Following are some of the things that come to mind when we think of our early days in Palmdale and the Antelope Valley.

    When we first came, in November of 1943, the military was the predominant occupant of the area. Palmdale Airport was the local base. However, this created a severe housing shortage and we felt ourselves to be lucky to find any kind of domicile. We lived in a two room house with 2 leanto type rooms which served as bedrooms for ourselves and our three children, a girl 7, a boy 4, and a girl 6 months. We had running water in the house but no hot water. There was a gas range and an indoor toilet but there was no bath tub and we felt as if we were returning to pioneer days bathing in a washtub.

    Our washing machine was set for 60 cycle electricity and the area at that time had 50 cycle. This created a problem and we had to wash by hand in the same washtub until we could get the motor rewound. It took quite a long time as war time shortages caused a delay in this sort of labor. In January, 1944, we moved to a 4 room house with a complete bathroom and hot water. This seemed quite luxurious after the handicaps of our first valley home. This second house was on the corner of what is now Palmdale Blvd. and 5th P1. East. The road ended at this point and dwindled into a sort of wagon track across the fields and to the foothills. However, this made an ideal area in which to raise our children. Difficult as this time was, we were more fortunate than many people. Some of them were forced to rent what were literally converted chicken houses at exorbitant rates.

   There was only one grade school. This was then called Palmdale Elementary School but is now, I believe, Marriott School. All of the valley students were taken by bus to Lancaster for High School. At this time the girls were required to wear semi-uniforms which consisted of skirts and blouses and sweaters. In some ways this was quite a good idea. No one had anything better than any other and they all looked quite neat. However, this ruling was gradually relaxed and dress became more general but slacks were definitely out.

    To make a telephone call one had to lift the receiver and turn the crank to get the operator. The number of the Palmdale Drug Store which was owned and operated by William "Bill" Baker was "1". Safeway store was 3. Our home number on the party line was 6 W.

   There were 2 churches at that time. One was the Catholic Church and the other was the Presbyterian Community Church. Reverand Clifton Dorn was the Minister for the latter which was located at the corner of Q-8 (Palmdale Blvd.) and 9th St. East. This Church was remodeled but was always rather quaint and quite charming. We were quite sad when progress required that it be torn down and the new Presbyterian Church built. The Antelope Valley area was divided by the Protestant Churches so that the Presbyterian Church was in Palmdale, the Methodist Church in Lancaster, and Mojave had the Baptist Church. This division was gradually abolished and the various denominations moved into each area. Mr. Dorn drove to Littlerock early each Sunday morning or else Sunday afternoon and held service there. He also covered Lake Huches and sometimes Acton.

    Rolley Galbraith was the Highway Patrol Officer for the Palmdale area. He lived on Ave. Q-8 just across the street from us and a little east. He had a landing strip in back of his house and a shooting gallery underground across the street. The muffled sound of gunshot practice was often heard by the neighbors late at night.

    The area did not have natural gas and residents were served by butane, electricity, and by fuel oil burning circulating heaters. One put the latter up on Labor Day and took them down on the 4th of July. They were often needed early in the fall and late in the spring and early summer.

   There was considerably more snow fall in the early years of our residency in the Valley than we have had in the past several years. In the spring of 1944 there was quite a flood and we who lived on the west side of the tracks found ourselves rather cut off from the rest of the town. It was necessary to walk and we had to detour clear around the north end of the town to where the tracks now cross Sierra Highway. Quite a gully was washed out by the water rushing down the railroad tracks.

   The Clyde Wallaces, Lester Brights, and the Bob Logues came to the valley at about the same time as we did and we had a number of outings at the Palmdale Fin And Feather Club. There was no club house then and the "lake" was surrounded by trees and had a rather nice sandy beach. We picnicked quite often during the summer months.

   The U.S.O. was housed in what became the Morse Grocery across from the Safeway when it was on Sierra Hwy. The local citizens often served as chaperones for the younger people as they entertained the G.I. Joe's. They also furnished refreshments for them. The Safeway wars in the build- ing more recently occupied by McMahans Furniture store. This was of course during World War II and rationing and scarceness of many items proved quite a headache to Mickey who was then manager of the Safeway. Most people were sure that he was keeping many of the scarce items for close friends and family. The truth was that his family had to take what they could get just the same as anyone else.

    There was no theater in Palmdale but on certain nights the Military allowed civilians to come to the theater on the base. There was a theater in Lancaster I believe, but gas rationing made going rather diffi- cult. Occasionally there was a movie at the grade school. But in spite of this lack of formal entertainment, there was never a lack of something to do. It was really a fun time because we had to depend on each other for our activities.

   The first time we ventured back to Los Angeles was in Feb. 1944.and it was snowing. We had quite a difficult time returning to Antelope Valley and as we came over the hill there were only about 7 or 8 lights showing which is quite different from the present.

    The property on which the Alpha Beta Market now stands could have been bought for about $5.00 an acre but the whole parcel had to be purchased. Houses were selling, if one could find one to buy, for around five or six thousand do-liars. When we moved to Lancaster in 1949. three bedroom houses were difficult to find. There were no tracts as such at the time. The Lanes were selling lots west of Lancaster Blvd. but the houses were individually built at that time. We looked at the house we finally bought and saw that it had 3 bedrooms and took it.

    There was, I think, no bank in Palmdale at that time and banking had to be done in Lancaster. However, a little after we arrived, the Bank of America opened a branch on the corner of Q-8 and 8th St. East.

   The Pearland Hotel was operating as a Hotel then and many of the people connected with the war effort made it their home.

    Dr. Snook was the only Dr. in Palmdale. There were a few more in Lancaster but neither area had a really first class hospital and we returned to L.A. for most of our medical care. Since this was allowed by the ration board and gasoline was alloted for this sort of trip, we didn't have too much trouble.

    Mr. Gordon, I am sure that there are many more things if we could just remember them. I am giving you the address of the Dorns, Brights, and Wallaces and if you haven't already contacted them they would probably be a source of information.

Mr. and Mrs. Lester Bright, 422 W. Ave. J-8 Lancaster
Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Wallace, Rt. 2, Box 82, Mission, Tex. 78572
Rev. and Mrs. CLifton Dorn, 506 N. Howard, Glendale, Ca. 91206

Sincerely hope that this may be some help to you.

Sincerely,

Mickey and Helyn Cochran