactly what it was because that’s where all the businesses were.

Now we had indoor plumbing with hot water and an inside toilet.

Starting at routes 36 and 164 at the end of East Main Street the businesses were: Penelec office, the Blair Press newspaper, Show’s Builders, now Wertz Towing.

Next was P.S. McGee Dairy, the Johnson Brothers Hardware Store, now OIP pizza shop. When we went there to buy something, no matter what, they would read Bible passages. It always took longer to leave.

At the Five Points was Faye Bowser’s Swap and Antique Shop, later Cove Auto Parts, which is now the borough offices.

On the other side of Spang Street was Galen Snyder’s Mobile gas station and on the side and in back was Ira Helsel’s barber shop.

Down toward the paper mill was the post office and on the left side of the street was Ed Skillmen’s Confectionery Store. During World War II, the FBI watched him for being a suspected spy.

Next was Mark’s Cleaners, where my Dad worked. The next building was Orie Dick’s Funeral Home and Shaffer’s food store.

On the corner was the hotel, Eldon Inn and a high-class place to eat. In the basement was the Red Rooster. My mother ran that for Lester Williams, the manager of the hotel.

The next building was Doctor Steward’s office and apartments. Next was Dave Long’s second furniture store; his first was in Woodbury.

Beside it was one of the town’s pharmacies, owned by Dr. Lambert. Next was the A&P grocery store, now Elliott’s Furniture, and across the street on the corner was Paul Butler’s G.E. Appliance Store.

The big building next to Elliott’s was Dr. Lambert’s apartments also known as Eldons Point.

On the other side of the street was the Odd Fellows Hall, where my family was burned out in 1938. There was a restaurant on the first floor, that is where the fire started.

We lived on the second floor and were trapped. We had to go out the window in front and stand on the roof over the front of the restaurant till firemen came in five inches of snow.

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We’ll take a pause in Curfman’s narrative at this point and resume in a couple of weeks as he continues his tour of this hometown he still loves dearly.