January, 1971

Dear Shelton:

    We came to Palmdale from Iowa February 10, 1923. It looked so dreary and desolate, that if I'd had the money I would have told the conductor of the train to take me back to Iowa.

   My wife's aunt, Mrs. John Keatley, lived in one of the two houses on 10th St. E. We stayed with them until we found a house for rent.

    Along in April that spring I got a job in Billy Moore's grocery store. Where Dr. Daughter's office is now.

   The only building on the east side of 10th St. was the Palmdale School, now called Maryott School. The Buttes were plainly visible; nothing to obstruct the view but sagebrush. Palmdale Highway was just being built.

    Old Palmdale was about moved away - there were 2 or 3 houses left west of 30th St. south of R. North of R. there were 2 nice Palm Trees and several Almond trees and the remains of old irrigation ditches was plainly visible.

    Frank Ikler had a grocery store next to the Richfield Station Frank's wife lives on 6th St. and Q-9. Frank had a man named Jack Stinson who clerked. He was a station agent at night for the S.P. and worked for Frank during the day.

   Jack was a witty guy and was all the time trying to get someone to go out and get 10 feet of wagon track' Or a left handed monkey wrench. If a man came in and ordered 5 lbs of Navy beans, Jack would say "Do you want them with cracks in or the cracks out?"

   A Mr. Mariscal had a black smith shop just west of Dr. Daughter's office.

    South of Dr. Daughter's office there was a well with a pump run by a gas engine. Palmdale got water from it when the Palmdale resevior went dry.

    We had the first 1924 Model T Ford in Palmdale. When I left Iowa I had a 1916 Ford. My brother traded it in on the 1924 and drove it out that summer. My wife's cousin Harry Keatley started a small dairy and bottled and delivered milk around town. There were only two churches in town. The Catholic and the Presbyterian - where the Harbor Service Station is now at 9th St. and Palmdale Blvd.

Sincerely,
Mr. and Mrs. W. Earl Carter

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