Cumberland Filled the Gap

What’s the first thing I think of when I hear the word “Cumberland”? It’s that beautiful stretch of US Route 25E where Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee all come together and the Appalachian Mountains spread apart to let you pass through on the old Wilderness Road of Daniel Boone: The Gateway to the West, Cumberland Gap.

The next thing I think of is the old frame St. John’s Church (c. 1895), built by German Lutherans to replace a log church of 100 years earlier. It served as the Cumberland Community Center (CCC) for over 20 years (1954-1977). Located on Cumberland Road, which connects Perry Highway and McKnight Road, it was just up the hill from what became North Allegheny Junior-Senior High School in 1954. In the graveyard surrounding the church are familiar ancestral names: Brandt, Espe, Grubb, Hartman, Sarver. When the Lutherans dedicated their new church building nearby in November 1952, the old one was renovated to become a social activities center for us kids—filling a gap in two ways: a) providing a place for recreation when nothing like it existed out here in the northern sticks and b) giving us some social skills during that awkward gap between childhood and adulthood.

Tom and Ruth Wiegman, who were also members of St. John’s, served as directors and organizers of CCC activities during our tenure. Their daughter, Lorraine, was a member of NAHS Class of 1956, the first to graduate from the new high school down the hill. She was quite a girl—an artist, a majorette, and probably the best dancer to grace CCC’s floorboards (although I believe Tom Regan rather than Mr. Wall was more frequently her jitterbug partner).

Pick Up Basketball

Although most of us remember the CCC dances, Pete Brandt reminded me that it was available to students for other activities as well. He writes: “We students could use it anytime we wanted as long as we were responsible, turned the lights off and the heat down, and returned the key by 10 p.m. to Mrs. Wiegman. I started an independent basketball team that played at CCC. Some team members were John Allardice, John Douglas, Jack Miller, and Mike and Pete Thurston for our class; Bob Goode, Bernie Kwalik, Bill Mulligan, Ken Altfather, and Wally Baker as well. I remember “The Boys” (Andy Sohngen, Paul Mahoney, Ed Florak, Mike McKay, Chuck Hannan, Arnie Huwar, among others) also had a team, and we played them once or twice. Someone told The North Star sports reporter our team was called “The Brandt All-Stars.” The truth is we never had a name; we only wanted to have fun.”

Saturday Night Dances

An early souvenir is this 2¢ postal card headed “CCC Canteen Schedule—Remember the dates!” Dances were alternate Saturday nights during the school year from 8 to 11 pm. We paid Mr. or Mrs. Wiegman 50¢ at the door and got the back of our right hand stamped. At the first dance on November 13, 1954, Mr. Koosz offered free jitterbug lessons at 7:30 before the regular dance began.

Other than the kids from Ingomar, who had been taking ballroom dancing lessons from Karl Heinrich for three years (learning waltz, fox trot, rumba, and swing), most of the NAHS males weren’t especially adventurous on their feet; a slow shuffle sufficed. One unnamed source has remarked, “…as I recall, the guys and therefore the girls would not attempt what was simply referred to as fast dancing, and there would be a mass exodus from the dance floor.” A ping-pong table in the next room preoccupied some of the shyest ones, who rarely ventured out on the dance floor at all unless it was the occasional “girls-ask-the-boys dance” or Sadie Hawkins Day (Feb. 29), when some brazen hussy might go in and drag one of them away from his paddle!

A particularly memorable evening called “Winter Wonderland” (Jan 1, 1955) was “a gala New Years dress-up dance with a surprise in store.” The surprise was a hypnotist. Folding chairs were arranged across the dance floor forming an auditorium set-up. After we all sat down, the hypnotist had us concentrate on pressing our hands together while he talked to us in soft persuasive tones, trying to convince us that our hands were firmly stuck together. This was his way of determining who among us were the most suggestible and likeliest subjects. He brought them up front and engaged them in a series of hilarious routines while they were still under his spell. It completely blew us away. It was a great hit.

Later on in 1955, I got to be chair for a Sock Hop. I remember my committee making big posters of stockings on old window blinds and hanging them around the room for decorations. That evening we all danced in our bobby socks, of course. (Sorry I don’t have a photo of that occasion, but it would have looked something like this one from a Midwestern school.)

Also in 1955, I recall getting in some trouble. I was lured away from the dance by some persuasive friends (Janet Gilleland, Bill Bauer, and Emil Schultz to be exact) to go out for a spin in Emil's brother's car and stop for a milkshake before returning me to the CCC. The Wiegmans had a rule that once you left the dance, you couldn’t get back in. Mr. Wiegman did allow me to call my parents and wait in the vestibule until they came to collect me. I was quite miffed at the time (since my mother asked too many questions), but I have real admiration and affection now for the Wiegmans. They took their in loco parentis responsibilities quite seriously. (I’m still glad though that no one found out that among the four of us, none was old enough to have a driver’s license yet.)

By 1957-58, the CCC Canteen had become so successful that separate dances were needed for “juniors” (grades 7-9) on alternate Fridays and “seniors” (grades 10-12) on alternate Saturday nights, 8-11. Membership cards were issued (see mine at right) and I could bring a guest as long as s/he was a tenth grader or older.

I’ve compiled a list of my favorites among the popular songs that we danced to at CCC–mostly slow to accommodate the shufflers. It’s been a labor of love faffing around to find videos of them on You Tube. If you’d like to listen and watch them performed, simply click on the title and turn up the volume on your speakers.

“Earth Angels” The Penguins (1954), unexpected do-wop success on a flipside

“Only You” The Platters (1955), followed 4 months later by

“The Great Pretender” (1955)

“Love Letters in the Sand” Pat Boone—with his whistle (1957)

“Memories Are Made of This” Dean Martin (1956)

Now a fast one: “At the Hop" Danny and the Juniors (1957)

“You Send Me” Sam Cooke (1957), founder of soul music

“Diana” Paul Anke (1957), a Lebanese Canadian who was so young--only 16 at the time

“All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958) Everly Brothers

“I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (1956) Elvis Presley, and later that year

“Love Me Tender” (1956)—then he went in the army and it was all downhill

Get ready for a mass exodus: "Rock Around the Clock" (1956) Bill Haley and the Comets

“Allegheny Moon” (1956) Patti Page—a Pittsburgher’s gotta like it

“Chances Are” (1957) Johnny Mathis

“Tears on My Pillow” (1958) Little Anthony and the Imperials

“That’ll Be the Day” (1958) Buddy Holly and the Crickets

“Who’s Sorry Now” Connie Francis (1958)

Connie’s boy friend, Bobby Darrin had a fast one “Splish Splash” (1957)—(His “Dream Lover” wasn’t until after we graduated)

"Little Darlin'" (1957) The Gladiolas (they did it before The Diamonds and I still like their version better)

“Young Love” (1957) Sonny James

“Silhouettes” (1957) The Rays

“It’s All in the Game” (1958) Tommy Edwards (did you know the melody was written by Coolidge's veep, Dawes?)

“No, Not Much” (1956) The Four Lads

“You Don’t Know Me” (1956) Jerry Vale

“Que Sera Sera” (1956) Doris Day, from the Hitchcock movie

"Sixteen Candles" (1957) The Crests

As 10:50 p.m. approached, I believe Mr. Wiegman would slip “Good Night, Irene” on the turntable. That indicated the evening was nearly over. It was the signal to boys who wanted to be dancing close to a particular girl (and have a good chance of taking her down to Delney’s or maybe just driving her home before her curfew). They needed to start peering around in the dark. And for girls, it was the signal to come out of the restroom or wherever they might have wandered, move away from any clusters of other girls, and make themselves conspicuous if there was a particular boy. Then, always, there were The Spaniels (1954) singing, “Good Night, Sweetheart,” and possibly a quick kiss and a last embrace.

(Did I forget your favorite? E-mail me!)

A Sad Ending

On January 9, 1977, in the same year that the new North Allegheny Senior High School would open out in Wexford, Cumberland Community Center burned down. Only the bell and a stained glass window remain from the building, now just a grassy space in the cemetery.

R.I.P., dear CCC.