LeRoy Long--Cyclist in the News Part Two

This is a photo of LeRoy Long(2nd from the left in 1st row)and his cousin Andy Baum (Mamie Reed's son) who was 2nd from the left in the 2nd row. Andy was actually Vivian Maupin Long's first cousin so was a little older than Dad. He and Dad became interested in cycling independently. Dad became involved after being a bicycle delivery boy and Andy began cycling because it was great cross-training for his real love which was speed skating. (One of the Cycling Programs even includes several ads for ice skates.) Andy's wife was of Olympic caliber in speed skating---I'm not sure if she went to the Olympics or if she was supposed to go during the war when the Olympics were canceled. I'm not even sure of her name although a Virginia Baum was an outstanding cyclist in St. Louis in 1940's.


Although I don't think LeRoy Long was a cyclist in this event, Andy Baum was mentioned in the article below. I do know that my dad participated in this race at some time, but here I think he was back-up and possibly a person to help change tires, repair bikes.
This next article is how to repair a bike track with Dad and his friend (they even cycled in Senior Olympics together) Gene Gotsch demonstrating.Although the article identifies the man beside the striped shirt man as "John Long", it's pretty clear it's my dad LeRoy Long.

This was an article about another race. This one is interesting because the men appear to be wearing helmets.LeRoy Long is the one in the center with the "Long nose"--3rd from left. He, too, appears to be wearing a helmet---I remember this helmet well---it was just padded leather strips. When the Senior Olympics required the cyclists to wear helmets, this is the one Dad tried to wear. He did ultimately get a modern bicycle helmet---I'm not sure if Mom or the Senior Olympics Officials made him get it, though.
It's a shame that cycling in the United States isn't as popular as it once was although Missouri has taken several steps to increase interest. First, there's the Katy Trail which my husband and I cycled (we certainly weren't racing!) in 2000 and Tour of Missouri which is an annual race.

LeRoy Long--Cyclist in the News Part One

I have never heard of a Cyclist's funeral like this: LeRoy Long is at the top of the steps on the left with the dark coat holding his cycle up in honor of Edward W. Grosse who was also a member of the Century Road Club. This was at the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Grand Blvd. and Pestalozzi street.
The photo above was the funeral procession---LeRoy Long (Dad) is in the suit in the right corner.
Although I know this was in Forest Park and it was before September 17, I'm not sure of the year. I believe it might have been in the St. Louis Star newspaper. Here are the phots a little closer---LeRoy Long is in all 3 photos---see if you can find him. Hint: he's the third one in the top photo.
If you can read the article, LeRoy Long is in the lead in this photo.
LeRoy is in 2nd place here, but it was won by Arvell Grosse, a 17-year old high school student. I'm thinking Dad was 17-20 years old.

Cycling---a Family Event

I found this booklet in my Dad's cycling scrapbook. I was pretty impressed that he was in the National Bicycle Championships on September 17, 1937. Then I read the list of participants.
OK, my dad was #6, my aunt Mary was #14, and whoa---my dad's cousin Norman McKay (his mother was Mattie Maupin) was #20. I kept looking at the list.
And, there was Jerry McKay and Andy Baum (his mother Mamie Reed was Annie Reed's sister).
So, I called my Aunt Mary. She just laughed when I said, "So, why were there so many Maupin-Reeds in this National event?" "Well, your dad talked us all into it. Andy Baum was a cyclist because he was really an ice skater and this was how he stayed in shape in the warmer weather."
Another page had several familiar names but Mary wasn't sure if the Ruth Reed was the cousin nor was she sure that C.E. Maupin was cousin Charles Maupin.
Later I found the various races they had---I had to laugh because it's like Mary kept saying, "We weren't really serious cyclists like your dad was." Jerry McCay (McKay) came in 3rd in the Sidewalk Bike 75 yards!
I'm not sure who is any these photos, but it's probably one or two of the McKays and maybe even Aunt Mary. They do NOT look like future Olympians! But, I'm sure they had fun with all of their cousins in the competition. For my aunt's memory of one of the races, click here.

Background on LeRoy Long's Early Cycling Career

LeRoy Long is on the left

My Dad, LeRoy Long, was a cyclist for most of his life. Most don't know how he began cycling. His local Lake Sherwood newspaper interviewed him with most of the story.

My Aunt Mary Long Wassmund continued the story. While he was delivering by bicycle for a drug store, he became acquainted with Ray George who had a cycle shop. Dad worked there also repairing bicycles, and it was at Ray's that he began racing.More on his cycling in the late 1930's and early 1940's later.

Alice Alderson's letter to Isaac Henry Fry

This is a letter written by Alice Alderson to her future husband Isaac Henry Fry. According to some old notes they met at the Fayette Station. Her train was late and he offered to make her more comfortable by sharing. . . .sorry, I didn't finish that thought in my notes. (double click on letters to read them larger, then use the back arrow to come back to this page)

Alice was visiting her grandmother, Aletha Peters Jones (pictured below) near Fayetteville, West Virginia. According to my notes "Letha's" husband Levi had died in 1900.

According to the 1860 census, they lived near the "Cotton Hill" Post Office. Click here for a map. "Cotton Hill" is where the red star is. It isn't far from Hawk's Nest State Park.


I don't know who the aunt is mentioned. Mary C. Jones did have sisters according to the 1870 census, but their names were Nannie, Edna and Minnie. But, if Alice's grandmother "would hold up her hands in holy horror if she knew I played cards," her grandmother must have been constantly spinning in her grave knowing how much Alice loved to play bridge.I believe Alice's sister mentioned here was Ida Alderson Masters (below) who died in 1907 along with a baby. In 1902, she had a newborn Clifford and a two-year old William.

I don't know who cousin Lou is either. Click here for more information on the Cotton Hill depot.


One of the things I noticed when looking at some census reports was the Aldersons did usually have a domestic servant living with them. When Alice said ". . .and have no one to send," I suspect she meant that her grandmother didn't have domestic help.

Morgan Obituaries 1940's 1950's

Grover passed the following obituaries on to us. July 14, 1948, William Gratton Morgan. He was Harry B. Morgan's brother (Felix preceeded him in death):
The following is Willard Morgan and Rebecca Morgan's daughter (H.B. Morgan's first cousin---Nora Elizabeth Morgan Cline). Yes, Willard and Rebecca were cousins.
This is Arch B. Morgan (b. 1850 d. 1936). His father was Anthony Morgan (grandson of Abraham Morgan) Arch would have been Harvey George Morgan's first cousin. Double click to read about their journey to Mercer County, West Virginia. Below is an article about his wife Rierdel Shrewsbery Morgan.
Amos A. Morgan, son of Floyd Morgan and Dicey Lester, died in 1940. He was also Harvey George Morgan's first cousin. I think it's safe to say Rev. H.B. Morgan was not Harry Byron Morgan, but I'm not sure who it was.Finally, here is H. B. Morgan's obituary. Double click to make it larger.
Garner is left off the last one---but I think they got all of the Pall bearers!

Obviously there are errors in a number of these obituaries, but there is also a lot of valuable information. I am so happy newspapers got away from "Mrs. A. B. Morgan" and would now call her "Rierdel Shrewsbery Morgan"

More Morgan Notes

Again, I do not know who the author of these notes are and I'm not 100% sure who they are about, but I can try to identify the individuals. They are on small pieces of paper that look like they were torn off a notepad. The person who wrote these would have been of Grover, Garner, Paul, Lowell, Clifford, Mason's generation.
Grandfather above would have been Harvey Morgan, Grandmother Martha Jane Gunnoe.
Great-grandfather would have been Jonathan Morgan who was born in 1794 and died in 1891! I have no idea who the great-great Grandmother was. It is safe to say it was not Elizabeth Ealy who immigrated from Wales. I also doubt that it was Rachel Blankenship's mother---her family tree can be found on the internet. So, that leaves one of Nancy Harvey's grandmothers or someone on the Gunnoe side.

I'm not sure what the references to the Halls are above.

I did find some notes (in my handwriting) probably taken while talking to Grover Morgan.

• Harvey George had 2-3 wives

• Jasper lived in Pikeville, Ky
• H.B. Morgan's grandfather came home from the Civil War on a little horse---horse gave out and he carried it. [I'm thinking his grandfathers would have been too old, but. . .]
  
• 80--Landville on Guyandotte between Gilbert and Man
• Not far from Davy toward Guyandotte River (Hammond, Woosley, Morgan Valley)

Sorry, I'm not sure what the last two mean---I suspect I asked where something was (possibly the places in parenthesis) and those were the answers.

Early Morgan history in Western Virginia

(Double click above to see where Wolf Pen is)

If you need a more detailed family tree, click here or scroll down the page.

From the Reference Book of Wyoming County p. 422 "the numerous families of Morgan in Wyoming, McDowell and Logan Counties are direct descendants of Abraham Morgan, born in Wales, who married Elizabeth Ealy before he emigrated to Virginia before 1775, landing at Old Point Comfort. They settled in Bedford County, Virginia, where they reared their family, of whom we have the names Jonathan, David, Samuel, Thomas, Polly and Betsey. . .Thomas married Rachel Blankenship in Tazewell County, Virginia, and lived for a short time in Bluestone. About 1804, he settled on Indian Creek. . .he is the progenitor of all of the Morgans in Wyoming County."

"Old Point Comfort" Wikipedia

Morgan Family Tree by O. E. Morgan

This sort of thing makes my eyes gloss over, but it might be needed for the next post. Double click to make it larger.


I wanted to do a bit of research before I posted this. Of course the Morgans were really from Wales not England. On Ancestry.com, someone has that Abraham Morgan and Elizabeth Ealy died in Wales, but I don't believe this history would have been handed down that they were the immigrant ancestors, if someone didn't know that (it also states his father's name and where he lived, but I'm waiting to hear where and how the person got the information)
I believe this was compiled in the late 1930's by Oley Estel Morgan, son of Felix Ellison Morgan (see above). I just can't imagine how he was able to assemble all of these names. Gradually, I'm getting dates to go with these names from Ancestry.com.
Some of you have asked about Harry Byron Morgan's name---here is where someone wrote in that his name changed at an early name. Speaking of names, it's interesting that Ellice's name is "Ellis".