43
Poland couple part of community’s rich history
Photo
Neighbors | Christine Keeling.The Benton House is decorated for the upcoming holidays. The house on Main Street was built in 1880.
Photo
Neighbors | Christine Keeling.Members of a Poland family, (front) Candence Berendt; (middle) Betty Madrid; (back) from left, Molly Berendt, Merle Madrid and Suzanne Homrighausen enjoyed talking about Poland history. The Madrids have lived in Poland for more than 80 years.
Photo
Neighbors | Christine Keeling.Poland resident Merle Madrid showed off a picture of him as quarterback for Poland Seminary High School. Madrid's team played in the first lit night game at the school.
Photo
Neighbors | Submitted.Betty Madrid enjoyed an afternoon with her great-granddaughter Cadence Berendt May 25. Five generations of the family have lived in Poland.
By CHRISTINE KEELING
Main Street not only has a library with books full of information, but a historical house with a married couple full of Poland history.
Merle and Betty Madrid have lived in Poland for more than 80 years. It’s the place they grew up, met and cherish memories.
“I moved to Poland in 1928 and the trolley car was running then,” Merle said.
The trolley car would travel from the top of the hill on Main Street to downtown Youngstown. The couple remembered how people would dress up to ride it.
“My mom took me to the hospital on it when I broke my arm,” said Betty.
Betty moved to Poland in 1927 when her father, William Foster Benton, moved the family from Tennessee. She grew up in the house they now call home.
“My mother chose Poland because it reminded her of Hudson, Ohio,” Betty said.
As a child, Betty roller-skated and played in the water that ran downhill on Main Street. She was a Girl Scout and sang in her church choir. Merle was “the boy down the road” and the Poland Seminary High School quarterback who played in the first night game under the lights.
“The big highlight in Poland was the minstrel show put on by the American Legion,” Betty said.
Local talent would gather every year and perform a vaudeville style show at Poland Seminary High School.
The couple was high school sweethearts and attended prom together.
“Only girl I ever knew,” said Merle. “I can take you to the exact spot where I first saw her at Union School.”
In 1942, they married at Benton House and lived in a basement apartment her father built them.
“He reminded me of Thomas Jefferson,” Betty said of her father’s innovation.
Benton used bricks that paved Main Street to build what the family believes was the first swimming pool in Poland.
Before the birth of their first daughter, Merle left for the Navy.
He said that although Betty had no idea that he was stationed at Mariana Island she picked Marianne as their first daughter’s name.
In December of 1945, Merle returned from the war and got involved in church. He was a Poland councilman for eight years and Poland’s mayor for 15 years. He also ran against Harry Meshel for State Senate with his wife at his side as his campaign manager.
“I knew I didn’t have a chance in this world to win because of this Democratic area were in,” said Merle. “But I went ahead and got beat bad just to satisfy the Republican Party in Columbus.”
Betty was a charter member of the Poland Women’s Club. She planned and coordinated the first Poland community Christmas programs and organized summer concerts at Poland Presbyterian Church more than 35 years ago.
“Paul Rossi was the first performer,” Betty recalled.
Poland still holds summer concerts every Monday night, but the location has moved to Town Hall.
Merle and Betty’s life is marked with change.
They raised their family in Poland Manor and then moved back to Benton House to care for Betty’s mother until she passed away in 1988 at the age of 91. The swimming pool is gone; the land where it sat with a beach cottage was sold for library parking.
The sound of Mr. Granger’s horse trotting down Main Street is replaced by the steady hum of passing cars. The stable behind the house was converted into a carport and now their antique shop, the Stagecoach Out Back.
The one thing that remained constant for Merle and Betty are the deep roots they have in Poland. There is no sign they plan to leave the community that created memories they hold dear.
“It’s a nice little town,” said Merle.
And it’s the place where all four of their children and families call home.