Bluefield in the 1940s

Almost every American city enjoys a magical time in history when all the tumblers of fate, luck, hard work, and good fortune seem to fall into place, and the city enjoys a golden era. The 1940s were just such a time in the city of Bluefield. At the dawn of the decade, the United States was on the verge of entering the greatest war the world has ever known, and the coal that flowed through Norfolk and Western Railway's Bluefield yard was destined to fuel an Allied victory. But there is so much more than war and coal at the heart of Bluefield's story. The 1940s were a time of inspiration for men like Nobel laureate John F. Nash Jr., a time of artistic discovery for men like Joseph Dodd of Bluefield State College, a time of valor and heroism for Congressional Medal of Honor recipient S.Sgt. Junior Spurrier, and a period of success in business, arts, and professional fields for hundreds of Bluefield's sons and daughters.

Title: Archeras new book takes readers back to Bluefield in the 1940s
Author: Charles Ownes
Publisher: Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Date: 2/8/2009

A new publication by the Daily Telegraphas Bill Archer revisits a magical time in the history of Bluefield.

aBluefield in the 1940s, a which is being released Monday by Arcadia Publishing, remembers a golden era for Bluefield. From a time of war and coal, the new book features more than 200 vintage photographs, including a rare collection of photographs taken by Ellis Leon Martin during the Heroes Day Parade on July 4, 1945. The parade honored the late Staff Sgt. Junior Spurrier, who received the Congressional Medal of Honor during World War II.

aEverybody had made a contribution to the war effort at the time, a Archer, the Daily Telegraphas Senior Editor, said. aAnd many families had sacrificed their sons to the success of the war. I think the people at the time a after three years of total war a really wanted something to celebrate. Of course the War in Europe was over by July 4, 1945. Junior Spurrier had received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his valor earlier that year in France. It was a relief to a lot of people. It was just a really special parade. The crowd was estimated at 30,000 people.a

Archer said he came up with the idea of aBluefield in the 1940sa when working on his last book, aThe Virginian Railroad.a At the time, Vera Hambrick handed Archer an envelope filled with negatives that she thought her father, Ellis Leon Martin, had taken at a political event in Bluefield. When he examined the negatives, Archer quickly realized they were long-lost photographs of the Heroes Day Parade. Itwas the first time the veteran newspaperman had seen so many photographs of the special event.

aIn an instance, I knew what the photographs were, a Archer said. aSo I started at that point trying to work out some kind of vehicle that could carry all of this. I think more than just the war years, it was the combination of the photographs of different people here at work that Mel Grubb took that really talks a lot about where we were in that critical time in history. To put the two collections together, Mel Grubbas 1947 series that was for the Sunset News Observer, and the Ellis Leon Martin photographs, was incredible. Many of these have never been seen. A lot of them really havenat been seen since 1947. Those two collections formed the basis for the book, but the (Eastern Regional Coal Archives of Bluefieldas Craft Memorial Library and Dr. Stuart McGehee) came through with some beautiful pictures of Greer Garson here in 1942.a

Archer said the combination of photographs, including the set David McNeil came across that Grubb had taken in the 1940s, serve as the backbone of the new book. Many of the photographs have never been published before, and some of the photographs from the Meld Grubb collection show features of life in the 1940s that arenat a part of modern life.

A few examples of the many unique and rare photographs found in the new book include a picture of Frank Sinatra in Bluefield prior to a concert by the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra on May 8, 1941; a photograph of Charles B. aDutcha Cromer inspecting bottles at the old Coca-Cola bottling plant on Bluefield Avenue; and a photograph of Garnett S. aDoca Helton, a serviceman for Appalachian Power Company, who hadthe unique occupation of going from store to store throughout the downtown business district turning the outdoor lighting on each morning.

The new book is Archeras seventh aImages of Americaa publication. It can be purchased at select locations, including the Bluefield Daily Telegraph and Hearthside Books in Bluefield. To reserve a signed copy of Bill Archeras aBluefield in the 1940s, a please contact the Daily Telegraph at 327-2800.

Archer will hold a book signing for aBluefield in the 1940sa on Thursday, Feb. 12, from 3 to 6 p.m. at Hearthside Books on Bland Street in Bluefield. He will hold a second book signing on Saturday, Mach 7, from 10: a .m. to 12: 30 p.m. at Barnes & Noble in Christiansburg, Va.

Archer said a number of people are to be thanked for helping with the new publication, including the late Daily Telegraph Executive Editor Tom Colley.

aTom is the one who got me initially involved in this, so as far as Iam concerned he has really had a hand in all of the projects I did, a Archer said.