Utah in the 50s; Provo

Living in Provo. During those years it was a wonderful place to be. But Provo was was a go in place lawyer at least until 8:00 or 9:00 at night. That's know it's a neat place. I had a fantastic childhood. It was the time of your life. I mean there were about 15000 people. I go to Provo occasionally and there are still people walking down still a lot in my story. But it is like it was there. Utah in the 50s Provo is made possible in part by the contributing members of KQED. The heart of downtown. All was quiet as the decade of the 50s began. Not every family owned a car and certainly there were few TrueCar families.

But then. This city in the heart of Utah County began to grow. B Why use enrollment far more than doubled in the 50s and Provo cities full time population almost doubled in the 50s. Downtown Provo was very vital. Best line. Was growing. That was why. The restaurants were booming and clothing stores were full of people. I mean it was it was great. On any given day you would have a hard time getting up and down the street on Center Street without bumping into people on both sides of. The movie theaters were downtown. If you wanted to go shopping for clothes for Dixon Taylor Russell for appliances and furniture all those stores were very busy. I remember as a youngster going into Woolworths or in depressors having to wait. To get up to the cashier in order to be waiting on. You

had a lot of people meeting each other downtown. You would see people coming in and going out of. All the stores and you would see a lot of people you knew. You know that was the nice thing. Yeah. You know when I was a kid I remember you drive out or. And you'd go into pro-Wall and you'd better approach the city to on University Avenue. You got to be about to the north. We had about a total of maybe seven or eight blocks total of business and you start on maybe second second north and University Avenue and you go to Center Street doing a couple of blogs. All of the downtown business. Radiated out from that quarter. If you stood on that corner you could see just about everything you can look back at the mountains back where the Y is painted on the sunrise the sunset you could see everything and then you go one block east

or five blocks west and that was it. That was about it. But those two beautiful buildings on the north side of cinder street on University Avenue that matched each other originally were two of the real classic buildings in town. And it seemed like there were more places for people to go to get a milkshake or an I-Report or a shaft really. Some of those things that you just don't see anymore. There were really all these wonderful drugstores that. City dry. City drug was on the the west corner of between the avenue Center Street on the west side of the street. And then they had this wonderful stuff. And on the other side of the street was Walgreens. And then a block below that was had quisque drugstore.

Skag's. Drive. Being a pharmacy pharmacy your best hamburger. Is that what it is. OK. I always I always wondered why they did so well. But they all get well. The other. Nickel dime store for kids was christened. They had a lot of vials with many things. I might have a dime. In my pocket. And. Walk up and down the hallway on my bare feet. Centre Street obviously was the center of town. But what were there are a lot of businesses there are great great stores lots wonderful stores. Describe the center street. Well J.C. Penney on a corner. Chris Woolworth Sears balancing opposite ends of the street with

images. Now your grandfather owned Firmage department store and it was very prominent in that era. And in the middle of the block. They had the best block in total. He bought up the whole block. As he left Mr. Penny Ante plate position Firmage is in the middle of the block and anchored to that block. And he referred me to his department. So I would have parked behind Firmage. And then walk through Firmage just to get the penny cress or across the street to Oberth or to Sears. I'd work down there with my dad and my grandpa. My mom worked there. I remember one outfit she used to wear because they always wore black. The dresses were black. And it was a very fashionable store as probably told you beautiful and modern and with a huge class that is not even available

today. You know mahogany shelves glass sliding. Panels. And not the most expensive stuff and not the cheapest stuff. But somewhere in the middle and from a size 28 waist to. 40 to 44 we have a deal with you if small or large larger You went someplace furnitures had the X-ray machine for your shoes and the kids when we buy our shoes then you go stick your foot. Under this. Kind of like a little X-ray machine and you would try on your shoes and then go to the X-ray machine and see if they fit. That's terrible. The other thing that was unique was there was a lady there that repaired nylons and she used to use a light globe and light it and put the nylon over and then she mended this. And I would defy you to find them. Down a block Taylor brothers. I actually proposed to my

wife. I was she was working with Taylor brothers and I was working at primitives I walked in and. Gave her a ring there. The Taylor brothers had. Much more of a department store feeling. Pain her brothers was a big department store and it had everything in it. And this matter of fact Taylor brothers is the place that had the funny. They put a cop. In a. I shouldn't even talk because I can't figure it out. I got together to try to put a copy in a tomb and to push for it to be processed and then they sent the cup back down and they had the change of the bill. First Friday is kind of like going to a bank of dry bank. What we've heard about this before. Where did both the ladies buy your clothes. Karen where did you buy your clothes. I think we started a clothes closet. I'm

sure we had a whole closet full on University Avenue next to Clarkes. And that's where we could lay them away for a dollar. And pay on a weekly basis till we got out. The clothes closet was strictly a young lady's store. Thomas's. It was a very nice lady stressed on Castleton has another. Nice. Store for women and it was popular with the high school crowd. Castleton is. The only store where we could get a L'anse original. And plaid dresses and nightgowns. I don't think I ever got nightgown. For. That. But again we could lay away. And I worked and worked and worked till I got to lance swimming suit with a skirt and an outfit. It was a new store and so it was exciting and they had really nice clothes and while there were stores in Provo like butlers that had women's clothes and children's clothes.

What about that shoe store where was her down West Main City. Center Street. And in the back they had art. What was his name. Shoe Repair. Delicious. And on University Avenue again upscale men's shops. So where were you where were the hot shops to buy clothes. Well when I was a young boy there was tailor brothers and then a men's store called Schryver. I remember my dad used to buy all of his suits. Hart Schaffner Marx. Schreiber's. Travers was his top band like we want it to be. Yeah. And nice. They were another top in store but. They're gone too. Now you worked at Hooters. I did. It was a great little store. My recollection is that Hoovers

and Shrivers. Were more for the business man. Clientele before they'd been kind of just the suits and the older like that. They remodeled it just brought it up today. And then a little bit more trendy calling like three buttons since at that time it was. Coming back. Yes. Laban's. Evidences that expensive store. The thing about Levins was that the sales people in there. Were very attuned. To the. Interest of the high school crowd both pro and. And the white high. There were many fine man stores in Provo in the 1950s but the only one that remains from them. To now. Is car. This is the place where BYU students and others bought sweaters and shirts and pants.

And it is the place where they could rent. A. Tux. Thought. I looked great. Mr. Clark Now where was your store. 245 No it's university and it wasn't far from BYU you know number four. It was it was very hard. It was a very modern. Chauffeur. Down there and they also did a rented tuxes started out Clarkes for him and was right on University Avenue. And then when they found out there was really a good female trade they added for her. So it was Clark's for him and for her. The neat thing about last star was they had this special perfume that is out there and they were wrapped in tissue paper and then they would squirt a little bit of perfume. On that and you could tell. Who shopped at Clarkes by what kind of. Perfume. They put perfume on the box on the new clothes. Clarkes took on a very interesting role in the city. It became more than just a clothing store. It was

almost a cultural center in the sense that at Christmas time they roasted chestnuts and they had singers. You also were a great promoter. Tell us about some of your great promotions. One of our employees came up with an idea for an old fashioned Christmas. This is our most successful promotion. And we carried it all through the years. When we were going really well we had a hundred employees in cost it's Christmas time. Have a five year with nothing but gift wrap. And they were all in costume too. We gave away barrels of apples we would have always Dapplegrim. Doing such thing. The shiny Appling you got to go it. And they have to be polished. So we had Apple college boys who polished the apples and. We had big barrels and barrels and in depth the bottom bottom levels on top so they kept those boys think new fresh new apples all the time. It became a very significant component of the travel complex and

the culture of the town. They wouldn't let us on campus to do it to sponsor a prom. So he got there by his soulful units and we would have Mr. Farmall contest and the winners get to receive a lot of pretty clothes from cards at that time I happened to be in a social unit BYU and I was chosen to be the candidate. And so they took a picture of me and then it just didn't look better than anybody else but I had a lot of friends who would gather up people on campus and haul them down in their cars so they could vote for me. I got to. Be Mr. Ford. And had a really good time because I needed some clothes. We had more more more more people come in and vote for Mr. and this farm only had the student body elections. And what did you what did you get. What they give you. Oh I got a three or four shirts and

pants outfits sweater. What was it. I remember the exact figure that it was worth one time but I you know you tend to seem to like a lot LOT of a lot of. Fridays and Saturdays were big nights for going out to the movies of course there were the Saturday matinees for kids. The Academy theater just around the corner played first run features. There was the paramount right here where you could hold hands in the balcony and you went to the theater was just next door. Then. There was the Strand. Where Jane Russell. And a stack of hay. Made lasting impressions. I just I loved them. And I probably went I'm sure that I went to one or two movies and we had wonderful movie theaters. We had the Paramount the UN the academy the Strand. The first run theaters were those two downtown the Academy and the

parent and the paramount. But the Uinta was always double features that you went to was a small kind of a dinky theater. It's small it was not very deep in terms of the number of seats that they had and they almost went out of business I think when the Academy came into town because it was a much more grand the. I think cademy theater was the newest of the three. And course they had the biggest billboard the academy was upscale into and the Paramount had. Candy stands or whatever you want you know refreshments. However the Academy did not. There was a little popcorn stand on this little lady Mrs. Wakefield and this little convections show. And she had. A rock candy that my grandfather Radlick and she made the best popcorn. And that's 10 cents a bag. But. By golly you better have the tax payer or she you couldn't have your

popcorn. The Paramount was the most grand it had the largest lobby. It had beautiful curtains I had a stage seating capacity it was nice. The Paramount had a balcony. I remember kids used to like it why. Well because it was a little more privacy up there. Why do you want privacy. Well you know if you want to make out a little bit hold the girls hand. It was easier to do it up there than it was done in the mayor. And the Paramount also used to have a kid show on Saturday morning parents would take the kids to see good family entertainment. And you could get in for 14 cents and milk a milk tap cap or something yeah. There's a mortuary in Provo called Bird mortuary and the older gentleman I think his name was Weimann Berg started a tradition of having a Christmas movie and candy for the kids and they have added that the paramount things that

could come free. They see the movie and then the just in candy. Earlier there was a theater called the Strand. The Strand Theater was a kind of a fly by night place that cheap tickets and a lot of rats on the floor and bats in the top. But the good western movies on a Saturday. If you wanted to do the serial shows. Come next week you could see me take off my mask. For the Lone Ranger was it a strand. Isn't that true. Yeah I think I only went to the strand once and that was to see if the memories ghosts or something. And I think we sneaked in. I'm really not sure about what you might have it. I went down to see them and they always had a double feature and get this at the Strand they would charge twenty

five cents for an adult. And if you are under 12 nine cents which was the best theater in town. I like to go to the strand. So what's the cheapest you're gonna see you get to see that right now. Back to the movies did you ever see the outlawing of channels. Yes. I had to go and write a report about it. No. I. Remember Well I I remember Jane Russell I could tell you what the outlaw. You remember that vividly. It's a great show too. Yeah. You know she was worse and rather revealing clothes. Or lack thereof. And. That was the talk of the town for weeks. It was at the Strand at the Strand not at the Paramount. No you hardly can get in. Because Harry was there to see.

Jane Russell do her famous scene up in the loft so were. A lot of strong. Hey I remember. Out. Here. Did you see Jane Russell on the outlaw. Oh. Did you go more than once. I may have. Done. Oh. There was this sera sera area that the best movie theater either the village theater probably in the state for a long time. And on September 1st 1941 the shepherd of the hills starring John Wayne was the first movie that was ever shown in this theater. They had great malts as well as. Good movies and a big screen lover she them where two people could sit on the Savoy and they

had a few of those although you know I've never said that I can recall maybe a couple of times. I was a regular. I was. I remember many times riding my bicycle. From 800 north to the Sierra to see a man named that has to be with three or four miles and they thought that was just the thing that we did. What were you and what was your favorite movie. Well in those days they just had. Dozens of westerns. Gina Roy Rogers Hi Tom. And they had cereal with Red Ryder and Captain Marvel and the movies were very reasonable. You could buy a family tickets for 13 dollars a year you and your whole family and for $40. And so we all went to the general movies of serious. Once a week. There's a new movie every week. And everybody in the community.

Arms community theater was a gathering place for young and old in the 50s. More than just a movie house. Sir I was designed to provide a complete. And. Wholesome. Recreational program for all the kids. This year it was a great hub of activity. It was just wonderful. Tell us what Sarah see. Or a stand that's a good question. It's known as Sharon's cultural education and recreation Association and there's a real story today. Sharon is the name of the original LDS stay here in the area. The president time with Arthur Watkins who later became a distinguished senator from the state of Utah. And he and others had the idea that we have to do something for people who are working in the fields all day from the grim sunlight to night to do something that would be enjoyable. So they got together

and said let's build a facility. So they built this wonderful facility. We've dedicated nearly 40 years and was really it. I like my point during the 50s when everyone knew each other and we all came together. That was a community fair that was a cooperative effort by the community that donated labor. And whatever this organization is a non-profit. And it used to handle all of our recreation in the community. And so there were ball teams and ball leagues. During the summer time the service sponsored a nationally known recordation program with schoolchildren. Every state had a certain day that they could come. In and they just looked forward to our Did you drop them off in the morning each day or morning and pick them up at noon or they would even walk home. I always come home with something either to leather or those long braid of things that I never knew what we were never the five

and now two of metal. They can choose many classes and they learned a lot things and they had a swimming pool wall and that was a great place to go and look and pretty girls too. There were swimming lessons pool available free swimming in the afternoon. I have a lot of fond memories of this Sarah because it had so much to offer young people. As a young journalism student in the early 50s. One of my political heroes was this Utahns U.S. Senator Arthur V Watkins. This was her attorney church leader. And one time editor of the Geneva times save the nation from what was then being called McCarthyism. Your father Senator Arthur Watkins chaired the committee chaired it. And your father was very judicious and and tough. It was a job that nobody wanted. Because

the Republicans were in the majority. McCarthy wants to run again. And so they weren't anxious to be on the committee but he was appointed and he accepted and they carried it through. The fact that he had been a judge influenced his selection to be on a committee to investigate Senator Joseph McCarthy during the period when he was accusing everybody of being communists in the government. I get in my own you are. Fine and I entered. Your mind for a lie. I don't think you have any. The. Dean of. Is. To seek got the committee organized they held their first meeting. McCarthy began to interrupt and my father pounded down the gavel and he said You're out of order Senator

we're going right down the line. As chairman of the century Committee. He put a stop to that. That ended it that ended the whole McCarthy era. I watched it on television and was very proud that your father was from Utah and that he was so tough. You know I think a lot of people felt the same way. Now you had better hold your breath for this one. There were a lot of Democrats in Utah county in the 1950s many county commissioners and others were almost there and provos city and county building. Well it was interesting because chromo at that time. Was very democratic. Which was securely under the control of the Democrat Party. Not just probable but Utah County. And here we are living as we say in the Republican state today and those days the Utah

County Commission had three man who were Democrats. And we had a Democratic governor. Hey folks there were Democrats from your parents and grandparents who were Democrats in York. There may be still some remnants of them we didn't even know what they were. By may have known him dead but I didn't know that. I knew them. Gary did you ever know a Democrat in Provo. Yes I did fight. My dad. See I had a Democratic mother and the Republican father and they just had to tell you. That there were some. My father being one of them really. And my father and mother used to go every time there was a vote and cancel each other out. At the time I didn't know any Democrats but there were some strong Democrats in Utah

County in those days. And they were strong Mormons and it was a very compatible. Philosophy. Well when did that change and why. Oh that was a good question. Why did it change. I don't know how it happened gradually. Whether a budding Republican or Democrat in the 1950s when kids came to beautiful places like this Squaw Peak and Rock Canyon. They came to get better acquainted. Let's talk about that word. Where was the lovers line around here. We'll start with you. We're Rock Canyon is where the park is now. That was the place to be growing up in Rock Canyon. Yeah. Where was lover's lane. Where did you go with the kids. What did you do. Lake had never though standing joke that they'd go down by Utah lake and watch the

submarine races. I never did went down there on the north shore down at the very end of center street was the boat harbor. And they would they would say let's go down what's the submarine races. Really. Yeah. And what would you do when you get there and found there were no submarines. Well you just. Get inventive you know. Well so you never want to a piece. Yes. But I mean for a neckers. Yes. No no that was a problem. Yeah. That's where you went to make out. You spent time I squat. I had one. Experience and Scop. My one experience was rather memorable because by the boy that I was with was in a car that couldn't handle the mob.

And we got stuck like this before or after the kissing. Well it was before. So there was no kissing. It was a wasted trip. He got stuck in the stack of the mud. And so we had to walk all the way down to the canyon to find a telephone to call my father my father to come and get us. And he did. And I was so embarrassed. And and the boy I was with was horrified that he did you ever go out with him. Never. There were a lot of places up can you. Sounds to me like you know more about it than they did my wife. Who I admit that the way you know I took her for a ride out of South Fork Canyon. And everything seemed to be just right. It was spring. And it was just a nice pleasant kiss. I married her three months later. Did you feel like you had to after you kissed the area

behind the BYU which is behind now where the Pro Bowl temple is you could drive up there and park along. And have an unobstructed view of the whole valley. Everyone used to go up there to make out you can come up here and you could look out over the vast metropolis in Provo. We got there before 10 o'clock and all the lights were turned off. Did you ever kiss on the first day. Never never. Third day. All Yeah. Well it was Thursday for you. No I don't know. That. We were ready to go out with you. I'm also told that watching this red hot slag come down in Geneva. Well I. Never had that experience myself. I'm sure many will go down take their sweetheart down and watch the swag being poured out of

these big flag. But it was it was just like the Stadium of Fire only bigger and is matter of fact I think it was more exciting than the Dragon movie. And you could see the red light come down and talk about the meaning of life with something with more things. On the Drive-Ins Drive-Ins were kind of a new thing. Oh yeah. Dr anteaters would beg for wonderful. I mean to get a day to go to a drive in movie it was pretty exciting. And you would always usually double date you know and. Get all kinds of free freshman's you're right on board just a good thing to eat and great tasting tempting hot dog munching soft drinks crunchy popcorn. It was it was fun. It was great fun. Drive in theaters are great. Why. Well you can

kind of love of a good place to take a day. I call them passion people. Because most people didn't see the movie. Kind of what. What did that mean you could get cozy. All right. So I thought that there were a couple went on the Springfield Road the old drive in theater out on the Springville road. Can't remember the name of that. Promo had the one on the south end of town called the Pioneer you drive in. Did you go there. Oh yeah. Did you behave yourself there. No. No driving the exit. Go up and down the road and then drive out the entrance you walk. Oh we just wanted to drive up and down see who was there and then drove out the entrance. Generally we were out of there before the police. Came. In the south end of Warum there was the Geneva drive in the Geneva drive in which overrun about 13 14. So somewhere that driving

was a popular place to. Go. And in the movies we would try to put as many people as they could in their cars are. Paid only for the ones that they intend to see. You never climbed in your trunk. It only works if you're too tall to get in the trunk. Well cars were bigger. OK. I remember a lot of really neat cars. Old 34 year 1934 35 36 38 cars the high school guys have fixed up to drive during those early 50 years. Yeah. Yeah. And you know unleaded cars lowered in leaded cars. So you know I've often wondered what what is a lead car.

And they would do things on the body. See that's a good question. You just knew that it had to be leaded. All right. That's right. I remember a lot of cars but I don't know what. How well they know they did they took the car in the boat and they changed the shape of it or something and then they lowered lowered it so low the lower. Yeah yeah yeah yeah. Cars were hot then. I mean it was important to have a good car. Yeah well we had race from light to light. My dad had a 48 club coupe Ford. He could speed shift what was speed shifting. When you when you could slam your foot on the clutch and go for a second gear. Like that. It. Wasn't good for transmission just stayed there. The bottom line is that the same as going out. Yeah. Well where does something like something like this.

I had a crush on a girl I ever dated. I found out her color favorite color was red. So I had my car that we just had to pay for her never to date her. She ended up dancing in Los Vegas the last year. I borrowed the family car on Saturday nights. And we'd go down drag Centre Street. Why. I don't know. Of a waste of time. If you look back on it there was no purpose. It was the thing to do. And they guys would write turnaround at fourth west and go up to like 30s and turn around and come back you would see your friends. Yeah. Yeah. And you know pass by and say hi and confluent girls I want to look at the girls and to talk big to talk back

and not doing it. We were all too scared to do that. Those who attended this beautiful b y high in the 1950s thought they had the best of all high schools certainly they had great athletic teams. Great teachers. The Pro Bowl Bulldogs at pro-Wall high just down the street thought they too were exceptional. It was a great time to be a high school student in the decade of the 50s. We were highly small. We had small class. We were at high school the building house the 7th through the 12th grades all on the one building. And I think there were only three hundred fifty nine students total. Vi was a kind of a training school for BYU student teachers. And so we could start a kindergarten and go all the way through high school.

Often times we would have more student teachers in the class than we had student day which you got to know the teachers and you got to know like the librarian. We had a number of students who were high who were not LDS. We had students there who were from out of state and from foreign countries we had three major. Programs that were well known I think statewide. We had a good. Thespian program that was their. Second was instrumental music. We had all sports we had football and tennis and track as well. The one thing that we did finally do is develop some good athletic. Basketball. I won the championship in 49 and they always had a strong basketball team. After that I think Coach Crow was there.

And of course Harold Christiansen was the star. But ended up that we did win it our junior year and then our senior year as well so we attribute that really to Dave Crow the encouragement that he gave us at that time. Did you play the White Hart did you. Yeah. They were very good. I think if I remember correctly Bill also played some basketball. At Lincoln. Then we played. Lincoln in basketball. Well that they did. Did they ever beat you. I don't think they did. In basketball. Lavelle Edwards played. Football of course at Lincoln High and you played football. At BYU. How did you guys ever play against each other. Yes. Was Lavelle any good. Oh yes. Fine football player who. Who won in the football match up between the two. They won both games. Or did they. So you won the state championship. We had Lincoln High. Right. How

was the team like what was it like. Well it was typical of a class-B high school at that time and weighed about hundred forty pounds. I was one of the biggest kids on the team and I was 175 played center and linebacker. We ran the single wing. We had this great big bruising fullback and he was in the rough. Well it. Wasn't till later on that I saw an old program. So what do you weigh two hundred sixty five pounds. How did you beat to end the championship. Persisted method. There was just one high school or my arm like mine. What was Lincoln High like. We are graduating class was probably a hundred and twenty five. We went to dinner in the same building seven through the 12th. Although we did have a junior high school there a different administration. We were all saying. There were a lot of really nice kids that I knew out there. And then I became friends

with. The kids up Provo Canyon. From about. Probably about 30th north above that went to him or went to Lincoln High School they they changed it to Aurum high when they built their new high school which is about the same time that pro-white built there. But B Y high Lincoln High were first class schools. But in the world of athletics they competed in class B while pro-ball high with its larger student body competed in class-A. The old Provo high school was took up almost the whole block except the part that faced on decenter street and there were stories on that. How many students were thousand just under two thousand. Nine hundred. Ninety three or something. I think one of the things that made trouble so much. Were a lot of the teachers you know they were really student oriented.

But we had a music teacher pro-white able John Peterson. Who was. Absolutely. A wonderful course teacher and we were all involved. In music with him and I said you know you got to sound like women you don't want these little voices and you know he really taught us to sing with full voice and they really did some dynamic music. Benjamin Britten ceremony Carol as you know and for high school to be singing Benjamin Britten. Pretty amazing. And we did a really remarkable job. We were good. But and. And and everybody wanted to be in the choir. You know athletic boys and everybody you could carry a tune. April Gianluigi said Max quietly he wasn't doing your typical. High school. Comedy as he was doing Winterset and then. Waiting for lefty. Johnson The biology teacher he did a biology class that made me love biology and

there was just something about those kinds of people that you have to say all those things had a tremendous impact on my life from my you know what I've done so much. The first student body president girl at Provo high I had no idea that I would ever be elected. That was just kind of a thing to do. What year was it. Fifty. Three. Fifty two. Women's lib women's lib in Provo and Provo. And in fact I was the first prison in the state. It was a. Woman girly girl. And actually my sister Saunder Graham was. The secretary that year and I think. The vice president was a girl too and I can't remember her name. But and I'm a real sweetie. She was very popular with all the boys. And I recall as a matter of fact dating. And one time back in junior high school we took the same

geography class and at the end of the class period all of the work had to be gathered up and put back on the shelf at the front of the room. And I remember it being. My privilege. To gather up and. We had a mother daughter team that was always special and we were forever putting on assemblies. For those of us who wanted to do something on a Friday night but didn't have a day necessarily. We had a team canteen. We had pool. Pool tables. And I'd love to play pool. And I I used to challenge. We move back the chairs out of them on tables in the library and we dance from records and you would go as a group. It was fun. And it was good clean fun. We had these wonderful high school dances back then.

And I'm sure kids still do and it's you know it's just the time here we always had a song called Where we would decorate our socks and we would dance in stocking feet. We love dancing. We really did it was it was an era where dancing was really something that everybody loved to do. We did a lot of back and that was a big thing of course the song like drag I don't know whether anybody will ever remember that. Oh yeah. The Salt Lake Dragons. What do we have people who remember we all did the front like how did that go. I have to show like Salt Lake drag than we did. And that was just a slow dance for the girls but instead of playing a pat on the back this way they kind of have a limp wrist and kind of put their heads together. I don't know what to do.

It was a little bit was the girls arms around her neck. Two hands this way and we were all on both sides of the back of the girl around her waist. You could crush a corsage. Yes many of them were crushed last year I think. Oh. It was. It was the footnote was spinning spins. Around that our fourth skirt you know we and twirling the skirts would go but it just seems so great because we would always have bands at these high school dances live bands in them. Now you had a group of Band of your own in high school what was the name of your band. The swing cage swing. When asked w i n who played the guitar. We didn't think back now we didn't have a guitar. We had in

those days. Guitars weren't a guitar were not the thing. You said you knew the pep club song. I want you to sing a little bit for us. My friends would say Oh mom I feel sorry that prova high school high school. Oh I forgot to tell the youth enough to cry we're out to do or die pro high school Provo high school will win this game or know the reason why. Were you in the pep club where you would learn routines and perform at like halftimes the games and wear fancy garbs the senior year. We had a plaid dress that was kind of gray and green plaid dress. Proba high Bulldogs were always green and white. Or they good athletically. They were very good. I was probably high was it through the year. Twibil high had some great basketball great football team through the years we took state in 1956

from a high in basketball. We beat Jordan and East High. And somebody else. We are the state champions that were the last. The last team they beat to win was Jordan High School. Yeah and I'll never forget. We were driving home and we decided to stop at a place called curly fries it was across from Jordan High School and we had our green jackets and we almost got creamed. These guys are really mad at us West High we always have fights when we escape to pro bowl. West Panthers. Oh dear. And I remember what a pretty bad fight a brawl covering the whole street. The dead tree gag only the family were out trying to stop it. We've kind of been yelling back and forth you know. While the game was going on. And after the game. A father. Of all people of one of the students made a derogatory comment that the West type

people didn't like. That got me to sort of run a flying wedge of Letterman to try to bust up the fights which we finally did. Yes they were intense rivalries. Who would win football fans like who you talk to. They were a rough crowd as compared with what was proven. Maybe who has the best memory. That's right. He lies. That's right. What was this school song pro-ball high school song was the old old old old old old old. Down down down Bongbong the halls always rang with laughter. Kids playing jokes on each other. Water fights from the water found with the boys but turned it on full blast. Then when the girls had go by they put their thumb on the spigot.

I'll tell you what was neat was in the old school we used to. At lunchtime everybody would sit out on the stairs and then the guys would drag back and forth because the street was right in front of them. Check out the girls and the guys where the girls were sitting on the porch or on the steps of the high school checking out the guys. I think 54 or 55 was the last class from the old high school. We were the first graduating class out of the new High School class if I have to say that's a 57 for me I was beautiful. I mean it was a brand new facility. Almost on the outskirts of town. I have not been inside the new high school. It devastated me when they tore down my old high school and then when they

tore it down a lot of people went and got a brick could have some memory. Yeah. Most of our activities were in school. Or else to a school athletic event and after the athletic event or whatever it might have been we would all hop in our cars and I say that literally because we would have two or three couples per car and we would go in Mass. I'm talking 10 or 15 cars at a time and we would go to the local drive in. Out in ormy there will be a high spot for lunch I'd go and get the high and get a cheeseburger and a drink in 35 suits you know. So that was

late as 60 to three hours right. And then there was Westwood's driving and the guys with real low cars had to attack that driveway on a real angle. They'd never they never get in there. They had called. The cross-tab. Trough north going there to go to the Arctic Circle with the derrick where you know that was what they call the curse. Right. And at that time we found love there near Kirk's driving you back north or. Boy. You always went to Kazakhstan because they made good malls and they had a car that would come out on you. And they served at the car. You know those serving Christ and I don't think the kids were on roller skates which was the best place clerks had wonderful fries and hamburgers.

They were you know for a dollar you could go to drive in and take your day by a hamburger for two and a dollar would cover the whole food. Those were the main places where else we would go to key Liege TVs ice cream store which were down on the East Side approval on center street. And they had the Twisp Candy the candidates are about this long very thin. They were twisted and you could get them in all sorts of different colors and flavors. They was well known for their family and their ice cream. They couldn't make cooks ice cream cooks ice cream on West Center Street. There. Brad cones were huge. I remember being in a corner and they were they were you you really had a hard time finishing them and they had good flavors flavors like black walnut

green pineapple. There was a Calders ice cream. On the corner there next to the old women's Jim Toller's ice cream wasn't downtown. It was near BYU high school. At Norris and university and it was great for us because we just walked across the street from the high school to callers and have a mauler and it was always crowded and you'd have sandwiches and malls and it was a place to meet people and to check and see who was with whom. Between BYU and between high right now there's a place called the brick. And it's got pizza and is pretty well known around this area. But in the 50s it was Stadium lunch stadium which was great because it was halfway between BYU and white high. And so the students would go there for hamburgers they had soft ice cream it was really good ice. But as. I recall the spot on that shot was across the street from from high. All that was really it was a

little small shop. But it had a big window in it and the kids used to gather around to watch and make this bed nets. And spread nets for a new and different in heaven thing. Were they good. It was a new thing and they really were good and they were very popular it was a kind of a crave for a raise. Everybody went crazy over that I was I was the closest thing that I can think of to describe what Spud tasted like. Nothing will ever taste like it but the closest would be your Krispy Kreme and I think startup's became the spot nut shop and I'm not quite sure what point startup's candy which was also an ice cream store went right across the street from the Y. And they had the best French fries in the world. But your clothes would smell so bad when you come across they had discovered cholesterol. Yes. So I was OK.

And that was mostly just getting goodies in between classes. After-School you didn't you didn't go to start it's. A date. One of the big restaurants on University Avenue and almost center street was a China City Cafe. It was fun mostly for evening meals lunches sometimes great place to take a day. For. A. More formal. Dinner you know a Chinese restaurant inside red. Declarations and the food was good and be proud. Oh Chow mean nothing too exotic. But a fellow named Willy Wong operated that place and he was just a delight. He was the host here and he had a pronounced accent. People loved just to hear him talk and tell his stories and I go there for certain Suttons cafe was right there in the center of town and they had wonderful food there regal. Breguet is not Raggles. It was a place where we used to go to get our fish and chips that we also used to go bowling there.

It was a fine place. What about speaking Spanish. Speaking Spanish. Yeah. Oh that was great. That was a fixture here forever. Joe spick and span was a great restaurant. Joe spic and span was located just off of center between Center and first North on first West. And it was your typical hamburger joint. Greasy. Camper. And they really were greasy but they were so good you go down there and meet at Joe's spick and span and you can watch him flip the hamburgers in the air. It was great. So. That's the kind of thing that made Provo when I remember. Most grocery stores in Provo in the 50s where small family owned and friendly Many were easy to walk to. Older were several. And we used the old Allens grocery store called super safe. And in those days you know this is really quite a unique place and

you could actually enter the back of the grocery store through a common door and walk right through the meat department. I remember the sawdust on the floor. You can walk through there and walk through the store and out the front and all of the front was open all of the big doors were literally like a garage door with old flour and produce department was set out on the sidewalk. Well the open scag store was something else. It was run by a man called Ralph gidgee. It had a Ford glass front on the north face on to further north. Inside you had about four checkout stands. Which were plenty. And I remember being very proud of the fact that I could keep up with any checker when I was bagging groceries. They were great people and there were a lot of great friendships. A big grocery store that didn't have the Safeway's. Down on the second west and then north. I was a bagger. For 50 cents an hour.

Provo bakery we would go to all the time it was just three blocks north of where we know. Oh yes. With a nice family and they the family knew kind of what people like. And so they would bake a larger amount on Saturdays because you would go in on Saturday to buy their orange rolls or their special pies and cakes and it was just a very friendly place. Yes like so many places in Profar. But during those years because you knew everybody and they knew you. And so you couldn't get by with. People and Provo liked parades very much. Parades were something that I maybe because we were what you'd call a small town and it really was a small town in the 50s. Parades were a big Summerbee provos fourth of July parade is probably or was and maybe still is the largest in town

and the Fourth of July parade in Provo was HUGE HUGE HUGE. There was an all day activity. The parade started at 9 o'clock. Most people weren't there by 7:30 quarter day. And it marches right down University Avenue to center street marches west on Saturday. My grandfather and my my dad sometimes would go and make sure that we had our chairs on that corner and so we would get all floats bands from all over the state for the Fourth of July parade. And you became Miss Liberty Bell of 1956 50 77. I was really surprised. And. I remember. Coming home. After the pageant and. When I found out that I had won and said you know why. They won't release her for her for attendance were Absolutely. Beautiful. Gorgeous girls. Well so she came to Miss Liberty Bell and it

looked beautiful. The floats were beautifully done very very elaborate. We rode in the parade here. Yes I rode in the parade on the way to the way. Isn't there a certain way you did away. Well I don't know if they got of me and the rest. That's it I remember that so it's got very tight. A lot of high school kids participated. Problem was very very patriotic little town. I remember marching in those parades as a member why I banned. From the time that I was in junior high school playing a musical instrument. And we were in parades. Whenever there was a parade play you know. They have me on the triangle. She's. Difficult stuff too.

Then we would go to the Pioneer Park. For the hot dog stands. That. The candy stands spun cotton candy. Startup's had a lot of their all day suckers were there. And then of course the fireworks in the evening. Most people. Had family picnics in Pioneer Park. And it was an all day activity and everybody. Participated. Christmas time in Provo was magic just magic because they used the Garland the street. With real. Pine boughs and and consequently the whole center street just had a wonderful smell. Part one of the best memories I have of Provo. Is shopping at Christmas time. And. It was when Penneys was there on. Center Street and 1st West having snow be

snowing and playing Christmas music. And then of course they'd put lights in the Garland Bahi downtown and just feeling warm. Even though it was cold and snowy. It was a neat feeling. We had a huge Christmas parade. Christmas time they had a great Christmas parade. Still the streets were lined with people and the floats. Usually I think that was probably the Friday after Thanksgiving. And we built the. Old fashioned coach. And first was told by two people two flight Arabian's. And then we had a pool where four white Arabians and we would have with have four coachmen on it on the back of a. Driver and another one with him. And then beautiful girls inside. Saying little gifts and candy and things like that. And that would be in the parade. And that was a great success. And we had the nativity scene. Most of them were. Either

that or Santa Claus. Santa Claus came to town yes. Yes. It's. Just. Christmas music. And. Things that you remember at Christmas. They came from Provo or indeed all of Utah County in fact from as far away as Salt Lake City here to the area's oldest resort on the shores of Utah Lake Saratoga warm springs. Many new improvements were made in the decade of the 50s to entice visitors from all across the state. Yes Saratoga was so fun. Every year our high school class would have a Spring Fling out at Saratoga and you'd go out and spend the day and you'd swim. Saratoga was fun because you didn't have to go to lagoon to get some of the same amusement park Rochet was a big deal in Provo.

Crochet was where we were often yes. So when it was a lot of fun and it was indoors in certain matters it was freezing cold outside. You go inside and you could just see the steam rising off the water. It was fun. You went to the lake. You talk like we get out on our bikes and swim. Yeah. We did everything there. The fact that it was also the sewage area for the entire county didn't deter us. But it was clean and everything. It was yes it was clean in those days. It was a four or five of the members of Letterman's club. Byron Rasmussen just holler and don't feel the other way. We would take my Uncle Bill's supportable and we would waterski. We used to water ski from. The dock. So that's where I learned to water ski for the water was Zill Harris's boat and of course thinking about Utah late in the winter it was even more wonderful because we would go an ice skate down there.

The promo boat harbour in the winter was wonderful because they'd have fires all these fire pits around for everybody to warm up and it would freeze over. We would set our bonfires by the side of the lake and roast marshmallows and you'd hear the cracks on the ice and you would scramble back into closer to the shore. It was it was quite dramatic. It was kind of small town nice. Growing up we wish there were some great radio shows that we would Gethers you know we come in from playing and sit and listen to. I love a mystery and French film and read stuff. Our favorite though was let's pretend Saturday morning you know this was the spots are our parents for.

OK now you're going to sing that for us all good to you as we have it every day. We sing a song that will make us stronger makes us shout hooray. That's good. We're going to growing growing up so we could all your families where you can create more for it. Now Alan. What radio stations did you listen to mostly key that was everybody liked like. They had personalities on key. I was one of them. Parks was another and so forth. And we played the music to the people like the old you know kill the old used to have a high school activity program on the late afternoon. Do you remember Casey. Yes. I worked the night shift. Usually I got in trouble a case. Yes you. Yes. They were playing guide on Barney when Wayne King and you know all my music. Yeah. And I played a record one

night and one of the Van Wagner brothers who owned the station called me up and just read me the riot act. He said you're never going to play that kind of music again on this station. The next day I came to work and he had taken that stand can't record some scissors and scratched it all up. The music was different. I remember you know I kind of just me I spoke with Bing Crosby and Perry Como and and Frankie Laine. Good music the music now sounds like a train wreck you know it's not like the music in the 50s. It was good music headphones. No Sido junction. Moonlight Serenade all of the big the great Stanmer we all liked Elvis. Yeah. Even kids in Provo are like yes. Yes. What was your favorite music. Oh unforgettable are making cold or. Very calm all the time. Frank Sinatra Yeah yeah.

I love stand can't believe may and Tommy Dorsey. And the list goes on and on but it was really an important part of our life. So yeah the big band. Era it was more like Sarah Vaughan and Elephas Charile and flexibilty. I do believe that if you want to hear it no matter what you're going to do the next time really good. At one time you could. And like I said know what you want to do a duet. Until Elvis arrived late in the 50s. Big bands and mellow music filled the Utah County airwaves and Bobby socks white box and of course Joyces and Jansons were all the rage. What what was fashionable for man the. Pair of slacks Levi's sweater. Yeah yeah yeah. They were to next as much as they were like myself. I.

Remember. There were a lot of chords Look you said that you wanted Protheroe twice a year. Whether you made it through or not. And one of the times was to buy a shirt and a pair of corduroys the last of the year. And I can see you're still wearing still wearing corduroy. These aren't the same ones. No not quite. I like Carter right. Those are nice. The men did not wear casual fans. They were. They didn't wear Levi's to BYU. They wore a dress that shirt McGann's shirt. Alsos used to wear big macs with those. Khaki pants. Yeah. That was just as popular in junior high and high school. College. Is good and they could make it. You couldn't it. That's right. Blue Suede Shoes. Cool. Blue Suede Shoes can you. I don't think I ever had a pair but all the cool guys had. So what did girls wear. They were in fashion.

Everyone. Your mother and the ladies. Would really dress up to go downtown. Oh yeah. Always. Always. Yeah I remember my mother just always being very well dressed wearing hats beautiful hats she had. Hats they always wore hats. And gloves she carried white gloves. My mother did what. I had to go to something special. I had my. And you would dress up to go to the movies. Yes. You would. Blame her. My dad wouldn't let me wear slacks or pants on Sunday. Had to stay dressed all day. Our school attire. If you were to look in our yearbooks were straight skirts. They came down probably to our ankles. Sweaters. With little collars. I think it was before my senior year we were the her skirt. Round. And I remember my mother. She had a.

Club. You know. They didn't play bridge because they had faith. In them. That was. Considered. Inappropriate. One day they were playing rUK. They look out the window and some of the teenagers were walking by in their long skirts that were dragging on the ground. One of the women said I would let my daughter wear one skirt. And my mother said Oh yes you have no choice. Said. When the poodle skirts came in they were very popular. But the thing that made that one. Yes we have the flare ups and all the start ups. And if you did a lot of jitterbugging and. Kicking up your heels for any reason they were fine jams and sweaters and Jois shoes and Jansen's sweaters shoes you wore Jansen's sweaters and joy shoes. You know you weren't anything.

He didn't wear that. There were two names of shoes I kneelers and Joyce Joyce put out catalogs for. And the pearly gates. The shoes were slip on shoes and they had two little straps along the side and then one that went around the back. And just a little tiny here. Very fashionable very expensive. And the Jansson sweater they would change it every year. They would change a button or a color or do some little things so you would be able to tell. What your sweater if you had a friend you went on or you had last years or. This Jansson sweaters and poodle skirts and. Shoes and all that it was it was it was much more uniform for them. Than it was. And what's your address a dress code at BYU in the 50s at dances.

There was some discussion about what was a modest evening gown and what was not. Elderkin gave some very interesting counsel and advice suggesting that. Some of the styles not to be coffee and that the girls. Wear modest clothing and if they didn't have clothing thought to be too modest they were invited to wear a shawl. I don't remember having any code of saying what you did or didn't wear. One girl that I met she was in California. And she was going to BYU and she had a tendency of wearing a little short skirt and that was shorter than most. So she told me that a couple of times people would come up to her. Members of the Honor Council. And have her kneel down on the sidewalk and the if the skirt touch the sidewalk it was long enough. But if it didn't. She had to get into the street. You couldn't wear pants on campus slacks couldn't wear pants shorts when I

got look in. Yeah. Was that we didn't ever wear. A dress because people liked to dress up because there were a lot of Bobby Soglow two tone shoes you know in there. So you know. Everyone wore Bobby Sox White Bobby socks. With the saddle shoes and you could tell. How the girls rolled or folded their socks on. What part of the country they were from became stylish to roll your ankles way down. And sometimes just rolling down or sometimes you fold them. How did you fold yours. I don't know. What kind of socks that California girls wear. I don't remember either. They were rolled down. They were folded down or they were straight up like it was one of the three but I can't remember which state had which. Whenever one of my girlfriends moved here from Idaho and she put her size clear up and I thought oh dear someone's got to tell her this not my girl.

Whirlwind of activity took place on this beautiful land in the decade of the 50s under its energetic to get things done. President Ernest Del Wilkinson the campus took on a whole new look. Carl firing Science Center was the first building constructed here at BYU in the decade and as the 1950s progressed the campus continued to expand drey and the 50s as far as. Campus construction enrollment things started. It was really a dynamic time in the history of the university. They were still using old army buildings. For teaching and offices will be well use a very small school. The old building down there on 5th north the university where the library is now. And I had an office in the old lord's building and behind it was a great big orchard about 15 acres or orchard. The

faculty could hold a faculty meeting in the Mazer building in the very small. Amphitheater. The museum building. They're not more than 60 or 70 of us I guess. How many students were there at that time. Between two and three thousand. And now it's pushing 30. Yeah that's right it's a little bit bigger than our high school. And of course I went with girls from Provo high so it was just kind of an extension of the school. Completion of the Science Center in 1950. Double the size of classroom space at the University of BYU was. A. Good university with a iron fisted president. Ernest Wilkinson. Ernest Wilkinson. Came out from. The.

East. To take over as president of the Y. And he had quite an ambitious. Agenda. Some of the people at BYU calling Little learn. He was a terror. He was a live human die. Off is too busy to be cordial with the faculty members. And so there were a lot of people around. The periphery of the white. Who were very unhappy with him as he attempts to buy property expansion plans and what were the. Achievements of Ernest. CONSIDERED. How many buildings were constructed in his presidency. Right. But I think looking back on it. He was good for the university. I had great teachers and I just took everything off of that love the. Studio. Everything he did and a number of others. Russell Swensen I don't know any

history teacher taught me about Roman history and I had a wonderful house. And I've loved that. And also I had a. Very. Happy social life there. Too. There was a I was a member of Honor which is one of the. Self-forgiveness we call that in those days you did you're an associate dean. Which one. Oh yes Truvada. And what does that mean. Oh my gosh. That was octo cirrhosis Traviata cirrhosis. See. You belong to a social unit to be quite well known. What did that mean. What did social units mean. It just meant. People to associate with. Yeah there was I use answers to fraternities. And the like they would have a lot of mixers. So it's. Just a social get together. I felt that we put on an assembly with the Vikings.

For BYU but there were several you know different units for girls and. Guys I belong to the Bricker social unit know. We like to think that it was one of the top social units at the time that we were there. Rickers. Short for gold brokers and the breaker's had a place up the canyon still do. It was a haven haven. There were some cabins around. BRICKER haven. Tell me about that. Right. Well they often had off campus parties and those parties were. You know typical young people full of exuberance and kind of noisy but they were off campus parties. And I think that was a concern to the administration that the way they were supposed to be like clubs and service clubs and things like that they weren't supposed to be able to do that anyway. Yeah. But. But that did happen. They were fairly exclusive. Well then came during that era and he did away with the social units.

Yes. He didn't like the idea of students being blackballed and not being able to come into the social units he wanted everybody to have. An equal opportunity. There were things that went on as far as. Initiations and things that you would go through you know the. Whole everything because no wonder they did away with them. But but you did have social activities on the campus. So what were the fun things to do. The social activities included dances and the Joseph Smith ball room. They had formal dances. They had sock hops. They had a great variety of activities but there were dances almost every day of the week in the evening and sometimes at noon. One of the men's dorms would have an exchange or a dance with one of the heritage halls and we would go participate in that. We all like to dance we had a great time. And. By the time the end of the semester is over with.

I knew a lot of people. There was the worrit and it was like a little mouse shop. We also made hamburgers the cougar eat on campus which was in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and then of course the sports we we all lived and breathed BYU basketball and football. The football coach you get cancer. How did the team do. Well we had a rather modest success but we did better each year. And by the time I was a senior We had a fairly productive year running more than half a game. And you almost beat the you almost. Later on in those days. BYU would play a wonderful first half against Utah the second half with pure slaughter as BYU if they could put 11 healthy men on the field at one time they were doing well. They were worn down by Utah's two and three team.

In. That game that BYU finally won. As I recall the night before the game or just before the game Wilkins came into a room to the football team. And uttered a prayer. A sincere prayer. That they would be at their physical and mental best in this contest and they won the game. It's the power of prayer. We have the rivalry with salt light. Just like just like BYU in Utah today. They knew where we were sitting down when I was going to university of Utah in 1957. 1957. Yeah. So we thought well what can we do for the big game coming up. It hasn't already been done. And blowing the way off the mountain was brought up that we thought

that's not going to be good. So that was discarded. The why Bill. OK we'll take the why Bill. And we were going to send postcards to friends at Logan at Boise all the way up to Canada. These postcards would come back to the daily universe if you are you saying hey we just saw the BYU Bell going to town. And so we had this all figured out but going up Provo Canyon the BYU wrestling coach and a couple of members of his team were coming down that same way and they saw us and waved at us and we waved back hoping they would think we are BYU students. Well the coach took my license plate and didn't do anything until it was discovered the white bill was missing. And then he found out who had the white belt and we had to give it back. Well it was one of those things that if it wasn't literally chained down he was gone the morning of the football game. How. Did you guys always beat your tar and

basketball. Ted I would like to say that we did but I'm not sure that that's even the year that we won the national championship while I was there. BYU won the unity which was the biggest tournament of that time. At that time it was like they won the 1951 and then at that time you could go on to play in the NCAA. I think we came in certainly is an underdog. So I think they were beginning to realize just how good Mel Hutchins was and Roland Bentsen particularly Mel Hutchinson Roland Minson other great guard. Harold Christensen. How did you do personally in that championship game.

Well I felt that I did reasonably well I think I scored eight points. And but I can't remember what the final score was against wind but we. Rebuild. We beat them by a pretty good score. But it was. It was a good collection of pretty good basketball players. Bob Craig Russ Hillman Joe Ritchie was there. Boyd Jarman. Of course we attribute a lot of it to the and watched the coach. He was a good coach. Very funny Carol. Yeah. So the very next week that they won the nightie they started with the NCAA and they beat San Jose State. But in the first game of the NCAA no Hutchins sprained his ankle but the second team they met was Kansas State and Kansas State to kill them off I mean 20 points or something like that. But it was because their center BYU center M. Hutchins sprained his ankle getting off the bus

and he was out of commission and it's just too bad because they might have done wrong and I T and seeing Mel was I think successful. He was a towering center that would not even be a power forward. Yeah. Mel Hutchins was only 6 5 0. I would have guessed he was 6 9. Yeah but he could jump enormous. You could. So Mel had quite a following. Oh well as you said he's a good looking good looking guy. Yeah. And. He had a good looking sister and a very good looking sister. Colleen HUTCHENS his sister. Was Miss America. A very same but she was a beautiful girl and. She was. She was active on campus and very much. A vital part of the campus. She was the president since BYU made sure that the community was

involved in activities. And there was a notion that the gathering required the gathering of the best of thoughts not just people. And so people like my father simply wore out their lives in service to the church and university had the dream of the great University of faith and they made progress against huge odds that same kind of feeling and motivation was with the faculty who came in increasingly with the increasing size of the student body. And a lot of them shared that vision that hope. And so I think there was a component that remained fairly constant even though there was this maturing and changing student body academic program notion about what it meant to be a great person. And I still do not know today if there is more than one or two

exceptions of how beautiful the blue I was. I mean I don't care where you go. And I think the pride. Nestled safely here on the shores of Utah Lake Geneva Steel was constructed in the 1940s primarily to help the war effort considered far enough from the West Coast to avoid any potential enemy attack. The plant continued to flourish in the economic postwar boom. For many years. The plant was the largest employer in the county and did contribute to the diversity of the economy and all of its people. Geneva Steel is huge very thing going. Geneva's steel of course was constructed by the U.S. government in the early 40s as an attempt to

to prevent the Japanese bombing of. All. Steelmaking facilities on the West Coast. That changed enormously and that was that was of course in the 40s. And there were many more people coming into town than the people that were different. A lot of diversity at that time that my family was very community minded and were very concerned about having people feel comfortable in town. That changed considerably with the steel plates coming in and then after the war. Opening the steel plate and CRID lot of jobs. In the 50s the plant was doing well doing well. Probably the biggest employer in the county. It employed so many people I know including my family. I work out there several summers over 2500 3000 people were working there at the time. It's a matter of fact I had to join the union.

I am a you. I still have my union card and I show that to any man all the time. It was that laborers and hod carrier who. Carried on. I carried all sorts of stuff. And he plays it needed to be clean. There were maybe five or ten of us who were subject to be sent any word or do anything at all. Greenbay Pacific cast iron pipe. That was a big deal planned out on the old bring Vale road and they used to make the big manhole covers. That you see in the street and the firefighters. And I use them whenever I see a fire hydrant I go. And very very often. Around the perimeter of the top part would be Pacific Coast. While many were employed by the steel industry others here in Utah County were occupied with agriculture. And much of that work happened here in Oregon.

Now one of your largest cities this small community named after a railroad leader Walter him. Had only about 6000 people then it was orchard's like Crandall's hare. Berry farms a steel plant and only a few stores. Who could have imagined then what would become these many years later. Mr. Squire you have lived here in Orham 50 plus years. What kind of changes have you seen here and Aurum in that time. When we moved here in 1948 or met a population of about 6000 people. Way We are right now is a large peach orchard. Cherry Orchard on beyond and then an apple orchard and that was it was strictly a farming community here. Or at that time was only a modest suburb of pro-ball. It's not

as it is today. It was largely orchards. Beautiful blue porches aren't huge everywhere. Kids walk to school in Simoni buses. So it's really a. Town in transition from rural fruit farms and irrigation all of a sudden somebody is you know the interesting thing about Aurum is if you look at the topography of that area around there pro-ball kind of sits down Ian. And when I was a little kid my uncle always lived in oorah And you know always say Come on you're going with me out to the bench. Well as a matter of fact until 1919 this area Aurum was called Provo bench. When you go out approval to Aurum you go up the Aurum Hill and it's quite a bit higher. That's right. I would say it's probably 60 or 70 feet higher in the 50s State Street the main street of warum. You didn't have any stoplights at all. No stoplights and it was two lanes two

two lanes originally. How many stop lights were there in the city of or. There weren't any. And how many are there now. I mean every road that can get high. So the Aurum business district actually state Street Main Street was also the interstate highway and it extended for five miles almost five miles almost five miles and it was stretched out along State Street. A lot of people think that State Street is the main street but am has a Main Street and it dissects State Street. There was no downtown No no no we really didn't have a downtown. There were few businesses. They were all located on state street. Nothing. We had. Two little grocery stores and two small restaurants. There was a wheelbarrow grocery store about eight hundred nor State Street that corner also a service station.

Dick park operated one of world's first groceries supermarkets. The worm catch market is where I got my first job at thirty dollars a week cutting meat and a little market on the fourth floor owned by only Johnson and years or so I have for Washburne garage with 800 north state where the canyon road comes down to a State Street. He had the reputation of being able to fix any car at the Fourth of July parades. He would take the front wheel off an old star car. And drive it down in the parade on freewheels. Why would he do that to advertise his mechanics. The mechanical Bellotti they could do it. He could do it or him have one clothing store. I remember Donald's. That's where the ABC station is. You know I could always get my gym clothes there. And then there was Benny's corner down by the high school and a lot of kids hang around the corner.

Well with me was just. Oh. Probably hamburgers if I remember right. Sort of a soft drink. We had a dairy queen first North and state and we would have lines that would be half a block long. There was another nice place to eat in town. Yes it was called the Twin Pines and it was tough Center Street and beyond Twin Pines it was all dirt roads. The only actual paper dropped at that time my state street that was really an upscale place no one time ever got to eat. There was. They they had the banquet for us when we won the state championship in the restroom. There was there was a wonderful restaurant down in North in a forum called Parkes cafe. It was good. It was nice. It was just a typical cafe with the counter and there wasn't anything special.

Park was a popular place family owned. Whenever I think about markets they should be run I think about theme park is why we're always and that gets me just seemed like whenever you went there they were there. What was especially at first the. Chicken fried steak there. There was a place to dance in there. I was in there one night and I watched a steel plant worker paint. Dean parks his wife $50 to dance with his wife $50 to dance with Bert. They had a little dance hall there in the back. Things got pretty wild there and it was a nice place and there were wild places and there was drinking went on there. There was Russell Park opened the billiard hall. So. Sporting Goods and guns. That they allow billiards here they did a beer.

Tavern's you mean there were beer tap dancing around there were very talented on. Not too many but. There were people that come from all over the country here if you need to steal this thing. Do. Why there were so many taverns up and down state street back in those days. We considered on the city council made three point to drive on state street and to drive while we are actually in the city limits of law. There were several times. I came from a rural area and I liked the rural atmosphere out here and you can buy a brick home in Aurum. For the same price you could buy a frame home in Provo.

At that time. Now in 1950 it was possible in order to buy a lot for fifteen hundred dollars. And have a home built. For eight thousand dollars with two bedrooms and a full basement. I can tell you that because I did it. But you know it gave me a good feeling that you could buy your house pay it off. This was a great place to start life. People still don't have horses everywhere. Irrigation ditches were all over that was one of the more noticeable things for them in the 1950s. There was an irrigation ditch still there. Every acre of ground in Aurum could have been watered for Army was very important to the economy. In the 1950s Absolutely. It was tough to make a living but it was important. Farmers have always said it was tough to make a living.

Well it's true. That's a lie as well. As they drive off in their cattle. Well that's all I can get from that and I'm sure that the Gilman's and day was a struggle. It was a great struggle for those that were in farming but there was a great great rich residual benefit to that because they provided employment for young guys like it was a disappointing time. Course my work ethic back in those years. Was I think about it was outstanding at the time we were what we eat strawberries and tomatoes and throwing as many as we pick the biggest orchard in Utah was that and. Apple Orchard. We we had a big pack and she had up there and we packed fruit. Packed fruit for a lot of the neighbors. We packed the church of fruit we sold versus apples. One year we rolled

eighty five diesel loads of apples in the Los Angeles market. It was all right. We we made live and we raised strawberries raspberries we tried it all. We had a small farm. And at that time a lot of small. Farms for farms had a lot of picnic berries raspberries strawberries or more strawberries than all the rest of the state put together. Actually where I was sitting was part of your orchard. It was part of a 35 acre fruit farm. This particular card was a cherry orchard. I helped plant that in 1941. And the. Apples and peaches and pears and tomatoes we had tomatoes and it's all like market. Anything to make a living. We've done it well it's good for farming because the protection of the mountain Well we didn't have protection of the mountain. Canyon wind blown save a little Everest. We had 13000 gallon

propane tank on the farm yard to a four inch gas line in the barn. And they have what they call the public broadcasting company and or some farmers in Oregon. Brought their. Fruit or their tomatoes to the cannery. And my father got the idea out of building a cooling plant. On. One corner of the barn. And then with him the loading door. And then the farmers would bring the fruit in to my father. And then my father would pick it up and sell it at like a food book. Even though we didn't tell them that and sort of nearly 8 even before he had a license I was him. To Salt Lake. To. Take it down in southern Utah pedal. And. But in those days or was a place where he would go get fruit. Spread. For peaches.

Dan you sold a lot of your fruit through a fruit stand which is still there. Tell us about Burton Richardson Springsteen and Walker's stand. It was side by side. Competition was great. And whoever paid us the most money and that's where we took the fruit. And what was her name. Lucille Ball. We picked raspberries and she'd come right up and pick them up take them down. We sold all our raspberries through records and Bruce. Walkers is right next door. And they've been there ever since we've lived here. There's walkers and Verd and walkers is gone but Vernons is still there and I don't know maybe they'll even open it this summer. We had a grandson who worked there and I asked him if they had fresh corn harvest sale and he said it was all his pick that morning. I remember a friend telling me that they said someday Ormus is

going to be the city and probably will be the suburbs. And I thought that's impossible I could never be and probably is the case. Now you are the editor of the paper and then became the postmaster for many years and you continued to write for the paper and do a weekly column which you still do one of which I'd like you to read for us from Sage-Brush to steal a century spans an epoch of contrast an era of bloom where time glances back. Scans the bench lines beginning. And latter day boom. They tenderly nurtured your faith and their fruit in the churches and fields rather labors were good. We were. I mean that's all it was. I mean. Hearty workforce and all and every kid we found around town worked for us. It was just a great time with the role of good neighbor a common pursuit the cooperative effort was well understood.

There was a time when you just relied on each other and knew everybody I knew almost everybody in Aurum and 19:15. Evolved in the 20s. A town and a name with or in the banks was never the same. As water and street lights. Sidewalks and roads. Serve the gradually in. Form of boats. You know the houses was put together down the street. People all had about the same income the quality of life was the same. There was no rich and no more. The 30s bring play to the town during years of depression when incomes were down. It's a wonderful wonderful story because during the most difficult times people rally together with their efforts money their talents their desire to work build it without government assistance without government help. War Clouds of the 40s brought. Neither was real or an

industry man. And still. Flourishing 50s brought Aurum the name of. New TAWS largest city. A good living thing. As the century mark on an hourglass of time brings the city to his predestined prime. The pioneers of the present Take a look at the past by reflecting on pictures and memories at last. For the past as a prelude to greatness. When the city we're planning and progress is led. By people who know them by people who live. As millennium looms with his promise on cue. They will cherish the old when. Examined the new. Vision of building a city where. A. People can promise. To. Bring. A. Good. Life in this pitiful Valley in the 1950s is remembered as a joyous time. Certainly it was a

time of locked doors and doors open to remarkable post-war growth which continues today. BYU began its amazing growth the steel plant working at Paul Eiffel's steam orchards and Berry farms we're shipping to all parts of the West and friendships flourished enough so to bring tears to those remembering this wonderful era. Growing up in Provo in the 50s was. Kind of an innocent time. It was a good time to be growing up. A great generation to make the great time to be involved with friends and family. It was a peaceful town. It was a town in which. I think friendships were rampant. People were were open friendly. And. We enjoyed them very much.

Life was just good. There was open spaces next to my house where I could always go hunting rabbits or quail or as close to the orchard where I had brother I had grown up in life which just up in the 50s. You had a sense of community there there. That was quite wonderful. I was grateful for the opportunity to live. To experience a small town. Experience the things that go with. Gratitude. Gratitude for stability. Gratitude for simplicity. I mean it was just a really fun time there weren't there wasn't a lot of pressure on kids that there is today if they can have fun without getting into trouble.

Looking back it was I realize now it was really wonderful. I had good friends. I had wonderful parents. I'm amazed at how close we were. And that there were very few layers of strata of social differences. We were all the same. For me at least a very safe secure. Time place to grow up. We didn't lock our doors at night we trusted people our neighbors or neighbors. And I learned a lot about. People you can depend upon. So there was a very strong sense of family in place. No matter where you were in Provo was home. I'll

go on. I. Mean it. Was. Just.

Utah in the 50s. Provo is made possible in part by the contributing members of KQED