Person Page - 48

Wallace Vokes was born in 1876 in Iowa.? His brother , Walter, was born in
Iowa in 1873.? Only their father was born outside the United States.? In May
1885 Nelson Bement enumerated Wallace in the household of Daniel Buckhacker,
perhaps his step father, 36th in Hubbard.? In the 1920s Wallace and Walter Vokes
owned land in section 36 of Henrietta Township.

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Wallace Vokes came to Scottsville in the early 1900's from the west at the persuasion of William and John Reed because of his ability to break in horses. In 1905 Vokes purchased a wagon with a tank and for three years watered the streets of Scottsville due the the dust in the dry times. He filled the tank by syphoning water at the Garbutt plaster mill pond. That was the same year the PRR extended it's tracks to Garbutt. In 1921 Vokes purchased a dry house business from John Marchner (located on Maple Street near the rail station) which exported dried apples and fruit internationally which he ran for three years. During the 20's, Vokes was the Town of Wheatland Superintendent but relinquished that post to start his coal business in the closed dry house, which would have placed the business on the BR&P / B&O tracks. In 1948, the coal business was sold to Edward H. Schmittendorf. Three years later, he closed the office and coal yard and opened a coal yard near the old Pennsylvania Railroad station. In December, 1952 he sold his coal business to William Kiel. Information taken from "History of the Town of Wheatland", Carl Schmidt

As a youngster, I remember the concrete coal towers on Wyvil Ave., near the end of Maple street. We could climb up the inside of the tower and then slide down the very rusty corkscrew shaped chute in the middle of the tower which prevented the coal from dropping the entire height of the tower. These were elevated so that a truck could be loaded from underneath the towers (3 of them). These were razed in the 60s/70s.

Vokes had a reputation as an iron fisted ruler: indeed he had his name cast in the concrete of the bridges over the millrace running through Scottsville. I aquired some property behind my house and in the debris left behind by a former owner, I found the wooden with lead letters form used to implant Vokes in the concrete for eternity, or until the bridges are gone. Two were taken out last year with the last remaining on Scot Crescent.

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MONROE.
Mlaa Eunice Mowson and Wallace Edgar
Yokes Wed at Scottsville.
Tho marriage of Misa Eunice Mowson,
eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert G.
Mowson, of Scottsville, to Wallace Edgar
Yokes was solemnized at Gruce Episcopal
Church, Scottsville, yesterday afternoon at
4:30 o'clock.
The bride entered the church on the arm
of her father and preceding them came the
ushers. Howard McNall and Paul Williams,
and the matron of honor, Mrs. Harry
Crosby, tho bride's sister. They were met
at the altar by the groom and hi* best
man, Harry Crosby. Rev. Mr. Searing,
rector of Grace Episcopal Church, then
rend the beautiful marriage service of the
church. Mrs. George Wingard presided at
the organ. The bride looked charming in
a gown of white organdie and carried
bride roses. The matron of honor wore a
similar gown and carried red rose*. After
the ceremony a reception was held at the
home of the bride. Mr. and Mrs. Yoke*
will reside in Scottsville-.

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