Page 43 - People & Places In Time

Jamestown to Tulare County
Emerald Smith marries Dolores Mitchell
The Smith and Mitchell families have established their presence in Tulare County. Adolphus and Susan with their children, including my grandfather Walter and grandmother Mary are on the ranch six miles southwest of Visalia. My mother Dolores Annette Mitchell is born on December 18, 1914. Roland and Ruby Smith have settled with Pearl, Emerald and Velma into their 149 north ‘B’ Street home, in Exeter, my future is in the works.
Mom is attending Packwood grammar school, just down the road from Pack- wood farms. On occasion her older brother Howard will drive her to school with horse and buggy. By 1933 she will be graduating from Visalia High School, a seven- mile drive from her home; I can only guess that her dad or mom drove her to school in their new Buick.
Dad is walking three blocks to Lincoln Grammar School along the same side- walks I will walk in another thirty years to sit in the same classrooms. By 1934 dad will graduate from Exeter Union High School.
While still in school dad’s first job was behind the soda fountain in the Exeter Drug Store. My sister Carol will have the same job in front of the same large framed mirror and marble back counter. For a time, I mopped and swept the floors and washed the windows their as well.
From reading dad’s yearbooks, he was a popular guy; Freshman class presi- dent and Student Body president his senior year. A note below, to my dad in his freshman yearbook, the “ACTA” was written by Anny Chapman. Ann eventually mar- ried Earl Hayes, my dad’s first cousin. When I was growing up, I referred to Earl and Ann as aunt and uncle but really, they were almost like second parents to me. There home was on Lenox Avenue just down and across from our home. Earl as well, be- came partners with my dad in Sierra Ford. Years later when I built my furniture stores in Fresno, Ann’s brother Bill was someone I dealt with through his company in San Francisco. The other lady referred to as Milly was Mildred Heckman who eventually married Bill Huffaker (Huffaker Candy in Three Rivers) her brother Ralph married my aunt Pearl. I mention all this to describe our town, the place I will write of later in this book; of the close community the town of Exeter was.
Hello Bot;
What do you know – we’ve got at least two more years in which we can fight, that
is if you don’t give up cause I’m some bother. Yeh you are the funny face that dunked me so much – you must think I’m a fish!
Well Bot haven’t we had lots of fun this year – your freshman year in EUHS has been pleasant, eh? Bot, don’t forget all the dances we’ve had together – I enjoyed them, but you – were you just trying to be polite when you said you did? Do you remember the nite of the Exeum? They’d better not cut that tree down!! Bot, that dance over at Visalia, when you, Milly, Curly & I all went over together – we had fun – especially before and after- words – Ahem!! Listen Bot that ol crate of yours about caused me to bite my tongue off one
Packwood grammer school less than a mile from Mom’s home at the ranch
Exeter Union High School ~ The auditorium stands at left, as it still does today.
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