Allegany County, devotees of the C&O Canal trail and residents of Little Orleans are mourning the loss of Bill Schoenadel (obituary, Jan. 6 Times-News), the legendary proprietor of Bill’s Place.
Bill passed away early Jan. 5, just shy of his 89th birthday after a long battle with lung cancer.
The wiry and colorful entrepreneur and unofficial mayor of Little Orleans, became a larger than life fixture along the C&O Canal trail for years, serving up cold refreshments and meals to countless weary hikers and bikers.
His dry, sarcastic since of humor became synonymous with the Green Ridge region of Allegany County and he was celebrated in countless newspaper articles and featured in books documenting Maryland’s many colorful characters.
Once you got know him he was the genuine article. Beneath the gruff, stalwart veneer was a man of compassion and kindness. He was known to lend money when someone was down and out, offer up a free meal, a ride or a place to crash on the porch for the night.
A printer by profession and an employee of the Cumberland Times-News, Bill eventually purchased the old Callahan Store in 1968 in Little Orleans and made it his own.
Bill’s Place was exactly what it professed itself to be and nothing more. Beer, bait, groceries, and good times.
There was a famous sign that was saved from the election day 2000 fire that destroyed the original store that was moved some hundred feet up High Germany Road from the C&O Canal when the Western Maryland railroad came through in 1904, that basically read, “This is not burger monarch, so shut up and have it our way or no way at all.”
A truly unique tradition of which its origins are totally unknown to this writer was for patrons to sign or leave a message with felt tip marker on mostly dollar bills, then staple them to the ceiling of Bill’s Place.
Bill jokingly referred to this as his supplemental Social Security income when he retired. Unfortunately,; a healthy portion of that went up when the original Bill’s burned. A new building was built on the original site and would continue this tradition along with patches from military, police, fire and EMS units from across the country as well as fishing and hunting paraphernalia.
Each August would see Bill’s Place become the epicenter of the Apple’s East Coast Motorcycle Rally and numerous bluegrass entertainment featuring local musical artists. Multitudes of appreciative fans jammed Bill’s for an evening of down home entertainment, refreshments and fellowship.
Bill has gone to his final resting place and the future may be in question. Hopefully Bill’s Place will continue to draw weary travelers from the C&O Canal trail and with a little luck the extension of the Western Maryland Rail Trail (WMRT) will introduce countless others to the allure and charm of this unique establishment.
Thank you Bill for everything; it was a great ride while it lasted and you did good! Rest in peace my friend.
John Walker
Little Orleans
Letters
Bill was the real thing and well worth knowing
- Letters
-
-
Walk Smart
Many local residents will be visiting Ocean City this summer, so it is worth noting that the resort has launched a campaign that it hopes will keep pedestrians out of harm’s way.
-
Trailer case bound to increase scrutiny on town of Piedmont
This letter is in response to the recent story concerning the guilty plea entered in federal court by Piedmont’s town foreman (“Piedmont town foreman Shingler enters guilty plea,” May 21 Times-News, Page 1A).
-
Fixing community’s problems starts with your young people
I am writing this letter to the editor because I think our community really needs to work on plenty of issues. Some of them are:
-
Why are there no answers to these questions?
We currently have the most corrupt administration in the history of the country. Every day more and more lies come from the Obama administration.
-
Roaming dogs prove menace to some residents of LaVale
I am writing to inform your readers and the animal control staff of Allegany about a problem that is dragging on and unresolved, yet.
-
These types should look to the Boy Scouts for an example
Consider these headlines:
NRA will “Never Surrender.”
The Tea Party will “Never Surrender.”
The No Tax Group will “Never surrender.”
Neocons will “Never Surrender.”
Far Left Liberals will “Never Surrender.” -
Housing project will have bad effect on property in this area
I am writing to you to voice my opposition to a low income housing project that has been proposed for construction on a tract of land on Pine Swamp Road in Mineral County, W.Va. I am a registered voter and resident of Mineral County and live in the New Creek/Pine Swamp area.
-
Why have the media been silent all this time?
When I read the Cumberland Times-News Editorial this morning, Friday, May 17, entitled, “Outrageous,” I laughed like a kid at a birthday party!
-
What are chances this much money will be spent on road?
I was intrigued by cost data summarized in reporter Kathy Mellott’s recent article, “Completing southern link of U.S. Route 219 said to be best use of highway funds,” which appeared in the Cumberland Times-News on Tuesday May 14 (Page 1A).
-
School board should be doing better job with less money
The Allegany County Teachers Association (ACTA) board of directors recently submitted a letter to the editor asking the Allegany County commissioners to fully fund the Board of Education’s budget request for the upcoming fiscal year (“Commissioners should fund school board request,” April 29 Times-News).
- More Letters Headlines
-
