The Neighborhood

Liberty Street was a good place to live even though our house sat on Chester Street, we called our address Liberty. So many good people lived there when I was growing up. It was not seedy, run down, etc. Those were hard working people and they kept what they had looking good. The families that lived there were truly family oriented. The Campbells, the Bairds, the Fitzpatricks, the Lootens, the McDaniels, the Shepherds, the Nogers, the Combs, the Gilberts, the Sally family, the Keiths, Felix Feltner and his son-in-law, the Baughs. We played under the street lights while the old folks sat on their porches watching over us. I remember the day the street was paved. I loved the dirt street but Dad told me when the street was finished I could skate and that done it right there. You might not picture this but my folks would sit on their porch, hold conversations with the folks next door, to the side of us and across the street. That is how quiet it was back then. I remember when they were to build that big water tank and how frightened I was that it would leak and wash us all away.Most of my childhood memories are of Liberty Street. I was born there in 1933 and lived in the same house until I married.

Hazard and Harlan are pretty well known. I found this out when I went to San Diego to live while my husband -Tom was doing a Navy stint. I walked up to the corner drugstore to get a cola and was hoping that they had heard of cherry cokes. I sat down on a stool and ordered "please, a cherry coke". No problem, the fellow brought it right up. I said, "What about a chocolate coke?" He said, "want one, no problem." He had listened closely and knew that my brogue was not from that area so he said, "Are you from Kentucky or Texas?" I told him Kentucky. He asked me what town and I told him "Hazard" and husband from "Harlan". The pharmacist said, "Well, I know where you are from very well." With that he started naming off little places, i. e., Blue Diamond, Pigeon Roost, Glomawr, Vicco, etc. My mouth was a-gape for sure for I just knew I had found someone from my hometown. It turned out that he was a Jewel Tea salesman and his route was what he had voiced to me. Needless to say we had a lot to talk about and I went daily to that corner drug to get a cherry coke.