Our Neighbors' Stories; Interview with Vanis Daniels; Manhattan Project Tape #6

And you know. Yeah I mean you know about that. OK. Talked about working out area. Here in town. As you drive. As to where I was buying one. I really wasn't. But when I was a kid. And we moved here in my 51 and my dad got ready to buy a house. That was not a bank. You know the Tri-Cities that would loan you. Money. To buy. A house. The way he bought his home was.

From. A lady. And they set up an escrow account. Then he paid the escrow account every every month. There was. A. I guess you'd call it understanding. With the finance companies and the banks and things and I don't mean Pascoe but Tri-Cities. That anything East. Of. Ferry Street. Downtown Pascoe anything. That's right only I was sliding on the path back this way. I. Couldn't borrow any money. This was where the blacks lived not to buy houses. You could buy any kind of car you wanted. But no houses. So worst.

First three. Yes. We were. I have to say we because I was I was in the group. All the blacks lived on east side are in park side park side was west of First Street. And East third Street. Where the senior citizen place and homes is over there now. That was all park side. Maybe Home was where the. I think they get the. It's a kinda care. Some coming here write it in a very street going you know what. That was a Navy home. Blacks were not allowed to live in maybe it was the same cut for the housing authority. But you know blacks lived in it first. Eventually they started to.

Put him in there but first it was it was all white up there. They had the laundromat. Which is right there by city hall and now it's some kind of house or something they have turned it into. But they had the blacks on one side and the whites on the other side. You couldn't go over to the white side washing clothes you had to go. Back inside and wash your clothes and. All that type of stuff. The restaurants and things downtown you couldn't go in. Being a kid we weren't going to any restaurants anyway. You know what I mean but. Like a root beer which was on for the court. And I used to call it mayonnaise factory it was arctic circle at the time. Those places like that where yes you could go there and get hamburgers and

stuff like that and the Dairy Queen which is right across from City Hall which is a convenience store now you go out and get him for your french fries milkshakes that is for sitting in restaurants. You know. As for as being you know and that's why a lot of blacks had shacks rather than home. You think they couldn't get in your finance to buy a house. That's why I did it. Yes and it's actually all you can see in them they didn't we didn't have any street light. We didn't have any paved streets. We didn't have any sore. Or anything.

So. When the urban renewal came through. I can't remember exactly which year that it was but. That was in the 60s and early had the 60s. Yes. Urban renewal came through and brought it all out and made a lot of it into the industrial park it's down here now. But there were out houses and all kinds of little shacks and I can remember being a little boy. Delivering papers. And I can actually remember a man leaving and a card board. That the ground he had a sleeping bag. And that's where he stayed. This was in the winter time the snow would roll on the ground. Or they could be horrible. I mean they had all kinds of little shacks and

things. At that time. They didn't particularly do a lot of. What you call it patrolling the side for its cry or what have you. But I've seen. People. Drawn to the point where they had to stand up and hold on to something and a fistful of money and you're saying to nobody ever take it. It was because people didn't have money you steal them you know you just you didn't take their money I mean if you did anything you tried to help them get someplace you know to keep from getting hit. And that's about cars some of them it's not by someone who ran. My dad for instance. Had a car he bought a car. He had. Worked and made all of the payments on it.

He was down to his last payment. It was financed through Pacific finace. Co-op. The payment was due like on Tuesday. And it was his last payment so eat well. I'll just wait until Friday and go down and pay you now. Wednesday he happened to be home. The car was in the driveway. A record pool about backed up in a driveway to hook a car and pull it in because the pavement only he happened to see the guy because the first I think he thought he was just backing up in there to turn around. And he walked out and he has to guy he say can I help you. And I say well I'm here. To repossess this car. He say you're here to do what he said. Repossessed this car. That's I

don't think so. He say well they sent me to get it. He said they whom and he told me he said Well now let me tell you something. He say. You're not going to hook on to that car. And nobody else is going to go into that car. He say I know you're trying to do the same and I'm not tell you what your job is not be you not going to have a dab if you owned a bad car keys and I'm not applying I will get that that way my dad out. He said I you go back and you tell them. That I will be down later. The man left he told him OK. He left my dad went down there the next day. And he paid that car but he told Pacific finest that as long as he lif they'd never have to be worried with him. He said I will never borrow another dime for you for nothing. If that's

the way you go and do me. But you thought you had me in a position where. I've paid for the car the car is still in good shape and you go take it and resell it again he said of what you thought. It was. But they could they would do. I have known people to actually have to hire their cars to keep the finance company some take. Just yet. It just didn't rain right just didn't pay it at the regular time we didn't miss a payment. I'm just here. So do you think that it was you know it black. I think it was loyal to the black community. So because the whites could go to town and borrow money and buy people. I remember. My

dad couldn't borrow money to buy a house but I remember a kid graduating from high school. And his dad cosigning for him right. First and afterward to us right now to buy a brand new car with. And my dad is an ecstatic list man would have family. This is not going no place. And can't borrow money to buy a house. Yeah. Right. He was one of these type of people that. Thought where there's a will there's a way. And. Again being brought up in the South and being denied he was accustomed to. So you figure out a way to do what you have to do. To make it. And that's

just the way they do it now. His uncles. One lived in Seattle. One lived here in Pascoe and his brother in him. Mr. Richmond some of that were from the same place in Texas. They just sort of bonded together and when one needed something. They all pitched in and helped you know and then whenever you got care if you paid it back. You know. It was a unity. It's just we don't want to talk about can we explain that. Oh Gary when I was a kid. My dad. Again worked it out for. The

TV came into the tri cities in a big way. Percy in 1954. Thank you 54. Yeah. I wised you. I remember. We bought Crossley TV. WISH-TV ever made. But that's beside the point it was something always wrong with it. There was a repairman and Kennewick on Dayton street. Named maids. We would take the TV over there. And he would repair if my dad had all the money and if he didn't. He just repaired. We get TV back home and my dad playing. Well. He would come in from work and like Mr. Graves would call and say that your TV is ready. What can you pick it up. And we tell him say well if

my dad gets home. You know early enough then I can come and get you to what time you dad get home I tell him he said well I'll just stay open. And then you can come get the TV when he get home. So I would take the car. And go across the bridge when I got the kennel excited bridge. Policeman of the city mad bridge pumps. He would stop me asked me where was I going one or was I going for. And I would tell him where I was going and what I was going for. OK go ahead. He would be mean. To mazes. He would be there when I get there. As I got out of the car to go in to get the TV now it's 6 o'clock and some time after they have parking meters that time. I had to put money in the parking meter and

he'd write me a ticket. And no way. And you know it. But the chief of police the mayor all alone. And that he would escort me back across the bridge. He didn't want me to I don't want you over here after dark. And I never knew his name because we always called him Ray and go there. But now that's the way you did that to me several times. You know but that was one up there. And this bigoted they didn't want you and Ken awake. And. Never came down until the late 50s. Tell me about this time people.

You know I'm trying to remember exactly what it said myself. And I can't remember who had it. And most people do it does. But I can't remember what it is right. You were going for it was not. Yeah. No no no no no. The old bridge the old Pascoe kind of bridge. That did they want to do and Pascoe and Martin can't wait to. Start my race cars going right for it. Oh yes they were some be behind you and somebody in front of you. But he was sitting there looking for the blacks because he didn't want cutely. You weren't supposed to be over there will see the chief of police and the mayor had to go along

with it or else he never would have done it. I said Oh yeah and a lot of white people. Bart and Ken away because that way their kids wouldn't have to go to school with blacks and they wouldn't have to live in the same neighborhood with blacks. Start Going to school high school high school where white kids go there. It was predominately white. It was only about 13 black kids in the whole past. Less than 20 I can remember that. And how is it. Well. Now there's plenty of black kids all over everywhere now.

I can remember the first black family to own a home. And Carol and she happened to be I kind of grew up with them. She's on a class one I mean. But. A lady gave them a house that I was burned down mysteriously. You know what. That's what happens. How do you know. That your parents couldn't. I. Saw the car you know you. Had that you.

Were what it does is make you sorta leery of trusting. And when ever you do get something you want to own me. You know they say that the average person moves are great their home are their living. So if be eight or ten years. I've been in a house for tea you know. Yes my own look as much as I get on it without having to be. He tags you but it's you just learn that when you do get something you hold on to it. You just don't gamble and take chances and things and you know my kids are that

way because first of all I didn't teach him that. And next of all the world is changing so and it's changing so fast. So now kids can do just about anything they want to do shall become president in the United States. They keep telling that story about you can anybody can be president. But you got to be rich before you can be president if you're rich. Might have a chance in hell. You may have a chance if you're rich. But other than that you don't have a ghost of a chance of becoming president of the United State. But as growing up here and everything you get adapted to it you get your friends in the end some are more white it's mean. Don't get me wrong it was an owl that way we

played baseball together we formed our own little teams and we played each other and we had fun and. The whole ball of wax but the atmosphere was not that conducive to make you want to stay here see. But. I left here when in-service came back to spend one week with my mom and dad and I was headed out of Tri-Cities never to return is forced to stay three days after I was here my brother in law asked me he said what are you going to do. I said well I'm going back to Seattle next week. You say you got a job up there asses now. He said if I can get you. I've been here ever since. It's been really good for me but I have worked

hard. I've tried to be honest and forthright with everyone that I have met. And in fact if I even thought I wanted to take something when I was a kid I've been the butt of a long time but. And in doing that I have been able to do things in the Tri-Cities for instance. I am one of the causes of curriculum part. When. We were kids we had no place to play. We went down and took Chauvel and cleaned it off we didn't know who wanted it was vacant so we you know it's right up the street from our house and we got a soiree and made us a backstop and we started playing baseball. Well mirrors

title bar Mr. Hyde will bar Mr. Mears Mary and Mrs. divine. Saw us and ask us if we had a part to play. We told no one unless we go way across town to Memorial Park. And she say will you need a park in this neighborhood. So she did the research and found out who owned the land and she had six kids sit down and write a letter she composed you know foursomes and ask him if he would donate the land to us for a park. Well it took probably a year to get a response from him because we had to write a couple of three letters. He wrote that he could not donate the land to private individuals

or group. He'd have to donate the land to the city for city park. The only stipulation he had was that the park be named after him that's got to be curriculum part because they were going to name it can be caned park thing. And then my cousin and then must lose and I was just a little kid. We get the grown ups got material and stuff donated and I helped them build the Kurtzman building. Let's. Get this right. OK. You know I think you start talking about me right.

You know. Nearly all the water is. My brother and I started. What is now a brutally down on me. Yeah. Yeah yeah yeah yeah. You start because you are now very dead. Yes sorry somebody's son you. Are. A star. Yes. My brother was coaching in kind of way and I was working every day and. He

coached overbearing me so you know why am I coaching in Kennewick when there's a lot of kids and Pascoe. I've got enough kids so why don't I start a league over there so he came to me. And we knew that they had the. While to feel down air but it was defunct now all grown over and everything and he found out who had had it the last time which was the one of us and Mr Welch. Chuck Welsh and he would. We went to them. And they told us that as far as they were concerned that we could use it started up so we went back down and we started putting the fence back up because it was half tore down and all that stuff and it was overgrown we took my pick up went down and we gathered all the tumble weeds and burn

them and start taking up tack weeds and all that stuff. And. The crumb you feed and grain gave they didn't give me the round but they gave it to me at their cost to spray the weeds and think of tackling it. Well that's good but everything comes back because roundup acts as a fertilizer too. So Ali don't kill it make it grow. After all why are so anyway we started to seed it. My brother myself. And a kid name Larry Fitzgerald it live in Florida right now. We took the little hand seeders for it loud spreaders. And put fertilizer down and seed it. That whole field down here.

Well then as the grass started to grow protect weeds and get in and take it over in the tumble weeds and all that again and it just didn't seem like it was going to grow right. Meanwhile I had learned that a pure girl which is a fertilizer company. Had a product that would make grass grow but it would kill the weeds and stuff. So I went out there and I was able to talk to the president and I told him what we were trying to do and what we were trying to get started and he say's get back to me and two or three days I have to talk to some people. Gave me his number. I called him back. He told me he said Yeah I think I can help you. But they went down and looked at the field and meanwhile there's houses and

things and trees and things around here. And he thought you know maybe we better not come down here and do this with a big old truck period or on the side of it because you know if some of the vegetation from the houses and things we'd get I want to mend it kill them. Then they would be sued. So he called me on the phone. And told me he saved. Venice I don't think we can come down and take a truck and do it. He say before you get upset though I have a plan for it. Have you got a pick up. I say yes. He say can you come out here Saturday morning. I said well I can't but I can send my brother out there he said we'll send him out here. When my brother got out there he had a sprayer with a little motor on it that fits right in the back of a pick up and he mixed all the chemicals and everything for it and told my brother he's a go down there and

sprayed a field and then just bring me that bag nowhere by cleaning it up or anything when you get it back out clean it up. We wanted to know well you know is there going to be a charge. He says no he's. Understand what you're trying to do. I'll do what I can to try to help. And we got pumps. We get a lot of stuff donated. Once they knew what we were trying to do. And I my brother and I I spent an awful lot of money out our own pocket and we had to go to Burlington Northern which part of that field was on. And get permission from Burlington Northern to use their part of the land for the feel and everything. My brother and his wife paid the taxes down there for years. All the utilities everything down there was in my brother's name.

And then once we got it was the pony coat leg that time itself changed over to the Baby Ruth and me while he get enough teams together to start the Little League which is the Bootheel now. He called me own the phone and say I want to start a little league has it when he say well let's have a meeting. And I can't remember Frank's last name but he was a black guy and we had a meeting and he told us he'd say I've got enough kids and I got enough money. I started a little early yet I went down an ear and actually did the irrigation ditch with a shovel. To run the line over where we could just put sprinklers out just said I'm out here. And make a feel out. And

we went down to that's one thing I can say Star Reynolds. Per say you start Reynolds what not.