By Leisha Wessinger-Hufstetler
Here are some of the incredible stories in the legacy of the Pinner family. Dr. Pinner Sr had purchased, in the 1920s, red wall tires for his car. Because he parked his car across the trestle, he had a problem with items being stolen. This time, it was his red wall tires. How frustrating! He had to get new tires for his car. One day on his rounds, he found his red wall tires at someone’s house and brought them home. Wouldn’t you have loved to hear the conversation he had with the person who stole them?
Practicing medicine was a bit different in the early 1900s; a doctor would drive in an area to make his rounds, and people would just stop him for visits. I want to make a correction in the last article. I said he would give out a pink pill or a blue pill, but it was a white pill and a blue pill. I still wonder what was in those pills. He charged $2.50 for a house call and frequently apologized to the patient for charging the fee.
Speaking of the daily trek across the trestle, one time, there was a train inconveniently parked on the tracks. Dr. Pinner Sr. decided to walk on top of the boxcars to get to the other side. Everything worked well until the train started moving. He had to move fast and eventually jumped off the top of the boxcars. The feat was exciting enough, but add a doctor bag in each hand makes it even more dangerous and complicated. I know the Lord was looking out for him that day.
Dr. Pinner Jr has another story of Heaven’s intervention involving a bridge and a 66 Chevrolet named the “Golden Guinea.” The car’s lights had a tendency to cut out at inopportune times; this time, the lights cut off while crossing the bridge over the river. To cut them on again, you had to hit the floorboard hard with your foot. Well, he did that, and when the lights turned on, he found himself going over the bridge into the water. The car fell into the river. Undeterred, he got out, found a way to the house call, and got back home at 4 am. When he crawled into bed, soaking wet, his wife, Dr. Harriot Pinner, questioned why he was wet. He told his wife, “Oh, I just drove the Golden Guiney into the river.” The next day, the car was pulled out of the water. The “Golden Guinea” ran well for many years after its river adventure, without a headlight issue! I know his wife and family were thankful he was ok. I will spotlight Dr. Harriot Pinner next week and honor what an incredible blessing she was to the community.
