Nelsonville Parade of the Hills

Prior to the Parade of the Hills, Nelsonville had what was known as the Hocking Valley Festival each year, which for the most part amounted to the Old Timer's Baseball game, West End School Reunion, and a carnival. In 1950 the Eagles, Elks, and Vets pooled money to add a new touch to the Hocking Valley Festival. A Queen and a Parade with all proceeds to go to the Nelsonville Christmas Charity Basket Fund. The queen from each representative town: Chauncey, Buchtel, Carbon Hill, Union Furnace, Murray City, Haydenville, and Nelsonville were chosen by the towns' people. Ross Reed is attributed with changing the name of the Hocking Valley Festival to the Parade of the Hills. The 1950 Parade of the Hills was a great financial success. Often the state governor and other political figures were important guests, along with professional ball players. ( transcribed excerpts from Jim Hillyer's 1973 Parade of the Hills pamphlet historical article.)

A highlight to each years festival is the Miss and Little Miss Parade of the Hills pageant.

Above was announcer Bruce Rogers (a favorite high school teacher, principal) and Randi Coen (my niece represented by Mitchell Trucking) as she received her title in 1988.

Little Miss Olivia Wallace, 1st Runner Up Allyson Scurlock, 2nd Runner Up Sarah Adams

2004 Queen Jenna Gaiten of New Straitsville, court Shasta McQuaid, Erin Brady, Jessica Christman

2005 Queen Merissa Nicholson of Athens, court Elizabeth Runyon, and Stephanie Bush

2006 Queen

Natasha Keirns of Guysville

1st runner-up - Candice Campbell

2nd runner-up - Rebecca Prater

Miss Congeniality - Amanda Thomas

little miss:

Courney Quier

1st runner-up / Miss Photogenic - Abby Reeves

2nd runner-up - Marley Neal

Miss Congeniality - Sidney Fick

(Thank you Jim Shumway for providing additional queen information and corrected spellings of names! Jim is a member of the Parade of the Hills Queen's Committee.)

Link to :Nelsonville Parade of the Hills Website for photo's

Photography of the Queens throughout the years were taken by Bob Wilson Studio in Nelsonville.

Introduction and all writing by Rev. John Lloyd Evans, Minister of the Presbyterian Church and a member of the Lions Club.

Each of us is a unit in The Parade of the Hocking Hills. The past is gone -- The future is yet to come. Here you are marching alone in the parade as the eternal hills watch you move by. You are here for this moment: tomorrow you may not be in the parade: therefore, since you are given but a minute at at time, how you live this very moment is very important to the Parade of the Hills as the years and centuries pass along.

You are antique. Since approximately 65% of the families in the Hocking Valley came, generations ago from the southern mountains, you in all probability had ancestors in the Revolutionary War. Your parents helped build America. As the soldiers of early American History fought for what they believed in and were willing to tighten their belts and starve before they would give up that in which they believed so you too, as you parade, are stubborn and not easily changed. Each of you make life an interesting sight to see.

You may belong to the approximately 30% of the families which came over the ocean during the great invasion of 1870-1890. The English immigrants came settling in Englishtown (East End of Nelsonville) or Glouster or Cambytown or Murray City, etc: the Welsh invaders came to New Straitsville or Shawnee or Jackson or Wellston or Oak Hill, etc: the miners from Scotland were scattered over much of the valley as they moved to America: the same is true of the families from Ireland. German miners came in early 1870's but a battle on what is now West Canal Street in 1873 between the English and the Germans, because of the Franco-German War, resulted in a victory for the English and the German families left Nelsonville.

Approximately 5 % of you came from Virginia or Massachusetts in the person of your forbearers in the early part of the 19th Century while a few of us have moved in from other parts of America.

The Public Square is the center of Nelsonville -- Although much smaller than the Boston Commons it is similar in that business houses face the open square -- which gives it a New England look. Other cities may have Court Houses: still others may have universities: while others yet may have Federal office buildings. The attract those who may have business or dealings in the central buildings. The open Public Square (you will go a long distance and search in vain for the equal to our open green) attracts the public far more than does any building. Let us realize the value of having a city which will not go to pieces but will be cemented by the mall which was given by Daniel Nelson to the city even though he could not afford to make the gift.

The city of Nelsonville is stretching its muscles: is taking hold of new residential developments: is studying it's water supply: it will grow rapidly. Our men, young and older, are dreaming of a modern progressive city which will take second place to none as a place for pleasant living.

Nelsonville is a safe place to live in: Nelsonville supports bond issues for public betterment: Nelsonville families watch and control their children: Nelsonville does not have hatreds arising from race or creed; Negro families own their own homes which are well taken care of: these home of Negroes are located in various parts of the city and all these families are looking and planning for better sites and buildings: at the time of this writing there are four children of Negro parentage in Nelsonville who are recipients of public welfare from Athens county Welfare: Negro families support themselves as they have always done here while the new industries of Logan, Athens and Nelsonville have made it possible for both man and wife to work and thus they are moving up in the material world as well as in the educational world:

Nelsonville is a place where freedom is practiced -- There are State Codes for building, but a person may build where and how he pleases. Look at our city and you will see that we have built well in Liberty.

The Tri-County Vocational and Technical School, which will teach Agriculture, Distributive Education (Merchandising and Selling), Business Education (Stenographic, Clerical, Bookkeeping, Shorthand, etc.) Trade and Industry Education (Electrical Work, Auto Mechanics, Drafting, Auto Body Repair, Machine Shop Work, Radio, TV, and Beauty Parlor work), Adult Education- non credit- for adults who did not finish high school- this will include drop outs of any age.

This is given upon request from individuals and industries for placement in specific jobs as demand arises: Home Economics, Technical, Dietary Courses, Child Care Education, Home Care Education.

The Technical School will be on the Junior College level or High School Graduate Post Graduate Study and generally will be a two year course and will include Forestry, Horticulture (Landscaping, Golf Course Care, Strawberry growing, Tree production for pulp wood and paper carton Manufacture) and various other courses giving Technical Education for those who wish to make a livelihood in a special way will not necessarily be located on the two and one half acre school building near Nelsonville but will be located in the hearts, minds and homes of Athens, Hocking and Perry county people.

The School will open at 9:15 a.m. and close at between 2:15 and 3:00 p. m. This will make it possible for students to be brought from their own High School each day and will make it possible for the student to take part in Athletic and Band and other activities at the school to which he belongs. The Tri County School will give no diplomas because the credits and diplomas will be granted by the Home School.

The Tri County school will not compete in any way with the schools and will not offer courses which the pupil could take in his home school. All vocational and Technical Studies are elective courses which can be selected by the pupil or his parents. The Tri County School will be a big Central Laboratory giving an opportunity for courses he could not get in his home school.

The value of anything consists not in the thing itself: the value is found in what use you make of it. Thus it is with boys and girls, men and women, together must begin to dream of a greater America. Let us fancy what this School can mean to us. Not more than 35% of our children go to college. (This figure is nearer to 25%). This leaves 65% not going to College. The Hocking Valley will be changed much and many persons will become very successful financially if boys and girls use that which will be offered.

Ray Riggs Lincoln Mercury of Athens	Marion Riggs Ford of Logan	Frank's Foodtown Market Nelsonville
Billy R. Neal Nelsonville Greenhouse	J.C. Penney Co. of Logan	Seven Up Tops for Fresh Taste
Natco Corp. - Diamond Brick Plant	Ralph Dugan Hotel Bar Glouster	Earl F. Mathews, Inc. - Earl Hooper Insurance
Faires Carry Out Glouster	Dannie's Trailer Sales Athens	Paul Wolfe Excavating Co. Nelsonville
Dairy Queen Ralph and Mary Pope	Economy Savings and Loan Company of Nelsonville	Brown Furniture of Nelsonville
Broughton's Farm Dairy	Lake Burr Oak Restaurant Fritzi and Mal Higgins	Drury Store Glouster Ohio
Economy Store Glouster- Harold and Edith Vaughn	Sally's Potato Chips Nels. distributor Art Keplar	Blackburn Appliance Nelsonville
Backus Lumber Company	Schoonover's Grocery	Saltz Insurance Agency
Lonnie Adams Auto Repair Nels.	Ogg Wholesale Nelsonville	City Loan and Savings Co. Charles Corrigan Mgr. Nelsonville
Linscott Motors Nelsonville	Parks Music Store Nels.	Nelsonville Home and Savings Assoc.
Maurer's Variety Nelsonville	Kuhn's Clothing	Clarence Miller for Congress
Keith Brown, O. D.	Roger Johnson, M. D.	T. J. Najm, M. D.
W. H. Hyde, M. D.	Robert Butts, D. O.	William H. Allen, Jr., M. D.
J. L. Webb, M. D.	H. Zlatkind, D. D. S.	Carol Sines, M. D.
The Athens National Bank	Jake's Sterling Car Service	O. B. Shine Carpenter Nelsonville Standard Oil Company
Dell and Nellie Morman Home Restaurant Nelsonville	Beasley & Mathews, Inc Ford Dealer of Athens	Shafer's News Stand Nelsonville 1907-1964
Cable's Hardware and Furniture Serving Nelsonville since 1849	Fair Stores Athens and Nelsonville	Luckoff's of Nelsonville
Go Northway - Frank North	Nelsonville Barbers:	Walter Shafer,
Dude Mohney,	Joe Sinott,	Fritz Bookman,
and last barber listed Robert Auflick	Neiman Auto Parts	Keyes Union Grocery Nelsonville
A & P	Homer Pete Abele for Judge Court of Appeals 4th dist.	Jaynes Furniture
Gilkey's Gulf Service of Athens	Parson's Shell Service of Athens	Chief Logan Service Station - Dale Walker of Logan
James Edwards - County Commissioner	Traceland Drive-in Glouster	The Bargain House of Logan
Stiffler's of Logan	Hilleary's Shoe rebuilding Nelsonville	State Senator Oakley C. Collins
Young's Appliances Nelsonville	State Senator Charles Pancake	Merreleen's Beauty Salon
Cherry Beauty Shop	Kut and Kurl Salon	Jean's Beauty Shop
Norma's Beauty Shop	Steppe's Beauty Shop	Fashionnette Beauty Shop
Fayette Beauty Salon	Beauty Nook	Mason's Beauty Shop
Stoltz Drug	33 Carry Out	Kittle Farm Supplies Nelsonville
Dew Hotel - Richard and Juanita Barnhart of Nelsonville	Shafer's Sohio Inc.	Woody's Plumbing Nelsonville
Harry's Gulf Nelsonville	Norwood Haynes Motorist Insurance Nelsonville	Columbia Gas of Ohio
French Dry Cleaners	Logan Monument Co.	SEARS of Athens and Logan
Sportsman Restaurant - George Jarvis of Athens	Sharff's Fashion of Logan	The Coffee Cup of Nelsonville
R. D. Rogers Jeweler	Robinette hardware Nelsonville	Mechem's of Nelsonville
Nelsonville Aerie 391 and Auxiliary	Riverside Florist of Nelsonville	Kroger's of Nelsonville
The Nelsonville Elks Lodge	Johnson Oil Company	Athens Retail Merchant's Association
Nelsonville TV Cable	Hocking Valley Concrete Logan	Wharton Supply Company Nelsonville
John's Carry Out - John Popoczy	Nationwide Ins.- Roger Wolf- Nelsonville	Don Fink Building and Remodeling Nelsonville
The Ferd Hack Auto Supply of Logan, Athens, McArthur, and Nelsonville	Deed's Dairy	S. Davis Super Market Nelsonville
PICO Wholesale Co. Glouster	Milky's Gulf Service Station Nelsonville	Vollmer Service Station Nelsonville
Wilson's Studio	Royal Crown distributor Lloyd Harris	Taylor's Texaco Service
Ralph Welker Member of 106th General Assembly of 1965-1967	Walter's 5c and 10c store Nelsonville	Johnson Funeral Home
Foster's Drug and Jewelry - Walgreen Agency of Nelsonville	Pepsi Cola Bottling Company Rt. # 33	Antle Realty Glouster
Bob Hess Chevrolet and Oldsmobile in Nelsonville and Athens	The First National Bank of Nelsonville

Billy Neal (Nelsonville Greenhouse) President, Gene Young (Young Refrigeration) 1st Vice President

Nick Sanborn (Juvenile Officer, Athens Co.) 2nd Vice President, Max Valkinburg (Chief of Police) 3rd Vice President

Phillip Willeke (McBee Corp., Athens) Treasurer, Ted Winnigman (Diamond NATCO) Secretary

Max Hoskins (Columbia Gas System) Lion Tamer, Paul Taylor (The Electric Company) Tail Twister

Directors: Max Vaulkinburg, Russ Kline (Mgr. Kroger), Everett Woody (Woody Plumbing) Phillip Willeke.

The Lion's Club is active in community deeds. Especially providing eye glasses for youth. It makes it's primary contribution to sight for the eyes. Brooms sold are made by the Society for the Blind in Ohio. These brooms we sell are made in Nelsonville under this supervision. The Lions Club meets the first and third Wednesdays of the month in Ethel's Tea Room at 6 p. m. The Club will welcome all men, who are like minded to join us.

The written portions of the Lions Club "Parade of the Hills" booklet are given by Lloyd Evans, Minister of the Presbyterian church and a member of the Lions Club.

Women's Committee and Window Decorations- Piroquette Club- Mrs. David Grigsby and Mrs. Bernard North, Co- Chairmen