This is the travel trailer that the Curreys had during the 1940s and up until 1952. The earlier photos were taken before I arrived on the scene and the trailer is being towed by a pre-war Dodge truck.* The color slides were taken in 1951 during our trip to South Dakota to visit Bernice's father; the tow vehicle is a post-war Dodge.
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| [Location unknown] |
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| [At Indio, California] |
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| [Grenfell Ranch, Lawrence County, South Dakota] |
*I can't tell the exact year--it could be
1939, 1940 or 1941. Whatever the year, I'm certain the truck was red, Dad's favorite color.
© 2015 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.
Looks like Bernice is holding up a Navajo rug, perhaps? That could be a clue as to where it was, as she must have just acquired it and is showing it off. Your Dad and I might not have gotten on very well, but we certainly would have agreed on red trucks and trailers! Those are just wonderful photos, I just want to hitch up and go.
ReplyDeleteYes, Mother is holding a Navajo rug but I don't think that's a clue to the location of the shot. Of all the photos I have there are none taken east of California before 1951. Their trips seem to have been confined to the Pacific Coast and always included some contact with Dad's relatives. Bernice's abusive mother didn't die until 1949 and I'm certain that they would never have gone to South Dakota while she was alive but the ultimate destination of the 1951 and 1953 trips east were to visit her father.
DeleteUnfortunately I don't ever remember talking with Mother and Dad about where they got their rugs and baskets but I don't think they were acquired from their source until our trips to South Dakota in the 1950s.
So we recently bought some of your Grandfather or Great Grandfather's land in SD. We just took family photos under this rail bridge. I would love to show you how different it looks in 2022 vs the era from the photo above. Because this property was only owned by the Grenfells and then one other person for the last 15ish years, I'm looking for history on the Grenfell family and your are the best source. It's interesting you could get SUCH an aerial photo of the railway and farm stead. There isn't much if anything left of the farmstead but there is incredible views, mountains and creeks not far from the farm site. I'm trying to figure out which Grenfell women finally sold the farm in 2007. :)
ReplyDeleteWhen William Richard Grenfell died in 1956, he left all his property to his younger son Richard (1904-1981) and in his will he made no mention of his daughter Berenice or the only child of his older son Gilbert who had been killed in a farm accident in 1928.
DeleteRichard had two daughters, Muriel (1935-2021) and Barbara (b. 1937) and it must have been one of them (or both) who sold the property in 2007.
As far as I know, the photo was taken from the hill overlooking the property.
Interesting note: Richard Grenfell's wife Catherine was the great granddaughter of Agustin Olvera (1820-1876) who was a significant person in California history. Olvera Street in Los Angeles is named for him.