My Book…………….LILAGCS (14)

November 4, 2010

Going to School

Kindergarten through 1st Grade

I will now go back as far as I can remember to share with you my grade school years.

The East school was the one that I would attend. It was also referred to as Reynolds School.

           

I remember that Mom told me that she had also attended Reynolds school when she was a little girl, except it was a different building when she attended.

              

It was a wooden building. She told me that one night she had a dream that the school burnt down and the next day, it did burn down!

I can definitely remember my first day of Kindergarten. I remember the classroom as if I was there right now. The teacher was very nice and very pretty. I recall that my mother came with me the first day of school.

I wasn’t afraid and remember taking my rug to nap on and that is about all I remember about what I took to school. I remember that there was a special door that we would go out when it was recess time. I didn’t remember the teacher telling us that we would need to return through that same door when recess was over.

I remember playing that first recess on a lot of the things there on the playground. The biggest thing I remember is that when the bell rang to go back in, I followed the crowd and when in the door that all the “big kids” when in and not the Kindergarten door. I remember being petrified and remember everything looked so big. I eventually was found by my teacher and taken back to the Kindergarten classroom.

During Christmas that year I had my picture taken by a lady from the Spencer Daily Reporter. That picture was run in the next issue showing me and a couple others of my classmates decorating the Christmas tree.

We had some really neat building blocks to play with and lots of other toys. I can’t remember much more than resting on our rugs, going out for recess and playing with the building blocks in Kindergarten.

First Grade

My First grade year was interesting. The teacher’s name was easy to remember because her name was Miss Reynolds, the same name as the school.

I was excited when I was able to go to the first grade room. I recall being so amazed at the neat pictures and the alphabet cards placed on the top of the chalkboard. Miss Reynolds was so helpful to me it seemed. I don’t remember too much about doing anything except when it came time to learn to read. We had our books and the main characters were Dick and Jane plus their cat “Puff” and their dog “Spot”

         

My experience reading was all right. I was able to learn word by word the stories. They were short stories and I didn’t have too much difficulty pronouncing the words after Miss Reynolds pronounced them first. I would copy her speech.

I always enjoyed when we had our milk time. We took turns passing out the milk cartons, everybody got one.

                                      

When it was parent visitation time, I remember mom came and sat in the back of the classroom. I would perform extra special when she was there. I delivered her milk when it was milk time. We also had art time and we drew different things, many times it was related to the stories we were reading at the time.

As I reflect back, we never had any pronunciation drills of lessons. Everything was done by sight. I remember I had asked to sit closer to the front so I could see better.

Each day when class was over, I would walk with Miss Reynolds on her way home. She lived in the same general direction that the Fire Station was so I could walk almost to her home before turning to go to my home.

Each time we got our “Report Cards” I was always excited. I most always got A’s in all my subjects that made me very happy and proud.

At the end of the year, Miss Reynolds announced that we were going to have our eyes tested. We were instructed to cover one eye and then the other and position our arm in the direction that the  E on picture card was pointing.

                    

I remember that day after school when I went home I said to mom, “Mom, they covered up my good eye!” As it turned out I was examined and it was discovered I was almost blind in my left eye, I only had 19% vision and had to go to a medical doctor to get fitted with glasses. I remember it was Dr. Collester who worked with me; was also the doctor that originally delivered me when I was born.

                                           

I started wearing glasses at the age of 6 and really didn’t have too much trouble wearing them.

I was promoted to the 2^nd grade and later in life mom told me that Miss Reynolds told her that I was going to be a straight A student, she said I was very intelligent. Well that was only the beginning of my education and as I progress each year became more difficult. I will tell you more in later Blogs.

My Book………………..LILAGCS (13)

October 30,2010

Spudnuts

I made a mistake! In response to my last Blog (12).

Kelley, who responds to almost all of my Blogs told me that In my Blog (12) that talked about the Clay County Fair in Spencer, Iowa (back when I was a boy growing up) reminded him of “Spudnuts” Spudnuts are donuts made from Potato flower (thus the name “Spuds”)

I responded to his email telling that I remember a Spudnuts Shop in Spencer close to where I lived.

                     

I also told him I thought it was the original shop ( as my Grandfather Logan told me), but I discovered differently as you can see below. The real story of the Spudnuts origin.

*****************

This story was taken word for word from the web site: http://thespudnutshop.com/htms/history.htm

 

The Spudnuts Story

        

In 1939, brothers Bob and Al Pelton were hard at work in their modest neighborhood doughnut shop in Salt Lake City. They were intent on inventing a recipe for the perfect doughnut. After months of experimentation, they developed the ideal combination of select Idaho potatoes, specially blended flour, pure vegetable shortening, and rich, subtle spices. The Spudnut, named for its unique, potato-based blend of ingredients, was born and became a premium brand.

                                                 

Within a few months, the Peltons entered the franchise business. The idea grew so rapidly that soon it was necessary to set up a special Franchise Department. Salt Lake City became the home base where a complete mix plant and warehouse was in operation. Shipping to distant points became an important part of the new, growing enterprise. So the Peltons looked around for a suitable distribution area. After considering many cities, they settled on Cleveland, Ohio, to act as a pivot in handling distribution throughout the east.
In the 1950s, for just $2,000, you could buy a Spudnuts franchise, which included all the equipment to make Spudnuts and three bags of Spudnut mix. To use the Spudnut name, you had to order 10 bags of Spudnut mix per week, which was shipped and delivered COD for $15 a bag from the Cleveland, Ohio, warehouse. At the time, a dozen Spudnuts cost 55 cents, which was about 15 cents more than other bakeries.
In 1952, the Peltons were now selling more than three-quarters of a million dozen Spudnuts per month and had franchised 350 shops throughout the United States, Canada, Alaska and Hawaii.
The April 1952 issue of Modern Mechanix has this and more information about the Pelton brothers and the history of the Spudnut.

                

The Spudnut Shop Story

In 1948, Betty and Barlow Ghirardo and Virginia and Jerry Bell purchased a Pelton franchise and opened The Spudnut Shop, which was located at the Richland "Y". Richland patrons could get their spudnut fix from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., six days a week.
Two years later, on March 4, 1950, The Spudnut Shop moved to a 600-sq-ft location at 228 Williams in the Uptown Shopping Center. It became a hub for the community, serving hot Spudnuts 24 hours a day. The menu also expanded to include coffee, malts, shakes, and soft ice cream.
In 1965, Betty and Barlow became the sole owners of The Spudnut Shop, and in 1968, they remodeled the store to more than double the size to 1,285 square feet and adding a full lunch menu of hamburgers, deli sandwiches, and soups.

          

By this time, The Spudnut Shop had become a Richland institution. Barlow ran The Spudnut Shop until he retired in 1985, when his son, Kevin, and his daughter, Val, took over day-to-day management of the store.
Val became the sole manager in 1990, and in 1999, she purchased the business and the building. Val recently celebrated the 60th anniversary of The Spudnut Shop.

That same Spudnut is still made today, with all of the quality ingredients of the original recipe. For more than 60 years, Spudnuts have been recognized as a premium doughnut. Our product is known as the finest in the industry, and its unique characteristics make us stand apart. You might say we're filling a hole in the doughnut market.

Story from Bastrop Enterprises.com

*************

America’s Finest Food Confection……

By Wes Helbling

Bastrop Daily Enterprise

Posted Feb 26, 2010 @ 06:00 AM

Bastrop, La. —

For a short time in the early 1950s, Bastrop citizens were treated to the unique taste of doughnuts made from potato flour in an authentic Spudnut Shop.

Readers of the Morehouse Enterprise got their first hint of the new business when they opened the Feb. 19, 1952 edition and found a simple ad proclaiming “SPUDNUT IS COMING” in bold-faced type.

The Bastrop Clarion announced the grand opening of the local Spudnut Shop in the March 7 edition. The shop was owned and operated by A.L. McClanahan, and was located at 117 North Franklin Street. The grand opening on March 8 would include free Spudnuts and coffee.

“We would like everyone in Bastrop to try Spudnuts,” McClanahan is quoted, “because they’re truly ‘America’s finest food confection’ -- a new and exciting taste thrill for every member of the family.

“Except for physical appearance, Spudnuts have no relation whatever to other similar shaped products. Spudnuts are large, fluffy, and airy, and are never soggy or greasy. They are made of a special blend of finest wheat flour, dehydrated potatoes ... milk solids, powdered whole eggs, and other vital ingredients -- all mixed and blended perfectly to the secret Pelton formula.

“Spudnuts are ‘raised’ in a proof box, just like all finest pastries; then, they are cooked, at an exact temperature, in highest quality shortenings, and finally, glazed, sugar-coated or chocolate-iced.

“We’ll also make many Spudnut varieties -- all made with the famous Spudnut mix to secret Pelton formulas, and the best-tasting pastries you’ve ever seen.”

Bob and Al Pelton of Salt Lake City had invented the Spudnut around 1940. The story of their successful business venture was recounted in the April 1952 edition of Mechanix Illustrated, just a few weeks after the Bastrop shop opened. 

The article was titled “Their Potatoes Make Dough,” and the Peltons appeared on the magazine cover with a huge pile of pre-pastry tubers.

The Peltons had started working on their own recipe after eating potato-based doughnuts in Germany. They had tried several ideas -- from dough flavored with potato water to mashed potatoes -- before hitting on the dry potato mix that would make it possible to start a franchise in 1946.

According to Mechanix Illustrated, anyone could purchase a Spudnut Shop franchise for $1,750. The franchise cost included equipment and a half-ton of the Peltons’ potato mix, enough to make 1,650 Spudnuts. The owner had to pay for the set-up and decoration of his store, bringing the total start-up cost to approximately $5,000.

By 1952 Spudnut Shops had opened in 37 states, Canada, Alaska and Hawaii. 

“This, according to Mr. McClanahan, proves the goodness of Spudnuts more powerfully than the strongest advertising campaign, because after the millions of dozens are sold, the first Spudnut customers are still coming back for more.”

The Clarion published an ad for the grand opening  with the iconic Mr. Spudnut looking dapper in bow tie and top hat. Children who came to the opening were promised free Mr. Spudnut hats.

“Come and be our guests as another beautiful Spudnut Shop opens ... You’ll see genuine Spudnuts made, you’ll taste their tantalizing goodness -- and then, you’ll understand how delicious, how honestly DIFFERENT Spudnuts are!

“An eating delight for every member of the family ... Fluffy as a cloud, energy-packed, digestible! No wonder Spudnuts are America’s Finest Food Confection.”

The Clarion also advertised four varieties of Spudnuts to be sold at the Bastrop shop: Spudnut Buttons & Bows (“A luscious taste and appetite surprise!”), Spudnut Persians (“Crispy, melt-in-your-mouth goodness, tangy cinnamon layers, smooth frostings! Delicious!”), Spudnut Bismarks (“Tender-crisp crust, with tangy fresh-flavored filling!”) and Spudnut Spud-Overs (“A light flaky crust surrounding a generous portion of Spud-Apples, blended with an exciting selection of rare spices!”).

Spudnuts sold for 50 cents a dozen. Each of the varieties sold for six cents apiece, except for the Spud-Overs, which came in pairs for 15 cents.

For unknown reasons, McClanahan sold the shop just three months later. The Enterprise reports on May 13, 1952 the shop had been purchased by Mr. and Mrs. S.E. Hendricks of El Dorado, Ark.

“In connection with their opening Mr. and Mrs. Hendricks are offering free ice cream cones the balance of the week ... They make their own ice cream, also serve sundaes and milk shakes. They are also specializing in cold late lunches and home-baked ham.”

Here the newspaper trail ends, and no one seems to remember how long the Bastrop Spudnut Shop remained in business.

Charles Johnson said he has lived in Bastrop since 1945 and remembers eating at the Spudnut Shop a few times as a teenager.

“I was just a youngster around town, but I remember the Spudnut Shop,” said Johnson. “They put that in right across from the old bank. It was a delight to go in there and get a Spudnut, if you happened to have a dime in your pocket.

“The shop didn’t stay there a long time. I don’t think it ever caught on 100 percent -- it never was really flooded with people.”

The Pelton brothers sold the franchise upon retirement, to a company that did not last very long. Today it is impossible to buy a Spudnut franchise, but an estimated 37 Spudnut Shops remain in business in eight states. Since the original Pelton mix is no longer available, these shops have had to make slight changes to their recipes.

How good were Spudnuts? The author decided to visit  the nearest surviving Spudnut Shop for a taste of their “tantalizing goodness."

The El Dorado Spudnut Shop has been open for more than half a century, and has become something of a legend in southern Arkansas. 

According to a 2004 article in the El Dorado News-Times, longtime manager Bud McCann learned to make Spudnuts from the Pelton brothers back in the early days of the franchise.

Visiting the El Dorado Spudnut Shop is like stepping back in the time: An original neon Spudnut sign hangs over the entrance, and the exterior wall features the late-era logo of a doughnut with a bite taken out. Inside the shop, a portrait of Mr. Spudnut in all his glory hangs above the dining area.

Only the prices seem to have changed. Spudnuts sold for 50 cents a dozen more than half a century ago; today they are 50 cents apiece. It’s a small price to pay for the melt-in-your-mouth goodness of America’s finest food confection.

My Book…………….LILAGCS (12)

October 29, 2010

Clay County Fair

 

There were many exciting things that I remember about my life in Spencer and the fire station. One very memorable thing is the Clay County Fair grounds. My dad told me that the Clay County was the biggest county fair in the world. He added that it was as good as the Iowa state fair but you didn’t have to walk as far to see things.

I remember that my dad would take me with him when he had to go with the fire truck and park in the infield of the Grandstand whenever there was an auto race, Joey Chitwood daredevil show and a show where they need the fire truck to be present in case of fire. When I was old enough, I got to work at the fairgrounds prior to the opening of the

fair to earn some money by painting the tractor tires with black rubber paint and highlight the inscription on the tires to make it stand out.

Babe Ruth at the 1948 Fair

One time when I was about 6 years old my dad took me to the fairgrounds for a special event. Babe Ruth was going to be there. I remember that baseball was played there at the fairgrounds before the Spencer Cardinal Baseball Stadium was built south of town. I remember I waved as Babe Ruth road past waving his hands to everyone. Below I found a Historical story about that very event that I had the privilege to witness.

 

Babe Ruth’s 1948 Visit to Iowa

 

Babe Ruth was a controversial and flamboyant figure throughout his lifetime. Even today, nearly 60 years after his death, the famed baseball player remains one of the most recognizable names in American history.

                                  

Two short months before his death Aug. 16, 1948, at the age of 53, Ruth made a visit to Iowa to help promote boys’ baseball for the Junior Legion Program. The account in the Des Moines Register of June 4, 1948, reads: “The famous Bambino of baseball will arrive in Des Moines by plane on the afternoon of June 20 from St. Louis. He will be met by a delegation from Spencer who will take him by motor to the Okoboji section where he will meet a group of American Junior Legion baseball players. Ruth will make two appearances at Spencer June 21 under the combined auspices of the American Legion, Spencer Baseball, Inc., Chamber of Commerce.

The account, however, is incorrect. Ruth flew directly into Sioux City from St. Louis on June 20, and was greeted by John Hart, president of Spencer Baseball, Inc., and presumably the owner of the local Ford dealership. Ruth was on tour working for the Ford Motor Company to promote youth baseball.

On the day Ruth flew to Iowa, he’d been suffering from throat cancer for two years. By this point, he’d undergone two delicate neck operations that left his voice a coarse whisper. The site of an ailing Babe came as a surprise to those who saw him.

“It was a shock, seeing the gaunt, shrunken giant shamble into the hotel room which had been set aside for the Babe’s brief chat with newspapermen,” wrote Bill Bryson in the Aug. 17, 1948 Spencer Daily Reporter. “Weary and weak though he was, the Babe was still a commanding personality and, as his tortured vocal chords warmed up, he grated out quick, witty answers to questions about baseball’s most famous career.”

Royse “Crash” Parr was 12 years old when he traveled from Tulsa, Okla., to Des Moines to spend the summer of 1948 with an aunt and uncle, Margaret and Ross McClintock. He remembers Ruth’s visit.

“I knew about the planned visit and have a copy of the June 4, 1948 Des Moines Register sports page which tells about plans for him to arrive in Des Moines by airplane from St. Louis, and then on to Spencer,” Parr recalled. “With my uncle, who was a huge Des Moines Bruin/Chicago Cub fan, I attended many of the Bruin home games and fished almost every day near the ballpark.”

Parr recently contacted the State Historical Society of Iowa seeking more information about Ruth’s visit. As a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), Parr will present a paper on the topic at a conference in Tucson, Ariz., next March.

During his visit, Ruth stayed at the Warrior Hotel in downtown Sioux City, a building that has had its share of hard times. After sitting vacant for 25 years and being placed on the Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance’s Most Endangered Properties, the hotel underwent a renovation in 1998 and now serves as housing for low income seniors. It has also been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1985 and was, more recently, included in Sioux City’s Iowa Great Places proposal.

My Book………………LILAGCS (11)

October 28, 2010

Growing Up In a Fire Station

As I reflect back at my days in the fire station, many wonderful times come to my mind. As I share these events with you, please keep in mind that it may sound like I am rambling. (and I am!)

(These are various events that I remember when living at the fire station)……..

The Easter chicks

I recall just before Easter one year, the local Animal feed store just about 3 blocks down the street was giving away FREE colored baby chicks for a Chick Feed promotion. My uncle Russell and my cousins ask me to go with them when they went in to purchase their chicken feed and to receive some baby chicks. I was so happy to be included. I got two chicks, as I recall, a red one and a blue one.

My three female cousins also each got three chicks each and my male cousin got three chicks also. With their 12 chicks they placed them in the brooder house at their farm.

I didn’t have the luxury of a farm, just the fire station and a large cardboard box. I placed my chicks in the box and placed the box in the backroom of the fire station back by the laundry area.

After about 2 months, as I remember, we made a trip to the farm to visit my Aunt Ruth and Uncle Russell and my four cousins. I was totally shocked when I saw the size and the growth of their chicks.

Mine were so much smaller, I told my dad, and I better bring my two chicks out to the farm so that they can grow faster. That is what I did. That was an interesting in animal husbandry.

The Family farm

 

My Uncle Russell and Aunt Ruth lived on the Logan Family Farm. It was an 80-acre small farm located just west of Spencer. I recall at a very early age going to the farm with Grandma and Grandpa Logan one time and when the sun began to go down, they brought out the gas lanterns (Like above). There was no REC (Rural Electric Cooperative) at that time. That farm was a real “playground” for me.

Logan family farm in background

 From Left to Right above …..Uncle Russell, Diane (behind) Sharon, Bob, My dad and Art Woolsteincroft

Pigs, Eggs and Cows

I use to love to go out to the farm and I especially loved to play with my cousin Diane. (Diane was 2 years younger than me) and we use to do some things that would get us into trouble with our parents.

I remember one time we went into the chicken house and gathered eggs. We then took the eggs and found a bunch of hogs in a pen wallowing around in the mud. We though it a lot of fun throwing the eggs at the hogs and watching the runny egg drip down the side of the pigs.

Well needless to say we were unable to sit down for a few minutes after our dad’s found out what we had done.

We also use to walk to the pasture to bring the cows back to the barn when it was time for them to be milked in the evening. Back then; there were no automatic electric milking machines.

It was all done by hand, and I mean laterally by hand. Uncle Russell or my older cousin Bob would use a stool that was in the shape of a “T” and sit on as they milked the cow. The warm milk was then poured into milk cans.

After the Milk cans were full the milk was then poured into something that was called a “separator” and it was used to separate the cream from the milk. Sometimes it didn’t do a real good job and there would be small chunks of solidified cream in the milk as I drank it…yuck! (I didn’t like that. Later I got so I really liked cream.

My Book ………………LILAGCS (10)

October 27,2010

Article Written in Spencer Times

All this happened in the mid to late 40’s B.C. & B. T.V. (Before computers and Before Television. What in the world did we do after supper to occupy our time? Well, we did what most other families did; we played a game that today very few families play call “family time”. In the evening we would open the large doors to the fire station, get some chairs and sit and watch the cars and trucks as they passed by.

I would continue playing fireman with my “pretend tricycle” fire truck and put out fire after fire every night. This activity I did of putting out imaginary fires, one after another drew the attention one day from a reported from the Spencer Times, one of the two newspapers in town back then. I have since lost my copy of the article, but it was a small write up featuring my tricycle fire truck with my red wagon behind it.

Living with my Aunt and Cousin

Shortly after we originally moved to the fire station, my dad had to leave for the Navy. Mom and I were left alone in the apartment and I guess that she and my aunt Imajean, her sister decided that it would be beneficial for all to live together in my aunt and Uncle’s stucco house on 4^th Avenue East. My Uncle Swede, as I called him was also in the Armed Service, the US Coast Guard.

My cousin was 2 years younger than me but we were like brothers. We shared the same bedroom and combined our toys and had a great time playing together.

              

He had bunk beds and I’m not sure, but they may have been purchase when I moved in.

I am not exactly sure of the time when we lived together, but I know I was about five and he was three. We had wonderful times together playing our imaginary games on his bunk beds. We both had a lot of toy trucks and building blocks, Lincoln logs and books. Every night Aunt Imagine and Mom would take turns reading to us.

Mom Worked at the Red Circle Store

Mom had a part time job working at the “Red Circle”, a very small grocery store located on about West 5^th Street not too far from the Lincoln school. The owners were very good a friend of mom and dad and hired mom to help out for some extra money while dad was in the Navy. Art and Blanch Woolsteincroft were their names. They had no children but were very active in Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Art and Blanch were to play a very important roll in my life later in my story.

        There was a small meat case in the Red Circle

  Art and Blanch had no children, but they did have dogs. (Two real purebred bulldogs, Pudge and Shorty).

         

Pudge was the mother of Shorty. They took very good care of the dogs and treated them just like children. I can recall going over to their house and playing with the dogs. I also remember going to their small grocery store and watching Art cut meat for the small meat case that was there in the store.

Webb and I had fun playing

in the Garden in the Fall

Other things I remember about living with Aunt Imagine and Webb where the fun times Webb and I had playing in the sandbox and in the garden.

            

In the fall after the produce was pretty well harvested from the garden, Webb and I would glean the green bean stocks and place the dried-up leftover beans and place them in containers. We did this hour after hour.

Throwing rotten Tomatoes at the House

One particularly bad experience in the garden was when we discovered the rotting leftover tomatoes. We decided it would be fun to through them at the stucco house. Well you can about imagine what the reaction to this fun time event was to Mom and Aunt Imagine. The scolded us, I remember there were no spankings, but were given a pail of water and a rag and instructed to clean off the tomatoes from the stucco walls and deposit the remains of the tomatoes in the garbage cans in the ally behind the house. Needless to say I have never thrown a tomato at anything since then.

                               

The tomato experience reminds me of an extremely good tomato soup recipe. Much time one of my favorite meals was tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. My mother-in-law from my first wife taught me how to make real tomato soup from scratch! I would make it many times in my life as it turned out. It became very important especially when I worked as a cook in a retirement home for the elderly in later life. I will share with you the recipe here:

Grandma Herman’s Real Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Sandwich

   

RECIPE

Ingredients:

3 cans of diced tomatoes

3 cups whole milk

2 cups of V8 tomato juice (or regular tomato juice will work)

¼ cup diced green peppers

¼ cup diced onions

1 tsp. Diced garlic

1 tsp. baking soda

1Tbs. butter or Margarine

Cooking Directions

In a 2-quart sauce pan heat the milk to hot (Do not boil) as the milk heats use a 3 to 4 quart saucepan, sauté the onions, green peppers and the garlic together in 1 Tbs. of butter or margarine. (Just so the onions become clear). On medium heat, place the diced tomatoes and the V8 into the pan with the onions. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Place the soda into the tomato mixture stirring constantly (it will foam up) then carefully add the tomato mixture to the hot milk stirring continually

OLD-FASHIONED GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

1/2 pound Cheddar or Velveeta cheese

· 4 large 1/2-inch-thick slices country, whole wheat or other hearty bread.

· Thin slice of boiled ham makes for added flavor

3 tablespoons butter

Preparation Directions

Place sliced cheese (and ham if using) over 4 slices of the buttered bread. Cover with the remaining 4 bread slices.

In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Place the sandwiches in the pan and cover. Cook until the sandwich is golden brown on the underside, about 3 minutes.

Turn with a spatula and cook the other side until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2 more minutes. Serve immediately.

My Book……………..LILAGCS (9)

October 26, 2010

Living in a Fire Station was Unique

Not every kid has the opportunity to live at a fire station like I did, and as I look back it was a very exciting experience.

                                        

Playing on the fire trucks whenever I want to was another benefit I experienced... This, of course, was before OCIA and all their safety rules.

The fire station itself was a very interesting place. Down on the ground floor was where two very large fire trucks were parked waiting for the next time they would be called to action. My dad was assigned to the Laverne fire truck when we first moved there.

                                                               

The Fire Station was an Interesting Place

The fire station itself was a very interesting place. Down on the ground floor was where two very large fire trucks were parked waiting for the next time they would be called to action. My dad was assigned to the Laverne fire truck when we first moved there. Ted, the other full-time fireman was assigned to a smaller and older fire truck. A pull cord next to the trucks opened the large doors at the front of the station. One pull and they would rise to allow the trucks to pass out of the station. I recall there were large springs that allowed the doors to open automatically. This was again before all the new electronic automation.

The main part of the garage portion (where the fire trucks were parked) was large to me at the age of 3, of course. In the rear behind the trucks was a rack where the firemen placed their boot, raincoats right next to mine! There was also a very large workbench where Ted repaired things, I guess. Ted did most of the repair work there at the fire station because my dad was working, when he was not ‘on call’ as a mechanic for my grandpa Rich during the day.

At the very rear of the ground level was an area where mom and dad did our laundry. There was also a shower room, again, very large to me, used where firemen could shower. There were also lockers placed there for the personal items belonging to the firemen.

Dad Always Helped with the Laundry

Dad always helped mom with the laundry, when he was home in the evenings, because, I guess it was very dark and a little scary going way back there in the dark.

                                                  

I remember we had a Maytag wringer type washing machine. There were also two rinse tubs that my grandpa Rich had made for mom out of two barrels to go with our old Maytag washing machine. They had drain spouts on the bottom and I am sure if he had patented them he could have very easily. Cold water was placed in them to rinse the laundry soap out of the washed clothes.

In the winter and when it was too cold to hang the clothes outside to dry, they were hung in the same room where the washing machine was. In the summer and when the weather was such that they would dry outside, there was a small patch of grass out side under the cloth lines.

                                 

My Book…………..LILAGCS (8)

October 25, 2010

Preparing the Oyster Stew

I remember that every time there was going to be a fire meeting in the winter months I was always anxiously waiting for the firemen that always prepared the meal to arrive to begin their preparation. As I said before, a fireman named Cliff Hodges was always there and the other one I remember was George Franklin.

Cliff and George let Me Help

Cliff and George let me help set the tables with them and get the oyster stew cooking on the large commercial stove in the kitchen. In addition to the stew, they always had ring bologna, cheese and oyster crackers. (see pictures below)

    

I guess they also had coffee available, but I never had coffee there at the dinner meeting.

                           

I remember when we opened the large containers of oysters; they search through them for these little red crab-like creatures that would come with the oysters many times. Also George and Cliff would say, “Dave, look at this as they would take and uncooked oyster and with a cracker eat the oyster and cracker at the same time.

Taught to Prepare Oyster Stew

The Right Way

Milk was put on to warm and the oysters were placed in a large pan to warm also. I remember that butter and salt and pepper were added to the oysters as they warmed. George always told me that you would know when it is time to add the oysters to the warm milk when the oysters start to curl around the edges.

                                                        

While the oysters and milk warmed, we cut the cheese into small bite size chunks and also cut the baloney into pieces.

          

We placed the plates of cheese and baloney into the refrigerator covered and also placed the oyster crackers on the tables. I would help set the table with spoons, knives and forks. I also helped place the drinking glasses out in a buffet-type fashion.

The Firemen adopted me as their Mascot

There were about 20 to 25 volunteer firemen all together. They adopted me as their mascot, I guess. My mother lettered shirts for all of the firemen with “Spencer Fire Department” on the back and each of their names over the pocket. Mom also made me a shirt, same color and in addition she made a raincoat, rain hat and found boots that I placed right next to all the real firemen’s equipment.

                                                                   

One afternoon at naptime, I was missing from my bed. After searching everywhere, my parents found me sound asleep with my teddy bear right next to the opening to the brass pole. It was about 30 feet to the cement floor below. This prompted them to construct a wooden enclosure with a lock around the brass pole opening next to our apartment door opening.

I Learned to Slide down

the Brass Fire Pole

                       

After I was a little older, almost three, my parents told me that I had asked so many times to slide down the pole like daddy did that they finally decided to let me try. Mom said she got at the top and dad waited at the bottom and I would grasp the pole like the firemen did and slide down the 30-foot pole to the ground level 30 feet below.