alittlehistory.com

Our Environment

This is the fox farm which we later called the poultry farm.
  The surrounding area had badlands which were convenient
for us to hike and explore.

Also, just two blocks from home, we had a slow running river with lots of bushes along its banks. In the opposite direction, one block away from home, were the railway tracks and a variety of railway structures that we played on, in, and around. As well, a ball diamond and a gravelled school yard were within a block of our home. However, for some reason, we chose the convenience of our side street, right next to our house, to play catch, running yards, etc.

 

 

 

 

Impact of Our Home Experience

 

When we were young, we lived in the hatchery (on the right), and six years later we moved into the house on the left. So while growing up we were close to the excitement and challenges that came with a new and expanding business. It wasn't long before Mom and Dad were adding a poultry farm and a branch office in Hanna, 50 miles (84 Km) away. The atmosphere that was created by this successful business probably had a direct impact on the variety and intensity of our free play and recreational choices.

Years later, someone bought the house, modified it a little, started selling fast food, and named it The Burger Barn. A bit later, it was expanded and named the Burger Baren, and now is Bernie and the Boys. (It is located two blocks west of the downtown area on 3rd Avenue, at 4th Street West.)

 

 

 

Here were three more things which had
an impact on us as children:

This is a photo of all our cousins. The weekend when all our relatives assembled at our home was an exciting time. Our home was centrally located, so during this time many of our relatives would meet at our place or stop off as they passed by.

It was probably about 1950 when Mom decorated our bikes for the local parade in an effort to promote the hatchery.

In 1951, when I was 7 years old Mom and Dad put a chicken in the parade. It looked impressive because it was put in the middle of a long line of trucks.

 

 

 

 

 

This is the place where we played Little League baseball,
just a block away from our home. The main railway tracks
are in the distance, and the stockyards are on the right.

 

Whenever a couple of  kids got angry at each other at school, they arranged to do their fighting after school at the stock yards.  In this way they could do their fighting without worrying that the teachers would stop it.  A rumor about the fight would circulate the school, so a crowd would show up at the stock yards to cheer the fighters on.  Fights usually lasted 5 or 10 minutes, until the police arrived to stop it. 

It was acceptable to fight with your fists or by wrestling.   However, if someone tried pulling hair or scratching with their finger nails, they would be ostracized for "fighting dirty."  Almost no one fought dirty, and in spite of Drumheller being a tough mining town, I can't recall hearing of anyone trying to fight with a knife.  All the kids would find a knife totally unacceptable.

So, important decisions were made on the ball field and at the stock yards. Maybe that is why, a number of years ago they chose this location to build a court house, a place to make more important decisions.

 

 

 

What became of everyone?

Wayne:

As an adult, Wayne spent most of his life working for the Fish and Wildlife. After retiring, he worked as a Field Instructor for the Lethbridge Community College for roughly 4 years, working with Conservation students. He also had a series of articles published in the western Canadian sports magazine Western Sportsman in 1999 and 2000 under the heading Warden's Beat. More recently he published the book: STEELE'S SCOUTS Samuel Benfield Steele and the North-West Rebellion, First edition 2001, Heritage House Publishing Company Ltd., Surrey, B.C. (This book is currently available in many libraries.)

Bob:

Bob has worked at various jobs in retail, spent a number of years doing service work with a gas company, and then finished by working for the city of Drumheller. He died in 1997 when he was shocked when installing swimming pool light bulbs and then fell from his ladder into the pool.

Tom:

My February 25, 1955 diary entry states that when Wayne and Tom were in the basement of the hatchery making chicken boxes, Bob and myself attempted to sneak up on them from the dark side of the room. Even though I only made one "Tom" entry in my diary, I cannot resist doing some name dropping by telling the reader what became of him.

Tom was one of the kids we had a fight with around 1953 using clumps of grass which we pulled out of the ground. The dirt stayed attached to the grass, so they were neat to throw; and they gave us good reason to dig trenches for protection. We had an interesting battle.

No doubt this helped Tom in later life. He became an Engineer and moved to Vancouver. Soon he was an MP and then a Cabinet Minister. He was Minister of Native Affairs during the 1990 Oka crisis (when the natives came face to face with the army), then Minister of External Affairs, and then later under Prime Minister Kim Campbell, he briefly became the Minister of Defense.

The Bartons:

The Bartons (featured in mud hike in 1955 link): Bill, Bob, and Earl went on to become an architect, a University computer worker, and a High School teacher respectively.

Bruce:

Bruce went on to become an RCMP constable, an irrigation water technician, and then a truck driver.

The author:

Events in my personal life in 2001 have forced me to post this more detailed and specific description of my unique career.

After spending 5 1/2 years working in a bank, I went from being an accounting clerk to being a retail salesman, from one extreme to another. In all three of these jobs I struggled with limitations, so all three became dead end jobs. As well, in the early years I tried University twice, but in both years could not cope with the work load. For short periods I also held five other low paying jobs of various types that I was not suited to and which did not hold a future. During these years, all the various tests, workshops, and career counsellors that I made use of failed to provide solutions. The weaknesses nullified my strengths, so test results showed no workable solutions.

So in 1980, after being successful as a volunteer leader, I returned to school with the hope of overcoming a few minor weaknesses and then becoming an elementary school teacher. It was a relief to find that this time I was able to do really well in some of the courses. However, both plan A and plan B didn't work out, so I wound up with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

It was time for a new strategy. So in an effort to improve and broaden my skills, talent, and interests; to improve my job prospects and to make a little money, I turned to recreation, writing, and then Web site building. Experience taught me that in order to be effective and productive, I must take on stimulating challenges that can be done without pressure, at my own rate, and using my own schedule. Currently, I am doing Web site development, volunteering, photography, videos, and call centre work.

For two more examples of what young teenagers used to do
in the 1950's, when they didn't feel pressured
to find part time work:

back to the diary.

to other photos related to diary.

Posted January 10, 2001 .