When World War II ended in 1945, the military geared down, releasing millions of soldiers and sailors back into the labor market. Civilians who worked for the military were laid off, including Ken Pratt.
The rationing of sugar, coffee, gas and shoes, came to an end, but jobs were few and far between. Ken got a job working for the railroad in Green River, Wyoming and so the family moved to Wyoming.
The stories about their time living in Green River, Wyoming are about challenges and hardships. Barbara’s mother, Vina, rarely said anything positive about living there. “There was nothing good about living in Green River.” When she hung the clothes on the line, they would come in either covered from soot from all of the nearby trains, or frozen stiff. In January, the average high temperature is 32 and the average low is 5.
Barbara’s Green River, Wyoming – Memories.
We lived in a house that had a big yard with a huge old tree that had a swing and tiger lilies grew in the yard. Neighbors seemed far away. The house was built like a Round House where every room opened off the kitchen. The porch went all the way around the house and each bedroom had a door opening onto the porch. The bedrooms were ice cold and heated only by the big wood stove in the kitchen.
Barbara remembers: “Dad, would get us out of bed and wrap us up in blankets and take us into the kitchen. He would sit us on the little sofa he had made us, stoke the fire and open the oven. Mom made us oatmeal and we sat on the little sofa and used the oven door like a table.”
Ken, would often be gone for days or a week at a time, working on the railroad, leaving us isolated and alone. The two girls, Barbara and Jeanne, were always excited when Ken was home because then home was a happy and safe place.
Mom woke up one morning after a light snow and there were foot prints all the way around the porch, as if a stranger had tried every door. Barbara said, “Mother was terrified!
During those difficult years after the war, Hobos “road the rails” looking for work, food and a place to sleep. Barbara remembers , “as plain as day” how terrified her mother was living there and how she kept a loaded shot gun by the front door.
One Spring night, after a fairly nice day, it was just beginning to get dark. The front door was open and the screen door latched. Mom looked up from the table and saw a man trying to get in the door. She pointed the loaded shot gun at him and told that if he didn’t leave she would shoot him. Vina: ” He argued with me a little but I made it very clear that I would shoot him. I told him I was a very good shot.”
The man did leave, but Mom sat up all night with the shotgun. We all slept that night in the kitchen. After that episode, Mom must have given Ken an ultimatum because it was the LAST winter we spent there.
Dad would call when his train was in and we would have to drive the 20 miles to Rock Springs to pick up him up, whether it was raining, snowing, day or night. Mom would put us in our pajamas, bundle us up in the back seat with all the blankets we had and head to Rock Springs. She would hope for another car going in the same direction so she could follow the tail lights. More than once we skidded off the road in the snow. We would have to huddle in the car and wait for someone to come and pull us out. Mom was always so grateful that she made it to Rock Springs when Dad could take over and drive.
There are no good memories of Green River.
Ancestor Sleuth 