Going to the Lumber Yard

Going to the Lumber Yard

In the early 50s Dad wanted to build a house. We had been renting since we moved to Kingman and he wanted to get something of his own. The house that we were currently renting had several acres around it and he was going to buy the land next to the house to build on. It was about 1/3 acre and a typical lot in the town of Kingman.

Dad bought the lot and then started shopping around for materials to build the home. We went to local lumber yards with our material list to get quotes for materials. At that time there was a lumber yard in Kingman as well as Rockville, Wallace and other surrounding towns.

Not being satisfied with the prices he was getting, Dad learned that the lumber in the south was much cheaper than it was locally. So we planned a trip to the south to shop for lumber to build a house. I was about 8 or 9 years old and Sid was about 2 or 3. We loaded up the car and away we went. This is the only vacation like event that I can remember that we all were involved in.

The only other event that I remember from that trip was being in a business somewhere in the south about 1951 and wanting a drink. There was a drinking fountain in the business and I attempted to get a drink. As I was starting to drink the man in the business came running over to me and said that I could not drink from that fountain. That fountain was only for coloreds. I had to drink from the fountain at the other side of the room.

I never did understand what that was about and as Mom and Dad tried to explain it to me, I still did not understand. To this day I can still remember going to that fountain and the owner coming over to tell me I could not drink from that fountain. I didn’t think it was right then and I still don’t think it is right.

Dad ended up buying the lumber from the lumber yard in Wallace and I had a lesson in segregation.