My Hometown

I grew up in the best place in the world Charleston, Oregon. I know most people say that. But I really did. I grew up the same street as my Mom. There wasn't even a street when she moved out there. I went to the same grade school as her. My Grandma lived next door. We did the normal things that kids did in the 60's and early 70's, ride bikes, play baseball, made forts. One thing that the boys didn't do was Rose and I had Barbie dolls. I had the car and she had the boat and when the ditches were full out we would go and send our Barbies on a boat ride. And sometimes the rain had stopped before we were out there. Oh and yes we did watch TV. We were the TV generation.

Something about my friend Rose, she is my oldest and my dearest, best friend. We have been friends for 41 years, She took me to my first grade classroom. As kids we played together. As teenagers we did a lot of things that are better left unsaid. But when I say we did everything together we really did. We joke that we have to stay friends cause we can't afford the blackmail. We may not see each other much but once we are together it is like we still live across the field from each other. No words can describe what she means to me, I am very grateful to have her in my life. And Skip is very grateful I live in South Dakota.

This is the new Charleston Bridge looking to the north. When we were kids we would walk across the old one, to go to Charleston. This new bridge might be nicer but it just isn't the same. Just like the Crown Point Bridge it is just wrong.

When we could come up with some money we would take off and go down to Davey Jones Locker. Most of the time we would have .10 cents maybe .15 each but if we could could come up with .25 cents a piece we had a lot of money. Then we could each get a bottle of pop for .10 cents and the rest in candy, mostly it was penny candy. When they raised the price of pop to .15 cents it was a bad day.

Davey Jones, Chuck's Seafood and Old Generals Store are still there looking much the same as they did 40 years ago.



Another place that has not changed much over the years is the Boat Basin. One Sunday morning I went to the Basin Cafe for breakfast and inside was pretty much the same. A little older like the rest of us.


Speaking about getting older. Even if I did know some of the people I'd see, I did not know who they were everyone seemed old to me. I remember them young. And yes I know I have gotten older to.

Charleston Boat Basin.



The next few pictures were taken in the fog one afternoon same place just little just different feel.










This picture pretty much sums up what is happening to my hometown. No salmon fishing this year on the Coast of Oregon. I am sure that there are more boats for sale and there will be more to come. But Fisherman are like Farmers there is always next year. If I can hold on for one more year, next year has to got to be better.

Charleston was a great place to be a kid. It is my hometown I always say I grew up in the little town of Charleston, Oregon.

Ok time for me to get up on my soapbox.
I have read on the web that Charleston is a quaint little town. Quaint is not a word I would ever use to describe Charleston. The real Charleston is and has always been a hard working fishing town. Plain and simple. Not the sweet description that new comers come up with. And before I step down from my soapbox. I have few things to say to these people just cause you got a Oregon Drivers License, and Oregon Plates on your car does not make you a real true Oregonian. A real true Oregonian is someone who was born in the great state of Oregon. The only other way is if you have spent most of your life there and don't say you are from somewhere else. And don't come in and tell people how they should fix it. If where you came from was so great why didn't you stay there. Oh yes I am a very proud true Oregonian, and I have my birth certificate to prove it. When someone asks me where I am from I say I am from the Oregon Coast but I live in South Dakota. They may keep me in the barren treeless land for the rest of my life but when the time comes I better be taken home or I will come and haunt you and you know who you are. Ok Now I will step down from my soapbox.