A few memories from a Bonner County 'old timer'

My dad, George Gregory, came to the United States from Austria in 1908 to the Sandpoint area. His career was initially hauling logs out of a lumber camp with a team of horses. Later he built a log house in Elmira. He later went to work for Schaffer-Hitchcock pole company.

I remember he said that during the Great Depression, he had a job for $1 a day and was glad to have it. In the 1930s he and my mom, Genevieve Gregory (maiden name Porte) built the Diamond Tavern (now the 219 Lounge).

When I was born in 1938, we lived in two rooms located in the back of the tavern. Later my dad bought 160 acres (remember land wasn't worth much in those days) at what he called the beach place. The property is where Condo Del Sol condos are now.

He farmed both sides of the railroad tracks. But then two things happened, the Albeni Falls Dam went in and thus flooding most of the farm, all that was left was about 5 acres which included our house and a big barn. The land went up to the Power House. In those days, he wasn't paid much for the land. The second thing that happened was that my sister Maxine came along.

I couldn't say Maxine so my mom said, "Well Roger, what can you say?" I was 4 years old and then I said, "I can say Cherry" so that became her name, now last name Glazier, retired registered nurse.

I walked to Farmin school, picking up Carol Barlow on the way, finished six grades at Farmin, then to Jr. High, then Sandpoint High School, then U of I.

In those days all males had to take two years of ROTC (Reserve Officer's Training Corps). After graduating you would be drafted, so I figured I might as well take two more years of ROTC and go in as an officer, which I did. I even got paid $30 a month while going to school. Then to Ft. Lee, Va., which in those days was a big undertaking as most of us Sandpoint boys hadn't gone anyplace. A trip to Spokane was a big deal then, maybe once a year.

After Ft. Lee, went to France for two years, married my wife, Annie Pierret, came back. Was at Ft. Riley, Kan., in 1st Infantry Division in which we were shipped off to Vietnam, came back got out of the Army at Ft. Lawton, Wash. Then later in 1968 bought Buck's Hardware in Priest River, which I then became a Coast to Coast store, and eventually ACE Hardware in Priest River. Still here after 53 years in the business. But now I am on the sidelines, my daughter, Mimi, and son-in-law Joe Hurd run the store.

I don't know how many of us 1956 grads are left out of 116, but probably more than half are deceased; I don't know.

Those are my ramblings, no interest what so ever to young people, but could bring back some memories to some Sandpoint "old-timers."

Roger Gregory is a Vietnam veteran and business owner in Priest River.