It’s humorous how easy statements can spark or jog a reminiscence of sure occasions. It is likely one of the wonders of our humanity that I appear to reap the benefits of very often. I used to be in a scenario like that this previous week once I was fascinated about this text. My spouse talked about to me one morning that she had a dream we had been touring across the nation like gypsies asking for a bit of paper to jot down on. That jogged my memory of one in all my absolute favourite items of Ohio Valley lore, that of the gypsies who wandered our space within the first half of the twentieth century.
Within the Eighteen Nineties, and fairly presumably earlier, touring teams of gypsies frequented our space, touring collectively in several tribes crisscrossing the nation. In accordance with an article written by Jane Kraina for the West Virginia Encyclopedia, a part of the West Virginia Humanities Council, “Gypsies are thought to have originated in India, later changing into nomads touring by way of Europe. They appeared there by the fifteenth century. Gypsies usually name themselves Roma, and their language known as Romany remains to be spoken. Most American Gypsies got here in the course of the huge migration from Japanese Europe within the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.”
By the tip of the 1800s the teams had been nomadic touring the U.S. An early report within the Steubenville Herald on Nov. 10, 1893, reported that “A celebration of Gypsies, comprising about 30 folks, 12 wagons, and 51 horses handed by way of Cadiz Friday on their solution to winter quarters.” Usually Gypsy tribes would journey in coated wagons elaborately painted earlier than the arrival of the car. Krania writes that every clan of gypsies had a chief or “Kumpanias” who was answerable for that specific tribe or group. It was in Weirton in November 1931 the chief, or “King,” of the Marks clan of Gypsies died at their camp on Kings Creek, setting off a sequence of occasions that made such an impression on our neighborhood that it has been handed down in native lore for practically 90 years.
Within the winter 1998 version of Goldenseal Journal, Kraina and Mary Zwierzchowski wrote of the “Demise of a Gypsy King,” and it’s fascinating. Zeke Marks, who was reported to be 75 years previous on the time of his loss of life, died of bronchial pneumonia, and his household went all out for his funeral as was gypsy customized. They contacted family far and extensive to return to Weirton for the funeral. John Mankowski, who featured prominently within the Goldenseal article attributable to the truth that the group was camped on his father’s farm, remembered, “The King was specified by an enormous tent, about the place the baseball subject is now. I went to see him. There was gold within the casket, a shaving package and a loaf of bread.” Dealing with the Weirton occasions was Schwerha’s Funeral Dwelling. The constructing remains to be there and positioned on the nook of Pennsylvania and Crawford avenues.
The funeral of this chief, in accordance with the article, attracted greater than 10,000 native of us, together with my grandmother, Angela Kaminski, trying to get a glimpse of the gypsy tradition. Utilizing up to date accounts of the funeral in The Weirton Every day Instances, the Goldenseal article recounts that “the king’s physique lay in state in a bronze casket, unkempt and unshaven with a crimson bandanna tied flippantly round his chin. A knitted scarf sealed his mouth. His ankles had been sure with rope. He lay there in loss of life’s grip, palms clasped to his chest, clutching a $5 gold piece. The gold coin is for secure passage throughout the river Styx. A wine jug was tucked beneath his proper arm and a shaving package beneath his left.” At his toes had been different possessions but additionally “4 paid payments — for a cemetery plot, vault, monument and go well with of garments — displaying that ‘he leaves this world a sq. man.”
Certainly the locals of Weirton had been fascinated by this unusual occasion. I might encourage these all for studying extra concerning the funeral to take a look at the fascinating article.
With the curiosity surrounding the Gypsies, there additionally was a good quantity of worry about approaching the group whereas they camped. It was usually thought that they’d abduct youngsters. Whereas principally unfounded, there was a Steubenville household that was the sufferer of a gypsy abduction.
In accordance with the Steubenville Herald-Star, in December 1917, Jimmie Mahfood went out to play from his Wells Road dwelling in Steubenville however he by no means returned. It was suspected {that a} band of Gypsies who had been tenting close to city had kidnapped the kid, since proper earlier than information broke of the disappearance, they broke camp and moved on. The search lasted for years however no proof ever surfaced of the whereabouts of the kid. Round 1927, the Mahfood household heard of a band of Gypsies touring within the west with a “white” boy however it couldn’t be confirmed it was little Jimmie. In 1935, miraculously, Jimmie was reunited together with his Steubenville household. Jimmie recounted that he overheard his Gypsy captors speak about his abduction and he was impressed to search out his true household.
Whereas the group was touring by way of Steubenville, Jimmie escaped and finally made his method again to the Mahfood household, who by no means gave up hope in spite of everything these years. It was confirmed that this was Jimmie as a result of he had figuring out scars on his physique attributable to the truth that when he was lower than a 12 months previous, attributable to an sickness, Jimmie had an operation in Pittsburgh, leaving the distinctive marks.
Though the gypsies have all however disappeared from our space, the tales and folklore of that point stay on. Gypsies additionally had been recognized for his or her foresightedness and their capability to learn palms and inform fortunes. So it appears apropos that this text was impressed from a dream. And perhaps that piece of paper we’re asking for was to jot down this text. Maybe they’re making an attempt to inform us to recollect.
(Zuros is director of operations at Historic Fort Steuben and the Steubenville Guests Middle.)
(Zuros is director of operations at Historic Fort Steuben and the Steubenville Guests Middle.)
