(Top Left) Charter Shaffer WWI, additionally Shaffer Town Constable
Sheriff Ivan Umstead, Charter Shaffer's "Defense Duck"

By Bob Weaver 2025

In the 20th Century one of Grantsville's great characters was Charter Shaffer (1891-1963), a World War I veteran who was the Town Constable and a Civilian Defense volunteer during World War II and the Cold War.

During World War II, Charter created a live "Defense Duck," which he carried around to raise money for the war effort.

Charter was a street person who had stores around Grantsville, often moved around the town, but first remembered being beside the Mollohan house (near CCCOA), a rough building containing household items, junk and a little moonshine. Hanging outside was long strings of bananas for a nominal fee.

Charter maintained a "slop wagon," an old truck with mounted tank with which he went door-to-door collecting garbage to feed his hogs. Inside Charter's store you could play checkers, dominoes and sip a little joy juice to your hearts content.

Charter was remembered for being the lone occupant of the men's restroom in the county courthouse when the boiler blew up in the 1950s, knocking the walls down while he set collected on the throne. Worse for wear, addled Charter stumped up the steps and out of the rubble and proclaimed an atomic bomb had been dropped by the Russians on Grantsville. It was Cold War (1950s +) days of bomb shelters and community warnings when school children were ask to practice duck and cover under school chairs - fear of impending nuclear Holocaust. An added boost to every community was highly preserved food in hundreds of barrels, just in case.

Another memorable Grantsville explosion was when Cabot Station Compressor Station blew up in 1945, cracking windows in Grantsville, causing death.

The late historian Carlton Weaver said he was fascinated with a local eatery and tavern in the 1930s-40s, the Coney Island Lunch, operated by "the Greeks" who lived on north side. They had booths that had curtains that could be pulled, for privacy. "They were the only Catholics in the county," he said.

The tavern was located in the general area of the original Calhoun Bank on Main Street. In addition to their hot dogs, they were known for various bean dishes, including chili. Once, when their pressure cooker was cooking beans, it blew up, the windows of the establishment were knocked out, scattering beans across Main Street, splashing the court house.