Written by: Charles Collett

Standing on the corner at Fourth and Center it is easy to recall when seven steeples and the courthouse dome could be seen in the horizon. Five of the steeple landmarks have been altered and one was destroyed by fire. The five altered to somewhat change their appearance are the two towers at St. Lawrence Church, the two atop the Odd Fellows Temple and the spire on Memorial Hall tower.

The citizen most frequently seen on the corner over a long period of years is Attorney O. E. Irish. He remembers when he joined the Masons 50 years ago, the old Masonic Temple at Third and Center had a spire on the corner of the building about 65 feet above the sidewalk. The temple was destroyed by fire in May 1915. It was often said that the Masonic goat was kept in the lofty tower.

The ornamental appearance of the two towers at St. Lawrence Church was changed by removal of the spires. The same is true on the Odd Fellows Temple known as the Goldcamp building. The most recent is the top of the tower at Memorial Hall. The view on Center, which remains unchanged are the First Methodist and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church towers. I wonder if any other observer has noted the change in the skyline as they remember it years ago?

The name of the late Dr. L. D. Jones, dentist, in this column yesterday resulted in a surprise telephone call from a daily reader - Mrs. Marie Waddle, wife of Norman Waddle of 2602 South Sixth Street. Mrs. Waddle’s mother, at the age of 82, continues to wear dentures made by Dr. Jones in November 1917 when the doctor had an office at Louisa, Ky., where Mrs. Waddle and her mother lived at that time. Dr. Jones later located in Ironton as did Mrs. Waddle after she got married. She now has a son, Dr. Glenn E. Waddle, dentist, a graduate at Ironton High School, now located at Akron, Ohio. Thanks for the telephone call, Marie, we just don’t bite into an interesting story like that very often, and continued good luck to your mother with her 48-year-old plate.