Remembering....with lots of photos

Today I planned to write about some of the changes in and around town. Even though I'm sure I've already written about them and shared pictures. Just gives me something to chat about.

Will start with my Uncle Jim and Aunt Lillian's house on 19th & Haines. I wish I had more pictures of how things looked in the 1940s and before. At least in my neighborhood.  I forget who told me (might have been my dad) that when Jim and Lillian got married in January of 1944, it was at a justice of the peace at this house on 49th as you make the turn off San Juan. That house is still there. They rented a little house on Lawrence (which I believe is also still there) and eventually moved down by the swamp road onto property that Jim's dad (my grandpa Lew Gene) had next to his house and barns. One of the barns is still there but barely and a couple of the outbuildings are also still in place but of course, they look a little different. Maybe I'll go look for those pictures  and add them here.

This picture was probably taken in 1966 but I'm guessing. It shows the barn that grandpa built. Can you see that tree just to right of the door? Look how huge it is today in the pic below

This old wood shed was originally the cow barn and I think grandpa had pigs for a while too. Dad is unloading the truck with wood and you can see the pink house to the right where I lived with my kids in later years.

This is the wood shed today. That large home behind it was grandpa's garden area.

And this is a view of the old wood barn with a new roof on it.

These last two little buildings are the same, just different views. They were larger chicken and duck barns when I was growing up. We had 30 ducks and for a while, some geese too. Mean geese! Grandpa poured cement for the floors and had wire fences all around. These sat outside the back door.

Jim and Lillian were wanting to own their own home so grandpa suggested they move to the lot next to his.  I'm not real sure how much acreage grandpa had when he bought his house in 1928 but I'm thinking it might have been around 5 or 6. The house was just a shell of a place so he built it up so he could move his family in. At the time, that was his wife, and three sons, George, John,  and Jim. The three older siblings were out of the house by then.  Grandpa had an old chicken barn that he was sure could be used as a home for Jim and Lillian so they somehow or another got it moved to the area that sat right on 19th & Haines.  My aunt and uncle lived in that house until Lillian died and Jim's dementia required he move to Vancouver with his son and his wife.  

I stayed at that house often as we lived next door with dad and grandpa. When dad worked shift work, poor ole Lillian was our second mom and I'm sure we drove her nuts.  I can still remember when Jim decided to add on to their small home.  It originally just had a tiny living room, the kitchen, tiny bathroom and two bedrooms, one of which Jimmy and Linda shared. When Jim enlarged his home, they had a kitchen nook, large living room, dining room, another bedroom and later on a large garage and patio area.

Three of my dad's siblings, Aunt Elva, Aunt Velna, and Uncle George all had homes near each other in the courthouse neighborhood. All three of those homes have undergone extensive changes and I must admit, all for the good. Amazing what money can do. I often drive by all of them just to remember my childhood days.

Elva's house is one I see more frequently as it's right on Lawrence Street. I once got to tour inside and I'll never forget the remarkable changes I witnessed. I still can't get over it.

I sometimes had to stay with Aunt Elva when dad worked graveyard. My bedroom was the top left window. Uncle Lyall built on that extension on the right (at least I think he did) and their garage was below it although I barely remember them parking there. They always parked in their tiny back yard near the backdoor.

The house today is hidden with beautiful trees and shrubs.

                                             The garage below is now an apartment.

This pretty home next door was my sister, Janie's place for a time. She has regretted to this day that she sold it. That  was back in the day when homes were more affordable in Port Townsend.

Of course I couldn't post a blog about the history of family homes without including the one I raised my kids in. It was a yellow house when I was a kid myself and walked past it every day on my way to school.  We've always referred to it as "the pink house" because that's the color it was for several years and was that color when we lived there. Ironically, it's a yellow house again. Here's a really old picture of the house before I was even born. You'll have to click on the photo to see it better.

This is how the pink house on San Juan looked when I lived here. It had a neat porch that ran across the front next to that big old chestnut tree.

I took it upon myself to paint this shed brown. It was still yellow and the paint was chipped and ugly.

This was the day I moved to Rose Street when the house finally sold. Happy Days.

I went by the old house today as I love watching the improvement they've made.

This area has even changed more today as it has steps and a gate to the backyard.

They took off the long porch but oh well, to each their own.

This was how it looked before the latest owners bought it.  I like this.

                                              The old mailbox hasn't been changed yet.

This is a picture I took of the four kids out front and how the tree (which had a tire swing) looked.

                                                   It's still an impressive tree. 

The back yard has really changed.

We had to have Lindsey come in an put in a new septic tank. Money we could barely afford.

John O'Brien's mom lived in that little white house on 19th. The little shed next to the goat barn is now pretty spiffy looking but Mrs. Woods house is no more.

                                

When I first peeked over the fence at the backyard, I thought the old chicken coop/rabbit hutch was now an apartment.  I could hardly believe it. When I went back another day and zoomed in with my camera (I know. I'm such a snoop!) I think it's actually a tool shed of sorts. Looks a whole lot nicer at any rate.

This large two story home is similar to many you see in Port Townsend now. On lots EVERYWHERE. Fascinating to drive around and look at when you know how the neighborhood used to be.