Moundsville Journal
February 7, 1941
Nearly Three Hundred Join in Joy Ride and Tribute to Jess Marple.
Street car service between Moundsville and McMechen ended last night as a crowd of between 100 and 300 Moundsville and Glendale residents paid a tribute to J. D. Marple of McMechen, superintendent of the Moundsville division of the Co-Operative Transit Company and helped inaugurate bus service between the two points.
Mr. Marple, who was in charge of the first electric car that entered Moundsville in August, 1896, was in charge of the last car that left this city shortly after 12:30 a. m. and took over the controls from Motorman Willard Dunlap of Ash avenue as the car entered the Glendale-McMechen Narrows.
The celebration, sponsored by the Moundsville Kiwanis club ended with a program in the McMechen car barn, which is being remodeled into a garage.
President Harry B. McCune of the company paid a tribute to Mr. Marple and introduced Mrs. Marple before turning the program over the President Roy Craig of the Kiwanis club, who introduced Mr. Marple after reviewing his records with the company and the club.
Mr. Marple reviewed briefly his service with the company and expressed his appreciation to the Kiwanis club and those who had turned out for the celebration. He reported that Howard Hazlett of Wheeling, now deceased, paid the first fare on a Moundsville car, and that the late W. W. Echols of Second street was the first Moundsville man to pay a fare.
He introduced Mr. E. E. Koontz and Mr. James A. Sigafoose of Moundsville who were passengers on the first car and said Mr. Koontz still had one of the tickets he had purchased on the first journey between Moundsville and Benwood, then the northern terminal of the line.
President Craig turned the program over to A. G. Bonar, chairman of the Kiwanis club on arrangements.
Dr. Robert A. Ashworth presented Mr. Marple with a past president's pin in behalf of the club and a floral tribute from the club was presented to Mrs. Marple by Attorney John Carrigan.
Brief remarks were made by Mayor W. W. Wilson of Moundsville, former Senator Walter F. Burgess, Ross T. Karnes, vice president of the company, W. L. Mengert, editor of The Journal, President J. L. Maxwell of the Marshall county court and a letter from R. G. Dakan, expressing his regrets for being unable to attend and congratulating Mr. Marple on his service record, was read. Mayor Reed Garvin of Glendale was introduced and took a bow.
Harry W. Jones of Moundsville led the singing of "America," When You and I Were Young, Maggie" and "He's A Jolly Good Fellow."
Refershments [sic] were served at the conclusion of the program and the entire party returned to Moundsville in the new buses which began operating on a full time schedule today.
Despite lateness of the hour many spectators were on Jefferson avenue as the car was making its final run. Redfire was burned through on of the front windows as the cheering crowd of passengers made the celebration a fitting one.
As the car stopped at the car barn Mr. Marple received the last fare from A. G. Bonar to complete the ceremony.
Clarence Burch of Moundsville, also one of the first passengers, boarded the car at Thirteenth street and rode to Tenth street to become the first passenger to leave the last car.