WHIT'S WHITTLIN'

Donated by Awandi Cromwell

"Jumpin' Catfish," it's time to visit again, and do some more "whittlin." I'm getting a "bang" out of this writin' after all.

I wasn't sure how much "you all" would enjoy whittlin' with me when I started, but there has been enough interest expressed to encourage me to keep it up for a while longer. -You know we're all alike, really. We like to hear a kind word of encouragement now and then. It surely adds a little spice to our livin.' After all, we are what we are today, because of the influence family and Mends had on us.

Yeah, we never know a lot of time, how much influence we had on others, until it's too late. -I guess we had better be very careful about the kind of image we reflect on those around us day by day. -Hurliss Barton, Mrs. Cram, Maybelle Paine, Julia Foss Corbit, Dr. Cochran, "Doc" Cannon, Mrs. Swain, Mrs. Hayes, Mrs. Frank Day, Faye and Fannie Young...My goodness, Yorba Linda was blessed with so many people who had the right kind of influence on my early life, as well as the whole community.

That isn't all, some of them are still reflectin' their bright lights in this town, and others have gone on to a special place in heaven to brighten it a bit more.

Let's see...The Cromwells are in their home on Lakeview that had been purchased from Frank Apalategui. You met some of our neighbors, mom and dad are working in the packinghouse, we kids have started school. So Yorba Linda is our new home!

What did Yorba Linda look like during those early years? Since I was very young, the picture is confused, because there were some changes going on even then. Frankly, between 1922 and 1930 I'm afraid I was more interested in home, school and play to pay attention to the exact sequence of changes.

Anyway, when mom sent me to the store, I ran down Arroyo Street, past School Street, up the hill to Main Street and to the grocery store. Mr. Alvin owned the store for many years, and Fred Burchit was the butcher. One could buy groceries, meat, work clothes, and other daily needs. -

We used to go to Anaheim almost every Saturday for shoes, other clothes and things we couldn't get in Yorba Linda. -The S.Q.R. Store and J.C. Penney's were two stores in Anaheim where we often shopped. I remember these two particularly because there was an old fashioned popcorn wagon next to the S.Q.R. Store and dad bought our blue and white striped bib overalls from J.C. Penney's. -There always was some "play money" folded in the hip pockets, and we had to fold the legs up a couple of rolls, and "hike up" the shoulder straps until the bib rubbed our chin raw. -Dad "figured we would grow into them. -

There were other businesses on Main Street: "Doc" Cannon's drugstore in the Masonic Building, Epperly's shoe repair, to the north: across the street on the east side was the Old Bank, the Gayle apartments, the Friend's Church to the back of the lot, facing School Street: Eichler's Feed Store, Jim Glover's Blacksmith shop and the Liberty Garage.

Oh, I think there was Earnest Walker's Real Estate and Insurance, Slim Worsham's Barbershop and Faye Young's Cafe on the west side, just south of Alvin's Market. There also were some businesses on Olinda Street: Mr. Townsend's Hardware Store, the Yorba Linda Star, the Post Office and library. Many stories could be written about each of the places of business. The Old Blacksmith Shop was the favorite hang out for the farmers on cold winter days. The "Old Timers" would sit, chew, smoke and talk politics by the hours with the clanging of the anvil for background music, as Jim Glover shaped red-hot steel to his liking. Jim was a typical blacksmith, strong of body with a heart as soft as a baby's skin.

Let's see-Mr. Glover used to rattle the bones pretty good. He and "Butch" played the harmonica and guitar and Jim added the rhythm with the bones.

I'll try to get my thoughts together next week and talk some more about Yorba Linda Main Street