The Old Whittler’s Bench
In the late 1940s, Robert William “Bob” Stewart Sr., placed a long bench in front of his garage in Worthville. The garage was located between the railroad depot and the local post office.
“Stewart’s Garage was in the middle of a lot of daily activity,” says Robert William “Bill” Stewart Jr., Bob’s son.
Bill, 80, an Owen Electric Cooperative consumer-member for more than 50 years, recalls growing up in Worthville, in Carroll County, and the role the town played in the steam engine era.
“This is where they would stop to take on water to complete their trips from Cincinnati to Louisville,” he says.
Bob Stewart came home from the Army and started the garage. He also took flying lessons, and the background photo above was taken on one of his flights above Worthville.
Through the decades, locals and visitors alike would sit on the bench outside Stewart’s Garage to talk and whittle. Bill calls the bench “The Old Whittler’s Bench.”
“I now realize I may be the only person that can pen the way life was in these early years as I was growing up in Worthville,” Bill says. “The idea came to me that the old whittler’s bench could tell a story of how Worthville used to be.”
So, Bill wrote a poem in 2024 from the perspective of the bench, describing its point of view through the years.
Bob Stewart died in 1963, and the bench went idle for 60 years, but Bill kept it. Now, the bench has a new home at Stewart Farms, owned by Bill’s son Dan, on State Route 467, just outside of Worthville.
“The Old Whittlers Bench”
Written by: Robert “Bill” Stewart, June 2024
Memories at Stewart Garage
About 1948 the Whittler’s bench was set in place,
The old men started to come to get their space.
Each day as they started to whittle,
Some men would say you need to make those shavings little.
Whittle, whittle, a little.
Worthville was the place to be
With the big steam engine stopping in town
To take on water to complete their rounds.
The depot was busy each day,
Receiving and sending out mail on its way.
The passenger Train were busy for me to see,
During these times Worthville was the place to be.
In the early fifties we had a big happening in town,
People showed up at Worthville from all around.
To campaign, President “IKE” did a whistle stop,
The crowd was big as they came to see him and shop.
The whittler’s bench was located just right,
To see all the happenings both day and night.
The post office sat next to the bench.
Worthville had 3 stores, a cream station,
And a barber that would cut off only an inch.
The whittler’s bench was a popular place in town,
All the politicians were coming around.
All the governors from the late forties to sixty three,
Showed up for people to see.
Pop Stewart set on the bench to pump the fuel,
Melvin and Bob were busy doing the work and turning the tools.
All the farmers would make it to the town,
So they could keep up with the gossip going around.
People were shopping, the post office was always busy,
Many were buying their eggs from Aunt Lizzy.
Men going to Frankfort each day,
Had to pass the bench on their way.
Kids on their bikes and going to school,
Good teachers always sharing the rules.
Pop Stewart died in 1962,
Bob helped everyone get through.
Then there was an awful time for me in 1963
My master suffered a heart attack
He died and never made it back.
Many locals have often said,
Worthville also died when Bob Stewart was dead.
This ole bench went idle for sixty years
Waiting for a new place to appear.
Bob’s son “Bill” kept me near!
Now I’m happy to say!
A new Stewart garage has come my may
Bill’s son Dan is on his way
I now have a nice place to sit,
I now can listen to the trains go by
And I hope you’ll never forget.
