We tried to find picture and stories of these “Unsung Heroes” and were fortunate to find these shown below.  Share your memories in the comment section.

Mr. Les Rose drove Fayette county students to DuBois High School.  He was the uncle of Clifford Rose who sent this picture to us.  Mr. Les Rose used to quietly tease by holding up and  informing you he had the “board of education” which was his paddle.  I don’t recall his ever using it, but we knew to act appropriately or get in trouble.  Remember, this was a period when students and parents accepted teachers and those in charge as being “another parent” of the students.   Totally unlike the present.

Many people are puzzled when they learn that years ago we did not have such things as “snow days”.  The bus drivers put their snow chains on and drove their route.  If your bus did not come, you didn’t go to school.  This was normal for the many YEARS PRIOR to mass communication.  Remember, many people did not have a telephone.  The way for the system to quickly communicate with many people had not been fully developed.

This recently created map of Fayette County shows a bit of the area the students from DuBois travelled.  It is now  referred to as the plateau.  I don’t recall hearing that term when I was a kid.  We knew students came from many, many small coal mining areas and really did have to walk long distances to the bus stop.  One former student, Freida Christian Maxwell, remembered she was always late, but the bus driver who was always on time would slowly drive  away to make sure he was not leaving anyone.                                                                                                                                             Mr. Dorsey Woods, Mr. Phoebus and Mr. Jimmy Szuch are on the picture supplied by Patty Logan from her yearbook.  The plaque list all the bus drivers and  names the routes they drove.  Visit the museum and enjoy memories and conversation about this important part of DuBois history.

Again, a huge thank you to Clarence Frazier and the DuBois High School Class of 1955 for their determination and the donation of this plaque which hangs in the Dr. Steward H. Frazier, Jr. Community Room of the museum.