Dad’s Story, part 5, Venture to Washington

We’re continuing the saga in Dad’s own words. You must understand one thing: Dad was incurably positive. Besides that, as a child he could hardly know all his parents might be enduring. They moved to Washington to farm but railroad work had his father often back in Wyoming. Meantime, his mother was trying to hold things together many states away, with seven children! 

Don’t you love this picture! Looks our “Our Gang!”
That’s Dad in the back, our left, age 18 or 19, next to him a friend, then Muriel, another friend, young Burwin, then Sterling, and another friend. Front row left are the two sisters Melva and Orrelle.
Who knows where big brother Comer was, out bossing somewhere, or taking the picture?

When I was in the middle of the eighth grade, the folks sold the homestead and moved to Washington. (Meaning they’d “proved up” on the homestead and it was now theirs to sell, for which they got very little cash, from a large rancher.) It was during the Christmas holiday. (Meaning, it was the middle of winter.) Mother and six children came on a railroad pass to Chehalis. Comer and Dad came later with a truck.

Dad had always wanted to farm and some of the railroad people he worked with convinced him that Washington was the place to settle.

We arrived at Pe-Ell to a farm rented from one of Dad’s friends. It was rather a miserable place for Mother, but exciting for us kids. It was beautiful, wooded country and mild weather compared to Wyoming.

We loved it.

The next year we moved to a better farm near Winlock, Washington, where we stayed for more than two years.

I trapped skunk, weasel and mink and sold furs for pocket money. We were within walking distance of the Cowlitz River and we three boys went swimming and floating on logs through the summer. We raised rabbits, chickens and cows and sold cream and eggs. We cut firewood from logs left from logging. One log was larger in diameter than I was tall. Comer and I worked all day to make one cut with a crosscut saw.

(Below) Was this the “better” farm in Washington? In front: little Melva, Orrelle and Burwin, with suppliers of breakfast.

I attended Toledo High School, going on the bus. I went out for football but spent most of the time on the bench because I was small, not having got my growth. Comer, on the other hand, was large and played in all the games. He and I attended the same class as he was delayed in school because of the move.

Next: Back to Wyoming, Dad joins the CCC.