GREETINGS FROM COW CREEK HISTORICAL SOCIETY, SEPTEMBER 2014
Old House Up–Date
Several goals have been accomplished at the Springer–Martin House this year! Floors were sanded and finished in two of the large upstairs bedrooms. A better security system and additional cameras were installed. Some small square boards missing from the top of the large posts that secure the stair banisters were replaced and several members touched up the new boards and scuffed areas on the stairs with matching paint. Good news is it appears the bats no longer consider the attic in the old house their home base. The bad news is that a hive of stinging insects homesteaded under some boards outside the middle front room and it was necessary to call an exterminator because the hornets considered every two–legged being going in or out the front door fair game! Several boards had to be removed to reach the hive, but it is once again safe to enter or exit the front door! Another “downer” was having to call a plumber to correct a quick emergency plumbing job done by slave labor after a pipe broke under the house. While the plumber was there to correct the pipe problem, he was asked to plumb water to the old fashioned pull–chain flush toilet in the small bathroom off the downstairs hall, but he apparently considered that to be too big a project... or not a job he wanted to tackle, so the water tank high on the wall in the small bathroom remains empty and the toilet unusable.
Another accomplishment is that Don Brady & his daughters spent part of the year cutting 6 foot cedar boards for fencing on their little mill. The fence will be built between the highway and the s Springer–Martin side yard to provide privacy for events held there. The fence project won’t be built in time for the up–coming event ...THE OLD FASHIONED COUNTRY BBQ & CAR SHOW SCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 BETWEEN 1:00 AND 4:00 P.M.. Anyone bringing an old or showy car is welcome to park in the yard starting at noon.
The Old Glendale Junction
(This information is taken from a a book, “A Wonderful Life”, written by Clyde and Vernita Marriott)
In June of 1948, Clyde & Vernita Marriott, with their two children, Ron & Linda, left Sacramento to begin life at a mom & pop store 25 miles north of Grants Pass on Hy 99. Even though they knew the highway would be relocated, the price was right. The small grocery store with living quarters in back, had three gas pumps, two of which were hand pumps. One electric pump had its own motor to pump gas into a car, but the two hand pumps had 10 gallon glass tanks above head level in which gas had to be pumped by hand and delivered into a car tank by gravity flow. The property also had a double car garage with a lift hoist, air compressor, arc welder and a wrecker. There were seven rental cabins. The store was the Greyhound bus stop so taxi service was provided to Glendale, some four miles west. The price to buy the business and property was $14,000.
Although some of the cabins were rented on a monthly basis, the cabins for overnighters were equipped with kerosene cook stoves (hot plates) and sinks. At the end of the row of cabins was a combined toilet and shower house. The Marriotts charged $1.50 per night for the cabins. There was also room to park five trailers. Eventually Clyde added water and sewer line hookups and space for several more trailers.
The Marriotts worked hard and their business prospered. Before long they were regularly fueling 17 log trucks. Most used ethel gas, which was dispensed by the hand pumps. Clyde states that Vernita developed amazing arm muscles from all the pumping of the hand pumps! It seems the log trucks of the day had what was called “cook rear–ends” with chain drives that required constant oil dripping on the chain. Excess oil dripping from the chains onto the pavement mixed with a little rain caused the roads to become very slick. On their first 4th of July in the new business, the wrecker was kept busy with seven minor wrecks.
Clyde tells a story about a customer, Joe Gray, who lived about two miles up the road from the store/station. Joe came to Clyde’s shop for pickup repairs and he came to the store fairly regularly. He and Clyde became friends. Joe kept saying, “Why don’t you come up tonight and get a deer? They get into my apple orchard every night.” Clyde didn’t think he could risk getting a deer out of season, so ignored Joe’s invitation. Then one night, just before the store closed at 9:00, Joe called to say his pickup wouldn’t start and asked Clyde to get his mechanic, Roy, and come over, then added “And, oh yes...bring a sheet and two knives.”
Clyde and Roy arrived at Joe’s house to find that Joe had indeed shot a deer. He told the two men to take his wheelbarrow to get the deer out of the orchard and bring it to the barn. Clyde wrote that once in the barn, Joe turned on a 150 watt light bulb, and there they were, dressing out a deer in a brightly lit barn with big open cracks in the walls hoping they wouldn’t get caught!
When the Marriotts first came to Glendale, the realtor, Lote Gartin, had given them some deer steaks. Lote dropped in to visit several days after the deer incident and Clyde offered him some fresh venison. Lote, who seemed surprised that Clyde had fresh deer meat said, “Clyde, I don’t know if you know it or not, but Joe Grey who lives just up the road is the local game warden.” Clyde said, “Well, Lote, the game warden just got us our first deer!” The two men had a good laugh but never said anything to Joe about it.
In those days the game wardens never wore uniforms and used their own cars. They only carried a badge in their wallet. Joe once said that as long as hunters didn’t waste the meat and needed it, he wouldn’t bother them.
The old store, garage and several of the cabins are still standing at the Old Glendale Junction. One of the smaller cabins was moved around to the side of the garage a number of years ago and one cabin remains in the same spot where it was built, but another room and bathroom were added to it. If walls could talk, the old store would have many interesting stories to tell! Not only did the locals buy necessary grocery items from the store, but it was also a social center for neighborhood folks. Wooden benches lined the front wall near the door where patrons sat to enjoy conversation and a bottle of cold soda pop. During the Marriott era, a Jute Box was installed. To see how rickety the store building is now, one would never guess it was an enjoyable place to “sit a spell”.