Trip to Alaska 1952

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This page last updated: Thursday, February 26, 2009
January 12, 1993
Journal
kept by
Scharlotte Richey
when the
Jay Richey Family moved to
Alaska in September 1952.

1 Sep 1952 ‑ We were up at 6 AM & hit the ball all day. It was hard to say good-bye to Forest. Dad and Mom cried & I almost did. He took the old Chevy to Bend to get his cycle to ride back to base. When we had nearly everything loaded we had to much so we left Dads tool box and took the fridge to Kellogg’s. Wauel insisted of feeding us dinner. It was sure good. We had a flat in Mt. Vernon and another one late in the afternoon. Coming up Beech Creek the muffler came off. We had to stop and fix it. The valley is very pretty with fall today. Camp was on the North Fork of the John Day River. We went to bed about dark. A big, almost full moon lit the calm, clear night. I could hear the water of the river and the wind was sighing in the pines.

Back Row: Forest, Dad, Mom, Scharlotte
Middle: Ray
Front: Ted, Floyd

2 Sep 1952 ‑ The air was nippy when we got up this morning as we went on to Battle Mt. Park for breakfast. The birch among the trees is nearly all red now. We had a nice breakfast and got washed up. Dad isn't nervous like he was yesterday and he looks much better. Mom doesn't seem so tired today. In trying to back the trailer the tongue got bent, so Reed & Ted went on to Pendelton to take care of his business while we fixed it. We took the trailer into Pendelton and waited in the Park for them. They showed up in about 2 hrs. He didn't have his title but we went on because he could catch up easy without the trailer. We were traveling along and felt the trailer lurch quite badly. We wondered what was wrong. But soon discovered that Reed was behind us pushing.[2] When we stopped to water the car he took the trailer. We got off rout in Pasco had to go through town twice to find the proper turn. It was getting dark and no lights on the trailer. We had to make camp in the wide open spaces no hills no trees, not even sage brush. This was the first night for along time that I've been disturbed by trains.

3 Sep 1952 ‑ We were up early this morning because we didn't like the scenery very well. We couldn't make a fire in that kind of country and we couldn't find anything different so we had sandwiches for breakfast. We got into wheat country. Wheat as far as the eye could see. Reed wanted to see his brother so we parted about 9:00 planing to meet the next morning about 10:00. Ted went with him and we took the trailer. We plugged along thorough miles of wheat. One field had just been harvested, the next plowed under. They begin to taper off along in the afternoon. We only saw one that hadn't been harvested. That was just before we got to the Grand Coolee Dam. Boy the hills were steep, especially the one going to the bridge. We found a place to get off the road so we stopped and got some supper about 4:00 P.M. Dad thought we should stay and wait for the other 2 boys here, but it smelled bad, so Mom took the car and went looking for a better place. Reed and Ted came while she was gone so we went on up into the Mt. The boys looked until as close to dark as they dared. The place they finely settled on was a nice place off the road and we could get water from a small steam across the road. It was the first chance I'd had to wash good for 2 days and it really felt good. Mom found a stink bug in her pocket this morning when she was dressing.

4 Sep 1952 ‑ 5 min up the road this morning we found a real camping place where we had breakfast. I got to drive for a while this morning. I scared Mom. We stopped in a town about 9:00 where Dad and the boys bought some jeans and a tarp. We were in apple country today. We got to the boarder about 1:30 P.M. At first it didn't look as though they were going to let us through. Dad sure looked worried. In about an hour and a half we were on our way again. Dads smile was satisfied looking as it was Mon. When we got started we soon got into lake country. Beautiful long lakes with steep wooded slopes on both sides. The highway soon got narrow and winding. We camped tonight on a stream near the lake.

5 Sep 1952 ‑ This was the first morning that we don't go to some different place for breakfast. We got quit a late start. We went thorough some really beautiful country today. When we went along a lake we were between orchards. Mom wanted to buy some fruit, but Dad said lets wait and get some near Vernon. But when we got to Vernon the fruit was gone and we didn't get any. There was a lot of road construction and detour sign, so when it got dinner time and later and later we still hadn't seen the boys. Mom thought that they must have been behind us so we stopped and waited for half an hr, then Reed came back looking for us. After that they would wait very once in a while to see it we were on the same route. When they could see us they would do on. They had a flat and we passed them. It was down hill mostly from there so they never caught up with us. We got to pick the campsite tonight. We had just came down a very steep hill and Mom was worried about them, but they made it O.K.[3] The camp was one put there by the Forest Service & was right on a lake shore.[4] The lake was warm. I wish I'd had time for a swim. P.S. Right after we got off the ferry we got on the wrong road but we went through all right.

6 Sep 1952 ‑[5] Lots of trains went by last night and kept us awake some. I didn't know there was sagebrush this far N[orth] but we saw a lot this morning. We were following the most beautiful blue river. Later we got into thick wooded country. Spruce & quakes were thick and straight, perfect for building. We stopped for lunch on the shore of a beautiful lake just after the pavement run out. All afternoon we bound and wound. It seems strange for the main highway to be just a dirt country road. It went through lots of beautiful farm land tho. In the middle of the afternoon we got into the Frazer River country. I've never seen such rugged country. We were near the top of a very steep & quit narrow canyon, at the bottom of which was the Frazer River. Soon it began to go sharply down then very steeply up again, then it leveled out to narrow farm country. The tongue came off the trailer. Lucky it was on a flat stretch instead of one of those steep grades.[6] We found a perfect camp spot for over Sun. We had been having showers so prepared for a rainy night. I guess we'll have to get use to rough roads cause we've only got a few mi. of pavement from her on.

7 Sep 1952 ‑ Today being Sun. we laid in bed quit late. It didn't rain last night but was quit damp from dew. The boys were up and off before breakfast. We didn't eat until quit late. The boys ate when they came back. They hadn't caught any fish. We all got washed and changed clothes. We had dinner about 3, then Mom & Dad went to bed. The rest of us read and loafed, except Ray. He was restless all day. He couldn't go fishing where the other boys went and everybody was to busy to go with him where he could go. He put some berry juice on his hand and tried to make Mom think it was blood but he couldn't keep from laughing long enough to worry her.[7]

8 Sep 1952 ‑ It was foggy and damp and we had to get started on an up hill go. Reed's clutch started to slip and burn. They poured water on it and hitched the trailer to the Ford. It was so slow that the boys decided to take it again. We saw a car turned up side down on the road. The boys had a flat on the back of the trailer, they couldn't see it because it was on the back and couldn't tell by the way it handled on the gavel road. They didn't see it until they pulled onto a service station. The tire and tube were all chewed up and the wheel was ruined.[8] Before we got to Prince George the roads were bad. In some places they were putting oil on the ground. It was really nice, but not quit as good a pavement. In Prince George Dad got some new tires and tubes and we got groceries. The highway going N. being rather new, was very good for graveled roads. We found the boys picking blue berries. They said that they saw bear tracks by the road. The camp place tonight was a nice one. A big river ran very slowly just to the south of us.

9 Sep 1952 ‑ It was so quiet last night that my ears rang. The river didn't make a sound. There wasn't any wind and only about 6 cars went by. It was all frosty this morning. I expected this part of the rt to be almost uninhabited but there were small settlement all along the way. We crossed the divide of the Rockies just before noon. The Mt. were really something to talk about an I can surly see why they are called "Rockies". The colors were bright. About half of the broad leaf trees have began to turn, there is an orange one among a group. The Mt. are red and gray an very steep. The creek we stopped at for lunch was very cold and very clear. In the deep parts to was very delicate shade of blue. There were a few raspberries in the camp site. A large buck stood in the road a few hundred yards away an watched us for several min. Ted discovered some huckleberries. When we left the boys were picking berries. Nearing Dawson Creek today. The only water we could find was a small yellow stream. We didn't camp on the main highway. But on a side road. A farmer came and talked to us. He said that he was afraid for us to stay on the road because of trucks coming by might bump into us. He invited us to camp in his yard. So we moved into his yard.[9]

10 Sep 1952 ‑ We left early this morning because we didn't want to have breakfast in his yard and we were afraid of the water. We found the boys cleaning birds. We couldn't find any clear water so decided to go to the other side of Dawson Creek for breakfast. We had to stop in town. I was very surprised to learn that 4 tires and tubes cost $100.00. It took about 3 hrs. to take care of our business in town. The boys were very concerned. Reed was looking for us. He went all over Dawson Creek & back to where he had seen us last, even to the next town. The shrubs are all red and gold and then clusters of gold trees all over among the green & yellow ones. We past the halfway point this afternoon. Camp was at the end of an air strip. The beacon threw its light on our camp. The water here was yellow also but the man at the service station said it was just plant decay.

21 Sep 1952 ‑ Today being Sunday and the rain still coming we just stayed in bed until about noon. Ray's bed was wet so he had to sleep with me. Mom didn't get up all day. It rained most of the day and some of the beds got a little wet. We sat in the Pontiac and read until it quit raining then we walked up and down the river. Floyd caught a salmon that was almost dead and put it in a puddle. We watched it for quit a while. It died before long. Some men came to see how people were using the camp grounds.

22 Sep 1952 ‑ Today was another good day. I'm sure glad to because everything is getting so wet. I rode in the Pontiac with the boys again today because the Ford seat is so wet. Once when we were waiting for Mom & Dad we walked down to the beach to take a first close look at the ocean. We walked through grass that is almost as tall as I. Today we went as far west as anyone can get on this continent by road. We got into Homer late this afternoon. Dad went out to the airport and got a job. We camped at the end of the runway tonight. We had to dry out some bedding before we could go to bed.

23 Sep 1952 ‑ This morning the boys went hunting for meat. We went hunting for a house. The boys got some spruce hens. We found a large apartment to live in.[12] We moved in the few things we had. We got cleaned up and got some clothes ready for school.

[1] When Dad and the boys got finished making the trailer and fixing the Model‑A‑Ford, there were several tires and rims left over. The tires were mounted on the rims and they were all loaded on top of the trailer. When we would have a flat, a spare would be taken from the top of the trailer and mounted on the car. The flat tire and rim was rolled into the ditch. Dad felt that we had plenty of tires and rims to last until we got to Alaska.

[2] After mother found out that Reed was pushing us, she got some chalk and wrote "DON'T PASS ‑ PUSH!" on the back of the trailer. When we got to the Canadian border, the border guard pointed to the sign and asked "What's that for?" He didn't even crack a smile. Mother thought that it was really funny, and got the biggest kick out of telling the story.

[3] Mom and Dad were so worried about the boys coming down that hill that they considered driving back up it. Dad had driven trucks for many years, and he was afraid the Pontiac and trailer would not be able to come down the hill safely. The problem was that the Ford would not go back up the hill. It was to old and worn out, and the hill was to steep. So we all just waited and prayed, and they made it down O.K.

[4] I think it was at this campground I went to the drinking water bucket to get a drink. Then I wet my hair so I could comb it. I just held my head over the bucket and scooped water onto my dirty head. The excess water would run back into the bucket. Scharlotte saw me and ask me what I was doing. She scolded me and made me go to the lake and get a clean bucket of water. Some contrast from today, we don't dare get drinking water from a lake, it is probably poisoned or polluted or both.

[5] Somewhere about in here, we got up in the morning and started down the road. We hadn't driven half a mile (we could still see the camp ground where we had stayed the night) and one of the wheels came off the trailer. We had been driving on gravel roads for some time (several days or just one day I don't remember) and the constant vibration had loosened the lug nuts. Mother said we had a prayer or that she offered a prayer, and walked back down the road. Within just a few hundred feet she had picked up all but one of the lug nuts. We checked all the other lug nuts on the other wheels of the trailer and the wheels of the two cars and found that all of them were also lose. After that we would tighten the lug nuts every morning before leaving camp. They were always lose.

[6] I rode in the back seat of the Pontiac. One of my jobs was to look out the back window and see if the tires on the trailer were OK. One time I was directed to check the trailers tires, and when I looked back the trailer was swinging back and forth across the road. I yelled that the trailer was swinging back and forth across the road and we stopped to check it. Something on the tongue had broken and had to be fixed. I sure felt important. I thought I had saved the day and the trailer. I don't remember anyone saying anything to me about it though. I still felt proud as punch. I think Scharlottes reference to the broken tongue on 6 Sep 52 was the same incident.

[7] I remember the berry juice incident, however I don't remember being bored. I suppose I was.

[8] When the four wheeled trailer was built, it was built on a Model A Ford frame. There was a gas tank mounted on the right side between the front and rear wheels. Dad decided to keep the gas tank and fill it with gas for emergency use. As I previously stated, I rode in the back seat of the Pontiac. It was my job to look out the rear window from time to time and check on the trailers condition. Because the gas tank was still on the trailer frame, I could not see the tire on the right rear. That's why the wheel was ruined. After that Floyd or Ted, who ever was setting in the front seat of the Pontiac, next to the door, would open the door and hold on to the door and hang out far enough to see the condition of the right rear trailer tire. We never did have another flat on that tire. One time during this inspection process, one of them lost his hat. We stopped and he ran back and got it.

[9] When the farmer came and invited us we already had a fire built and a dutch oven full of something on to cook. We left it in the fire pit and came back in the morning and picked it up. I don't remember what was being cooked. Probably some beans for lunch the next day.

[10] In the evening of the day we crossed the border into Alaska, the boys got two snow shoe rabbits. Dad said it was an omen of the good luck we were going to have during our stay in Alaska. I remember we were standing around the fire, it was starting to get dark, and the fire cast its warm yellow glow over us all. It is a pleasant memory. I also remember we would have family prayer standing around the fire. I think we would have it in the morning and in the evening. We would stand because the ground was usually not good to kneel on. Years later, my brother Floyd remarked that the tradition of us standing in a circle for family prayer started on this trip and lasted for a long time. As the youngest in the family, I remember Mother, Dad and I standing for prayer because Dad was so sick he would have a difficult time getting up again if he kneeled down.

[11] I can remember sitting in the Ford on a main street (maybe on 4th Avenue) in Anchorage. It was poring down rain. We were waiting for Dad to come back from the employment office. They told him of a job in Homer, and that is where we went. It sure was raining. I seemed as though it came straight down, really hard.

[12] I remember that the apartment had been a restaurant or a bar or both. The building was divided in half. One half was the apartment we lived in and the other half stored all the equipment that had been in the bar. Among other things was a shuffle board. I remember Ted and Floyd playing shuffle board on it. The kitchen had a big two sided stainless steel sink. It was big enough for me to take a bath in, which I did from time to time. We had an outhouse. We had to walk past the coal shed to get to it. I can't remember if the house had indoor plumbing or not. The big sink did have running hot and cold water. We heated with wood and coal. We would go to the beach and find chunks of coal that had washed up. We would break the big hunks up into small hunks and haul them home and put them in the coal shed. While living here I wet the bed for the last time. I dreamed that I was going in a regular toilet. I could hear the urine hitting the water, I had to go so bad and it felt so good to go. I woke up all wet, no wonder it was such a relief. I got up an got into bed with Mom and Dad.