Utah in the 50s; Cedar City/St George

This is a man a big strength. From the eleven thousand three hundred foot blind pig in Iron County. To Washington county's twenty five hundred foot altitude the lowest in Utah this breathtaking colored country has it all. For those who live here and for those of us who would love to come and read you the decade of the 50s was as we say in Utah a special time. Cedar City was the dominant center in southern Utah and still a small quiet town where youngsters played shoeless in the red hills near town St. George would soon be discovered. And in my statewide wanderings and those days gathering interviews and news for my carrousel radio program. I often came to the small farms of big ranches meetings and fairs in iron and Washington counties. And I love. Local production of Detroit in the 50s St. George Cedar City was made possible in

part by the Georges and Dolores story Eckels Foundation. And through the support of the contributing members of KQED. If you were driving from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City on U.S. Highway 90 what. You. Pass through St. George Utah population four thousand five hundred sixty two. It was a sleepy little town sanctuary quite. Well you know we were living in what we can see. The sticks. Way way from Salt Lake. The center. Of cultural life is very busy. People always wonder what you did in small town. Or anything to do. I cannot remember having a single second that was wasted and we know everyone in the town. And everybody was concerned about each other and we help. Each other. It was just a good safe community.

Imagine there was only one stoplight in St. George and it seems that one was here until the middle of the decade. Some remember it wasn't needed even then. But. It did bring with it some new excitement. That main street. There was only one stoplight. Is that right. Wait a minute. There were many. I don't think there was a stoplight in the 50s a little. After 1955. There was none. There were none till. That first flight. We looked right up there right on Main Street and now Boulevard and Main Street and it was needed during your lunch hour and going to school. But. This time it is just a dream all the time. We thought that was great when it first. Why. Why. Because the people that go and when the traffic didn't come anymore they'd go

anyhow. And that's what caused the wreck. I remember as a kid working so station right there on the corner. And the traffic was so small that we had to stay open. So we busy ourselves by going out and pushing a button to change the light. Just a big game you can more than scream. And have to stop. For no traffic just because just for your pleasure. That's right just for fun. You. Know. No highway went the middle of town. And we had Main Street and tabernacle straight. And so of course Main Street was the main major town on up the street. There were business the center was on the corner across from the tabernacle on the west side of the street. A was sent of clothing. I still have a credit card from that and it's been out of that business for a long time.

Marion Bawler had an appliance store. Hirsch had about a variety store and things there. It was about three. Of them in the other direction from the beginning of ACORN which was a stoplight J.C. Penney's was on the corner where most of the time I shopped at Penney's what little shopping I did do that we had a Strouse right store. My husband bought some property right down on Main Street. And bales three little buildings right and one was the one that went to a store that still laugh. And one was that to. An. Economy this time as I remember. And the other one was that well and but. Lose office they do well. And they are scared of these gigs. And my dad he ran. Forever. Were two of the aisles. They were wooden shell. With set. Things in the middle of there with

them and they love it. They were building this place wrapped wrap around the beans was like. There were two freebasing gorgeous Shulgin down there was the rivalry between the stores. I guess his saved. Mathis park was right next to the post office and they also may die. They were our competition. You go down the boxing ring what you eat. Oh yeah. But it was a good market a good market for years and years and years. The old pay market was across the street on 100 North across the street. My father store the miles way around that and I did a good job with that. Back at that point in time it was that. Jim and I just had a grocery store and he had it on wheels was Jim's mobile market. He took a truck frame built a trailer from the back. It was just like a mobile home. It had

shelves for groceries produce a refrigerator and he would go up and down the street with his way and he would go to the middle of a block and he would stop. Gisbourne. Come when you hear the familiar horn and all kids loved him because he always had lots of candy and they had some ice. Choosing. That Important pay for their piano. And it was really nice because a lot of the older people especially that did not have transportation or had to depend on someone else to get their groceries to go out to the market and pick up what they needed in our town. When you went to the market you got claimed you came to town in a nice dress and it was a big occasion because that was social. So damn filled in a need for the women that just likes the better and get on with their day without having to.

Cross the street was the hotel. What was the name of a hotel. Liberty Hotel. It was just a two story hotel lobby and in it all 50 40 rooms on the river. And liberty and the arrowhead hotel. And they were quite magical big you know big and. Unusual for St. George's weather and it had a pharmacy in their basement pharmacy. And they competed with. The drug could do. Drugs on my parents best friends watch as one started to grow. They had a wonderful fountain. Dan Watson worked for his father. And the Clark Watson on the Dixie drugstore. And it was fine and we enjoyed going there because he was such a wonderful friend to everyone. And then his son took over and we all not see my husband. And this is the

very famous. Watson Dixon sort soda fountain. Which played a part I think in many romance. Honda was right across the index at college. They are indeed their. Boyfriend or girlfriend. So many people in town would say repetitiously maybe a little. It was wonderful to see the interplay of the people here while they had their own court which was a big break like they would never have. So what was all a sort of you had an ice cream soda. Well yeah. You say they don't make money. They don't know how. How do you make when you put first a good and a scoop of ice cream. And then the flavor topping. And then of course a little water and then you start up really good and which was really good. I think that's the important part the important part is what carbonated

water. And then the spritz the with fine spray. Great big scoop of ice cream. Talk with love. You put a spoon on the side very carefully into the straw and serve it up. All right. I've never had one of your shoulders. I know. I didn't like them so maybe there was no love would think they were right and they were just like. The soda. So she has. Good. And there were several trash out snowless trash and. That's. That's. A descendent of arrest. OK this was your homecoming dress and the blue and white colors of gates. Where did you get the dress. Ax no shot. Was the same place. They had dresses like this. We went to see Alfie Snow's

dress shop. And she kept an eye out for us in all that time. Was it expensive. Oh probably you know. Doesn't it look expensive. And then everyone's opened up. And I know my mother who used to visit for assault plates. She would love to go to F-4s she loved their clothes. And your father was a businessman in St. George. He was he was on Main Street and he had his own shop there and it was easy Miles saddlery. He sold saddle's which were really quite important back then and also he repaired shoes which was very important to people. Midway through a block on the north side there was nothing until you got over to Tabernacle and Main Street on the corner and that was very nice. Now furniture had had his furniture store and he had of course furniture as well as all floor coverings and painting. It was just an overall general hardware

store. My dad had a. One. Night. Two. And. It was. So much fun to go to. Shop. Let's talk about everybody and find out what was going on in town. And my two aunts find just hilarious ladies and they can't take anybody in the shop. They had. A call. And it was a MacGowan job to get them. And I knew he couldn't. Now they call it jail or something. Product. Product. Well anyway they were they were moving from one spot to another and it broke. They dropped it. And we slid for about three hours trying to get past and it was just like a wild ride. Yeah. So you had to carry everybody there. I didn't know no no no made ice cream. And where did the ice cream go to the cafe. Count me. In.

My stomach. Boy Lyle was the chef and owner of the Liberty cafe. And I would go all the away side door entrance to the buffet and the waitress it would come back over to the back in order to say that if you just look at the chair which was the best confirmed. Well they're all dead now I can say exactly right. I think the big was hand it was for me the big get cafe was on. Highway 91 right. Oh it was the stopping place it was where the bus came in when all the boys left the courtroom and also a requirement there all in order to be the best they had to stay open 24 hours a day. Ms. Let's come out. Once a month. Boys would be drafted but they see them off and waved them.

It was a coffee shop you know Mormon community. People were smoking and drink coffee. By golly I believe they were the. Word. Because. I could do that George Bush was because they had a big hand out for him. I don't know why. Why was the big hand with. George George. Pace ran that for years and years and years. Now who owns the big. Began. Roger and me Jack. And they were sheep. They were sheep and cattle out on the margins. And I'm told by one of them lost his hand. Tell me that. Yes. And to me in those early days when I tell you which would come into the balls at night you know they'd go out once or twice a night and set off dynamite. To scare you which way or catch whatever may be. And he blew off one of his hands and he had an artificial hand. Placed

and always wore gloves. And the big name derives from from his hand and I'm told that's why he named his cafe the big anti-fur I'm sorry I'd never heard you. I had heard that story. Yes I sent a block east of there was this cafe on the highway east that was downtown. This cafe was more of a thing for local people to come there. Oh you might say the cowboy crowd you know they play cowboy himself. People want to go out to the dining room area and Dick put a nice dining room on. To his house. And it may have a little bit nicer. You can have parties in there and have 50 60 people without any trouble.

He had just two just a few stools and it was a good cafe. They had good food. I mean it was always that we could always get a steak sandwich get potatoes and gravy. We get ham and eggs. You know the real good stuff. That they're quite hot. And at the time that they were making the Conqueror he was working with the livestock especially the horses at that point in time. And they had been filming all day. And so that evening they decided to go out to dinner with Dick Powell the producer and his wife June Allison the two of them entertained a group of men that were there and of course my dad had never. Had any contact with the people. He said all that know was great. He said they were just like common kids. And so it was it was fun for him. And and didn't the honor. I wasn't involved in bringing movies to this part of the country. Yes. Claims that a personal friendship with John Wayne and. Clark Gable and others who come and eat it is place.

I tell you about glaze came in here to do the King and four queens. And I rented my home the car gave him his wife. And. Had a bathtub that was filled by a spicket that raised up. And you could share with us because then you could raise your down with that. And he asked me where I got that much right here in St. George he says could you get one from my home. I think there. Are one or two values down there by David Sharston. I think was twenty three or four dollars. He wrote a check to try to on my cast the darn thing. Did you ever remember any of those movie stars coming to town. I remember seeing them quite a bit and I remember walking into a movie theater with John Wayne walking out. And one occasionally. Got the movie stars to. Put a softball team. On the field and it was time to play them and it was a. Fun activity for you without one.

I don't think they keep score. John Wayne used to play softball with his dad's football. He's a good guy a good guy at a good time. Corker was the biggest. Budget movie we ever did here. They spent a lot of money John Wayne. And they lived here for six weeks and it was a big no big budget movie but it was never very successful. Now I kind of remember it and you remember seeing a movie star here in St. George John Wayne Clark Gable and many others was not uncommon in the 50s. Hall I would love making movies here and young and old love seeing the stars on the big screen at the Getty and the Dixie theatres. You had to go to St. George if you had a day to do anything exciting. Yes. The one place we go to a movie was in St. George's two movie halls over there the Dixie theater. I worked at both movie theater so I worked for Jack Wadsworth at the

theater and his son in law Merv wrapper. Had the guy yet you went to the Dixie Chicks and the day of the tabernacles strings for instance that I used to later at the show. So she had to take it. That's his name right. You could see all sorts of fun things at the movie and maybe a would bring the stage one night or the next night he'd bring another one. And so it was fun for us as we were working to kind of keep up with who was going with who and how many times they brought with someone and how much were movies that I could go to the movie and have a popcorn for 15 minutes. After the movie. Would start. You think your ideas would be to admit toward service station less treat. And then I went up to that station for Harim a card that he lived in drove all by saying That's why I was called Macquart and leave it up there and

hope ride did come. There was nights and not a lot but occasions when we were home and would not even pass the car going either way. There were a few cars here in the late 40s and early 50s. But as the decade unfolded cars were cheap gasoline was cheap. And that brought tourists from all parts of Utah Nevada California and elsewhere to our just to St. George. Did everyone have a car. No. No. Most families would have access to. Yeah but not we have you. Know every person in the family. Have tried where we were. And we would be walking. Yeah you'd love to have a car. Yeah. Did you have a car. I have a car.

We only have one car. Kind of. A freight. Yes. That was true. And and in those days you could tell who was were in town by car. That's right. I remember I was so noble I saw a car down at the post office that year. What you do in the car did you drag main street. Oh yeah that old main street was that there was the thing to do yeah you know. Everybody knew everybody and everybody knew their car. We knew all the license plates of all the cars. But the car was coming in here it was stopping you know it was just one of those things you learned. How was out on the street that night. How much was gasoline. They keep it that far with 17 cents. How much was gasoline. It was maybe 17 or 18 cents. How much did gasoline cost in the 1950s. You stink.

I would imagine 25 30 something as far as I remember. Sometimes a little less time now. People used to come through here. In the 50s I guess. When they could get cars. And gasoline and money after the second world war. And and you told me that they would. Drive at night and sleep here here in the day. Yes. Before the days of good air conditioning in automobiles. They would leave California. In the evening drive home night and arrive here about something and then they check into a motel. And. Sleep for a couple hours. And then go on their trip. I remember sitting in the summer. My bedroom was against the side of the house where I could open the window but a pillow out the window and it sucks like other. So take all those hot summer days the

radiators and everything in the cars work like they are now and the cars would heat up but they had these side coolers on the car and. The. Pillar there that when the wind hit it to the ground he blew the air in. We've got a little window box that we could put a bucket of ice water the best that we can cool off our car. That people have those canvas bags on the front of all those canvas bags would be great around the license plate. And you know a lot of accuse us of. Being a super salesman or something you know here you are going to go on to get your water back. No no. What's that. You make sure they had a water bag or the old bag. That's right. It was hot. And we had a swamp cooler and our first little house and I would cook dinner and we would sit down at a table. And the perspiration would pour down

our nose or dinner. There's a few show every night laser and I could just get in bed sheets and get wet. Sweat. Yeah. But you didn't have any air conditioning. No I did not have any any not in this swamp cooler. No. Screen door screen on the window you throw everything open trying to get a lot of the night. We had a porch we had an old spring job. You'll see Dad Houghton right now our pecan tree. Just take the blanket and out there and Larry might get a little breeze and be a little bit cooler. He got caught. With the. In. And you did did you have a reefer you didn't have a refrigerator in the kitchen. We did not. Yeah I'm 11 years old. You know the refrigerator and. I can still hear dad Shane taste how cold it is. Yeah yeah. Many here thought that coming to where the summer sun spends the winter required the

tourist lure of golf and all those dreams and plans for that wondrous but sometimes frustrating game began early on this Red Hills Golf Course wasn't always here. We didn't play golf tonight. That surprises me. The first golf course was built here in 1965 and this is here right. And that's that's the one that started the development of St. George in my opinion. My grandfather says that they were good friends told him one day I said if you build a golf course dancing George we can play golf. There may not have been a Redhill golf course in the 50s but these red heels attracted kids of all ages. It was such a fun place to raise kids worldwide. Well I'm from an I I grew up to because the red hell is right here on the red hill. There's a little pond up there that had gold fish and we would run on the radio

all summer chasing rabbits what it. Seemed like we had fun. And I knew that my parents were afraid and I wasn't afraid to send my kids out but I would be natural. Would you wear shoes. No. Or should we get up and put on some pants and then take off and be gone all day. Well the Sugarloaf was on the back heel and you can't miss the Sugarloaf it's just a great big rock up on the red hill. You'll see it and on it it'll say Dix. There would be groups officer would go up there and it's fun to look up to see the valley St. George. But you and your girlfriends would sit on the Hill and tell funny stories. Right. We would laugh. We would laugh up there. And especially at night when all the lights were on and the tempo was way out there in the middle of nowhere and say what let's bring them back. There will never be in the middle of.

Detroit. Here's where I learned how to swim. I'll write it down below here. I hope there was a lot of water in it and then there is and you give it another two weeks to be a big stream of water all summer. Yeah. Yeah. You had our fancy swimming all you want. Well it was a little bit better than it did for us. We had a swimming pool out the street about three blocks east of our home on second south and that was the St. George swimming pool. We spent a lot of time in but it was time on them. And it was fun to go to a power generating plant next door and so they had the water to the. Generators so they warm up on it. And that was. Wonderful for St. George to ask about the heat of the summer. That's what you did. You went swimming.

Tried to get to the pool as often as you could where we would go up to Vail which is up road about 20 miles. Had a lovely swimming pool in the summertime we'd go up there swim and it was a warm spring. It was fair from. My earliest recollection was just a little too tiny to my the pool and it had a roof over it at that time. I remember but it was the s.a.m pool had big logs you could throw it back and forth but it was wonderful. It was cooler and all. That can go and take a picnic. I got to the side of the Kotla trees where you can bring your picnic lunch and picnic afterwards or whatever so it was it was a cool place to get away say up here about a quarter mile. We had a good day. The sand on the ditch could be. Five six seven feet deep in there really. We had what we called the boys pool from that bridge across the creek. And the only suit we had was a birthday. So I was going to ask you the Jewish woman in her birthday she.

Yeah I understand there's a place sort of a lover's lane or there's a good of a lover's lane to pull it of the Red hill up here. Well was it. Way up on the red hill where the black tail. That's not a probably. That's right. The idea that your brother told us that in those years it was. Oh God look old sparky. I don't know what. I'm not sure what we call and there is lots of parking and listening to the top 20 Countdown and. Making. You know. Making out what we're trying to make. Now what are you talking about honey. I've got to tell you. I'm not. Over it you can always look around. All right guys. Talk about problems too.

That's right. What happened after the movie beyond where did you go. Did he be himself. He was a pretty good guy. You know usually with a lot of other kids. Oh yeah. Yeah. Let's go to the Dairy Queen and have a hamburger which is really a big deal. Did too. It had car hops and you can go in and have the bar. Stool. And have pinball machines. And and the polar bear. On. 100 North on highway 91 quite a 70s actually. And it was built by Bobinette and they ran the polar bear shop and had wonderful ice cream. Pop out. From the usual cut things but it was only a drive and you couldn't go in and sit down. Churches restaurant and church franchise you are a

chef you're you're from Salt Lake so you can walk in and get ice cream soft ice cream in those years and then you pay burgers and fries. That's literally only about a quarter of a block away from a college tabernacle. Was a mall shop an ice cream shop called the college called. It was right next to the Arrowhead. Hotel. So it was on my way. I always had to stop because my dad had allowed me to work for the day after school. One of my privileges I got to work and if I. Could play games on my way up to Logan for being late I still believe every day. And it hampers a fox. Counter with stools and they serve wonderful hamburgers. And. Ice cream. Yeah they had both to go

for only a nickel. Well it was a little dimes but you get free games and I love. And so I did get very good. I tell my dad I had to stay there for five but that there was no you couldn't for. The kids would go to hang out after school or even go to college. So that. College was on 100 South Main Street. It was right in the center of town b c d. Right straight down the street one block from the tabernacle but late 50s I think we had about three little over 300 students there. Now back in the high school was in coordination with the college.

The last two years of high school I see most kids did go onto two years of college and get their associate degree because it was all right there. And the advantage of that combination was that as a high school student we had college professors to teach us. So we use the college teachers despite the college kids did. There were only three buildings. We had the main building that's the city of St. George's the city now. We had industrial arts across the street and the science building. And for the Washington County Library is now our That is where we had our GM. It had about balcony. Around the top. And then there were a few bleachers that they would cut on each side. But it was very small. It was small at that time. We have the ball games very exciting. Dixie. Ceder. Speaking of rivalries how did you feel about Bryant charger Kotaro color. Well you had to give him the axe right in the neck.

Did you see this. Was that was it meant to be a scene of Nixon going to school. Some of my compatriots to break me up to one year so dry or so because it seems like they had done something similar to that. So we had that. There was always something of that going on that it wasn't anything unusual to see see stamped on my lawn that the call agio of anything just say Dixie their lawn at the college. You know one of the things they used to try to do is sleep down here in Folsom red paint or something like that. And that happened before they would do all sorts of things and of course the fellows and the groups here would retaliate and they had a hatchet it's a wonderful thing to have that Hatchard in the Dixon college gymnasium hanging in the case.

A. Rehab D-Day which was an annual celebration of the programs that we all and each class would have a skit and it was a will play him he thought of starting out early in the morning whitewash all the fellows would go up and do activities all day long. Well they had a two day parade and you wrote in all cars dressed up and marched. There were floats and then in the afternoon at the park play games. Swimming. It's a three day play on the Hill have a program and then go to the D-Day dance that night and they would light a fire all around. It was up there and you know where and now it's somebodies back door. Did you go to college take a college and you had celebrations

over there. Oh we had fun dances in the old wreck hall how it was right behind the gymnasium which now is where the library is between the tabernacle and the college campus. Big part of the building with beautiful wood floor. It was one large long building that would hold everybody. Don't want to go to. They all go. And. The adults came. Our parents would come to a lot of the dances had French doors all the way around the building so that you could just open the doors and go out on the patio. They had a tennis court that the college used while cold on the East Side on it and they would put a band up in there and take the subway. And would have open they are dancers. They were the recreation. Oh you know people would work hard and decorate the recreation hall create paper and all the nice

things and fun when they decorated. But tons and tons of crepe paper for junior proms or whatever kind of a fancy dance that haven't had floor shows. Everybody danced on Friday night but we had dancers in there every weekend for the college that I believe was the major cause we do what you did on Friday night. You went with amps at the ballgame you went afterwards. But if not then you to dance. Halloween dance was the biggest event of the whole season because the people dressed up and they come and they were fabulous costumes they weren't just little dime store Walmart type costumes they were homemade for months building. That was a great band. I love the red coat. The recreation hall was such a. Part of every part of our culture and part of everybody here. We danced with our arms around the boy and we were close. We had fun dancing steps and it was fun we had wonderful dance reviews

in the old home. So what kind of dancing did you do. Oh we did that waltz Foxtrot. Let take you and your band. How did you dance. What kind of dad loved to swing. Would you care to swing. Oh Jerry never liked to dance very much my husband. And so he wasn't much of a dancer until we started dancing and he thoroughly enjoyed dancing and we did. Now Dixie Watson was a good basketball player. Was he a good dancer. Oh fabulous. Really. When I. First started going with him just now he doubts I can say Hi Greg did you ever think tall. No no no. Oh I don't have a comment for you. That's what they called the. These Tigray probably do. Where did you dance. Well one of my favorite places was up on the tank after the rodeo. The big water tank in there was on

the water tank. When I first moved here that's where the water tank on the water calm the water was out out in the open air the whole town was brooding. Oh absolutely. Did anyone ever fall off the track. Well a lot of them fell down the stairs. They never fell off. There was quite a fence around. Yeah. There was also something else down over to Santa Clara on Saturday night. They were dances at the veil pool outdoor areas and it was a fun place to go I remember that my brother had been out in the open air the whole town was there. Really. Oh absolutely. Did anyone ever fall off the tank. Well a lot of them fell down the stairs. They never fell off. There was quite a fence around. Yeah. There was also something else down over in Santa Clara on Saturday night. There were dances at the pool outdoor. It was and it was a fun place to go. I remember that my brother had their graduation

party there at school. And we used to have all kinds of dances in the summer or fourth of July dances were held there because he had made a big cement floor in the side of it. Now you said you partied with your friends and then you go dancing. Well we did. We had what we called the the much more every year so much more. That was a big event and that finally for the whole world was there at Saibai and it what kind of music has a local musicians about what kind of tunes. Oh the good old goodies like what the 40s in the 50s and some of the more sophisticated ones like string of pearls and stomping that the boy will be. This. Year like jazz or Bill. Or anything like it don't yes. Oscar this is what I did.

That was my desire that I could sing that for. OK wrong for late. Yeah. And Elvis came in like Sandman Mr. Sandman. Yeah. Yeah. What kind of music did you like. Earl J. Blake's orchestra. He was the Glenn Miller of St. George. It was good music. I'm not sure exactly why but. It's sometimes a bit difficult to understand southern Utah. Delores white people down here parts of. Our family we've kidded about that since time began. How do you pronounce h o r s. Is. It's pure trick. I mean all our hearts. In the hearts. F A R M. M O hell we gotta at least try to convince you you know what I tried. She she won't

play here OK. Is that all I've got to say. Hardison for our lives and you I hear a farm during the interview. Set up for you to get your car down to the farm get the hearts out of the barn. Anybody knows that. And go out in the garden that's for sure. Utahns Why don't you talk like normal. We do. It's just that. You know we get Como's. If you live there in St. George in the decade of the 50s or if you visit it or simply pass through. Hoping that one stoplight would not be red when you got to the main intersection of town. It would have been all but impossible to imagine that this valley would become what it has today. This sleepy village has awakened. But the memory of those halcyon days of yore lived on.

Thinking back then. And remembering the decade of the 50s you're you. What how would you describe your feelings your inner feelings about all of this. It's an interesting commentary. To look your own child to wonder if if you are or if we had as much as they did then find out. We had as much as they were. But we didn't. Want to start by telling you that I love this. I still do. But it was a small town and. I used to say that two words. You know no reason to live in. It was. A very very good time to be alive. Good town to be based and I've always got the hot summers of St. choice was a very wonderful blessing that we have. I thought the other day of this song Dear hearts and gentle people who live in my hometown.

That's certainly applicable. The Atomic Energy Commission had promised that nuclear testing in the Nevada desert would be conducted with adequate assurances of safety. But when those tests began in 1951 and increased in the spring of 53 residents had Washington and iron counties saw felt and heard things they could not believe. I remember when they were touching off the bombs in a flat in Nevada. We was on the third floor we was in a physiology class. We knew what time the bomb was going to go off. So they're watching and we seen the flash and we sat there waiting for the sound and I don't

recall how long it took but it seemed like a long time. That Soundwave come in. Through the windows you know moved them a little. And it much to went and hit the read deal or the other healed here and bounce back so we got a second sound wave there. The thing I remember most about the time when communism was a concern to everyone. Is that my dad would take a turn going out on the lay Hill watching for the commies. And we talked about that years later and thought Well Dad you know if you saw one how would you know that it was a commie. And if you saw one what would you do. You know what would. Who would you notify. They didn't have any way of I guess they would just wave their arms cause. But isn't that interesting. It was a serious thing to have someone out there on the on the Hill all the time watching for commies. Seriously. Yes. Testing of atomic weapons goes on for a vital reason. Our national

defense. We have no choice to fall behind any other nation on atomic progress as a national risk. You could hear the explosions in Sadr City. I remember hearing it and and the clouds. Drift up. The grounds are located 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas and comprise 640 square miles of what was originally a world war two bombing range. I remember vividly seen in the newspaper these mockups of families and houses and then that they were all blown out. Last. In. Las Vegas. We used to go up on West Mountain out here and see it from here and then come back to town that great flash in the western sky and atomic bomb Nevada test site.

One hundred and forty miles to the west. But it's old stuff. St. George routine. They've seen a lot of them ever since 1951. Nothing to get excited about anymore. I remember going up on Pine Valley Mountain early in the morning just about daylight and was up on a beautiful place I that big all mushrooms went up you could see it clear out there right near the top of the mountain. Yeah. But we didn't. Exciting first we didn't realize there was any hazard in it. And the remarkable thing about it is that we were oblivious to it at the time. I mean we we obviously didn't understand the implications of it. In fact were given assurances that there was no cause for alarm but a radioactive fallout beyond several miles from the blast site has not been known to be serious. Well they handed out this little booklet atomic test effects in the Nevada Test Site region. This is the one they gave to our family dated January 1955.

But to give you a sample of the kind of thing that you are told and they're telling you that the path of the fall out is narrow at the test site and in the nearby region widens to hundreds of miles as it moves on and tens eventually will be eventually to be distributed uniformly over the earth's surface. It does not constitute a serious hazard to any living thing outside the test area. I was teaching school with time here in the cedar West Elementary. And I remember as we were preparing for. The class that we would go out and stand outside the school. Waiting for the blast to take place. And then. There was there was precaution but it was more of the precaution of. Of the buildings tumbling in on you than it was a fall out and about to fall. Well we were told that if the teacher ever gave the order to duck and cover you're under your desk first you would duck and then you'll cover. And very tightly you cover the back of your neck and your face.

And I do remember also at school taking little iodine pills at the end of the day the teacher had pass out the pills to everybody in Riyadh to take them. I remember one time I went to California we had all the kids in the car going down to. November the beach or somewhere. That. The mom went off that morning. And we left that morning just because of that so we can see. The cars when they come in they had. They had to wash them or they're somewhere around there. Every car in the town had to be washed. Because of the fall out. So. They give you helpful advice like taking your calls if you've got fall out on or are hosing down your shoes if they get fall out on them right. I mean this is your best action is not to be worried about fall out if you're in a fallout area. You will be advised. Ladies and gentlemen we interrupt this program to bring you important new word has just been received from the Atomic Energy Commission that due to a change in wind direction the residue from this morning's atomic detonation is drifting in the direction of St. George. If our radiation monitors advised

precautionary action do what they say it is suggested that everyone remained indoors for one hour or until further notice. Please bear in mind that it is extremely unlikely that there will be fall out above the expected low levels on any occupied community. There is no danger. This is simply routine Atomic Energy Commission safety procedure which of course was not is not the case. We had two guys here in town that was locating uranium. Yeah. And they came up there and told me what he was doing and I said No we haven't got any uranium here. I said go back down to your house and get your guy your gardener and come back up here. So he went down to his house and came back up here with it. We got in the station and I said Terry turn your back yeah your counter on. Turned it on and nothing I said walked right out. There was a gas pump right there. That needle went clear over to the end just like that. And he came back in and he said you've got it here. I said

we don't have anything here. And he said you mean to tell me that we don't have nothing here and I said no we don't have anything here that's coming out of Las Vegas. Leone called me from the drugstore one day and he said Get the kids in. The geiger counters are going crazy uptown. And so I brought my children in. But how many people did not get that kind of information. That's right. Did it impact you or any of your family healthwise. Not that I know of. Yeah. But you've been one of the lucky ones. Well yes quite Yeah yeah. You were in the Methodist you wouldn't even know. Watch your mail contaminated. You have to have it tested. Milk was tested every month. We had inspected come down every month even years after. They still sent people down to test the feed that. Yeah but the cows a milk to see if there was any fallout in that. I don't know what the results. I don't know results. But there must have been something.

Well the of course there were the the cancer deaths that you didn't really connect or piece together at the time. And yeah sure. I mean my dad and I both had melanoma. My mother had breast cancer and you know it's connected you know. You don't know there was hundreds of National Guardsmen young men some not so young from all across southern Utah spent the early 1950s in Korea fighting an undeclared war. That 230 armored field battalion headquartered in Cedar City. Fought with great military success and came home as heroes. They have said a newspaper clipping from the stars and stripes stage. Certainly few artillery units have ever fought. As aggressively as as close in fighting as have these men from the beehive state. As artillerymen they are classed among the best in the business. And from this we see the president on the citation and the

Korean president's citation. This is the 11th hour. You recognize that this is what we wore in Korea. Yeah. Yeah. And here the picture this picture is that. Of the three. Leaders. This is the commander Frank Kelly. That's yours truly. Yeah. How many men here were activated then all of a sudden you turn your back down. About 600. It consisted of a battery from Richfield one from Fillmore went from Beaver went from Cedar one from St. George saidor was the headquarters made quarters battery. Now. Every one of the six hundred men came home safely. Yeah. Your your outfit was actually in combat. You didn't go over there and just do support you got you were fired. I would I would say so. We went into a place around Kappy having valleys. My brother was very conscious about the safety of these men from

Southern Utah you see he's in charge. If he doesn't bring them home he might as well stay over there. Selfless. And he knew that. And he was very careful with him. He'd send out patrols and they came back with it looks like there's a whole bunch of thousands of Chinese up here with trying to get the idea that they were breaking out of a trap that had been stamped by the U.N. forces. And it looked like they were going to come right through headquarters battery in a battery. And of course for free for that you heard about the hash he put out the word that nobody sleeps tonight or he will stay home. Too early for that. When the dust cleared the next morning. We counted about. 300 that we killed and had captured. A term. And we lost him. So no casualties OK. We had one or two wounded. Why why were you fellows so lucky. I don't know if you talked to Frank the commander. He'll tell you that he

was. People very smart very intelligent and they were trying to when there was. A problem to solve. They didn't wait for somebody to tell him what to do. And I went down to the Korean War. Was I guess. The sad part of the decade a lot of things he wants. To do and I think it was I just think that. After all of that I would think it was a waste of time. During the decade of the 50s Cedar City and all of Iron County held centennial celebration. Abit about that same time Fred Adams began planning for what would become the Tony Award of Shakespearean Festival.

Indeed the decade of the 50s. Set the foundation for future growth education tourism agriculture and beyond. I remember the town in the 50s is a lovely place. It is a very. Small. Small town into my state. This town was a wonderful place to. Raise children because I had a lot of people. And people who were outside visiting and. Getting better acquainted. Just for example no one had a dryer so everybody was the women who were out hanging clothes on the line when you're out doing that you would call to your neighbor. It used to be we could get down and we. Do have like. We do. Drag man we park and we to everybody. I'm not sure if it's a good social event to go grocery shopping. Let's see some of your friends coming up to almost automatically stop. Say hello how are you. Whether you are too well or.

Are there Marlo. Good afternoon. How are you. Fancy meeting you at home. It's great to be here. You're ready to give me a little trim here. You've been cutting your hair in your mind for take. You better take off. I forgot. I've been cutting since. July 26 to 54 for the quick math that will be 47 years. That's a lot of hair. Cedar grown March 5th. I recall the population sign that used to have the elevation in population at the entrance said 50 One hundred and some odd people in Cedar City in 1950. The iron mine and the refinery was Big Oh yes. For 75 years. And my worst enemy I've seen our city. We were essentially in agriculture in the for that really and tourism those three things were the mainstays of the economy.

It was what a Tupac business area in the 50s are. Essentially. Yes. My office downtown encompasses two of the prime businesses that iron Cadie record newspaper. They were involved in the community and they were not afraid to take a stand on issues which they did. And Zions photo which was of really a very fine photographer's shop. Then there was another place I should called Cali rug and Cowley's was great because there you go and you get iron phosphate. Our friend said I to this day I stopped by Chris to get out of the he. The thing I remember about Kelly Drog moused is the smell. Because just as you went in the door off to the left that was where they had their clothes. Probably really cheap cologne. But that's what I could afford to buy for my mother. Cedar drug it was on the right almost next to use cafe right in the

same area there. And I remember my grandfather at the Harnisch shop would say to me here's a dime. You go over to Xavier grad and get us each an ice cream cone. We work with our kids who are up to speed or drive. But I'm a big scoop of ice cream. What about boys book drug. I actually took tap dance lessons. On the second floor of Oh. Where did you shop all this brass ribes. Brass Fried's had a lot of stuff in. It was just a fun start to go in and look around even if you didn't want to buy anything. And I can remember everything was set up on a counter table sort of place the place where you get all those little things that you needed or you'd buy thread there you could buy crochet yarn you could buy ribbons but the man who owned that smoked cigars. And when I think of that I always think of the cigar smile that

permeated that store. It was a one on the west side of Main Street. There were Woolworths was there. There was a fairly good sized store and then I remember buying little books in a little women and Treasure Island things like that. What works for 50 sat next to it was pennies. And we shop there quite a bit because it's a good family store. And the thing I loved about going there was they have this cool little way that you pay your bill. They would put it in this very thing a little container they put the money on the receipt and then they would pull this. Chain or something and it was zip up to the second floor where the cashier would take it. The lady up there would would get your change and sand the change down on the line shoot it back down and then third unscrew that bottom and give you your change. It was another high tech thing.

The remarkable one maybe was hundred hardware people used to register there for their wedding gifts. The front of the store would be fine china. And in the back of the store shovels and rakes you know all that stuff they had everything. Hardware was a good place to shop. They carry good merchandise and they had about anything you needed. Andrew Stevens which was locally owned Staples department store. Was. One of the main department stores in Cedar City. It had. Bolts and bolts of fabrics towels and sheets and things like that. People sold a lot more in those days. But it also had a ready made clothes again very small nice people. I think Christians this department store also. I'll bet that it came in a little bit later. I certainly remember. Well in fact Christians department store is still in Cedar City. There were so you know three or four really pretty good markets around town people's Marquette. There was a market called people's markup. Isn't that a great name.

That's right on the corner. Of center street and probably first West people's marketing's. Wide. White stucco. Then there were also little stores and of course now great big super supermarkets. The center was a call center freshy was down the street. My next door neighbors owned that so I was very well acquainted with. We called it DS because the Arthur owned it. It was one of those tiny ones that just fit on the corner. Scaggs. It was an open scag store or whether it was on Main Street. And you'd end up a little. It had a little cement ramp going. In there. And then. Lynn Orton started with a little market on the corner. His store was on Main Street. Oh my heavens it was so small you can believe just a small little corner grocery. But he was such a friendly man he had. He drew lots of returning customers.

And then out on the north end of town was Northeast furniture which was kind of fun because it was in one of those I guess a Quonset hut hornbills big kind of half pipe things. Their motto was drive a little and save a lot because it was way out north of town northeast. Well it's on the east side of the road. It was still just some way north east. I was just on the east side of the road. We were really fortunate I think in cedar because we had a lot of nice stores that were still affordable. There were two nice dress shops Sonoma and the Mary Palmer shop. But I shopped at the Mary Palmer shop because that belonged to my aunt. There were counters where lingerie and Holsworthy were kept behind and then there were racks of course of clothes. And what I remember in the 50s at the back of the shop. Was my father my grandfather's harness shop and he would

repair bridles and saddles and things like that. And then later on cinemas came in there was a small shop. With racks of ready to wear ladies things. Fairly narrow store. But without a seat and crowded the people were wonderful. They kind of knew all the townspeople they knew their taste. One thing I thought of about buying falls and then. One of the stores Miss Carden shoes and you go and put on the new shoes. And most of us had three pair of shoes Sunday school and play. But when you got your new shoes you would put them on and then you'd stick your foot in that little exercise and it would show right where your toes were burning those cool. Cardus had nicer shoes. They always were so friendly and so helpful when you go in and I mean Tom Carden is just as a friend and you'd go there to get your shoes and he'd help you match things with your outfit and if it was a prom they used to dye the shoes to

get the right color for you. And it worked great. I remember when Carlson and Carl Schuster was a big chain they were searching for the word I was a little cheaper you know less sex less expensive or less expensive for the comes. Yeah. Yeah. Where do you buy your clothes. You know and someone like that but there were a couple of stores. What's in store for men. Was an established store down there. I think it was two brothers that we had pretty good clothing store. What was Marstons men's store. It had men's stuff in there. I think I bought a pair of socks for my dad once. Marceau's was a very nice store very nice clothing and he were treated nicely. And what did you wear or what kind of clothes. The big skirts that probably the poodle skirts that was the starched petticoats. I had a turquoise one. I remember that. Made out of felt we were a lot of petticoats with tons of stuff and you wouldn't make that

stiff by dousing him in the tub in sugar water. When your mother was gone she didn't know you were. Doing. Every day on hot days. You know they don't want to run down your leg is horrible. You sit down and see if. We. Dressed up always we the escalation or the escalating knife before we dressed up in our very best. What kind of dress did you do. Well I don't suppose we had many tuxedoes but we had lots of long dresses and the women probably were more into dressing up than the men sometimes secretaries would get so stiff with. The writing on them you know people would write on them but they wore their suits. That you had to have. Well we were hats. Everyone had a hat. I've saved my hats they're too elegant. No one will ever wear them of course but every once in a while my grandchildren can laugh.

Did you wear gloves gloves always gloves. You were not dressed without like last little short white gloves. And in the winter leather gloves you always wear gloves. We were pretty strong. On clothing I would say. A lot of western. There was you saw cowboy boots you saw western shirt you saw Western hats. Yeah there was a lot of you know that kind of clothing from the Wild West. What that young boys were I know you can remember. I know I can remember too. Yeah they wore bloodily ice roller Levi's. Fashion for a while when I was in junior high. Would you wear your Levis in your real low on your butt. Yeah. And I remember sharpening the pencil when some kid dropped my pants to my knees at her bedside button up shirt and roll their sleeves up. There was a time where you turned your corner shop and you were a little skinny white belt.

But there are a lot of shirts. She made them. They were short sleeved shirts. And. Homemade homemade. What has happened to her and all those changes. Are continually changing. When I first started when she was the. Pot you would think probably 90 percent of people young and old. Had flattops. Staring straight up. But to recall bulldog's most had. A flat top but this was right at the time of course when Elvis was becoming popular. So the kids were growing their hair longer and getting dark tails and that sort of thing. How did you wear your hair. Oh goodness. It was quite a range there through the 50s. Early on we used to have what we called in those days it cuts real short. And in fact one of my friends during the Elvis Presley stuff they had a life

size cut out at the party and they gave it away to the girl with the short list here hair and my friend cut her hair. So it was a long all over. Then you go through the era of tails and you usually tie a chiffon scarf and the ponytail like ribbon like the long you can do. And by the end it was pageboy. So it was quite a range of hair style. They made movies here because Hollywood moguls loved the scenery westerns and musicals major movies and some B movies with big stars and some unknowns and continuity of place in this gorgeous color country mattered very much. They made a lot of movies here. And the movie stars would come to town Deanna Durbin. She she was at a movie called can't help singing and she starts out singing at Navajoa lake and she ends up over at Cedar Breaks which is quite a feat.

She just went over a little hill there she was the one I remember during the 50s was filmed out at Rush Lake area north of sheeter and that was called Grabow. Alan Lander was the star. You know I got out there looking around I you recall seeing the barn. Burned. That was quite exciting. In fact I remember asking John Wayne for his autograph in St. George once when I was a small child and he said to me was that the biggest paper papery of bought. I gave him a small piece of paper out of a notebook. You're mad Susan. Yes. What was she like. She was friendly. I was surprised she was friendly we say movie star pictures we would get movie magazines and we would say movie star pictures and then the big thing was to get together with all your friends and trade movie star pictures. I'll give you one Barbie Driskel for a Dean Stockwell or. And we had our favorites of course.

Do you remember any of the movies that you liked. Oh I always liked the Doris Day movie. I really did kind of embarrassed to say why. Well I just don't they were reassure her they were they were great movies of the period was there were there a lot of movies. Could you take a date to a movie or go to a movie in the 50s. We had two theaters Plus the drive in. We had to show houses cedar and parks. And that's we call them the show House. We weren't movie theaters they were the show house. I can remember the long lines waiting to get into the theaters. We went to the movies a lot because there wasn't much of anything else to do. And it only cost a dime and then it went to 15 cents. Now of course every Saturday afternoon and 15 Sansome see your theater. Big deal I think every member of the cedar's theater the balls and I think right off the top of my head the first thing I remember is the carpet.

Walking in. You know it was pride colors. Seems like it was geometric. And inside very ornate. Heavy. Dark red curtains that pull back or maybe they went up gold brocade. All over the whole restart. Oh yeah. And little the little lights on the side that was. Cedar City actually had a. Little section with the plate glass window so people could still see the movie. They had. A cardboard calendar and every and then would just bring them around to the home. And it was just one one page front was Cederbaum it was parts. As a kid growing up at that time you had the Saturday matinees when you were younger where you had one every everybody showed up and you had the serials Buck Rogers and that kind of thing. I remember just having nightmares about the serials. That seems like

somebody was stretched over burning coals ready to be dropped Dan before the next week. And yeah those were very dramatic and frightening for me as a child. What do you mean for the next three. Well you could only see the next installment of the serial. I mean these serials went from week to week and I don't even remember how long they lasted that they bring it back to the theater. That's right. We would like is. Scary. I didn't really like them but my brother would take me. He took me to see the thing when I was about 12 years old I came out in 1952. And I'm still not over. The great thing was the super 60s scary movies you know the giant tarantulas. The body snatchers the original body snatchers. But as you get older you go to the Friday night movie but I got into junior high school with kids showed up and they talked all the way through the movie and a half or more making out with her girlfriends so that was the Friday night.

Now. You had a drive in movie theater did you ever go to highland drive. Yeah that was one of the spots to go in there and that was one of the ways everyone enjoyed going when you're young you go with your family to have a hamburger shake and enjoy yourself watching the movie. They had a contest to name our slogan regarding the slogan went save your baby sitters pay go to the movies the Highland Way. Would you go a little older. You'd go with your buddies and the ones who drew the short straw had to hide in the trunk the others rolled up for the get out of here. We got the truck back. I never got to get together. But you did something different with your teenager. Yeah. You got a little older of course you take your day to drive and then watching the movie was. What was that all. Well I'm still not that old and never was. Social life in Cedar often featured fine meals at Sullivan's cafe

known affectionately then as now as sullies. Bake meat loaf with brown gravy. Super solid was a dollar. There were many other fancy places and some not so fancy where folks would gather to dine dance and forget the toils of the day. There was a sort of elegance to our social and cultural life in Cedar City in the 50s the Kalandia hotel was still there and much of our social life centered there. And you know we kind of felt elegant just walking into the colonial town. It was a big corner lot a huge lawn so that it looked elegant. One of the great tragedies of Center City was taking the hotel down. I should know that that is where the last got will tell you where this is where is. Yes. How long did the hotel stand there and how long was it there there. 30 40 years.

I'd forgotten all about that and had a huge veranda on it and it had these wonderful big porches. That's what I remember the most. They were these beautiful buildings Manson porches big steps going up to it and then you went in and. It was a rather large lobby doing never cash being down. It seems like they were in the basement large dining rooms they had banquets there it was right across the street from the Union Pacific. So that's where the tourists would go if they were touring. And you were the waitress. Yes I know home for eight years now when lots of people came to eat there were they had as good a purpose as the tourists. Most of these people were better tippers were they were they. My mom worked at the Colonial hotel. Did you go to. 1950.

Differently than they do now. Not too much. The prices were all good food. Oh gosh so long about time you could buy a nice dinner. And the cops met there the Lions Smith there and KFC was in the basement and uncle Roscoe had his shoulder there and they had contests and meetings and. Gatherings and it was just it was a center of the community even though a lot of other places and see hotels and or just hotels. This one had some charm to it. It had its own charisma or whatever you want to say it's a nice place. It was an elegant building. It really was fun to have in there and I miss that. I miss that. Where we're going to places Pearl Caesar's the Oh.

It's an hotel Milchan hotel Elish Galanti. Oh yeah. The Sugarloaf. What's the one up here. So just so yeah. Sullivan's cafe it is called Elrick. So Sullivan's buffets where you take your wife to eat on special occasion mother's day or something like that could. Be. Good for. You to have kind of a fancy place to eat here. What was a called race. Well we thought it was fancy 50s it was race cafe. Way out by the drive in the. Race. It was great. They had a two headed. Certain things. Or. Whatever it is they keep it right there by different. Really I never saw my dad. Why did they say. It was in a glass case. It was. Just very

unusual. It was there I guess that was our museum that was a bunch of you remember the two headed calf. Yes. It was out at the Desert Curro restaurant on the north end of town and one of my best friends that ran it was Joe's Diner on the south end just around the corner. And Joe Hunter was a great guy he could play the song. And you'd go there to get your burger and fries and whatever and we could talk him into it. And Joel Hunter would get out his song play the song. Just next door photo whose cafe. That was known by everybody whose buffet was out of a family restaurant. And you know you could get the chicken fried steak or this kind of thing. And it was all sort of just a nice man. From what I remember a friend said once. That was so funny because I had a car and broken down. And they were calling from what they called hag's cafe.

Everyone knew it was good. Now if you wanted to go out and just have a great evening take your wife for somebody who's visiting you go up the canyon a few miles to build a stage stop. And build stage stop. It was famous for its stakes and it was a great atmosphere. It was kind of old west. You know if you felt like you were really going to go out that's free you'd go. In the 1950s as now cedar city's crown jewel was the college or university. In the spring of 1953 branch agricultural college. Became the college of southern Utah. Athletic teams became the Broncos no longer the Aggies. And in 1960s student changed the name of the school sambil to the Thunderbird. Enrollment during the 50s more than doubled reaching a thousand students by the early 60s. All right President chair this is where you did your chair right. They know this building was

not here. And there's idea that goes in in the old gymnasium. Where when you were a cheerleader and a student here did you ever think your to be president of the oven. I'm sure nobody when you were the cheerleader. It was branche agricultural right Rice branch of Utah. During my growing up is to be a C and then in the middle 50s. They changed it to see you college of 70. Oh I thought it was wonderful it was exciting because you got to meet kids from the surrounding areas. Mostly just you know what it is that's where most of. What school was wonderful of course if you've come from and come to town. Everything is wonderful. Classes were great. They were small and the teachers knew. You were also the student body president. Yes I was asked to look at how many students were to be above that at that time. 450 to 500

students we all knew each other. We were still. Living and going to class. And the residue of the World War Two buildings. So it was a very simple place. There were quite a few veterans. We had what we call vets village down here and it was little. Probably 16 or 18 feet long trailers eight feet wide. This type of housing me was is back then it was just. Mainly the three big buildings on the Hill but they had built the auditorium. That was fairly new. That's why we had high school graduations in the Thorley family had been a family that raise sheep and have done very well in Sadr City and they donated a building their home of a very nice home to the college in it. Is all my growing up years it was known as the Thorley music hall. Now been torn down but I spent a great deal of time in there going to violin lessons and. Practicing things and then

also at the college auditorium. Practicing with orchestras and things so I I really felt a part of the college even in my junior high and high school days. While I was here the. They brought in from the topaz relocation center. Many of the buildings that were over there that brought in one of them was a field house. Or old field house like. I think it sounded about 3000 bleachers on both sides. There's an ice gym. Cedar City. Has a college and is now home for Shakespeare. Why did it matter to people to be so cultured. I'm not sure why but it certainly did. People there cared about our education. You know I think it was a few people who made a big difference. We had people like Roy Halverson who lived up the street from the south up the street. He had studied at Juilliard and in Germany and probably could have performed

or. At least taught anywhere. And there he was on our street. And for him to come to a small community like Sadr City. I asked him why had he come. And he said he had never intended to stay but he had fallen in love with the people there. And when we were little kids he said see if your parents have a stringed instrument. And I'll fix that up and tune it and I'll teach you how to play. And he is in my top five. Whenever I think of people who've had an influence in my life that is significant that really has made a difference. Education was very important. And the town really worked together. To make nice things. So I think the college. Really certainly played a huge role. It was a wonderful. Part of the community certainly more cultured than St. George. Why was

there still a lot of competition between Dixie Cedar City. Oh absolutely. I'll say in fact it was always just a little bigger than St. George. Still to this day he rivalry in those days was at every level. If you think. That BYU and Utah. Have a heated rivalry in sports you should have lived in southern Utah and see what it was like between Dixie high school senior City High School. The high schools and the colleges were very competitive from Little League to pony league to high school to college. It was intense. With a lot of interest in both communities and a lot of passion attached to it. The. Cedar City and St. George did not like each other hated.

I was surprised when I got to either. How was that passion exhibited by the. Certainly the attendance at the games and you could kind of set your clock by the fistfights after the game. And we call them sorghum lappers. And we would sing to them into the Dixie flyers into the upside down songs about each other and one of that one of the great ones in fact I think Bill Hickman was involved one of the kids in cedar Swype the rebel flag from Dixie and then mop the floor with it. And it caused a riot. Everybody was going out to the lights to get a. Seat. Are still there. I think those are

acts they stole one time at halftime of the game. They dropped it down on a rope from the ceiling and just hung it about the Dixie people. And we had a brawl. Who are you in Utah. It's nothing. Nothing to see your city in Dixie in those days. Yeah I remember one time going over to her when I was in high school and you know you got yourself out in the front. They couldn't throw anything at the basketball team but they could at the church. And I've always had a soft spot for her in them because they threw cherry chocolates so. Now you have to admit that's kind of class. So I've had a very soft spot for her an awful. Rivalry Rumpus is where mere memories when Cedar City partisans found romance often in the same place where your athletic battles took place. Dating was a lot on a group basis. A lot of things we did together lots of dancing and always with live music.

I want to tell you. That. The kids today my own children. Have no idea what a good dancer is. We went to the dances in this beautiful new conference center which was then the gymnasium. You go to the prom Cedar City High School. You start decorating the gym. We. Get to get out of school on and you transform that GM that goes way. Into. A magic. Place. With. Crepe paper. And you camouflage everything. There is crepe paper everywhere. Everywhere. False ceiling false walls. And it was. It was. Great. It was fun. It was a

real dance. Where did you live. Live orchestra. Always alive. For. Formals. To wear formal. Boys just wear you know slacks. Or probably no one so high. Oh sure. Edwards might say that you bet. And how about after the dance. You know I think we went to the candy kitchen for ice cream and we walked there too and that was uptown and it would be mobbed after the dance because that's what everybody did. We had two places on Main Street. Both of them adjacent to our two movie houses. One was called the candy kitchen and the other was called the goody guard and you were either one of those places where you went in for your root beer floats your. Sunday symbolic thing all the candy kitchen was owned by the Watcom.

And that was the place people went after. Before the movies. They really didn't have a candy counter. It was kind of long they had these long counters and then on the other side there were booths. And you know my memory might not serve me well but I remember it as being yellow. These yellow plastic boobs. I thought it was wonderful and of course they made all the candy from scratch. We went there to have a hamburger 25. No. French fries. Didn't have french fries you. Know French no. So you had to order a plate of potato chips and put ketchup on the side of what they did for their chips or try it. I have my grandkids do that. It's kind of like you know why. What is the difference between the potato chips and ketchup on a French Fries ketchup ones a lot. More time. My third.

Did you ever go golfing. I remember when the bowling lanes came that was a big deal. It never had before. We really thought that we had arrived as a city because they had automatic pin setters so we thought that was pretty high class. That was a new thing. That was high tech. There was. What teenagers do in town for fun. We dragged men. Friday night Saturday night on Sunday. Those were the. Ones to drag lane. That was probably the thing we did most. All the kids that would fix up the old 52 54 Chevy some Fords. And a lot of them and the spinners on the hubcaps and so forth would drag back and forth from high school. And it was a younger kid before you draw drove have you had any influence with some of these guys and drag. And the minute you got your license or your friend got a license you could join. The Dragon. And it was just the thing to do and you'd wave to people

and then I went home and I'd write in my diary wait. You know you had this little route you'd go to the south of town to the dairy freeze and you'd go north again to where the Dairy Queen. There was. A. Service station had a big parking. Area and you could turn around there. People would just kind of go someone to the other. There was an arctic circle down by the park on this one. That was just another little. You wouldn't really say fast food. World where I wouldn't say you wouldn't but why now. Because you didn't worry about how much time it took you were with your friends you were having fun. I remember when the top came to see the city and here was a big deal because they had car hops. You would just drive your car up roll the window down a small amount. And then make the tray hook it over the window. But anyway back in the 50s there was a drive in restaurant. They had the car shops

and that was quite a treat to go out there and sit in your car or your hamburger more and bring you home. Oh my gosh. I have no idea. Well if you have a dollar I hope is about wanting sound probably what I remembered is the root beer that was way out for. Miles and miles away from my brother better half a mile from the center. And it would be at the end of the drag you mean turn around the spot. So it was more convenient to stop. Betsy loves dad we calling him on one morning and she used to be able to get some of those old cars to drive around in. It was great dragging lane or going to a party or something and one of those in my high school. Well there were two students that. And where you weren't I was not one but he wouldn't let me have a car. Oh. You was just someone else.

We were you we'd take our parents cars. Very few kids had. Ours. You'd walk to a movie and you'd walk home and you walk to the dance. It. Was. Different than it is now. That. Television was all but unknown in Cedar City until well into the 1950s. And the city had only one radio station KSU B whose tower is here on the western desert. College tell where we go with that I am an amateur and I would like to know approximately in your stature in theory. You know. There were only two radio stations in southern Utah at that time. Kids should be in Cedar City and KTXA you

in St. George in KTXA you barely covered St. George KSB at five. Ninety and a thousand watts covered all of southern Utah. One radio station and all city southern Utah I guess southern Utah right. That's exactly right. And they would break it up by day parts so you'd have two hours of this and two hours two hours so that. We were the radio station. We carried all of the CBS programming. The one part that I found interesting is that three to five feet and head of the popular music right there hit tunes only came on from four to five every day on K.C.B. That's why I love to iron out my mother and I could take the radio. And I could listen. To. The soap operas. Arthur Godfrey. The old Gunsmoke. And we'd memorize things like we could say. He's the first man you look for and the last you want to meet. It's an chancy job and it makes a

man watchful and a little lonely. Clark was Gunsmoke OK. I would never remember. Her sanctum OXO dolls on Ma Perkins. Yeah. Yeah and the saddle. You know is what he acts in a hot man. Shadow. No that was the one that was really scary and all of those things were carried there. And they did wonderful you know. Nice job a lot of. Outreach stuff with the community. We had a major newscast at 12:30 every day. And we carried this business of farming direct from Casso. Ted probably remembers that. There was a lot of Western pop.

Never paid the whole lot of attention to music but. In the cars as you drag you around the streets by the taxes the earnest tab. I guess that was my kind country and western. And Elvis was big obviously. And the Everly Brothers and I had plastic bags eclectic mix. Johnny Mathis for foreign lads. Just good music that had. Good harmony beautiful harmony and it had a nice 8:58 But you know what. The other thing you did as a kid growing up there so you could get a little bit more of that music which you listen to. Clear Channel to me out of Oklahoma City. They came in at night at night. The rock music in Oklahoma City. That was one way they came in and said listen to baseball broadcasts all that because they come in.

Baseball was and maybe still is king in southern Utah. All the kids seem like dissipated in baseball. You went to the ball games and everybody went to the games the whole you know social life of the town revolved around all these a. Lot of people showed up. They even broadcast the little league baseball on the radio. Yeah. When we arrived in. L.A. 57. Cedar City was always a hotbed for baseball. And they're literally just gone down to San Bernardino California to play in the. Whole level of the Little League. Tournament. And that was fun. Suddenly the whole you saw the whole community was behind that baseball team and they almost made it to the. Little League World Series. The group. Oh but I was with at that time my car Johnny Black was Robert those guys the same group played baseball way from the time we were 8 years old. We stayed in the league and we stayed

in high school and even though you may recall a really. Good position I was a pitcher was a good baseball player. Yeah. Yes. And. It was great. Because you just would not think about this sure nowadays. So. Different. What was life like in the 50s here in Cedar City. Well it is a much different kind of place. In the 50s it was a much more innocent time. You didn't have a lot to do. We didn't have television those days. You made you made your own fun. Winter was having snowball fights and doing that sort of thing. And as a kid of course and in the summer I remember Woods frequently on the back fence was were the barge right next to the house as you did a lot of

playing in the barns so you could get close to the calf started getting run down by the cow barns were a fun place to play. Especially the ones we were told never to go to like get the cows don't like it to bother the calves. So that makes sense. So sort of the objects are exactly the object that you see how close you get to the calf if you could touch the calf and get back to the fence before go. And I remember they had big blocks of salt for the cows. We loved working sharing that with us. We had one of my friends who had a key to the high school and he did a few audio visual shows so he would go into the high school we'd go into the room and we'd watch all the movies that were good at the show educational movies. You know we watched about bugs and snakes and toads and things like that. I look at it as kind of our discovery channel.

But I mean there really wasn't that much to do of course Sadr City has a marvelous recreational outdoor. Backyard. And so we went into the canyons a lot lot of picnics and things and. I was in 4-H every summer. The. City had a fourth of July parade and children would. Put crepe paper and decorations on their bicycles and tricycles and then there were floats. There was a parade for everything and you could take your rabbit or. Put cards on the spokes of your bicycle and just ride down Main Street and everybody cheered and clapped. We we as the 4-H under and over cookers made a float. And I think. I probably wouldn't have done something like that if I hadn't lived in a small town. Cedar City was 100 years old in 1951 and although the urn mine that existed here five decades ago. Cedar

City flourishes as the home for education tourism and shakes and memories of the 1950s. The Decade of Hope and light and prosperity. Bring happiness and joy to many of the 20000 people. If you could go back in time and say let's find a place for a while and have an ideal style your city would be one of the places you would choose. So I sound like the Chamber of Commerce when I speak of southern Utah. But I love Little Caesars. We didn't didn't live probably what would be considered well now. We were very happy. I thought it was the greatest place in the world. I thought it was a great place. I always felt safe.

Families had breakfast dinner and supper together every day. It was a small enough community that people knew you and they knew your family. And if you got in trouble or were getting in trouble you know other people were watching out help you know. Watch out for what you had for your interests in mind which was a wonderful thing. It seemed. To be a community in a time. People knew each other. Were. Patient. With each other. I've always felt very blessed to be at this time in those years. I don't think I'd change anything. I am very lucky to have been here. And I'm staying here. Cedar was just home to me. It was just so. Nowhere else in this country are three national parks and one national monument so

conveniently located and they may all be visited on one loop trip through this wonderful land of color. They came from all across Utah and from many other states in the 1950s to work at the national parks here at Zion. Rise and a Grand Canyon for many of those mostly youthful souls. Those summers were filled with some work a lot of singing. And yes the beginnings of lifelong love affairs with the parks and for some with each other. The national parks were a big deal. Yeah. Cedar City Utah 30 miles from London the main line is the gateway to the painted canyons which is served exclusively by Union Pacific Railroad. Union Pacific was the one who. Owned the lodges and they had a great philosophy. They wanted to bring people in from the east by train to bring them into the school and hotel there and ceder.

They would get out and they would bring them all over to the hotel for breakfast. Emanating out from Dallas to L.A. hotel and I'm already told about where these big yellow buses taking people from all over the nation to see the parks. And they used to. Call it. Oh yeah. Yeah. And they would take them out to the park. And go to sign. On the Grand Canyon. Back to Bryce Cedar Breaks. And then we. Would end back end up back here and that was really quite. An institution. Young people. From all over Utah would come to the national parks rights Zions in Grand Canyon to work in the summer from Utah and from other parts of the nation from many parts. And my young people did work hard and they would work hard all day and be as charming as they could to the people which we can do.

The. Kids were all. More upstanding college kids the best. How old were you when you got their first job. Well I had to fudge a little. I was 13. I was supposed to be 60. They were short of help saw because of the sharpness because of the. Shortness of supply and demand why they are even younger people. And so I looked the other direction. I started out as a pot washer and then I went into being a dishwasher and then I went to the soda fountain and then I became the great bell. You know that was the. High waitress and well off the top of the wrong for the wrong. So to speak of her two waitresses leaving here. So after the end of the summer with five hundred dollars in her pocket from tips. And you know waitressing was was pretty. Lucrative you could get I was going to ask you about the dollar tip if you were really good and how that was

for a table. Right. That's right. And we had what we called Nickel ladies you know and oftentimes nickel ladies. Could you tell who they were when they came out. Well yes but we were nice. Nice work. And of course. For kitchen help you. My first job is a Porsche. And hand is too short to reach the pots the posse is quite vague indeed. I see I slammed stand on a wooden. Milk Box. It's come in the court balls of milk is to come in and milk box and I stand on the box and get down into the sink. It was word. You'd be surprised at the a fun thing about it. Yeah some days I'd put in 16 hours. My first job is dishwasher right here at the Laud's is where I do 16 hour days. I'm done. You work seven days a week. My girlfriend and I went down to sign to work. And as we were in the older crowd we got the waitress the younger girls.

We. Had. A. Really. Wonderful time. Gail what did you do. I was a cab maid. The cabin mate asked how many cabins do you have response. We had to do 21 20:21 cabins a day. There were two of us that were together. We'd have 20. Did you ever get any any tips. Not too often. It was really a treat if we did. You all were good. Bryce can the decade of the 50s. What was so great about working right. It was just a great place to be. There were some great years there where I was there and then had my three sisters looking. For watching out you know the other way around because I know that my brother threatened several sample of the girls that they better not touch his sister. Was there a lot of romance.

Bryce Canyon Well yes there were a lot of romances down there a lot of romances. And the fact I was one of the songs I can't go swimming. So Ill go Ramanna and remember only looking at the scenery and seeing you go walk out on the room after the dance and go out on the rim and see the room was where you looked out over the canyon. Now Bryce in Grand Canyon you had that. So I take your best girlfriend and go out there and they you but you had to be back to the dorm by 11. Oh did you check 11:30. Actually. Yeah. You were. The girls were checked and the boys weren't checked in with the girls were checked in. You don't record this. I saw my little sister when she come down there to work and I saw her walking across the dining room one day swinging her hips sweetness. And I went up to him I said Don't you ever walk like that. She was walking like this other girl and I knew. I knew more. Girls from east high than the guys at these time and dated more of them

because. There were a lot of people from Salt Lake that they would really date a guy for. They did you know that was one of the things about Bryce Canyon. You were not pegged in any way you could go down there and you could do anything you wanted to do. It was it was always no class structure. Not really. You you could be from troublemaker Spanish Fork or whatever and Salt Lake and we just all mesh together in the same way as the programs we all just did it together. We put on a program every night right yeah call the stage show. They had three shows that they rotated. So there was a show every night dances every show and then a dance after that every. Week. And we even had a softball league where we would play the other canyons over in Zion in Grand Canyon. And you know young people that were working there were just outstanding people.

The kids that go to the parks and play like themselves they could improve their position in the park and make some pretty good money and help them through college. And so at the end of the summer I would go home pay my all my tuition for the whole year which was $150 a BYU for the full year. And it was just great. Now. That the employees did the Sing away one when the Left. Right. Every day when the buses would leave the. Employees would gather out in front of the attic at a cube and we would sing the buses away. And we had they had to sing and sing always the day one in the morning at nine o'clock in the afternoon at 3:00 o'clock. Sometimes as many as 10 or 15 buses would be lined up in front of the. And we would line up by the buses on a sort of a loading ramp. From the. Front porch of the lodge. And we would see a series of metally of love songs are farewell songs to the tourists. I think I only dissipated that about once because I was back there in the kitchen and for

that I'd come out on this. On this. My porch and watch it and listen to him sometime and the songs were like you know sing always singing voice away let's go because our dues are leaving our friendship we must show that kind of thing. Pretty good to do that again a little longer. All have. Well I say white. Anyway And that was I would say sing away Sing away say oil let's go because our troops are leaving our friendship we must show and we come from the soda from the dining room. The front desk everybody would go out on the front porch and we'd sing to these buses that would be lined up in front of the lodge vacationing students working at the light. If debarking guests the famous sing away. OK at the end he had a kiss away. It is even better than the thing.

After we finished all the song they'd get some of the older gentlemen come off no girls and get a lipstick on her forehead and stuff then we would pick someone off the bus and pull them off the bus and they everybody Kesten got the whole line of all the employees know if there was a woman the man there was like OK we want you three to do us a singer. Now. Here we go singing away singing away saying hey let's go because our friends are leaving for my show. Well it's all along the way you drop everything. OK. Come on. Learn to see. No way. Sing a song a song. Say bye bye bye bye to coaches you pass leaves taking place and taking all the time. So

why not have a dog. You can always throw that happy smile all while. So well. Now you feel so strongly about your experience and others that you have a five year reunion of employees every 15 or every fifth year where everyone is welcome to come because it's the opportunity come back in. And remember at my age. A. A

A A A. A. As you look back on your life. To the 50s. How do you feel. Well they would go days they really weren't called. I think was a happy day as I recall George Louis Clyde was in the governor's office like I was in the White House and God is always right with the world. It was a good time. It was a good time. We didn't have a lot of money and neither did a lot of the rest. We didn't know that we didn't have a lot of money.

I'd say the 50s Musta been the highlight of my life to go back there. I mostly remember those. Times. Everything seemed lighthearted even though there were times of struggle. What was so special about that decade. I think it's in a sense one thing I think because there wasn't a lot of things that we had. We loved. Loved. Love my neighbors I loved my friends I had such a wonderful group of girlfriends. The. You make these rules for me. They're like my friends. They don't wash away. The 50s had a had a competition. Do you think it's pre-concert that you that we feel the way we do. It's had a lot to do with it because it had a magical say. We have the world in our hands. We had our whole life ahead of us and. That. We had. Aspirations. All.

Right. Those are things we wanted to do. And always work out that way for everyone. But it was the feeling was. I just wish. Your. Changes weren't so fast. That my grandchildren can enjoy so many things that we get. Change they say like the wind is inevitable. And Cedar City and St. George are no longer as they once were but the memories of that marvelous decade of the 1950s live on and the beauty of these rocks and rules and Canyon Hills will be with us forever. The.

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