Dalton was the second of four children born to Willison and Mary (Wagner) McLaughlin. He was born in Ava, OH. Ava is a small town located in Northwestern Noble County. In the early 1900's, Ava and the general area was booming with coal mines that dotted the country side. It seems, from stories I have heard, that almost every other farm had a coal mine located on it. This part of Ohio is quite hilly and there are many caves scattered throughout the area. At maturity, Dalton stood 5'6 1/2" tall, weighed 135-140 pounds. He had blue eyes and brown hair. He was born at home and as a child had all of the normal childhood diseases and survived a case of the dreaded "diphtheria". He was baptized at the Free Methodist Church. One of his earliest memories was when the Armistice was signed ending World War I. This was the eleventh day of the eleventh month on the eleventh hour of 1918. Everyone celebrated by ringing church bells, firing guns and shooting off fireworks. When Dalton was about ten or eleven years old, many stores throughout the area had nickel slot machines. Each time someone would put a nickel in the machine they would get as a bonus a roll of Lifesavers. Many people were not interested in the Lifesavers and would leave them in the machine. Dalton, being the entrepreneur that he was, would wait for someone to play the machines and then gather up the discarded rolls of Lifesavers which he would sell for 2 cents a roll or 5 for a dime. As a way of hastening his collection of Lifesavers, he would would cast slugs made out of lead and play the slots himself. While living in Painesville he worked at shinning shoes for a man by the name of Harold Slabaugh who owned a hat cleaning and shoeshine business. In 1935, Dalton acquired a hernia and was operated on at Bethesda Hospital by Dr. C.M. Ramba. In 1936, with the "Great Depression" still tightly gripping the economy, Dalton signed on with the Civilian Conservation Corps and was sent to Pinedale, Wyoming, in April. He was there for only thirty days when he had had enough. During this time his older brother Floyd had gotten a job in the News Room at WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio. Floyd got a job lined up for Dalton working at WLW, but Dalton couldn't get to the train on time and was 2 days late getting to Cincinnati and therefore he didn't get the job and he returned to Zanesville. On September 25, 1936, Dalton was hired by the B & O Railroad to work in the Signal Department. Through his cousin, Sarah Bayley, he had met Elizabeth Gerberich, who was in nurses training with Sarah. On March 20, 1937 they were married and moved into a home at 754 Hull Avenue, Zanesville, Ohio. He was laid off from the B & O, on August 31, 1937 and they went to Wooster, Ohio to stay with Elizabeth's parents and Dalton got a job working in the apple orchards for 25 cents an hour. In November of 1937 they returned to Zanesville where he got a job selling Electrolux vacuum cleaners door-to-door. In early 1938 he got a job working with the Works Progress Administration painting steel girder bridges for ninety and one-half cents an hours or hauled dirt for fifty cents an hour. He was allowed to work 105 hours per month. In November 1938, he went to work in the W.P.A.'s Toy Shop where he worked all winter into the next fall. Here he made cradles and other wood toys. With all of the moving Dalton's family had done, it had been hard for him to keep up with his schooling and he had quit high school before graduating. In September of 1939, Dalton began night school classes at Zanesville and completed his high school education earning him a diploma. In November 1939, he went to work for Line Material Corp., building electric transformers. He worked here through May of 1940. On June 23, 1940 Dalton was hired back with the B & O Railroad working as a brakeman, switch tender and flagman out of the Columbus, Ohio yard. On December 31, 1975 he retired from the Railroad with 39 years, 5 months and 5 days of service. During this time he held the following positions including those mentioned above; conductor, yard foreman and yard master. He was a member of the Brotherhood of Railraod Trainmen (BRT) and United Trainmen Union (UTU). He was the Legistrative Representative for BRT #169 and UTU #404 for 25 years. His hobbies have been hunting, trapping, fishing, fly tieing, coin and stamp collecting and gardening. He raised much of his own fishing bait in the form red worms, meal worms and wax worms. He enjoys tinkering in his workshop making little things from wood, be it a child's stool or a picture frame. He was always a good provider for his family. Even during the toughest of times there was always a roof over their head, clothes on their back and food on the table. [written in tribute by his son Garry Lee McLaughlin]
Pop was greatly loved by his family and will be soulfully missed by family and friends.
Pop was greatly loved by his family and will be soulfully missed by family and friends.
Dalton was the second of four children born to Willison and Mary (Wagner) McLaughlin. He was born in Ava, OH. Ava is a small town located in Northwestern Noble County. In the early 1900's, Ava and the general area was booming with coal mines that dotted the country side. It seems, from stories I have heard, that almost every other farm had a coal mine located on it. This part of Ohio is quite hilly and there are many caves scattered throughout the area. At maturity, Dalton stood 5'6 1/2" tall, weighed 135-140 pounds. He had blue eyes and brown hair. He was born at home and as a child had all of the normal childhood diseases and survived a case of the dreaded "diphtheria". He was baptized at the Free Methodist Church. One of his earliest memories was when the Armistice was signed ending World War I. This was the eleventh day of the eleventh month on the eleventh hour of 1918. Everyone celebrated by ringing church bells, firing guns and shooting off fireworks. When Dalton was about ten or eleven years old, many stores throughout the area had nickel slot machines. Each time someone would put a nickel in the machine they would get as a bonus a roll of Lifesavers. Many people were not interested in the Lifesavers and would leave them in the machine. Dalton, being the entrepreneur that he was, would wait for someone to play the machines and then gather up the discarded rolls of Lifesavers which he would sell for 2 cents a roll or 5 for a dime. As a way of hastening his collection of Lifesavers, he would would cast slugs made out of lead and play the slots himself. While living in Painesville he worked at shinning shoes for a man by the name of Harold Slabaugh who owned a hat cleaning and shoeshine business. In 1935, Dalton acquired a hernia and was operated on at Bethesda Hospital by Dr. C.M. Ramba. In 1936, with the "Great Depression" still tightly gripping the economy, Dalton signed on with the Civilian Conservation Corps and was sent to Pinedale, Wyoming, in April. He was there for only thirty days when he had had enough. During this time his older brother Floyd had gotten a job in the News Room at WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio. Floyd got a job lined up for Dalton working at WLW, but Dalton couldn't get to the train on time and was 2 days late getting to Cincinnati and therefore he didn't get the job and he returned to Zanesville. On September 25, 1936, Dalton was hired by the B & O Railroad to work in the Signal Department. Through his cousin, Sarah Bayley, he had met Elizabeth Gerberich, who was in nurses training with Sarah. On March 20, 1937 they were married and moved into a home at 754 Hull Avenue, Zanesville, Ohio. He was laid off from the B & O, on August 31, 1937 and they went to Wooster, Ohio to stay with Elizabeth's parents and Dalton got a job working in the apple orchards for 25 cents an hour. In November of 1937 they returned to Zanesville where he got a job selling Electrolux vacuum cleaners door-to-door. In early 1938 he got a job working with the Works Progress Administration painting steel girder bridges for ninety and one-half cents an hours or hauled dirt for fifty cents an hour. He was allowed to work 105 hours per month. In November 1938, he went to work in the W.P.A.'s Toy Shop where he worked all winter into the next fall. Here he made cradles and other wood toys. With all of the moving Dalton's family had done, it had been hard for him to keep up with his schooling and he had quit high school before graduating. In September of 1939, Dalton began night school classes at Zanesville and completed his high school education earning him a diploma. In November 1939, he went to work for Line Material Corp., building electric transformers. He worked here through May of 1940. On June 23, 1940 Dalton was hired back with the B & O Railroad working as a brakeman, switch tender and flagman out of the Columbus, Ohio yard. On December 31, 1975 he retired from the Railroad with 39 years, 5 months and 5 days of service. During this time he held the following positions including those mentioned above; conductor, yard foreman and yard master. He was a member of the Brotherhood of Railraod Trainmen (BRT) and United Trainmen Union (UTU). He was the Legistrative Representative for BRT #169 and UTU #404 for 25 years. His hobbies have been hunting, trapping, fishing, fly tieing, coin and stamp collecting and gardening. He raised much of his own fishing bait in the form red worms, meal worms and wax worms. He enjoys tinkering in his workshop making little things from wood, be it a child's stool or a picture frame. He was always a good provider for his family. Even during the toughest of times there was always a roof over their head, clothes on their back and food on the table. [written in tribute by his son Garry Lee McLaughlin]
Pop was greatly loved by his family and will be soulfully missed by family and friends.
Pop was greatly loved by his family and will be soulfully missed by family and friends.
