Eastlake Celebrates Its Seniors--Tom McDaniel--July 2010

Tom McDaniel grew up in the hills of West Virginia. He was born in Hartford, June 17, 1928, to Leonard and Ola (Weirs) McDaniel. It was a large family of six brothers and seven sisters. Some of his brothers went off to war and at the age of 13, he sneaked into boot camp to try and serve along with them. They sent him home. Then he tried it again. This time when they sent him home he feared that they would shoot him if he returned again, so he never did serve in the military.

As a child he attended a one-room school house for seven years. He went on to graduate from Wahoma High School, in West Virginia. The children in the area played softball for fun. They used sawmill slabs for bats, no mitts, and scraps of rug material for balls. These were not rich times.

Tom followed in his father’s footsteps of being a coal miner. The miners got paid well but it wasn’t enough for the daily risks that they took going to work in those dilapidated mines. Three times he found himself in accidental coverups. It was no way for a man to make a living. His dad died at age 69 from black lung disease.

Leta Stanley married Tom in West Virginia. They were married for 49 years before she passed away. They had three children: Fred, Debbie and Cindy. Cindy still resides in Eastlake.

For his second wife he married Millie Drake at Eastlake City Hall on January 28, 2000. They were married by former Mayor Dan DiLiberto. They have 20 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
One of Tom’s brothers had started working for TRW. He encouraged Tom to move up north, as the plant was hiring. Tom moved to Cleveland June 15, 1951, and the next day he started working on the machines. Before he retired in 1986 he had worked on 37 different machines.

The family lived on Waverly Road for five years, then in 1961 they moved to 332nd Street. Skinner’s Bakery was located on Vine Street at the top of their street. When they were baking you could smell it all through the neighborhood. Tom was also a very good customer of Sherry and Mill’s Barber Shop, also located on Vine Street at the top of 332nd Street. One might remember seeing a real barber pole hanging outside its door.

In 1956, Mr. McDaniel was recruited by Don Viccario to join the Eastlake volunteer fire department. Don ran a shoe repair shop located where Anthony’s Restaurant is today. The station was located on 354th Street. It held one truck. Tom said that whoever backed the truck into the bay had to stay there till the next fire came, because the space was so tight that once he backed in, he couldn’t get out of the truck. The ambulance consisted of a station wagon car. The volunteers were alerted to a fire by the phone system. Their phone would ring with a pulsating beat, telling one that it was an emergency fire. The volunteers had their firefighting clothing at home. A dispatcher would inform them where to go to put out the fire. All rescue workers had a siren and flashing lights on their personal cars. They were given the right-of-way but still had to drive in a responsible manner. Tom helped to put out the fire that burned down Twilight Gardens, back in the ‘50s. This establishment was located around the area where the Sunoco Gas Station is on Lakeshore Boulevard today. It was a huge fire because the owner had just got in all of his liquor for a big New Year’s Eve party. Exploding bottles were everywhere. Culp’s Bend had a bar that also burned down. This was at the corner of Willowick Drive and Lakeshore Boulevard. Also at the corner of 331st St. and Lakeshore Boulevard was the Shore Club that burned down in the ‘60s. Tom felt that many of these fires were attributed to faulty wiring.

For many years Tom McDaniel enjoyed talking on a citizen band radio. His handle was “Skinny.” The modern folk can equate this with talking in a chat room on a computer. A handle would be like an username. The C.B. (as it was called for short) had its own vernacular. It was similar to what a police officer might use. 10-4 meant message received. 10-20 meant your location. 10-100 meant the speaker was leaving to use the restroom. The C. B. was a great device to use when traveling. A fellow driver could alert one to a speed trap or help a person with vehicular trouble. “Skinny” enjoyed talking to people in Nova Scotia, Texas and many other faraway places. This type of talking was regulated by the FCC, but a poor job of management let degenerates with foul mouths and distasteful talk take over the airwaves. Respectable people were forced to give up this pleasure so as not to be offended by others. At one time Tom had collected 47 radios. Unfortunately, when Eastlake had their flood a few years ago he lost most of them.

For many years Tom played softball and enjoyed bowling at the Vine Lanes bowling alley. The thing he enjoys most today is playing in his country band, called TJ and the Misfits. He plays the guitar and keyboard. The band has played locally for the American Legion in Willoughby. They also have performed in Wickliffe and Mentor and are open to playing for anyone who is interested in hiring them.

He and his wife enjoy attending the Eastlake Senior Citizen Center to listen to the bluegrass and country bands that they provide. He asked me to say if anyone could help in getting the roof fixed at the center, it would be much appreciated. They have buckets everywhere to collect water leaking from the roof.

This article is brought to you by the Eastlake Historical Society. If you are 80 years old or more and have lived in the City of Eastlake for at least 50 years, please contact us through Eastlake City Hall.

EASTLAKE CELEBRATES ITS SENIORS