Back in Nickerson in the late 1940's life was so simple. We did not lock our doors. Oh, we could lock them, we just did not. We had a key called a skeleton key. Our key fit every other lock on every other door in town. The lock was not so much to keep anyone out as it was to keep the door from blowing open while we were gone. Do not think we were gone very often, because we were not. Nor was anyone else, so the "key to the front door" was more a symbol of status then actually meaning anything. If, perchance , the key was misplaced one could simply go to the local hardware store and purchase another one for just a few cents. I do not know at what point in time someone came up with the idea to have a lock with a special key, but it was some time after life on Strong Street.
Another thing that was in every yard was a pump for water. Ours was a "pitcher pump" which held its prime which meant we did not have to pour water in it to get it started. There were 2 things that were always located on the nearest fence post and those were a can of water just in case the pump did lose it's prime and a tin cup. The tin cup was for drinking the water that came from the pump. If we were playing and got thirsty, we simply went to the nearest pump and got a drink from the pump. It was the neighborly thing to do and back in the day the house that did not let you drink from their pump was avoided at any cost. Water was free and everyone was a neighbor. Oh, there were a few houses that had dogs and sometimes the dogs were not so friendly, but usually the lady of the house would holler at the dog and then you could get a drink and be on your way. I do know that the water that was pumped up from deep in the earth was so sweet and cool that it must have been the elixir of the Gods.
I did not know about hoboes growing up, but I had heard of such things from my brother, Jake. He was friends with a man who lived down on the Arkansas River when we were on the Stroh place. Seems his name was Blackie Joe or something like that. He worked with silver and turquoise and sold his wares around town. Mother did not like Jake hanging out with anyone who lived on the river, but Jake was always one to sneak off and not tell her where he went. I saw Blackie on the bridge once and he was scary. His clothes were black and his face was very weathered. I did not get close! He was not on the river in the winter and Jake said he "went south" and that he had family down south.
When I started high school I had to walk down main street to school and then back up main street to go home. The railroad tracks ran right through the middle of town and sometimes the trains would block the way. This was back in the early 1950's and the box car doors were open and we could see the men "riding the rails." Mother always cautioned us about these men and I was scared to death of them, but secretly I sometimes thought how much fun that might be to just go where ever the train took me.
Another thing that mother was always adamant about was the eating business. We had a big round oak table. Of course I think that is all that anyone had back then. If we were eating, we were eating at the table. Homework was done at the table. Sometimes she would make us hot chocolate and that was drunk at the table. On Sundays we sometimes went to Plevna to Great Grandma's house and had fried chicken dinner at her big round table. She lived with my grandma Haas who had a stroke and could not walk without a walker. I lived with them my freshman year of high school until grandma died and great grandma moved to Coldwater. That was the best year of my whole life.
Well, I am rambling. The cat is rolling a marble around my feet. It is 4:00 AM and the rest of the world is asleep. And yet here I set, thinking of how my mother would come to my house and set at my big round oak table and reminisce of the time all decisions were made at the table and how the table symbolizes the center of the home. She was right.
Course, my momma was always right! RIP my sweet mother.
Another thing that was in every yard was a pump for water. Ours was a "pitcher pump" which held its prime which meant we did not have to pour water in it to get it started. There were 2 things that were always located on the nearest fence post and those were a can of water just in case the pump did lose it's prime and a tin cup. The tin cup was for drinking the water that came from the pump. If we were playing and got thirsty, we simply went to the nearest pump and got a drink from the pump. It was the neighborly thing to do and back in the day the house that did not let you drink from their pump was avoided at any cost. Water was free and everyone was a neighbor. Oh, there were a few houses that had dogs and sometimes the dogs were not so friendly, but usually the lady of the house would holler at the dog and then you could get a drink and be on your way. I do know that the water that was pumped up from deep in the earth was so sweet and cool that it must have been the elixir of the Gods.
I did not know about hoboes growing up, but I had heard of such things from my brother, Jake. He was friends with a man who lived down on the Arkansas River when we were on the Stroh place. Seems his name was Blackie Joe or something like that. He worked with silver and turquoise and sold his wares around town. Mother did not like Jake hanging out with anyone who lived on the river, but Jake was always one to sneak off and not tell her where he went. I saw Blackie on the bridge once and he was scary. His clothes were black and his face was very weathered. I did not get close! He was not on the river in the winter and Jake said he "went south" and that he had family down south.
When I started high school I had to walk down main street to school and then back up main street to go home. The railroad tracks ran right through the middle of town and sometimes the trains would block the way. This was back in the early 1950's and the box car doors were open and we could see the men "riding the rails." Mother always cautioned us about these men and I was scared to death of them, but secretly I sometimes thought how much fun that might be to just go where ever the train took me.
Another thing that mother was always adamant about was the eating business. We had a big round oak table. Of course I think that is all that anyone had back then. If we were eating, we were eating at the table. Homework was done at the table. Sometimes she would make us hot chocolate and that was drunk at the table. On Sundays we sometimes went to Plevna to Great Grandma's house and had fried chicken dinner at her big round table. She lived with my grandma Haas who had a stroke and could not walk without a walker. I lived with them my freshman year of high school until grandma died and great grandma moved to Coldwater. That was the best year of my whole life.
Well, I am rambling. The cat is rolling a marble around my feet. It is 4:00 AM and the rest of the world is asleep. And yet here I set, thinking of how my mother would come to my house and set at my big round oak table and reminisce of the time all decisions were made at the table and how the table symbolizes the center of the home. She was right.
Course, my momma was always right! RIP my sweet mother.
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