I am one of the lucky ones that had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my maternal grandparents. I have written quite a few stories about my Grandmother but only one or two about my Grandfather. He was a very quiet man and I don’t remember him talking very much to the grandkids. But since I was with them almost every day he had talk to me.
Walking to town with Grandfather was one of my favorite things to do. It was probably close to a mile from his house on West Stolp Street to the business district on Main Street. I wonder sometimes if he walked instead of driving to discourage me from wanting to go along. But it didn’t work because I always wanted to go with him.
The first attraction we walked by was the Skinner mansion. It was two doors to the east of their house and sat up on a hill above the street and all the other houses on the street. My Grandparents lived up on the hill as you are leaving town but their house was lower than the Skinner mansion.
The Skinner house doesn’t look as big to me now that I am an adult but to a little girl and with it sitting up higher than the road it was a huge fairy tale mansion. It has a little bit of the Victorian look to it but without all the gingerbread on it.
We would talk about everything I saw on the way to town. I had lots of questions and he always answered them, maybe not so patiently, but he would answer every question. We walked East on W. Stolp down to main and then turn south toward the business district and our destination that was another 4-5 blocks.
The houses along the east side of Main Street were built higher than the street. They had 3 foot high retaining walls to hold up their lawns. Grandfather always lifted me up and placed me on the wall and I would walk along holding his hand. I am sure his arm got tired during those next 3 blocks I was walking on the wall, but he never complained.
We walked past what was then the high school just north of the business district. I was fascinated with that building because of the statue on the corner. I always had to stop on the corner so I could get closer to the statue and look it over and hear the story about what it represented.
The next block started the business district where all the stores were. We walked past the grocery store on the corner and Nixon’s clothing store for men and a couple more stores before we arrived at the drug store with the soda fountain.
I would be parked on a stool in the drug store with a 400 drink with instructions not to move until he came back for me. He would go outside and sit on the wide window ledge of the store south of the drug store to visit with the men for 30 minutes or so.
When he was finished gossiping with all his friends he’d come back and take me down from the stool. Then he would take my hand and we’d walk back to their house. I always enjoyed being with him. Sometimes it was in the garden or the yard when he mowed, but the walk to town was the very best time with Grandfather. To contact Sandy; therapyk9@ cox.net
