Posted by:
pollythinks
(
)
Date: May 17, 2022 09:59PM
OT: Cold Dodger:
Sorry I started, and disappeared on this post. I thought it might be too OT, and then I lost the whole post. I'll Try again.
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My sister and I were born in Thatcher. My grandfather was kind of like the mayor of the town. As I remember it, the town only had one road in and out of town--and the out of town part petered out after a couple of miles (at least that I knew of).
Twin girls were born into this family, and for the rest of family the children were mixed between males and females. My father and mother were born in this relatively small community, and married there.
My father went to collage while living in Thatcher, which was very much to his advantage, when he got to L.A., where he easily got a mangers job at the "shed" (in the office where his father worked as a policeman). Also, as there were many Mexican's working as laborers there, he could very well speak their lingo, which next to no one could in those days.
Back to Thatcher, my grandfather--in order to help give the town things they wanted and needed--owned the towns only country store. In this store he would order big things someone needed, such as tractors, and so forth. There was also some toys for the children which could be purchased.
My grandfather gave my father his first job in the store (cutting meat). It was with this help, that my parents were finally able to save enough money to leave Thatcher, and landed in Los Angeles County.
One of the most differences from this family, than others, was that my grandfather had home-stead-ed just about 1 mile away, into Mexico. He had two houses built there, across the dirt road from each other.
A problem with this arrangement was a that a pure Indian, named Pancho Via, had very little that he owned, except for his horse, and other items necessary for survival in the dessert. As this was his lot, he decided to get some of the white man's wealth for himself. And to get this, he had to steal things owned by them. His bow and arrows helped him in this regard.
However, Pancho became such a threat that my grandfather sent his wife and children back to Arizona, in a wooded, non-shut-able big windows train--in order for the few people riding in the train to get some fresh air. (Only one car, besides the engine, and this not even half-full). Meanwhile, my grandfather--with his small fortune safely tucked into his backpack, road across the divided dirt line between the two areas, in his car.
Many years later, as a teen, I rode on this same train car--a free ride for me, as my father worked for the railroad in L.A. The only other person on the train was a pure Indian women, who had her baby with her, sitting across the row from me. Her baby was wrapped in a wigwam (sp.?), which she uncovered for me so I could see the baby. She, herself, had on a full length velvet skirt which covered her legs.
As we were the only two on this train--both traveling to Thatcher--I took a glance over my shoulder to where she sat (a row or two on the other side of the train from me). As I glanced at her for a few minutes, she proudly took her baby out of its homemade cradle, in order to show the baby to me. The mother had on a long--velvet home-made dress, which came to her ankles. I smiled at her, and nodded. She also rode free on the train--because it crossed Indian-owned territory--and I rode free as my father worked for the railroad.
A few men (three or four) had their guns ready to shoot any unwanted outside person (riding along side the train on their horses, for if they needed). Indeed, this support was often needed, as often the Indians shot arrows through these open windows, in the hopes they could somehow board the car in order to steal what they wanted.
Nevertheless, the train's speed would soon outrun the much slower horses.
As I was raised in Los Angeles County, I remember my father laughed when he heard me say, regarding the L.A river, when I was about 4 years old, "Oh, look at the lots and lots of agwah", which means water in English.
Thanks for those of you who managed to hang-in to read this history of the old-days. :-)