From the archives: A TRIBUTE TO A TRUE SPORTSMAN AND HUNTER

 

First written and published: November 5, 2009

A TRIBUTE TO A HUNTER, SPORTSMAN AND PIONEER.

written and compiled

by

Joe Ewing

Pictures reproduced from the Wolford family archives.

Doyle Thomas Wolford was born April 28, 1913 near Sigel, Barnett Township, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania and died July 27, 2002 near Shippenville, PA.

His parents were John Henry and Rebecca Jane Asel Wolford. Rebecca Jane's father came to this country directly from Germany. Many of Tom's ancestors came from Ireland and Germany.

"Tom" as he was known by his friends and family left Jefferson County as a young boy with his family after a devastating tornado destroyed their farm and home near Sigel, PA. The family moved to McKean County settling in the village of Walkertown, in the "oil patch" of the Bradford Oil Fields of Pennsylvania.

Tom worked his entire life in the Bradford Oil Fields for the South Penn Oil Company which eventually became Pennzoil Company. During WWII he worked the "Victory Shift" at Dresser Manufacturing plant in Bradford, PA.

Tom, a prolific deer hunter, loved the hills and mountains, woods and forests. From a young age he chased hounds over the hills of McKean County. It was in the deep woods and on the steep hills of McKean County, Pennsylvania where Tom hunted with his many friends and many hounds for fox, raccoon, bobcat, deer and squirrel.

Many hounds there were. I have pictured only a few of these great animals.

I enjoyed many of his wonderful hunting stories and I dearly wish I would have copied just a few down to paper.

As with all houndsmen and hounds most were happy stories, but, a few were not. Stories of successful hunts are the happiest stories however losing a hound to misfortune is always a sad story. 

As they say, "One picture is worth a thousand words."

Below are many thousands of unspoken words in pictures.

Some of these pictures we know the year and some we do not.

(Below) Tom with red fox 1939.

(Above) A young Tom and "Joe". Tom in his Sunday Suit.

(Above) "Lizzy Lee" 1937.


(Above) "Butts"

Note the outhouse or privy to the left and the push type reel mower on the right. This was the only type of lawn mower they had before gasoline self-propelled mowers.

(Above) Tom Wolford with bobcat. (circa 1943)

Above: Tom and Simon Young with red fox and bobcat around 1943. Simon reports the cat was treed by the hounds while hunting for fox in the Farmer's Valley region of McKean County. He also remembers the bobcat was old with worn out teeth.



                                                                                  (Below) Tom with "Hi Noon".

(Below)
"Tommy"

(Below) "Rattler"

"Rattler" was a squirrel dog. Tom used a ".218B" hunting rifle for everything from deer to squirrel including turkey, fox and bobcat.

(Left) Tom and "Rattler". Rattler was a Rat Terrier, hence the name, Rattler.

(Note:)

Here's a breed that says up front what they're all about: Rat Terriers are terriers bred to kill rats. A good ratter was a standard equipment on old-time farms, where a rodent infestation could mean the difference between having enough grain to last the winter and going hungry. 

(Left) Tom, Noon and Joe.

(Below) A young looking Tom and a beautiful hound named "Speed".

Left: Great old fox hound Buff.

Left: Tom, far right, Jack Bishop, second from left. The other two are unidentified.

Jack Bishop was a good hunting buddy of Tom's as they hunted fox night and day. Jack and Tom traveled to North Carolina to hunt fox.