WV Whitewater Region AACA Newsletter, Issue 7, July 2015

Message from the President

Thanks to Dave, Vice President and Chairman of the Events Committee and Betty Holliday for organizing our tour of the homes in Bramwell, WV and our lunch at the Corner Drug Store on June 6. Eight went and we had a great time touring the homes of the coal barons. The tour was educational and seeing the homes restored to their former state, the folks who guided our tour dressed in period costumes was fun.

Thanks again to David Holliday for organizing the Cruise in at the Bayberry

Retirement Home where we were served lunch and the event was attended by 28 members and guests. Thanks again to David Holliday and Linda Hardin for organizing and arranging the shelter for our picnic at Moncove Lake on Sunday, June 21. 28 attended the event, the weather was great, and our hamburgers and hotdogs were provided by our club. This event was held in lieu of our regular meeting.

Soon it will be time for the Southeastern Fall Meet in Louisville, Kentucky, July 15-18. If you plan to attend be sure to have a report for the club of your visit. The Founders Tour in Dover, Ohio is September 13-18. Please let us know if you are going. Linda and I are registering at this time.

Our regular monthly meeting will be at the Moose Club Sunday, July 19, 2015 at 1:00

PM. We will be discussing the issue of an affordable location to hold our meeting also approval of a committee to begin work on an AACA Divisional Tour to be hosted by our club. T Richard Dick Cooper

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Dick Byrd

Dick is a car-lover and at 87 years young was recognized at the Moonshine & Mountain Mist 2015 Southeastern Division Tour on May 4-6 as the oldest driver attending. When he was 16 years old, Dick Byrd was working as a shift manager for a service station. The year was 1944. There was no cash register and money was carried in his pocket. He started attending Morris Harvey College (now the University of Charleston) and worked part time at Addressograph-Multigraph, a duplicating machine company, as a technician and was eventually in sales. In 1949, he married Naomi Surface and became the father of a son and three daughters. During the Korean War, he was an active member of the Naval Reserve as a radio operator. Later, Dick worked for The Charleston Daily Mail. He sold the first full-page car advertisement . It was for Roger Dean Chevrolet in Charleston and it showed an outline of the State of West Virginia, listing the cars for sale. During the 1950s, Dick worked as branch manager and later district manager for Donnellon-McCarthy selling copy machines, recording and dictating machines, covering parts of several states. Dick worked with Lois' late husband and the two families socialized together occasionally. In 1969, Dick went to school three months to be qualified to lease an Esso station. His service station was on Virginia Street in Charleston and was open 24 hours. There were no keys to lock the door. During the '90s, Dick was the dealer for a Chevron station on Kanawha Boulevard, which was recognized one year as the No. 1 small station in Southern US and the next year as the No. 1 small station in the fifty states. He has been involved with the Charleston Rod Run and Doo Wop since its beginning, in 2005. There were 490 cars the first year and 900+ in 2014. The magazine Cruisin Times voted the Charleston Rod Run and Doo Wop the No. 1 car show in the Eastern US. Dick has had a love for antique cars since the '50s, buying, restoring and showing them. His wife, Naomi, was an excellent seamstress and together they upholstered seats, installed door panels and Naomi sewed the top on the 1928 Ford Touring.

(continued on next page)

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(Dick Byrd, continued)

Dick's interest in cars goes back many years. He was the president of the Model A club, which had 136 members. Bill Bibb was also a member of this club. Dick had been a long-time member of the Kanawha Valley Chapter of the AACA before moving his membership to the WV Whitewater Chapter.

A long-time hobby, aside from his interest in cars, is woodworking. He turns out tables, wash

stands, and put together beautiful jewelry boxes for all the females in his family, uniquely finishing them. He made a beautiful mantle for Lois.

Dick and Lois lost their spouses the same year, three months apart. After a period of time they

started dating and married five years ago. Lois has two sons and a daughter and was a legal transcriptionist for 45 years, working for several of the notable court reporters in the Kanawha Valley. Dick and Lois live in Elkview.

Both Dick and Lois are active in their churches. Dick kept his membership in Canaan United

Methodist Church and Lois a member of Elkview Baptist Church. They attend church together and alternate Sundays. When you are a member of a certain church 50+ years, it is difficult to change.

Trip to West Virginia Cultural Center, March 21

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We would like to thank Linda and Donnie Holcomb

for their wonderful hospitality while we were in Charleston.

Identify this

MYSTERY MEMBER

Can you identify the current Whitewater Region AACA

member pictured in this photo from 1972?

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The WV Whitewater Region was well represented at the Southeastern Divisional Tour held in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee May 4-6. Members participating were Roy & Linda Hardin, Bill Bibb, Rick Kappler, Dick & Lois Byrd, Jerry & Sue Phillips, Tom & Mary Riner, Melvin and Quadena Evans and Sam & Sandy Shrewsbury. We were delighted to be joined by Steve and Annie Gunnoe who live in Tennessee.

Over the three days, a total of 365 miles were driven through the foothills and mountains of East Tennessee and North Carolina. Some of the highlights of the first day were stops at the Floyd Garretts Muscle Car Museum, the A. J. Bush Company, Popcorn Suttons Distillery and Gift Shop, the Harrisburg Covered Bridge and the Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine located in Pigeon Forge. Some folks toured the Titanic Museum.

The second day included a trip through Cades Cove, an isolated valley in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It took two hours to drive the 11-mile, one-way loop which was a challenge for some of the antique cars to drive slowly. A total of three adult bears and three bear cubs were spotted in three locations. The views throughout the days travels were magnificent.

One of the highlights on day 3 was

Clingmans Dome, which at 6,643 feet is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We then traveled to Cherokee, NC where we were able to experience the Native American culture. We were able to visit the Museum of the Cherokee Indian.

There was so much to see and experience during this tour. We all had a wonderful time. Congratulations to Dick Byrd for being the oldest driver from among the 142 listed in the tour book.

Southeastern Divisional Tour

May 4-6

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