That brought back so many memories of where I grew up. Our house was fronted by the Main Street road & the railroad tracks on the back side. There was a great big old apple tree there that we use to pick up the apples and throw at the empty train cars as they sped by.
This picture is about 1 mile North of where I lived- and although this is an older version of the train-it brings back so many memories. I would lay in bed at night-and fall asleep to the click-click of the train running over the tracks.
Here is the view from the South side of town- about 3 to 4 miles from where I lived. You can see the tracks to the far left. A very rural community-walked this road home one night with three other buddies all the way from other side of Larabee Junction. Those were our little town adventures. Think we were at a party out there somewhere-we could of gotten into a lot of trouble-but we hid it awfully well!
This is part of what fell i between those two pictures. You can see the ball park-where I spent my youth playing baseball & football-no pads-just a bunch of kids getting together and playing tackle-not flag-football!
The air was crisp and clean in our little town-you knew who had the best gardens to rob on summer nights during your sleeping out-weather it was at a Friends house or up on Blueberry hill as I called it.
Bunch of guys-young-a little beer-shared of course-find out if & where there might be a girls sleep over and head over there.
Running through the back yards-dogs barking-looking for head lights-make sure it wasn't the town cop- for as you see we had a curfew- 10 pm every night the town fire siren would go off-everyone under 16 or 18-can't quite remember-OFF THE STREETS!
Almost the same view but much earlier-turn of Century or early 1900's. Back when our little town had factories that made glass. Factories are gone, but the future park was just to the right of the road across from the factorie on the left.
A SMALL TOWN-BUT A GOOD TOWN TO RAISE A FAMILY!
Railroad bridge being constructed to North of town near the border-early 1900's. It was gone when I could first remember-but it was progress back then. SMALL TOWN.
Just south of this bridge and north of town-was THE POWDER PLANT. Munitions factory. Accidents through the years claimed many. Not much left now-but Eldred had many business during the early years. People lived and worked here. SMALL TOWN.
PRIDE AT THE END OR NEAR END OF THE WAR-MANY WENT AND NEVER CAME BACK- SMALL TOWN!
The refinery south of town-never saw it as it was gone when I came along. SMALL TOWN!
When you grow up in a little town- you know your neighbor-you have many friends-everyone knows everyone-so you had better be good- there was a civic pride-a understanding and what this country was all about- many should look at this next picture and then step back and wonder where this all went-why there is so much today that they want to tear down and remake into something that just is not America. SMALL TOWN!
MAIN STREET ELDRED-SOMETIME EARLY 1900's. SMALL TOWN!
Yes we had a band- a marching band- SMALL TOWN!
AND IT GOT BIGGER. SMALL TOWN!
Concerts before LADY GAGA!SMALL TOWN!
CLASS TRIPS TO NYC! SMALL TOWN!
SMALL TOWN!
And oh my! The winters-it just kept coming-you would go to work-no plows out-sometimes snow up to bumper before you got onto main streets-here you are looking south just outside of town.
SMALL TOWN!
We even had a factory that made BASEBALL BATS! SMALL TOWN!
SMALL TOWN!
Yes, we had a main street- and guess what- NO RED LIGHTS! SMALL TOWN!
Times were changing-factories closed-waters came-stores came & went-people passed through-you knew some and some you never knew. SMALL TOWN!
The floods wrecked havoc- people helped each other- STAND BY ME! SMALL TOWN!
Each year, you just did not know- would it come- when would it go? SMALL TOWN!
And then life would go back to normal-people passed you in the street & said hello.
SMALL TOWN!
Some are still here-others are long gone- SMALL TOWN!
OTHERS GAVE ALL.
But the band played on- the music filled the air. SMALL TOWN!
Explosions claimed another one.
The war took many.
And it continues.SMALL TOWN!
They came-they prospered-they left- SMALL TOWN!
Yes we had neighbors-nearby towns- BUT IT WAS OUR SMALL TOWN!
We changed-we thrived-and we changed again and again-now-sadly to say -it is even a smaller
SMALL TOWN!
We willor at least I will remember our small town, lean on me, mayberry, small town USA, a good place, a fine place to grow up. I don't go back mush anymore, 2 or 3 times a year.
My mother will be 97-I write every week-she can't hear much anymore so you can't talk to her. But the small town memories are still alive in my memories. Getting ready to make the journey North in a couple weeks-will see my mother-this year we will be going back quite often.
No snow for me-I will visit the small town in warm weather- I will remember the snow-but now I don't like snow- but memories will always be there.
Here is a car- parked right outside of where I was raised-do not know who or why this picture was taken-but I recognised the street right away.
When one grows up living on main street-you never forget those late night crashes- many of them on this very spot. My bedroom window overlooked this spot- so now I will finish what I started out to do. Bring a smile or memory to those of you who know me and are from our little town. For those of you who are still there or those who at one time or another passed through.
This is where I grew up-this is where I first learned the meaning of STAND BY ME!
For you see-even though I have gone-life goes on in this little town-they say history repeats itself-maybe someday the factories will return- in my mind they are there.
I LEAVE YOU NOW- This was my SMALL TOWN! STAND BY ME-IT!
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