Chapter 14: The Wheat Fields of Montana

For as long as I can remember, I've had a keen sense of my geography.  Perhaps it was due to the fact that, once I became aware of my surroundings, I had the almost relentless grid pattern of Great Falls' streets to orient me.  No curves.  No cul-de-sacs.  No disconnectedness.  But 57 years after this series of pictures was taken, I need to consult a topographic map of Montana to get myself reoriented.

Based on the cock-eyed framing, I wonder if Dad allowed me to take this first photo.  Interestingly, the composition is very similar to a series of slides I took in 1974 and 1975, when I lived in Deer Lodge, Montana.  The sky, the mountains, the fields -- like a tri-color flag.  This particular elevation, about 15 miles east of Great Falls, is a small range located north of the Little Belt Mountains and U.S. Highway 87,

Montana is a major growing area for hard red winter wheat, planted in the fall and harvested in the summer (which makes me think that's what we see in the above photo) and hard red spring wheat, planted in mid-spring and harvest in late summer.  (The fourth slide in this series?)

In the second photo, Larry and I seem to be ready to hit the road.   Even in my preschool years, I was a very adventurous sort.  Remind me to tell you about the long hike I led one July summer afternoon in 1955. 

Considering the clothes that Larry and I are wearing, I have a feeling these pictures were taken on the same day of the visit to Giant Springs (chapter 11).   This means the above view shows a 90-degree left-hand curve of 57th Street NE, as you head in the direction of Rainbow Dam, and the view below is the same road as it leads back to Great Falls, in the vicinity of Malmstrom Air Force Base.

A green carpet extends to the edge of the mountains.

Chapter 13: The Gorden Loren Family

Gordon Loren was a classmate of Dad's at the Augustana Seminary in Rock Island, Illinois.  After their graduation in June 1943, they both accepted calls at churches in the Seattle area.  Their 1954 visit to Great Falls was one of two times I remember seeing the Loren family.

As I look at the first picture, two questions immediately spring to mind.  Where's Barbara?  She would have been three or four months old at the time.  Best guess:  Mom and Dad asked Dora Donald, First English Lutheran Church organist and substitute aunt to the Nelson children, to babysit her. 

Second question.  Who's behind the camera?

I'm not exactly sure where the picture was taken, but most likely it was somewhere on the way to or from Giant Springs.;
Who's who?

Front row, left to right:  Paul, Kitty Loren (I only knew her by her nickname), Stephen Loren.  Kitty is my age; Stephen a year or two older.

Back row:  Dad, Mom (holding Larry), Vivian and Gordon Loren.

Underexposed.  Dad's the photographer.

Stephen, Kitty, and Paul at an overlook along River Drive North in Great Falls under a big blue Montana sky.  That's the Anaconda Copper Works in Black Eagle in the distance to the left.  The Missouri River is in the lower-left corner of the photo.

Chapter 12: A Striped Slingback Chair

I remember the chair well, although with two rambunctious boys, I'm sure it had a brief life.  It certainly wasn't an item on the Mayflower moving van that transferred the Nelson's household furnishings from Great Falls, Montana, to Warren, Pennsylvania, in the summer of 1957.

From the photographic evidence, I'd guess the chair was recent purchase in the early summer of 1954.   The fabric colors have a brand-new brightness, just like you'd see in a (Sears?) catalog.  I wouldn't be surprised if the first picture in this series was taken on the day of Barbara's baptism.   All dressed up, she looks to be sleeping peacefully after the all the excitement.

A different view, which appears to have been taken on the same, though the distance and angle make Barb look almost newborn.

Larry and I share the chair, though he doesn't look too happy about the situation, probably because I'm giving him so little room.  Big brothers can be so mean.  I'm wearing my usual jeans, t-shirt (my left knee obscuring what appears to be an interesting design on the front), and suspenders.  Larry now has his own pair, too.  In the background, you see the very patchy, weed-infested lawn along the east side of First English Lutheran Church.  The  climate (average annual precipitation of less than 15 inches, in particularly) isn't conducive to deep-green manicured lawns.

Chapter 11: Giant Springs and the Halsgaard Family

Giants Springs, one of the largest natural springs in the world, was a popular destination whenever Dad took the family out for a drive.  (Mom didn't have her driver's license at this time.)   Our usual route was 9th Street North, where we turned right at River Drive North and followed the Missouri River, past Black Eagle Dam, until we reached what was in the mid-1950s a small, unassuming park where we never encountered large crowds.  In fact, on the day when these first two photos were taken, we appear to have the place to ourselves.

I don't remember spending a lot of time at Giant Springs during our frequent visits.  I think we were content to marvel at the churning water as we walked the narrow concrete pedestrian bridge.  Note the lack of handrails or any other safety features.  Nowadays a parent might get arrested for child neglect for allowing his children to be photographed in such a precarious position.  

Company time!  The slide mount notes that the family pictured here, excluding the little guy to the right, are the Dalsgaards from Auburn, Washington  They are no doubt members of Messiah Lutheran Church, where Dad served from 1943 to 1952.  What brought the Dalsgaards to Great Falls?  I haven't the foggiest.  As a result of doing a Google search for "Dalsgaard Auburn", I now think it's possible that the girl to my right is named Linda.  She looks to be 11 or 12, meaning that it's very likely she was a 1960 graduate of Auburn High School.. 

Chapter 10: Gibson Park

Gibson Park has always been considered the jewel of the City of Great Falls park system.   Located jus north of the Civic Center along Park Drive between 1st and 8th streets, it contains flower gardens, a pond with waterfowl, a bandshell, walking paths, playground equipment, picnic areas, and other amenities.  My parents were particularly fond of the gardens, but my brother, sister and I preferred the playground equipment, the swings in particular.

I assume this picture was taken on a Sunday after church, as Larry and I are wearing our best clothes.  That's quite the snazzy jacket he's sporting, though I look to be perfectly content in my jacquard patterned v-neck sweater.  Stone tower flower beds were found throughout the park.

Larry, who would later establish himself as a landscaper of note in Warren, Pennsylvania, files away a few ideas for future reference.  Zooming in on my hands, I discovered that I'm holding two stones.  I don't recall ever having a rock collection, so I doubt if I took them home with me.

It's a bird.....it's a plane.....it's a pose worthy of the front page of a church bulletin.  It would have been a more effective shot had the sun not hidden behind a cloud temporarily.

Chapter 9: Barbara on Her Own (for the most part)

The "old parsonge", the brick house we lived in at 112 8th Street North from November 1952 until mid-October 1956, was located next to First English Lutheran Church on a very small lot.  It had a small front yard and no back yard to speak.  Certainly not enough space for kids to play in.  I seem to recall Dad struggling every year trying to get grass to grow.

Barb looks good in yellow.  She also appears to be a chubby baby.

Barb in her crib in an another overexposed interior shot.

Paul watches over his baby sister.  From the handwringing pose, I must be afraid that she's going to roll off the couch.  Apparently, the suspenders I'm wearing are a fashion statement.  According to the website Historical Boys' Clothing, "[w]e note quite a few younger American boys wearing suspenders in the 1950s".  They definitely look too loose and insubstantial to be holding up the cuffed jeans I'm wearing.  Another fashion touch, I assume.  Stylin' at 4 years old!

Chapter 8: Barbara Christine Nelson, a New Member of the Nelson Family

As far as naming her children, Mom said she always wanted a "Paul" and a "Barbara".  Neither of them had a connection to a family member; she just like the sound of the names.

Barbara was born on April 20, 1954, at Deaconess Hospital in Great Falls, Montana, which at this time was located at 1106 6th Avenue North.

In the first picture of this series, Mom catches a happy group posing at the table in the parsonage kitchen.   One of the hallmarks of our kitchens in both Great Falls and Warren were the copper-bottomed pots and pans hanging from hooks within an arm's reach of the stove..  The small door just above the stovetop is a laundry chute, which extended from the basement laundry room to the second floor hallway.

I tried without success to remove the black marks in the photo.  Unfortunately, they seem to be embedded in the film.

A beautiful portrait of mother and daughter.

The picture below was probably taken during a summer vacation visit to ......Rockford, Illinois?  In the pre-Interstate highway era, Mom and Dad never hesitated to travel long distances by car to visit with the Nelson and Luthgren families.  Even with very young children in tow.  We Nelson kids were very good travellers.  I have no idea who's on the bike behind Barb and me, but looking at the saddle shoes and bobby socks, I'd guess it's one of my older girl cousins.

Is Dad attempting an "arty" shot here, with Barb in direct sunlight and Mom in the shadows?   This picture was taken in front of the parsonage.  Looks as though Bonnie and Clyde are still in town.

Chapter 7: The Story Continues in 1954

This copy didn't respond well to any of the Windows Photo Gallery's fixes:  Auto Adjust, Adjust Color, Adjust Exposure -- although Mom's not quite as washed-out as appears in the original slide.  I'm guessing this picture was taken in the office of First English Lutheran Church.  Whether she's helping out Dad by filling in for the regular secretary or composing one of her regular letters to relatives, I couldn't say.  And, sadly, Mom's not around to ask anymore.  (Mom was quite the letter writer, by the way,)

.

It's May 11th, and we're celebrating Larry's 3rd birthday.  ("Baby Face" Nelson.)  Not sure why both electrical cords -- the upper one leads to a wall clock -- are plugged into the same outlet. The kitchen window looks out onto an alley, where, with some daylight, you can see the backside of a Buttrey's grocery store .

The picture quality is a little fuzzy, and Larry looks quite a bit older than in the above photo.

I could ask Larry, but I'm sure he wouldn't remember.  Did you receive a trike on your 3rd birthday?  But it does seem to be a very distinct possibility.

Paul hops on for a ride.  (Wish Dad would have positioned us in the aun for these last two pictures.)  If this is mid-May, it seems as though the trees shouldn't be so bare -- even in Montana.  The back end of the car at the right makes me think we have company -- Bonnie & Clyde!

(License plate sidebar.  In Montana, the first number designates the county, based on population rank, in which the car is registered.  In other words, based on the 1950 census in this case, Cascade County, in which Great Falls is located, is the second most populous county in the state.  Remember, this was a time when new license plates, not just renewal stickers, were issued every year.   And who was #1?  Yellowstone County -- largest city:  Billings.)

Chapter 6: Christmas 1953 in Great Falls, Montana

The photographs in this chapter are presented in sequential order -- slides 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 from the same roll of film.

A few years ago, I cataloged the Nelson family slides -- surprised? -- attempting to arrange them in chronology order and creating a descriptive list: people, setting, and location. It became a more time-consuming project than I'd anticipated, and, come to think of it, I probably ran out of gas somewhere in the mid-1960s. (Guess I'll find out in a few months, at this rate.)  At one time, Dad had organized the slides in a metal, rectangular slide file, completed with annotated index chart.

I look to be very pleased with the bike that Santa left for me, though I'm not sure how much I actually rode it once spring arrived.  In Great Falls, the parsonage was located between two very busy one-way streets:  2nd Avenue North (where traffic moved from east to west) and 1st Street North (in the opposite direction).  Mom and Dad would have limited my bike-riding to around the block.  

It looks as though Mom received a West Bend bean pot and a coffee percolator from Santa.  (And that wallpaper; I remember it well.)

I have no idea what's captured my attention, even when I zoom in on the picture.  Larry, however, seems fascinated by the tinsel on the tree.  There was tinsel on the Nelson family Christmas tree well into the 1960s.

The "gold chair" -- and that's how we always referred to it, reverently -- was a mainstay in the Nelson living rooms in Auburn, Great Falls, and Warren.  I think it had been discarded by the time I graduated from high school in 1968.  And I should be able to confirm this observation when I reach the mid-to-late-60s section of the slide file.

Dad looks ready to doze off.  And perhaps with good reason.  If these pictures were taken on December 25th, he would have presided at a children's program and separate service on Christmas Eve as well as another service on Christmas morning.   Dad didn't work a regular 40-hour week.

One more comment.

At 4 years of age, I was a firm believer in Santa Claus and already familiar with Clement Clarke Moore's "The Night Before Christmas".   One line in particularly, though, gave me great cause for concern.

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

"How will Santa get in the house, Mom?" I asked shortly before bedtime.  "We don't have a chimney."

The parsonage had no fireplace.

"We'll leave the front door unlocked," she replied, not missing a beat.

Perhaps it was the same answer her mom or dad offered when she asked this question in the mid-1920s at 6 Hartford Terrace in Springfield, Mass.

Chapter 5: The fall of '53

All five of these photographs were taken inside the parsonage of First English Lutheran Church in Great Falls, Montana.  The house was located at 112 8th Street North --never North 8th Street, at least not in "The Electric City" -- on the northwestern edge of downtown.

I can pinpoint the date that this picture was taken:  October 29, 1953, on the occasion of my 4th birthday.   Larry, my 17-month-old brother, looks on, probably wondering as I am, "Where are the presents?"

The slide mount identifies the woman on the right (below) as Mrs. Charlene Gullings.  The name doesn't ring a bell.  Perhaps she was a member of First English, or a family friend passing through town.  The latter scenario seems highly unlikely considering Great Falls' isolated geography.  (Dad's hometown is Rockford, Illinois.  Mom's from Springfield, Massachusetts.  In other words, both of my parents lived a long way from their respective homes at this time.   Also on the couch, from left to right, is Mom, me (cut off at the chin -- thanks Dad!) and an unidentified girl who looks to be a year or two older than I.  Charlene's daughter?

In 1953, many families bought their first television set, but this purchase was still two years off for the Nelson family.  And for good reason.  During the five years we lived there, Great Falls had just two TV stations, which didn't start broadcasting until the late afternoon.  I was listening to the "The Lone Ranger" on the radio at this time in my life. Here I stand -- Dad's still struggling with framing his shots -- next to our new stereo phonograph/radio, which I suspect might have been a "family" Christmas gift.  (I would love to know what record was playing.)

There seems to be some doubt about when this picture was taken -- 1953 or 4 is written on the mount -- which makes me think that the captions were added after the fact. 

Looks as though Mom and Dad dressed up their two sons for a Christmas portrait.  Note how our hair has grown out since my birthday picture.  And so neatly combed!

A solo portrait of Larry.  Perhaps there was also one of me.  It's clear from the numbers on the mounts that as many as 50% of the slides from each roll of film are missing.

Chapter 4: Glacier National Park

All of the Nelson family's early slides include a very general handwritten description on the cardboard mount. The first picture in this group has the notation: 1953. Glacier National Park. Paul and Larry.  If properly cropped, it's a great shot for a Christmas photo card, don't you think?   Larry looks as though he's in the process of wetting his diaper.

Without a map, and with no specific information on the slide mounts,I have no idea where this stunning panorama is located.  Best guess:  Lake McDonald.

I really like the fact that Dad includes the two parked cars in the frame of this picture. But that's just me.  By the late 1950s, I was able to name just about every make of car on the road.  By year. I somehow developed a fascination with automotive design, which started to wane after 1960.

Since 1953, I've visited Glacier National Park just twice -- in 1975 and 1983 -- but just to drive through.  I don't recall having a camera with me in August 75, perhaps the lowest point ever in my life.  In 1976, Dad bought a new camera and gave his 23-year-old Kodak Pony.  Once I complete this review of the Nelson family slides, I'll have my own collection to sort through.  And it's likely I'll find more Glacier photos there.

 

Chapter 3: Flathead Lake

My only memories of a 1953 family summer vacation are through these slides. We visited the brand-new Hungry Horse Dam, spent some time at a Bible Camp (which apparently is still in business), and drove through Glacier National Park on the return trip to Great Falls.

In this first photo, I pose with my bathing-beauty Mom.   The only question I have :  Where is my 14-month-old brother Larry?  Maybe the camp offered a nursery?

While Mom stares off into the distance and soaks up some sun, I intently study the contents of a plastic glass.  Minnows?  (If you look closely, you'll note I'm holding two glasses.). 

Flathead Lake.  The bluest of blue water.

Chapter 2

Here I am, wearing a red baseball cap and standing in front of a statue of Paris Gibson in his namesake park, a beautiful greenspace located just north of the Civic Center in downtown Great Falls, Montana.

[I added the photo below 36 days after posting chapter 2.  It didn't take long for me to realize that this slide was out of order.  First of all, where's Barb?  It's supposed to be the summer of 1954.  And the red hat I'm wearing looked awfully familiarly.  And indeed it was; I had seen myself wearing it in the above pic.  I have a feeling there'll be an increasing amount of editing as I progress with this project.]

Dad's still having trouble with indoor exposures.  Larry, probably 14 months old, in his crib, which looks like a classic piece of 1950s blonde furniture.  And Larry, what big eyes you have!

Mom catches Dad and the boys looking at the latest issue of TIME.  OK, I seem more intent on mugging for the camera.  And who, you might ask, is on the cover of TIME