SUMMERS COUNTY (Hinton News) – It is time for another edition of A Peek into Summers County’s Past. Every week, a local history collector, William Jones, talks about historically significant pieces from his collection. Most items pertain directly to the area, while some are more tenuously connected. In this edition, he discusses The Travlin’ Hillbillies.
To begin, Jones said, “This week’s piece is a bit different in that it is not one single item but yet has become an icon in Summers County. The Travlin Hillbillies, the Model A Ford truck you see [in the photo], was built by my grandfather Bernard L. Thompson and his dad O.D. Thompson in Talcott in 1967.” He continued, “Granddad, as I called him, was always interested in antique cars, having grown up in Thompsons Garage, especially the Model A. He had a few good ones in the 1960s and tried showing them and entering them in local parades during that time. He could not win a trophy after having his heart set on one for several years. Because, at that time, the Model A was so prevalent, they had to be in superb condition to win anything.”
The tradition began in Alderson during the annual July 4 festivities in 1968. According to Jones, “The Travlin Hillbillies first made their debut in the Alderson 4th of July parade in 1968. Granddad was known as ‘Uncle Jake’. I have told the story before about his grandmother calling him and his cousin Gene Wallace ‘the two jakes’ when he was a child, it stuck with him all of his life. Grandma; Bea Thompson was known as Aunt Bea. And the two children in the photo are my mother, Cheryl Thompson Jones and her brother Robert Thompson.”
The truck and its occupants became a staple at car shows and parades across the southern part of West Virginia and the northern area of Virginia. Jones stated, “He showed the truck at various car shows and participated in parades all over southern West Virginia and northern Virginia. From its first showing in the Alderson 4th parade, the truck has been in Railroad Days, Pioneer Days in Marlington, The Water Festival, Farmers Day in Union, car shows at the state fair and the WV Capitol and John Henry Days. Nascar driver Tiny Lund rode on the truck at Ona Speedway in West Virginia. It has also been at Cass Scenic Railroad, to name a small selection of the many appearances made over the years.”
“My all time favorite one moment involves John Stanly, a famous Native American actor, who starred in the John Wayne movie Mclintock in 1963. Mr Stanly was better known as Running Buffalo, and had the simple but famous line ‘where’s the whisky?’ rode on the truck while granddad had it in northern Virginia at a wild west attraction. He played a drunk in the movie, which is why he enjoyed laughing about the moonshine still on top of the truck; according to my mother. And if you are familiar with this movie and the character he played in it, you know why haha.”
Speaking about the included photos, Jones said, “The photo of granddad and the ‘lady’ is with Eugene ‘Shaddy’ Lipscomb. This was at the Water Festival in Hinton in 1968. They would stop during the parade, get out of their vehicles and dance together. Lock arms, dance down the street pretending to be a couple. They put on quite a show, from what I’ve heard. They continued doing this through the 1970s, entertaining the crowd.”
Jones’ grandfather continued to vie for a coveted ribbon over the years. His efforts paid off with a handsome collection. Jones noted, “Granddad’s scheme to win a trophy more than paid off. By the time he passed away in 2018 he had won 118 trophies (many of which were first place or best of show), 33 wall plaques and 100s of ribbons and dash plaques. There were also countless newspaper articles. I always found it humorous when granddad would take this beat up rusty Model A Ford with bras on the tires to car shows like the one they used to have at Tamarack in Beckley. And people would enter their perfect condition muscle cars. And they would spend the whole day cleaning and shining on them. Then, at the end of the day, it would come time for the trophies. The announcer would call out, ‘and first place goes to Bernard Thompson with his 1930 Travlin Hillbillies truck’.”
The truck and the experiences created many fond memories for Jones and his family. He said, “After Granddad passed away in 2018, and mom was having to transfer the title to the truck to her name. While she was in the process, she had to have an error corrected by the sheriff of Summers County to complete it. I went with her to do so. While in his office, he casually asked her what she was going to do with the truck if she intended to sell it. I saw her grin and lean back in her seat. She then said, ‘No! But I would sell that first!’ Then pointed at me. We all had a good laugh, and I have to say I would probably sell myself before I sold that truck. Growing up in hillbilly clothes and being in parades and car shows with it over the last 37 years has become a huge part of my life.”
To sum up, Jones said, “Everyone I have ever talked to in this part of the state about antique cars remembers seeing it in the Alderson 4th of July parade or at Hinton in the Water Festival parade. Granddad’s last time having it out was in the parade in Alderson in 2015. The festivities were canceled due to the flood that struck on June 23, 2016. We intend on putting it in the parade this year for the first time since Granddad passed. It is just fitting that this will be the 55th anniversary since The Travlin Hillbillies was started in 1968 in that very parade. We are carrying your legacy on and trying to make you proud granddad!”
We have come to the end of another edition of A Peek into Summers County’s Past. Have you seen the Tavlin Hillbillies at local events? Come back next week for another glimpse into the area’s history.
Anyone interested in sharing a story from Summers County’s history can reach us by email at news@hintonnews.com.
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