Sarah ``Sally'' Wesley Green, 75, has lived in Danville all her life, except
for eight years she spent in Louisville in the 1940s. A widow with two sons, she recalls
what the town looked like and some of the special pleasures she had here as a child. She
was the daughter of Jason Wesley, who was city clerk when Henry Nichols was mayor, and Lou
Wesley. Her family lived on Fourth Street at the corner of Russell Street.
I can very vividly remember Fourth Street before it was paved. It was a
nice neighborhood where we lived, across the street from the McClure house, and Skeet
McClure and my brother were good friends. I can remember when it snowed we would go sleigh
riding down Fourth Street hill. They put me on top of his back, and we would go flying
down the hill, and I would hold on for dear life.
I can also remember that on the corner of Fourth and Main streets, where the filling
station and the empty lot is, there was a skating rink there.
I can remember a real special time: Everybody would get new shoes the first day of school,
when we started school. And I can remember my dad taking me in the poolroom and letting
the colored man that was the shoeshine boy shine my new shoes that I got to go to school
with. I think his name was Alonzo. When Mr. Owen McIntyre was mayor of Danville, Alonzo
was his handy man.
Where Weisiger Park is now, they had the Palace of Sweets, which was a place that made
candy and served ice cream. I can vividly remember walking down Fourth Street, and they
had this big hook where they made pull taffy.
I remember the Chautauqua that came to town. That was the big event of the summer, and you
could get season tickets. All the children loved that. And I can remember them having
Charlie McCarthy and Edgar Bergen.
I remember circuses that would come to town, and that was fun, living on Fourth Street,
because the tents would go up in the vacant lot across from where Famous Recipe Fried
Chicken is now. And we got to see the elephants march down the street, and the clowns when
they had gotten off the train and they were bringing them in. They would spend several
days, maybe a week, and then we'd get to see them unload and go back to their train to
leave. So that was almost as good as going to the circus.
Sally Green grew up on Fourth Street.
(B6)
