Why We Moved to Roslyn

We moved to Roslyn from Cle Elum.
We had lived in Cle Elum for about 2 years.
Coming from Kelso Washington to work
for Ed Zackovich. Ed and Marv didn't get
along, so Marv decided to strike out on
his own.

But the life of a back yard mechanic
isn't a easy way of life as people don't
pay their bills. We had a really rough
week because of this. So Marv put the
collection in my hands. I went around
knocking on doors and got just about
all of it. Of course I wasn't very popular
when I started my new policy. Which
was no cash, no car... Was up front
about it when they came in. Told them
I had a deal with the banks. They promised
not to do any mechanicing and we
promised not to do any loaning.

Marv had met a man who was known
around the town as Mac the Packer.
He had packed for the Forest Service
for years. He was in a small scrap iron
business. Marv found out there was better
money in smashing cars than repairing
them. So he and Mac started Marv's Repair
(as we already had that name) and
Smashing. They got permission to use
the old slag pile area that was between
Cle Elum and Roslyn.

About that time we found a house to
buy. For $50 down and $50 a month
we could buy this house for $5,000.

It was a tall house, that the main floor
was below the highway that ran thru
town. And the second floor was pretty
close to the highway level. It also had
3/4 of a basement. It sat in the corner
of California Street and the highway.
With a garage at the other end of the
yard. Which was far size. There was
also an old chicken shed.

And at the backstairs of the house,
as you are going down into the yard
was a small shed. This was used in the
old days for the man of the house who
worked in the coal mines to
cleanup before he entered the house.
So the house didn't get the coal dust in it.
It was about 6 by 6 if that. It had hooks to
hang clothes on and there was an old basin
pan, that I took was used there. My kids
turn it into a play house that they named
Mickey Mouse House. Don't ask me why,
as I have not a clue.

I have to say, that raising my kids in
Roslyn in the 1970's was a good thing.
It was a laid back area. The people looked
after each other.

The kids main place to play was on two
old slag piles out just beyond our house.
Beyond that was the woods. Those woods
went into over 400+ acres of hiking, biking,
snowmobling, jeeping, and etc. It had a road
that connected to the big slag piles that was
where we had our business. It also had a road
that went towards back side of town. Coming
out by the foundry that made man hole covers.

The kids had made a slide in the winter that
went from the tiny front yard that was near
the highway,down around the house and out
our back yard thru our driveway. It was a
blast. The adults and kids alike (friends came
with their kids too) and it was not uncommon
for us to be flying down that hill until midnight.
Coming in to warm up with hot chocolate.

So that is the why we were in Roslyn.
Next will be the fun and games of our life that went on