Dark Corner Tuffs

You had to go through Noge McCuan's yard to get to the Dark Corner Tuff's ball diamond (29). The ball diamond is still there, on the north side of Albert Creek up a hill, but just not recognizable as such. That particular piece of property is now owned by my good friend Darrel Stoval. The road is still there too and the yard that goes through is now owned by Noge's great grandchildren Biddie Joyce (BJ McCuan) Smith, her brother Glenn McCuan, and other family members. BJ and Glenn are children of Dale McCuan and Myrtle (Waterson) McCuan. Dale was a son of Benjamin Andrew (Ben) McCuan and Maud (Arrington) McCuan. (Maud was one of the Dark Corner school teachers.) Ben McCuan was a brother to Moody McCuan, Biddie McCuan, Laura (McCuan) French, William Wright (Bill) McCuan, and Ida (McCuan) Lemmons. All were children of Noge McCuan and Arminta (Tippet) McCuan. There are numerous Marshall County residents who trace their ancestry back to Isaac Write McCuan.

I think it's historically significant that the old McCuan home place has been owned by a McCuan for over 100 years. For the sake of the 911 emergency services the road in front of the McCuan place is called McDuffee Road. When I was a kid it was the McCuan road.

My grandfather, Moody McCuan, was a catcher for the Dark Corner Tuffs. He celebrated his fiftieth birthday on Sept. 17, 1932 by catching his last game for the Tuffs. Gloves in those days were of very poor quality and most of his fingers were broken in one or more joints, a factor that probably led to his retirement from the sport. Someone recently said that two old catchers met at his reunion and shook hands. Then had to have their hands pried apart.

Robert Gant was a nephew of Eunice (Sullivan) McCuan, Moody's wife. When Robert's mother died, Moody and Eunice took six month old Robert and raised him as one of their own. My mother, Alice (McCuan) McWilliams and her two brothers Fred and Elbert always considered Robert as their little brother. Robert grew up to be quite and athlete and also played ball at the Dark Corner ball diamond. Once when they were playing a team from (Old) Woodville they were getting beaten rather soundly. One big slugger from Old Woodville, nicknamed "Muscle Bound", hit the ball over Robert's head and into the trees in left field. The last time the slugger came up to bat that day Robert hid a ball behind a tree in left field. As expected, one the first pitch, the ball sailed over Robert's head. Robert ran to the hidden ball and threw the runner out at home plate. Maybe it wasn't honorable, but it didn't alter to outcome of the game and sure gave him a lot of satisfaction at the time. (There were no trees in right or center field and only a few in the left field. Home plate was northeast of the pitcher's mound which put second base to the southwest.)

William Joseph (WJ) McCuan, a son of William Wright (Bill) McCuan and Laura (McWilliams) McCuan recovered from having his ship shot out from under him during the Second World War and spent three weeks on a life raft. He came down to do some work at the "Old" McCuan place for his Aunt Biddie McCuan. After working for ½ the day she asked him what she owed him. He told her that all he wanted was one particular, very straight Bois-D-Arc post. She gladly gave him the post and he went to work on it with a draw knife. WJ (Dub) worked it down and made a bow out of it.

The first time he shot it was in front of Moody McCuan's place at the end of McDuffee road. He had a piece of bailing wire for a string. The home-made arrow landed on top of the hill to the west that is now the entrance to Lost Acres. I was real small at the time, but thought that must have been a world record shot as far as distance was concerned. Mavis (McCuan) Splawn, sister to Dub, gave me the bow for safe keeping. I'll need to pass it on down to another family member who will preserve it and appreciate the history behind it.

Mavis was born Feb. 14, 1925 in Woodville, OK and passed away Aug. 5, 2010. Her grandson, Don W. Anderson now has the bow.

Moody McCuan may have retired from playing baseball, but he was still very actively involved into the team. He had a 1937 V-8 Ford truck that had replaced his Model T Ford truck and he would round up players and haul them other places for a game. Down through the years numerous men have mentioned to me how much they appreciated Moody taking them to ball games.

I think it is so fitting that Bill and Laurie Glascock have adopted "JUST FOR FUN" as a motto for Alberta Creek Resort and Marina.

The Dark Corner Tuffs played JUST FOR FUN.