Left high and dry in 1955

Washington Cascades

And old nineteen 50' truck going over cascades

A six-year-old headed for a life of petty theft (only until seven years old), after which my Mom remarried, and I received some strict rules from my new stepfather.  My biological father, “Dick Robinson,” whom I have mentioned in three other posts. He left us four kids and our mother high and dry, disappearing out of the blue. Back then, in most cases, the deserting father could only be divorced by running an ad in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (I assume that was the paper she used). So she ran an ad for a few days, probably saying, “Dick Robinson, please come back.” If there was no answer, she could then legally obtain a divorce from him. We had a house full of furniture and a new car to sell. All was mortgaged to the hilt. Back in the 1950s, it was common to forgive the debt due to my mother’s situation. If she returned it all, would they do this today? I know that’s not done today. 

   My uncle Buzzy picked us up in the Mont Lake neighborhood. And in his 1955 Chevy pickup, we left Seattle, with the next stop being North Bend for the night, then on to Ellensburg at daybreak. All of us kids had to sit in the back with blankets and pillows, except the baby, Mom, and uncle. It was midwinter, and the journey was long and arduous.  There was no four-lane highway. It was a narrow old road winding through the cold and snow, estimated to have been built in the 1930s. The road wound through the snow and ice for most of the way. The road was warped and had potholes. A journey that currently takes four hours from Seattle to Richland would have required approximately 30 hours, because you couldn’t drive at night on that road in the 1950s. You could hardly drive in the daytime. 

  I drove the road in 1968, when it was still the old 1930s road. (as a note, ) I found it extremely hard to travel the road and navigate the potholes, and we were in a 1963 Volkswagen that was made for narrow roads. Although it barely made it up the steep mountain pass. (barely!!)

(Back to the story) When we arrived in North Bend, there were three frozen kids: two, four, and six, and a warm baby in the front with my warm mom.   They started for home early in the morning.  The next day was sunny and freezing cold. They rotated kids into the front cab of the truck by the heater to keep them all from freezing. A stop, which was eagerly anticipated, as everyone was frozen! Ellensburg was the largest city in central Washington. (more to come tomorrow)

Following the stop in Ellensburg, we had a trip of approximately eight to twelve hours, during which none of us appreciated the scary ice.

Ellensburg was known as the windiest town in Washington. Still is today! Central Washington State College was here.

We arrived in Richland, WA., to snow. Uncle Buzzy escorted us into the house. This was truly a mansion for us, and the warmth was returning to our frozen hands and feet. My Grandma and Grandpa were living at that time with my Aunt, who was in high school. This was Columbia High School. There were three bedrooms: Aunt Anne was in one, Gram and Gramp in another, and a small guest bedroom. We got the little guest bedroom. Getting up with one small bathroom was confusing and stepping on toes. I was in first grade and remember standing at the door, jumping up and down, being like a normal kid. But we were really upsetting the regular running of the house. So, my grandparents built a full basement under the house in record time. We were now in a basement that featured a living room, a large laundry room, and three bedrooms. All concrete. And why they didn't put a bathroom down there, I'll never know. We at times used the lawn outside it in a bad way. Shortly after that, my Grandfather, who was a supervisor at the Hanford test reactor, helped my mom find a job. So we moved to an A-house on Gillespie St. in Richland. The houses in wartime were government-built and so were named House A, House B, House C, House D, and so on.

So, 6 1/2, I will admit I was running wild. I was running wild with two little friends: Danny and Hugh. The store lost a lot of candy and other items. 

My friends and I were the proud owners of a couple of b-b guns. (These air rifles that shot little copper pellets) We were finally caught shooting at the windows at the old cleaners in Richland. The Hanford patrol was responsible for security in town, and we received a ride in a patrol car to our respective homes. 

I was then assigned many chores at home to keep me out of trouble. On a cold, cold morning, I was assigned to open the old furnace in the basement, stir the ashes, and start the fire. Then, they retrieved more coal to burn nicely and hot to heat the house. The family would wake to heat. I now mowed our meager lawn with a push mower and took care of watering, trash duty, and sometimes did the dishes. Help with picking up in the house. I was definitely in a house jail.