I took a stroll down memory lane this week, looking at how the National Road corridor from St. Clairsville to Morristown has changed since my childhood.

My journey started at The Grove – once a popular restaurant/night club that is now the site of a brand new apartment complex. The Grove was legendary in the second half of the 20th century, known for its delicious ribs and chicken. It also served as a common meeting spot for friends, day or night.

The Grove was actually one of the few businesses along that stretch of U.S. 40 where a family might go. I recall my own family ordering take-out from The Grove on occasional Sunday afternoons. My dad allowed me to go inside to pay for and pick up the order while he waited in the car, making me feel quite grown up.

Other nearby clubs included establishments known as Scotty’s, Wayne’s, Club 40, Pick’s and Third Base. There were several others, and some of the ones I listed went by various names over the years, but they all had one main purpose – serving the tired and hungry coal miners who worked for companies like R&F Coal, Marietta Coal, Hanna Coal, Consolidation Coal Co. and Ohio River Collieries.

We called these places “beer joints,” and that’s exactly what many of them were. They may have served soups and sandwiches, but they were primarily places that served alcohol. As kids, those of us who lived in and around Belmont, Bethesda, Morristown, Lafferty and Flushing knew those places were almost always busy and that the crowds weren’t always nice. But they were just a part of life in our area.

These clubs served as landmarks for us, even when we were very young; for example, I knew that Scotty’s was located right next to a coal hauling road that led from U.S. 40 directly to the machine shop that my dad ran for Ohio River Collieries.

But there was a lot more to growing up in this area than just knowing the names of those beer joints and where they were in relation to other things and people’s homes. There were afternoon stops at Large’s Hardware. If I was lucky, I would get to visit with my friends Beth and Jim Large on their adjacent farm while our dads took care of business. There were also trips to the strip pits that lay between National Road and Lafferty for an afternoon or evening of fishing.

As teenagers, we ran our cars up and down those same side roads, listening to the radio and drinking Mountain Dew. Sometimes we headed west to the foot of Lady Bend Hill and ventured into Egypt Valley to climb on abandoned railroad bridges or visit old cemeteries, especially at this time of year. Once in a while we would build a bonfire along the edge of one of the strip pits or ponds in the area and sit around it while one of our friends played guitar.

Today, Scotty’s is no more. A landscaping/excavating business occupies that spot. The Grove burned to the ground in the 1990s, as did Pick’s just a few years ago. Club 40 became Deli 40 and then the Fast Lane Caf. Now it is home to Food by Jane, which is a wonderful spot for dining that also provides great catering services. Wayne’s is gone. Third Base became Kelly’s before it was a Mexican restaurant. Now it is known as Chaps, another popular eatery and bar.

Many of those clubs closed up when the strip mining industry collapsed and this part of the country experienced a major economic decline. I can remember years when most of my friends’ dads were laid off from work. Later, there were years when those jobs had been eliminated altogether and families had to start from scratch.

Today, that portion of National Road has a very different complexion, mainly due to the presence of the natural gas and oil industry. Companies such as Williams Energy and Stingray Pressure Pumping have built offices and work sites along the way. Miniature communities of campers have popped up, providing temporary housing for drillers and pipeliners who have come to our region from other states.

There are even housing developments that lie just off U.S. 40, such as Shady Lane Estates. These places feature modern homes with high values, and they are attracting a variety of professionals to live in this part of Belmont County.

I am happy to see these signs of prosperity returning to this stretch of National Road after all these years.

While I’m on the topic of childhood memories, I will reminisce a bit about Halloween.

October has always been one of my favorite times of the year. I love the way Mother Nature paints our rolling hillsides with color as the leaves change from green to gold, orange and red. I always enjoyed the rhythmic swishing sound of fallen leaves underfoot as I walked to school. And I always struggled with the crucial decision what to be for Halloween.

The same is true today. My husband, Mike, and I have been invited to join some friends in costume to hand out treats to children in one of our local communities. We are excited about the prospect but still haven’t decided what costumes to wear.

As you decide how to dress your own little ghosts and goblins (or even yourselves) for the big day, keep safety in mind along with fun and creativity. Be sure that costumes fit well and don’t drag the ground, becoming a potential tripping hazard. Check to see that eye openings in any masks you may use provide an adequate field of vision.

Especially for children who will go trick-or-treating at dusk, avoid dark colors if possible and be sure to apply bright, reflective material so that they can easily be seen by oncoming traffic. Children should travel in groups as they gather treats, preferably with an adult to accompany them. It is also a good idea for the little tricksters to carry a flashlight so that they can more easily see hazards and to increase their own visibility.

Above all, use common sense. Have children stick to familiar neighborhoods and houses they know as they beg for candy. And, parents, be sure to check those treats before you allow your kids to consume them.

Have a great holiday, everyone!