Washington to Kentucky

Earthquakes & Tulips

In one of my other writings I mentioned Enumclaw, WA in later years when Terry and Rick were little we went out on vacation to visit Nick & Martha Gelsvik while out there our car broke down so we ended up staying out there from April of 1948 to April of 1950 when we moved back to Mitchell.

Crack in path at Green Lake following earthquake, ca. April 13, 1949 Courtesy MOHAI (Neg. PI-22343)

Part of the time we lived in the Seattle area, and were there when the 1949 earthquake hit.  Bob was working for Boeing Aircraft then, he said the overhead lights swung back and forth but didn’t come down.  Just lucky!  The house we were living in was a new, we were the 1^st occupants, and it cracked the foundation all around.  Terry and Rick were playing out in the side yard, which had no grass planted yet and was still  gravel & dirt, they were skinned up on their legs and arms.  I was inside but couldn’t get out until the shaking stopped.

New Madrid Seismic Zone

Hope never to experience another one, although living in Kentucky it’s a great possibility.  The largest fault line and recorded quake in US happened just across the Mississippi on the New Madrid Fault back in 1811-1812 had continued aftershocks over that 2 year period.  It is said that the church bells in Boston rung from the 1^st big one and was felt all over eastern US.  We’re just across the river from it, and have had several light ones.  Julie may remember the one we had while Ed was in the hospital in Paducah before he died.  There are several fault lines in our area of Kentucky that join the New Madrid Line.

Kentucky Life

The Douglas Dam early in its construction in 1942.

That is one reason I am happy I’m not living in Ledbetter anymore.  If the big dams go out, there is fear  in a big quake they would, it could possibly wipe out a lot along the Ohio River.  I guess when they were built that possibility was considered as a large priority.  Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley are both larger than the lakes on the Missouri river at Plankton & Chamberlain in South Dakota.  They are the ones built during the “Franklin Roosevelt era” of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) project; you might read about it in school.

Tulip & Daffodil Festivals

While living in Washington we often drove around just to see the scenery.  In the early spring the Puyallup Valley is a mass of colors.  Whole fields of one color, and another; it is where most of the tulips are raised for the whole US and is something to see.  As you come around the hillside the valley lays below and for as far as you can see its all colors.  They have a big spring festival every year too.

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

On one of our trips we were coming home through the mountains and a large rock came down and took the front motor area of our car, nearly scared us to death, but a higher power was with us that day.  There was a trucker coming not far behind us and he called help for us.  We were all fine – scared yes! But OK.  Washington State is such a beautiful state really like it out there.

But mornings were always difficult driving for your dad as early until almost noon it was very foggy.  He did have one accident while there because of it.  So he was not a happy as I, and we finally moved back.

Delores, Lawrence, Robert, Julia & Gus Stelzer Circa 1950

Also while there Grandma and Grandpa Stelzer came to see us.  Several days later one early morning, at like 4:30am, we were awakened by hammering on the roof.  Grandpa had found a couple loose shingles and was up repairing them.  Grandma gave him the dickens for waking everyone that early to to get it done right then.

We took them to Seattle, your Dad was able to get a pass to show them around the Boeing plant.  While walking around under the wing of one of the planes (where we shouldn’t have been) Grandpa sliced his head open, so we also were able tour an area which otherwise wasn’t on the tour, while seeing the nurse.

Again Grandma jawed him – all of it in German!!  He always seemed to find trouble or maybe it found him! He had done something like that when we lived at the lake in Mitchell too.  We had a water cistern and before each refilling it needed to be wiped down, he once cut his head open coming back up.  To bad I didn’t know German! I can only imagine what she was saying to him! LOL