An Afternoon with Polly Ragland – age 103 of Metropolis

(WMOK) Metropolis, IL – WMOK had the opportunity recently to speak with Holly Ragland – age 103 of metropolis. Polly was born at 13th and Catherine streets in Metropolis in 1920.

Poly recalls beginning School at Clark and by the first part of the second grade they moved to 110 East 7th at which time she began attending Central school.  She recalls the second grade teacher by the name of Linda love and remarked that she still has her grade school report cards.

Her dad was a railroad tie carrier and she remembers the train depot well during that time.

The recollections of the ice cream man were what first drew our attention to Polly. A handful of years ago during the WMOK Morning Show we received a call after we had just spoken about ice cream trucks from a listener who recalled the ice cream wagon.  It was Polly. It was a wagon indeed and horse drawn – the driver ring a bell. Polly thinks that they paid a nickel for an ice cream cone.

As a child she recalls playing in the yard with her niece Bonnie who was close to her in age. Polly said that the man next door was a fisherman and they would often watch him clean the fish.

One especially interesting memories that Polly recalled – on occasion her mother would send she and her niece to the grocery store – their route to the grocery store carried them by a tree in which an Indian was carved in the trunk. Polly recalls being frightened of it and running by the house anytime they passed.

We went on to speak with Polly about her high school years her career and her adult life.

Our interview which will be uploaded later this week includes recollections of:

• The City swimming pool being built when she was a child
• The Eli theater on 3rd Street
• The Illinois theater between 3rd and 4th Street
• Prom taking place at the Egyptian dance hall
• A place called The Lucky stop on ferry Street at which the kids hung out

We look forward to bringing you more from our visit with Polly this week.

We shared an amazing visit. Pictured below: Polly and Kim Comer

Polly showed an original Paducah Sun Democrat newspaper from the 1937 flood

Shown below a photo that Polly was kind enough to allow us to copy –  glove factory employees in 1917.

And a photo of the back of the photo so that we could bring the names back to you folks…