Gamboa News

Jessee Crawford
BTW, when did you reside in Gamboa? I think we lived there from 1946 to 1956. We lived in the four family home on the right side of the street coming into Gamboa from Santa Cruz, Silver City or the Dust BowlŠ(take your pick J) originally before moving into the duplex at 101 A.

Our neighbor was Dr. Bandshaft (sp) who lived in the łCabin˛ at the end of the street.

Where did you live?

Lou Womack
My grandparents lived in that Four Family at the top of the hill. I know the exact place where you lived as I look at the aerial view of Gamboa. I lived down the street in the Up and Downer on the right side also. It was on Jadwin Ave. and the intersection that a certain other street crosses it. I canąt recall the name of it. Maybe someone in the gang can remember that street's name. The Frasers lived on that street in back of us. I used to sit in the culvert that came down from their house above ours when it rained and the water would flow over my head in that torrential downpour that I loved so much. Bill Campbell and I were trying to think of the name of that street. At the intersection there were Up and Downers on each corner. Shirers and Fredericks lived diagonally across from our house. The street led down the hill to the ridge. The Bantons were my next door neighbors and the Parkers lived across the street along with David and Bill Henderson. The Goodins lived a house away and next to them were the Ellis'...Eileen Bleakley lived further up the street on the same side and Elaine McDougal somewhere on Jadwin. Ida Harris, the Trowers, the Viets all seem to ring a bell. With everybody writing I am able to fill in the gaps.

One time my brother, nine years younger, crawled up to the window on the top floor of the Up and Downer and accidentally fell out the window. He was hanging on for his dear life. As I remember correctly there was a roof under the top roof with little bars on the eaves. As he hung onto those bars Mom grabbed a blanket and threw it over his body to keep him from sliding off the eave, screaming desperately all the while for someone to come and help. Mr. Viet was at the end of the street, heard her plea and looked up and saw the body under the blanket. From the end of the street he came running up the first set of stairs into the house, then up the second set of stairs to the bedroom window. Carefully he crawled out and grasped my brother just in time. That's how I know the Viets lived on that street.

Before that we lived first in the Dust Bowl, then at the opposite end of Jadwin Ave. where the other Four Families were. I had a terrible bicycle accident coming down that hill riding double. Landed on my face...head first on the concrete and I think I broke my nose but it was never checked, couldn't tell by looking at it but could tell I broke my front permanent teeth in half. Mom was pregnant and everyone was so worried that she would have a miscarriage when she went in shock...after looking at my face. I spent many hours in the dental chair with dear old Dr. Yates. Last we moved into the cottage opposite the Bachelor Quarters. Incidentally Carolyn Tyssen sent me a picture of the cottage that she lived in mentioning that it was opposite the Bachelor Quarters and I got excited!!!! Hadnąt seen my home for 49 years.

Silver City or Silver Town or Santa Cruz I thought were separate from the Dust Bowl. I always thought the Dust Bowl was where the 12 Families were.

Jay Green
I lived on Jadwin Avenue next door to Dave and Addie Ellis. Across the street were Bob and Adele Dunn, Jackie, Theresa and Bobby. Can't recall who lived on the other side of us.

Carolyn Pollak Tyssen
When I lived at 181 in Gamboa, the MacDonalds shared the driveway and lived next door. Across the street on the up side of the bachelor quarters (the down side was just blank field with a ditch) lived Mr. and Mrs. Bartlet (her name was Anna). Then one or two houses up from that lived the Driscolls. Going down the other way--about 2 or 3 houses down from the MacDonalds lived the Shobes. You lived further on down the street on the other side (when I lived there ). That is all I know of who lived around us. This was in 1939-1944.

Bill Campbell
I remember living at 107 Jadwin....Jack & Ida Harrison lived directly across the street from us. The Bleakleys were across the yard from us to the left and the Barrets were next door to the Bleakleys in the same house. Actually, I spent alot of time with the Barrets. When my mom had my brother she almost died and so I ended up staying with them while she was in Gorgas. It was at that time that we moved to 126-B on Sibert . (CAMPBELL'S CORNER). I downloaded the map and I think I know who lived in every house almost.....I'm sure most of us do......But, delivering most of their papers gave me an edge.

When I was living on Jadwin I had the neatest wagon....headlights and running boards, all the bells & whistles. Last time I was in Birmingham to see my daughter we went to a mall and in the show window there was MY wagon. First time I had ever seen one like MINE. I even thought of buying it. I don't remember how much my old one cost but this one was $350 bill.

Butch Hope
I'd like to make sure I'm remembering the Patt Foster as being the pretty girl who lived up on the "ridge," and had a younger sister named Betsy, and whose father was named Gil. If I'm correct, Gil taught me the Morse code and radio theory, which enabled me to become the youngest licensed "Ham" radio operator in the "Zone." I knew her as Patsy. She treated me as a younger brother, as I spent many an hour, after delivering papers in the afternoon, at her dad's radio. Patt, correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks,