2004 2 April-May - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

A COAL MINER'S SON In 1937, my grandmother died and some spending money. I dusted seats in Continued my folks remodeled the house at 1124 the Rex Theatre (where Senor T's is houses had screened Lincoln Avenue. My grandfather, now). There was no pay involved, but I back porches that many ,y Robert Ferguson,originally built this was allowed to watch the show for larger families turned into house in 1904.There has been a free anytime I wanted. We collected extra bedrooms. Each Ferguson living in this house for nearly junk and sold it to the junk collector had a dirt basement, a 100 years. Oddly enough, the house to for small profits. He was a crooked In, one-car garage, and an the north has been occupied by a man,but we were able to out smart outhouse with three Hawkins-Martella for the same number him even as kids. different sized potties: (A of years. The house at 1124 Lincoln Dick Franchini's dad let us use his mama, papa, and baby. Avenue was the only house my parents old farm truck to clean ash pits and Coalhouses for coal and 1 : 1 owned during their 70 years of haul red ash and manure for profit. We wood storage were married life. had a very lucrative business for several attached. There was one When we moved into this house,we years during the war. When Dick joined light in each room. * i had both indoor and outdoor the Navy, Don Ross and I teamed up Refrigeration was bathrooms, but my mom made and kept the business rolling.After a accomplished with an icebox filled with everyone use the outdoor plumbing. good day's work, we would go to the This was the first time in my life that Hiway Mine to shower. This was ice. Because the iceman only delivered ice twice each week much of the food we had refrigeration, hot and cold always a treat. I also drove a delivery spoiled in the summertime. running water,and a furnace to heat the truck for Jacoe's Grocery Store (this is There was no running water. Water house. We still had a wood-burning now the museum) my last two years in was hauled in from wells 3-5 miles kitchen stove for cooking. In 1953, high school. My wife also worked at away. This was a weekly family Louisville put in a sewage system, and Jacoe's Grocery. excursion. Much of the food was the outhouses were gone for good. World War II changed Louisville as purchased from local farmers. There Amen!! well as the world forever. Growing up in Louisville in the 30's Grandmothers, mothers, daughters, was a company store where miners charged food and clothing in the and 40's was an experience in itself sisters, and wives were all working in summertime when the mines were shut Jobs were hard to come by. Mining war plants in and around Denver. We down. Almost everyone lived off of was the thing to do. Most of the worked construction at these plants unemployment $15 a week per miners were laid off in the summer during the summer too. When I family. No food stamps or free lunches months and worked hard during the graduated from high school, I joined were available for the unemployed winter to pay off the debts created the Marine Corps. This was typical for miners. during the summer months. We were many youth in the area. all poor growing up, but we didn't My dad took me down in the mines We didn't have any leagues, recreation centers or swimming pools. know any different because almost with him from the time I was able to everyone else was in the same boat. walk and keep up with him until I We organized our own games that we played at night or on the weekend. We We formed our own sports teams, returned from the military. Every time I played football basketball and baseball. the North against the South.Pine Street went down the mine, I was afraid. Our swimming was done in irrigation was the Mason-Dixon Line that Every little noise made me jump. My ditches,ponds, and local lakes. In the divided the town into the two sports dad let me spend one eight-hour shift evenings,we would often play kick the areas. At night,we played games that down in the Lincoln Mine to see how it can roll the ball and many other games were similar to games that were played was done. I think he did this to we made up. all over,including the coal camps. We discourage me from wanting to be a hunted and fished and sold our catches coal miner. It worked. The family Our mode of transportation was the bicycle, if your family could afford for money or ate them for supper at tradition of coal mining stopped when home. There was an 8 PM curfew for it was my turn. I chose otherwise, and one. We all dressed very similarly in bib overalls and shirts. The girls wore everyone under 16 years old. You had became a teacher and I have absolutely dresses. No shorts or slacks were to be in your neighborhood by then or no regrets. allowed in school. We didn't have TV, you would be in trouble. My first ob was cleaning out chicken VISIT THE HISTORICAL McDonalds, RTD, or local fire and y g MUSUEM TO SEE PICTURES police protection. We all took care of coops for Louie Dagastino. This was a OF MINE LIFE IN each other. dirty, dusty, smelly job, but it made me LOUISVILLE April/May 2004 11