While taking notes on the Adamsville Post Office meeting last Monday, United States Postal Service representative, David Wolff, said something that caught my attention. He said he thinks small town post offices are similar to churches – everyone gathers there.
I think he’s right, to a point. When the Adamsville Post Office, Uncle Meatball’s Pizzas Subs, and three apartments burned on January 28, 2015, Adamsville lost some of its identity. Knowing now that the post office will be rebuilt, hopefully by November of this year, should improve morale quite a bit.
Adamsville is important to me. Seven members of my family live there, and my late grandma, Millie Moore, did, too. My late grandpa, the Reverend Doctor John R. Louden, pastored Adamsville Presbyterian. Some friends and neighbors in the Adamsville community are like family. Most of the families who live in Adamsville go back several generations.
As I mentioned in my column titled, “James McGranahan: Adamsville’s Unsung Hero,” world-famous singer-composer, James McGranahan, hailed from Adamsville. He wrote the music to “I Know Whom I Have Believed,” “There Shall Be Showers of Blessing,” and “Fix Your Eyes Upon Jesus.” Major Daniel W. Whittle wrote the lyrics. McGranahan even traveled to the United Kingdom with famous evangelist D.L. Moody in 1883. And this guy was from Adamsville! Unreal.
Adamsville was once a center of commerce during the days of the Erie Extension Canal. There used to be grocery stores, a gas station, Garvin Industries, which manufactured kitchen sink drain stoppers, and other businesses in town.
Route 18, which runs directly through Adamsville, was a major road connecting Erie and Pittsburgh. This was before Interstate 79 was built and bypassed Adamsville. It reminds me of the Pixar movie, “Cars.” Adamsville is a lot like Radiator Springs, the small town where the main character, Lightning McQueen, finds himself after getting lost.
What was once a bustling town with an identity is now just a “don’t forget to slow down to 35 miles per hour or you’ll get a ticket” blip on the radar. Adamsville Presbyterian Church is the only public building left. Adamsville Properties, LLC, (formerly Garvin Industries) is for sale, but nothing is finalized yet.
I hope small towns such as Adamsville revive during my lifetime. Getting their post office back will be a shot in the arm to the Adamsville community, I’m sure.
Speaking of James McGranahan, Fallowfield United Methodist is hosting an old-fashioned hymn sing on Sunday, April 30, at 6:30 p.m. Mark your calendar and come sing with us. Maybe you can request one of McGranahan’s songs. If you or your group would like to perform, please call Allen or Joyce Jacobs at (814) 382-3124.
Have a wonderful week. Blessings!