SR_more_valley

More Valley Memories
March 29, 2003, SpokesmanReview.com

I have lived here since 1932. We lived at the end of Ely on South River way on the south side of the river. I remember watching for logs coming down the river. Grandpa and Grandma had a row boat and when anyone saw a log just coming under the bridge at Argonne, we would holler that there was a log. They would take the boat out, tie on the log with a grappling hook and pull it in to shore. When the logs dried out they were cut up for our winter wood. One day a slide came floating down the river. It was metal with wooden supports along the sides. It was pulled out and set up for use as a slide on the sandy shore near the river. That was before Upriver Dam was put in. After the dam was in, the sandy shore was covered with water. Later the slide was used when Daddy was butchering pits. The pig was killed and then placed onto the slide with a barrel of boiling water at the end of the slide. It made it easier to slide the pig into the boiling water and back out. Then they could scrape the hair off the pig before it was butchered. When the meat was all packaged in freezer wrap, instead of putting it in your home freezer (which no one had at that time) the meat was taken to the Shreck's lockers in Millwood. You could rent a locker to put your meat in. Each person had a combination lock on his locker. It was very cold and so hard to remember the combination and get the lock open and then find the cut of meat you wanted. It was wonderful to get back out in the sunshine and get warmed up.

We could go spend an afternoon sliding on our sleds down the hill at Bigelow Gulch and Evergreen. It was a wonderful ride down and then you had to walk back up for another ride. We would only see maybe one or two cars all afternoon.

I remember going to the fire when Dishman burned. I believe the fire started in Michelli's tire shop and took the whole block of stores. This was in 1951. It was some time before the cement base for those stores was torn down and new businesses built in their place. We spent many an afternoon roller-skating in a big roller dome behind the shops along Sprague in Dishman.

It was nice to have the theater in Dishman where we could watch the latest movies. We lived close enough that we could ride our bikes from home and go the matinee. One time when we came out of the movie, I found my bike had a flat tire. I had to walk all the way home - probably about three miles.

The whole family might go swim in the irrigation ditch on a hot evening. The water was so cold at first but felt so good when it had been really hot during the day. The water moved fast so you had to be careful you didn't get carried away.

There used to be a band pavilion on the lawn at the Inland Empire Paper Mill. Anyone in the community could join the band of a summer Sunday evening and be part of the music or just go and sit on the grass and enjoy the music of others.

We took the boat up the river the night the logs at the paper mill burned. They were stacked for some distance along the bank of the river. Once the fire got started, they just all burned. It was beautiful to watch but such a waste.

Doris Dean, Spokane Valley

It was the summer of ‘61. A rather warm summer, as I remember, and the source of many warm memories. Between my 8th and 9th year of school, I was anticipating how different life would be as a freshman at West Valley High School. By mid-August, a pattern of behavior had started that would occupy many of my summer evenings until the start of school. A friend of mine would ride his bicycle from his home in Millwood to my place in Pasadena Park. We would spend a few minutes watching my small flock of pigeons fly circles above my pasture, then hop on our bikes and ride down a two lane

Argonne Rd. to Millwood pool, behind the old W.V.H.S. Here, we would swim and cool our heels until the pool closed at dusk. The water always seemed a bit chilly at Millwood pool, and would do a great job of cooling us down after a long, hot summer day. The evenings at the pool were far less crowded than the afternoons. I remember being the only ones swimming on several occasions. The bike ride home was far more pleasant, having been revitalized by the magic waters from the aquifer. A simple pleasure, but one we looked forward to repeating evening after evening in those waning days of summer vacation.

Tom Herrmann, Pasadena Park

The most important thing I remember about the Valley was a sound… of the Paper Mill whistle. We lived in Orchard Avenue and my father worked at the paper mill. That whistle blew to welcome him to work, tell him when lunch was and blew finally at quitting time. The one I liked best was the "quitting time" whistle as I knew he would be home soon…as fast as his bicycle could get him there (there was a war on, you know and gas was rationed).

I live at the far east side of the Valley now but still hear that wonderful whistle when the wind is right, and it brings back great memories.

Joan Stout Matlack, Liberty Lake

My name is Reese Riggin. I grew up at 2825 N. Locust, in Millwood, about 3 blocks from Millwood Park. My childhood growing up in the Valley was wonderful.

I use to love the summer days, waiting all day to put on my West Valley Kiwanis uniform, which really only consisted of an old, scratchy polyester shirt, a nd my blue jeans. I had to make sure my weeding was done in the garden, or else I couldn’t play. I would slide my glove down the long handle bars of my Schwinn bicycle, and hold my blue aluminum bat over my handle bars, straddle my banana seat, and ride down to my game, alone no parent escort, didn’t need one back then. After those games we would all pile into the bed of a pick up truck and head over to A&W, across from Argonne Village, and have root beer floats.

I remember as a little kid going with my parents on family night to Longhorn Barbecue drive thru, and get the biggest ice cream cones around for $.25. They don’t sell ice cream anymore and don’t have a drive thru. I remember the path I had beaten down with my bicycle through the field behind Argonne Village, and always rushing to beat the trains across the tracks on my bike. We would go to the Super Save Drug store, check out the new comics; my favorite was Richie Rich, and Archie & Jughead. We would also head over to the Coast-to-Coast hardware store and buy BB’s for my gun, or to Anthony’s clothes store, for my first pair of Britannia Jeans.

That summer time when I watched them put up that big ‘ol water tower in the corner of Millwood Park, and then throwing rocks at it to hear the cool echo it would make from the different water levels. Riding my Yamaha MX 80 around the bases at the ball field, until I nice police officer would escort me home. Hearing the noon whistle from the paper mill.

My back yard butted up against Kim Momb’s back yard. Back then I thought he was the coolest he had all these motorcycles, and would let some friends and me hang out with him. It wasn’t until I was much older that I heard about his great climbing attempt of Mt. Everest with John Roskelly, and other climbers, then as a young adult hearing of his death in British Columbia while skiing.

Running down to the 7-11 on Argonne, to get the newest slurpee cup with baseball players on the cups. Buying a pack of cards and get a piece of gum in it. My older brother took all those cards I collected 20 years later, and he still denies doing it to this day.

I remember my dad taking us every Friday night to a West Valley High football game. Those years when they went to state twice in a row and won it the second time there. Watching #26 Scott Dickenson run over everyone.

Those hot summer nights when the neighbor kids would get together and play kick ball under the streetlights until parents yelled at us to come in.

Every now and then I go back and drive through the old neighborhood. It is funny the hills that we use to sled down don’t look nearly as steep or as long. The home run fence in right field not so impossible to reach. Drive by our old house and see the same roof I use to jump off of thinking I was the bionic man. I see the tree I planted from Expo ‘74, when they had the logging exhibition, and everyone there got a little sapling. That tree is huge now, and 29 years old.

Reese R. Riggin, Spokane Valley