Jump to content
GoDuBois.com

Shaffer Road/Shaffer Side


mobiethian

Recommended Posts

Hey everyone,

 

I have something quick to ask and didn't know where else to turn. I've been looking everywhere, and I mean everywhere. We have a family home on Shaffer Road (Of what houses are actually left anyway but up for Commercial Sale) and I know the house has been here for quite some time. I found a picture of my Great-Great Grandmother when she was just a little girl, probably about 9 or 10 years old (So the photo would have been taken around 1906-1907; she is the taller one) She lived in the house her entire life.  Well she's standing right in front of it but you can't see much of anything except the corner of the house. It looks much different today, unfortunately.

 

My question is: Does anyone have any pictures of this area before 1970? I know it might be a hard thing to ask but finding things about about this area in particular is pretty tricky. We have looked through an old suitcase full of old photo's and postcards...most of them were marked "Shafferside" Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again.  :)

scan0001_4701.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes we've looked, haven't found much unfortunately. First we were told the house was built in the 30's, but when we found the old photo's, we knew it was much older...and as a matter of fact, the house next door was the one built in the 30's...it's all Family Land that belongs to the Marley Family. Mary and Robert Marley are the ones who resided in this house.

 

Really, these places could sell at any time, and I was just curious as to if someone may have had some old photo's of the area...because once it's bought they'll be gone. It's sad to see such old homes that have lasted this long be torn down. Now from my understanding, my Great Great Grandma had lived here her entire life and she was born in 1896...so I think between 1890 - 1896 perhaps the house was built, but I'm not even sure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love looking at those old time photos.

 

Have you tried looking at the Dubois Historical Society, uptown?

 

They might be able to help you but I think they are closed until April.

 

I may need to go back once they open up and do some more research. I do believe, also, that this area was part of the Shaffer Farm? Not 100% on that though.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got two books written by Janice Nichols, (published by the DuBois Historical Society), that I'll have to dust off and look into for you. I believe the DuBois Library has a copy of these.

 

DuBois Where and When Vol 1 and Vol 2.

 

Chapter 5 of Vol. 1 is called: DuBois, Here we come - The Early Years - The Shaffer Story.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got two books written by Janice Nichols, (published by the DuBois Historical Society), that I'll have to dust off and look into for you. I believe the DuBois Library has a copy of these.

 

DuBois Where and When Vol 1 and Vol 2.

 

Chapter 5 of Vol. 1 is called: DuBois, Here we come - The Early Years - The Shaffer Story.

I'd appreciate that very much! If I get a chance to get over to the Library I'll have to look into it myself. I was always told all of this was part of the Shaffer Farm, including the big cemetery up on the hill by the mall. I know a lot of the area was all woods before the mall was put in.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I knew Bob & Mary very well, also being from Oklahoma. They were

both the nicest people that you would ever want to know. I was in there

home a good many times.  Sorry that I don't have any pictures to help

you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I knew Bob & Mary very well, also being from Oklahoma. They were

both the nicest people that you would ever want to know. I was in there

home a good many times.  Sorry that I don't have any pictures to help

you.

Oh really? That's wonderful to hear that you knew them. I don't remember my Great Great Grandpa Marley but I do remember My Great Great Grandma since I knew her for a few years before she passed.

 

Yes, I was always told they were very friendly and wonderful people. My aunt owns all of this property now and I've actually been restoring the inside. It got bad for a few years after different people live here but since we're the last ones, I figured it would be a neat thing to restore some of the house and maybe find some history on in, because after it sells it will more than likely be torn down.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I should have mentioned that the other little girl in the picture is Lillian Fair. I'm posting another picture of my Great Great Grandma Mary (About 17 years old I do believe)

 

The back is marked "Mary E. Parson Myers...though in many other pictures and post cards, they were just marked Mary Myers, Parson only comes up on photos very few times. I'm not sure, but I think someone may have said the Fairs are the ones who took Mary in when she was a little girl, so this might have been their house. I'm guessing she inherited the house when she was old? Really, I don't know. I'm going to continue to do research.

scan0002_357.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi everyone,

 

Well my aunt told me some pretty neat things about the house. I'll just post what I can just in case anyone is interested. thanks to all that have replied or helped out!

 

 

 

My Great-Great Grandma Mary was born in 1898, she came to live with the Myers when she was about 3-5 years old (Must have been the ones who built the house)  The house was built in the late 1800's.  Don't think there is an actual date, probably around 1890-1893

 

The Myer's Family had boarders, I think 6, they worked in the mine Shaft 1, which was located about where K-Mart now stands.

 

That road out front wasn't there (Shaffer Road) it was a path for the guys to walk to work at the mine.  The road was where Oklahoma Cemetery road is now.

 

The house for sure has gone through lots of changes over the past 120 years or so (Kind of strange thinking it's that old)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Once again, some more information. William M Myers and Selina Ferrier Myers (as mentioned before) were the ones to build the house. William was a Lumberman from what a census record showed and Selina was a housewife. They had one daughter, Clara Lillian Myers. They lived in Indiana County before moving here to Oklahoma, PA.

 

Clara married Oliver Addison Fair and had 3 children, Gertrude Margaret, Lillian Selina, and Paul Clyde. (Lillian Fair is in the very first picture I had posted on this topic; William and Selina's grand daughter)

 

It's still unknown what relation my Great Great Grandmother Mary Elder Parsons Myer Marley had with the Myers Family. But I think much of the information fit together well and solved some mysteries, such as who Lillian Fair is and such. As usual, if I continue to find more information, I'll surely post it to share with everyone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...