To the Editor,

The Upper Ohio Valley is a special place to me, filled with boyhood memories. The band Chicago sang “Old days …Take me back To a world gone away,” with the 4th of July celebrations eagerly awaited, where the beginning of an early morning raising of Old Glory, a day filled with laughter and stories burgers, dogs on the grill, warm buns bursting with flavor, with ketchup, mustard, and onions, relish piled high, so much laughter and good times you would think every day is the 4th of July. As the sun makes its way into the western sky, then comes the parade, followed by listening to Laney Wilson tunes as darkness overcomes the crowd, which ends with a night sky filled with stars for making a wish, a vibrant display of fireworks in the sky.

Thanking my lucky stars..

I am from pioneer stock, something I can take great pride in; my people fought in the American Revolution, great-great-great-grandparents meeting falling in love at Fort Pitt during the war.

My granddad took part in many conflicts along the Ohio River, once leaving Mingo Bottoms on May 20, 1782, heading north towards Sandusky, where many Indian tribes were encamped. In treasured letters, the events have been written down, capturing the moments as if they were a voiceover of Elsa Dutton from the TV mini-series 1883 when they walked beside Covered

White Tops following wagon ruts from Indiana, . and crossed the Missouri River at Council Bluffs, making it to the Kansas Territory, where the famous abolitionist, John Brown, had his homestead. They took up the Oregon Trail, for a while, young adventurers did they make their way to the Black Hills, Deadwood? Unfortunately, at least for now, the letters remain incomplete. So, the rest of the story is left to the imagination. Some of their bones rest peacefully in Jefferson County, Ohio. So, I am going to sip a little watermelon moonshine, put on a red embroidered rodeo shirt, my white ranch-style hat, and make my way over near the Ohio River to watch those sparklers in the sky and make that wish come true! To borrow a line from a Willie Nelson song, my heroes have always been cowboys, and I guess they still are.

Michael Traubert

Wellsburg