Latah County Oral History Collection

Sam Schrager: This conversation with George Torgerson took place at his home in Clarkston on May 17th, 1976. The interviewer was Sam Schrager.

George Torgerson: In early days, when I was a youngster, by then, about 430 in the morning was when we'd get up and then we have our chores to do. And I was 630 then, something like that. By then they had breakfast ready. And of course, the time that we'd done chores and this and that, you know, we'd already worked up pretty good appetite.

George Torgerson: And so breakfast was a pretty big meal. And, you know, that still stays with me. I have got to have breakfast. And it's for some reason or another. No, sure. That's that's really my best meal is breakfast.

Sam Schrager: What would the chores be? You'd do from 430 to 630?

George Torgerson: gosh. We'd have to take care of the horses and milk the cows and take care of the pigs. Look after the chickens and all that stuff. Yeah, There. I know. We kept real busy in the mornings, so. And then, of course, through breakfast with. Then we got to get out in the field or whatever work we had to do.

George Torgerson: And then come around then.

Sam Schrager: Did you need light? When you get up at 430? It would still be dark, wouldn't it?

George Torgerson: Well, no, it would just be getting good daylight. Yeah, it just be getting daylight enough that you would see to get around it. Now, now we had routine advances and then we had. Well, not when I was just, again, eight or nine cows. And so we kept out of mischief. Yeah, I mean, it bothered me.

Sam Schrager: Did your parents been there for long before you were born?

George Torgerson: Well, I guess I am not right. Sure, but I think it was in 84 or 85 that they came there. And of course, I was born in 92.

Sam Schrager: Did they, They pick where they wanted to homestead in the valley. yes.

George Torgerson: Yes. There was only about four, three or four other in the valley, wasn't there at that time. But they come right shortly afterwards.

Sam Schrager: Did your father ever do you ever get an idea about what made him pick where he picked a homestead?

George Torgerson: Well, I had he grew up as a boy. He grew up in the and in the timber and worked in the woods. And he that was his ambition in this life that you bring. And now the first year when they come out from Minnesota, well, then they lived up there. The Tennessee. And when he was there again if you looked around and so they kind of drifted in there and things with.

Sam Schrager: And he come here he come from Norway.

George Torgerson: Yeah. Yeah. He was nine years old when he came on. My mother, he was 40. So they both come across the pond.

Sam Schrager: Yeah. Well, I'd like to to talk to you a little bit. About what what life was like there in park. Was it a close community, would you say?

George Torgerson: Yeah. Yes, it was. He. He. It was a nice place to live. A real nice place to live. So there. And of course. And no, that must have been in 19. I guess then of course a lot of them as they begin homesteaders got in there and then they they'd taken up well they'd taken up more of that timberland and that and that.

George Torgerson: And most of it was the more valuable for timber than anything else. So and it was sold that is then they sold with the Potlatch usually and like PFI and then they, they, they bought up a lot of that for just a little and.

Sam Schrager: People sold their timber but not their, not their land.

George Torgerson: yeah. And then homesteaders that homesteaded like that, well then they sold everything.

Sam Schrager: I see. Yeah. Land or no. Well did that caused much of a decline in the in the number of people in that area.

George Torgerson: yes. You and now I don't know just how many of the recent moves I in part I don't know, but there isn't too many good cars now. I made. I think Bowman's still owned. That is. I would home place there and and then, of course, Sam Anderson. And he was kind of over that. Am I? He had been my uncle.

George Torgerson: He homesteaded now and well, right at the point you where you were Potlatch and boulder he comes in and he would get up on that point there. And Sam Anderson, he bought that He bought up quite a mill along the same Kusum between Sam and Powell and boom, one of them I think practically and owned.

Sam Schrager: How much did your family have?

George Torgerson: We had well, my dad, he had 240 and my brother and I, we bought a 40 acres, you know, from the schoolteacher. So that was we had.

Sam Schrager: It seemed to me that the that part was kind of nice land where it was I mean, not it wasn't very easy for him to get from there to one place, you know.

George Torgerson: Ontario roads. I mean, they were hard and they were rough. You I well, most of my folks buried there at the cemetery. So I go over there and every Decoration day when and I try to you and I can't help but think how nice it is that if you drive in there now in a car, you know what it used to be and a lot of people made it even the Road of Today day, well, then they gripe about it.

George Torgerson: See that? That. Yeah, well, it's junk like that. My gosh. Yeah, I know that. Well, about the time I left there. What? And I didn't. Well, I had a car but I never used it only in the summertime because in the wintertime. Well then you just couldn't, couldn't you just. And gosh, you know, in the spring of the year I think when I don't know what time I can begin to use my email around, it was commercial 920 call at that time and go in which, you know, you start down the road and and and get into ruts and high center and dig around and try to get something in under the green

George Torgerson: option. So and so I think the way I look at it now by then we haven't got they haven't got much right become Yeah cause they always always can get through without too much grief.

Sam Schrager: Or then they actually have to do some road building themselves the people part only in the early days.

George Torgerson: yes they did that. Yeah. I think they had to build and the first room that they built over there by then and I mean there was 17 switchback, you know, on both sides and then on one and seven on the end.

Sam Schrager: Where did this road go?

George Torgerson: Well, it came out on the upper end of Texas, which was really old road come out. I think Brandon.

Sam Schrager: And the men part filled that by hand pretty much.

George Torgerson: yeah, I can show you that in them days, you know, I can show.

Sam Schrager: And they must've done that besides all the other work that they had to do to.

George Torgerson: Do. Sure. Yes, you bet. You know, that's one thing. I think that that's why, you know, with a life span at that time was much shorter than what it is now. And I think that it did that all that heavy work done.

Sam Schrager: To both your parents do a lot of heavy work.

George Torgerson: yeah. I think they they they they done a lot of my mother. She used to make kings and my daddy take it to Henry sometime here to Lewiston and.

Unknown Speaker: And, and they.

George Torgerson: And that they, they really had to work. No.

Sam Schrager: Would you say she was busy from morning till night and when she got up to when she went to sleep.

George Torgerson: You mother. That's right. Yeah. He'd have something to do. He Well with my dad, he'd been married before and he had two children. And so then, and then there were eight of us. So that made ten. And, you know, you take ten Army kids, keep him pretty busy.

Sam Schrager: Where where their family's food come from. And was it mostly stuff that you grew in park when, when you were a kid growing up?

George Torgerson: yeah. That that's one thing. And you might say the only thing that, we you bought from town was flour, sugar and coffee and liquor that we and the rest of it. By then, we grew, we, we couldn't go to the store at that time and buy like we do now.

Sam Schrager: So how often would you be likely to go into town?

George Torgerson: my dad had two every two or three weeks or something like that, you know, and then we and my mother, he'd have butter and eggs and like that to send in. And that to most of the groceries. So and as far as what Nancy drew, many dollars. So but anyhow, I don't know. I do think that you the other day at that time, why we, of course, is in horse and wagon days.

George Torgerson: But and we met a neighbor. We always had time to talk and a half an hour, an hour or something like that. And gosh, of the day, why then we haven't got time for dinner to talk to anybody? Practically so. And but what's.

Sam Schrager: The difference, I wonder?

George Torgerson: Well, is now. Well then everything seems to be more in. Yeah, well, hurry up, hurry along we and nice. You know, we so that's then that must be it.

Sam Schrager: When you and the neighbor would, would talk would it. What. I'm just wondering would it be the kinds of things that friends would talk about and or in a community like Park.

George Torgerson: Well he he it would be that is how he was getting along and and what he thought of the crops that year and and so on and and and then of course they'd also ask about some of the other neighbors, how they were getting along if he'd seen them lately and like and that so they'd always pick up a pretty good conversation.

Sam Schrager: When you say getting along makes me think he did. Most of the people are the most remote and able to get along well enough that they would stay in those early years or did many people leave because it was so hard?

George Torgerson: Very few that left their There was very few, and that is that the early stage in the.

Sam Schrager: Picture seemed to me awful hard to imagine. Now, I guess it's because I'm young and it's a whole different time. But imagine I've heard a lot of people talk about it. The pioneering life sounds really rough to me for families to to to get through. And I wonder how the people on Park pulled through that kind of thing and how many most of people could stay and not give up in despair.

George Torgerson: Well, the it seems to show that they just stayed. And of course, they they all and as far as that, they had planetary. And of course they by working, you know, and of course now at harvest time, more than at one time or then there was no harvesting done then there and then and people would go out and harvest and then they'd make a little extra money there.

George Torgerson: And my dad, he had a machine and he used to try to American rake around there. And of course he made a little extra money there too. And so when.

Sam Schrager: Would his crew be men from Park?

George Torgerson: Well, some of them would. And, you know, he picked up them wherever they might be usually. Right.

Sam Schrager: Well, it sounds like he did fairly well then, perhaps.

George Torgerson: yeah. We we got along fairly good. no. You take the rest home. That was there. You know, they they got by all course the one thing they had to do was is they each were then and we had to garden and in fact which is quite an item that is, you know, especially for a large family like.

Sam Schrager: What what about learning to talk English?

George Torgerson: Well, when I started in, I only get about half. I was just about half Norwegian and half English. And then of course, as time went on, why then why, why then of course you can make it changed over a little bit. I better say my English is not too good yet.

Sam Schrager: For your English admiringly.

George Torgerson: So here you.

Sam Schrager: Know, it sounds fine to me. I'm just thinking about. I'm thinking, well, in a community where most of the people were Norwegian, as I think part part my, you wouldn't have too much incentive to start talking English, would you? I mean, you the kids would all be born.

George Torgerson: Well, of course, and I kids and like that. Why then of course we that's what we've done about and I really do always talk Norwegian and but then of course as time went on and when we begin to go to school, why then we'd have to change over. Because that's what they had. They had an interest. Do English.

George Torgerson: So we had to change your.

Sam Schrager: Whole school like for you.

George Torgerson: I enjoyed it. Yes, I enjoyed the school because know at that time or then we'd have three months in the fall and, and four months in the summer. That's what we had.

Sam Schrager: Four months in the summer.

George Torgerson: No, it was four months the other way. I'm vice versa.

Sam Schrager: Three months in the summer and four months in the in the winter. In the winter, you know.

George Torgerson: Of course they'd be all at school and I mean, you know, not.

Sam Schrager: What about the community church. Yeah.

George Torgerson: Well, you know, it was, you know, and I forget when they had been and of course news and that's what they were thinking, you know, and you know, I was baptized and then you can and, you know and it was too bad interact with nicely church and we used to gather there I was on Decoration Day I was young the younger people then, and the roof began to look and so then we mentioned about the roof and we should put a new, well, put it in roof.

George Torgerson: And so then there was some folks down in the neighborhood grow they bought in and later years. And the boy, he worked there, Troy, for the trial. So then it was left to him to see what it would be like for those the victim and whatnot. But somehow or another, by then, he went away. That is he went into something up and it was never anything done.

George Torgerson: And you know that that's what ruined that new church. If we'd ever gotten a roof on this, we had fires, the foundation, and that brought it in.

Sam Schrager: How long ago was that? That you were going to put a roof on it?

George Torgerson: gosh, no, I don't remember.

Sam Schrager: Well, when people got together for Decoration Day, was that when you still lived there in park?

George Torgerson: No, I lived at mosque with. Yeah, no, I left part. It was in 1925. And then by.

Sam Schrager: Was that church used a lot when you lived in park.

George Torgerson: Pretty well? We were huge. Quite a little bit, yeah. And, the minister and he used to live out in the north of my name, and. And he lived out by doing and he used to come in.

Sam Schrager: And every Sunday. No.

George Torgerson: But Sometimes a every two weeks and maybe as much a month. But then me and the other doing saw them and they need to have a little something going on. Mama himself had to be in the church. And of course, then the schoolhouse was there. Also. Yeah, I had no we went to school in the old school.

Sam Schrager: When you say doings, tell me a little bit about when you what kind of doings they were.

George Torgerson: they might be social gatherings or something like that. And then of course Christmas, we'd always have to have a Christmas tree and celebrate Christmas.

Sam Schrager: At the school or in the church.

George Torgerson: Well, you do a walk down at the school.

Sam Schrager: On the on the your home.

George Torgerson: Worked doing everything that we had.

Sam Schrager: How did that happen?

George Torgerson: Well, it was at that time it was stovepipe. So you get the pin pipe and we we thought that that's what started it was that it gathered a bunch of excitement. And of course, you take one of them old houses, you know, they were and, and, and the stuff inside of it. Why then it burned and burned fast so that I lost quite a lot of things there.

George Torgerson: And then I had my folks then they bought a place in Juliette after they left park, they bought a place and Julie Attic and that broke and so, and, and among that by then I know practically all the picture was burned up. It is then the grass that I'm.

George Torgerson: At, and.

George Torgerson: They probably know the name of Emery. All he was, well, he was postmaster and that there and so then he says to me, you know, yes, this is going to be sold. And he says, going to be keep. And so they and anyhow, I then I made a deal for it and I kept know own, I guess maybe four or five years.

George Torgerson: And then I had doubled my money on it. And so I care and I have it where I been. If my money were, then I'd always sell. So that's what I'd done. There it you.

Sam Schrager: This fire when your parents home burned down. it must have been a terrible experience for the kids. And.

George Torgerson: out here, I know it was, you know, it was. It was really rough. And it was the second day of January when this happened, right in the wintertime, you know. But I, you know, I think we learned April that then we had a house. So you move into it.

Sam Schrager: What did you do from January to April?

George Torgerson: Well, no, we're we had a little store building there. And at one time we then we had the park post office. And so we used it. So and I stayed up there with it strengthens folks and a lot of that time and and so we we fared fairly good doing. The neighbors were good to us. So we fared pretty good.

George Torgerson: And of course after we got built back then, some when you get little of this, little of that so we, we we fared alright.

Sam Schrager: Did your father build that new house himself.

George Torgerson: Yeah. Well and with with the help of Lee they that too.

Sam Schrager: The neighbors pitched in to help you will regain.

George Torgerson: Yeah.

Sam Schrager: Yeah. That was common then to have. I mean you could count on the help of the neighbors if you needed help.

George Torgerson: Right. Right. That was the, that was really the nice part of that community and, and the way the people down at that time, you know.

Sam Schrager: the store you actually had a store in Park Unified for your parents there.

George Torgerson: In a little store. it was small right there. You see I think it like 15 by 2022. That was the size where the building. So, you know, it was pretty pretty small, pretty be a store and most of it but anyhow and then and we my sister here taking care of it and it brought in a little money too So.

Sam Schrager: How long did you have the post office and store. Yeah.

George Torgerson: gosh no, I just don't remember when it was in the early 19 when we had the post office and when it burned. So I'd say that it was right at the 1900s when we and when the post office went in there.

Sam Schrager: Did your father keep stock in the in the store? Pretty regular. Regular?

George Torgerson: yeah. Yeah.

Sam Schrager: What, what was the most of the stuff that you stock that you would sell.

George Torgerson: Well it would be sugar coffee and like so that you know, and that that was what we sold. Yeah we, we had bacon and you know, also jeans and like that. So he was, and he, well I don't know just what the gross would be, but then he wasn't too bad.

Sam Schrager: We do sell any dry goods like clothes.

George Torgerson: No we did.

Sam Schrager: These this year. Your place here.

George Torgerson: Yeah. Yeah.

Sam Schrager: And is that the school where the you Right next to the school.

George Torgerson: Yeah. You could.

Sam Schrager: You, you know, I see like the lumber company already owned quite a bit of that land. That's land. And people had sold them already.

George Torgerson: They'd already sold them on land.

Sam Schrager: Where was your home place, your parents place.

George Torgerson: Well, usually we left our own place right here.

Sam Schrager: What about your parents? Is that. Is that their place?

George Torgerson: Yeah, my parents. And, you know, I was when I was born. I see. Yeah. Yeah. And, you know.

Sam Schrager: So you were right next to Ed Swensen.

George Torgerson: Yeah, he did do quarter of a mile across. Yeah.

Sam Schrager: And there any, any events that that happened in park or you know particular things that happened that could you that strike you as being little different from what you know standing out.

George Torgerson: no I don't know. After I was kind of sad. Yeah, there wasn't, there wasn't too much, you know, that is, you know, all along they behaved himself pretty good so that he wasn't in any trouble of any kind. You know, there wasn't anything we might think. And of course, we may not have made evidence at at the home, wherever that might be.

George Torgerson: Why then, when it finally turns up in a corner somewhere and some did that, but then I think the most of it goes. Yeah, from outside. No, I understand. You know, that.

Unknown Speaker: But you know.

Sam Schrager: I'm thinking about, looking down and seeing how much land and Potlatch and lumber Company owned. Did that bring much money into the community when they.

George Torgerson: Well, I know you didn't, because you might say that now that like them fellows that had homesteaded not for that and that timberland a lot of that was white pine and like that and of course that's what they they were looking for. So whenever they sold one and of course then they left and that's why they why I don't know what the population was.

George Torgerson: One time there were there was quite a few over there and like I say of today, now, I don't know there isn't many there and that's why there's happened to it. I guess.

Sam Schrager: Could you grow could you make much money on the farm in there?

George Torgerson: Well, at that time, of course. No, My dad, we had my dad says to me, he says, Now I'm going to give you that. All right. You know, I forget down about it. It was about 30 some odd to me. Now, I do think I got for that all it ended here. I do. You think I got a bushel for that?

George Torgerson: $0.45 a bushel? That's right. Who am I, really? And I was thinking about, today my, my land is a dollar and 60 something I think is what the market is today. So, you know that that didn't that wasn't too much per acre. But anyhow, and we collected whatever we got and and and of course spend accordingly.

Sam Schrager: Did many people work for Potlatch when they came in and started logging in there?

George Torgerson: Well, they there wasn't too many, although there was quite a few to work there.

Sam Schrager: Where I know Charley. Gatlinburg. Yeah.

George Torgerson: Yeah, yeah. Charley He worked there with him, and, well, when they log off, the sections go section there. Well, then I still live there on the old home place. And anyhow, I then I worked out there, I get it out there in section one. Well, I worked for them only when they were down river to boom. I worked out in the woods.

Sam Schrager: Is that what you did? Mostly when you when you grew up? When I worked in the woods.

George Torgerson: Quite. Quite a little bit. Yeah. I mean, after I even grew up and got through it, I was kind of supported to do a little for myself and my work went.

Sam Schrager: Did you have to live in the lumber camps away from home?

George Torgerson: yeah, yeah, yeah. And that time when you had a carrier. blankets with you, they didn't furnish any blankets. there was a bunk. They had double bunk. And then the, they, they had mattresses filled with strong and that's what we put our blankets down on national regulation. Yeah. Think. Yeah. Boy. Charlie, if he was here today, he could tell you.

Sam Schrager: I talked to him when he lived in park. when he was still in park? Yeah.

George Torgerson: Yeah, I. I'm pretty sure that that. That. Yeah, that was in Charlie's time too. No, I was older in town, and. But I'm pretty sure that he was here. Yes.

Sam Schrager: I heard. I've heard that those conditions were pretty bad.

George Torgerson: You can tell the world they built and log cabins and. Well now they're at the border. I think that one that I slept in was about 80 feet long. And they had two big stoves in there. And they and I forget how many of us had marched in there, but there was better than 50 or 60. But 50 or 60 hours.

George Torgerson: And, you know, I mean, and wet and like that hang up your stuff around the stove and that you you and imagine how what that was like in a place like that know and I never liked the idea of this driving stuff I never and I thought when the I w when they struck well you years and years ago you and I, you read of it, you don't remember who was here at that time.

George Torgerson: But then wow, I thought, you know. Well now that isn't right and right Buck, I bet today if they had not struck we would have still been carrying out the building on our backs and sleeping on and all mattress had a in that course. But they finally they had to come to things from.

Sam Schrager: And it was the it was the strike that made them.

George Torgerson: That was the strike that made them. So of course I think they were Nixon when he froze. that was well, several years ago, you know, he froze and bunch of the stuff at that time and and three months, about three months when everything was open again. And, you know, of course, there is many of them agrees with me.

George Torgerson: But, you know, I think if he'd have froze everything at that time, no strike, no nothing, everything stayed right at that level, I really believe. And then if when he did, why let the trade and competition work it out? I at that time I went in, you know, of today I always do. I you know with the money now I dollar isn't worth much so and I think him and still now they're striking and sure they got to give them their allowances whatever they want but I, I wish somebody could tell me what hey how this is going to level off.

Sam Schrager: I don't know I can't answer that. I wish. I wish I knew more. Hey, listen, when you work there from Potlatch and they that was the pay and you got the money that you got from the work enough for you to really get ahead very much.

George Torgerson: You know Yeah. When it when then you didn't get they had work so but anyhow I then he real extra money went as far as Vietnam and went through it and you really didn't.

Sam Schrager: Do you really couldn't make a living on the land you had it PA wasn't you couldn't make a living just on that.

George Torgerson: Well now getting it far as my folks y then I didn't live there too long after I was married. See, I didn't live there. You do too. But as far as my folks were then my dad, they made a living there.

Sam Schrager: Farming.

George Torgerson: Farming, cattle and some of them and all that. But anyhow, I then my and my dad were then he, he never worked out, he worked out in the woods or anything like that.

Sam Schrager: Well, why did you decide to leave Park, not to stay there.

George Torgerson: Well, I. With me. Why then? I just kind of I would reduced from year to year. I, I was just about on the same level and so I thought well and then I had a brother and he went to Elk River and he so. Well, I do, I do brothers. And they went up there and then they bought into the well it was a drain line and they didn't work like that around the city.

George Torgerson: And so then, I just kind of made up my mind that I was going to, to quit farming. And so that's why I went.

Sam Schrager: You had been farming then?

George Torgerson: yeah, I had been farm, yeah. No, I, I never owned this place. That is my folks place, you know.

Sam Schrager: But I thought you said you did get 40.

George Torgerson: Yeah, I had 40. But as far as the whole place there, I didn't. And then my dad did it seven miles from there and that was Troy Gallagher. Well, then we had a men and we run cattle. And so.

Sam Schrager: did you spend much time in the woods between Park and Elk River?

George Torgerson: MAN whenever I had a little spare time, and then I go to the woods, so I had a little spare time when I go out in the woods and but still, I, I help the folks around home there. Well, they really had more negative care.

Sam Schrager: Did you run the cattle?

George Torgerson: Well, you know, we had 202 and a little better than that. So. yeah, I used to. I got so I thought that I was the real cowboy, the writer and all that till I, I, I and little bit of a horse any really do get darling, you could. I'll just get the saddle on it. And it drove me so high and so far I and when I got through with that ride never again.

George Torgerson: Yeah yeah.

Sam Schrager: Well going to Had you been to Elk River before the town started there. yes. You remember when it was when Trumbull was there.

George Torgerson: Yeah.

Sam Schrager: What was, what was it at that time when Trumbull was there.

George Torgerson: Well yeah, they had the post office and they had a little store and of course, and that was their livelihood. And then of course, they raised cattle and as far as you know, they raised some vegetable garden here because it was pretty frosty. So that but no, I cannot be and be Kensington. Like now that, you know, I have never had raised those nice the carrots and the parsnips and cabbage and like that and then we has their down river and believe me, no.

George Torgerson: And if the rose didn't get the potatoes were raised nice, but it was never you know it and it was very seldom that it was wasn't a month, a year, so month or then they'd have a frost.

Sam Schrager: With Detroit of family.

George Torgerson: Yeah.

Sam Schrager: We see the only one at Elk River. We've seen the only person, the only family there were. They're other.

George Torgerson: So he they were the ones. They were there. Yeah. When they sold out to the Potlatch more then they were the ones. Yeah. There was, you know, there was really Willard and his wife and then they had a boy and they seal. I always thought that was Ernie named SEAL C.O.. SEAL and they were the ones that had.

George Torgerson: And he bought up, well he, his dad, but he wasn't there but a short time after he passed away. And, but anyhow, then they had a little extra money, and they bought up a lot of that timberland around there.

Sam Schrager: the Troubles did they?

George Torgerson: Yeah, they bought from them homesteaders. And, and then of course they had all this year when they sold it. But like then when they did, I don't know how many hundred acres.

Sam Schrager: So there had been homesteaders around Elk River and right in the area, the Trumble Trouble bought their land.

George Torgerson: Yeah, right, right.

Sam Schrager: I wonder where they were. They even had enough money to buy the land.

George Torgerson: yeah. They had, they, they, they had money. They were. They were money people. And now there are this village, Dad where then he, he without any doubt. Why then he had. But at that time of course it didn't take too much money. But if they got a thousand or 1500 or something like that, why they thought that they were getting a good price.

George Torgerson: So he didn't take too much money at that time. But still, they they they bought it from a lot of it.

Sam Schrager: Is that what a homestead would go for at that time? Maybe $1,000.

George Torgerson: Or 1000 or. I don't think there. Well it never went over doing.

Sam Schrager: Like when Potlatch bought bought up the land around park was that was at the same $1,000 or 1500 or 460 acres.

George Torgerson: Pretty much so yeah, pretty much.

Sam Schrager: All around troubles. then there were homesteaders around there as well.

George Torgerson: You know, they, they, they, they went in and homesteaded. there were. gosh, Yeah, I know. When were my folks live there? Why them? It was just kind of a stopping place between Henry in there and Elk River and.

Sam Schrager: Where it park and.

George Torgerson: Park. And so then, there wasn't a night. But what? There was somebody staying there and there they were headed for that part of the country to take up Homestead and and of course, the homestead. And then they call it the stolen timber. that was stolen timber. And so they and, and that was was, was 19.

George Torgerson: Yeah. It was before the town because it was Potlatch. They went in there in 1909.

Sam Schrager: This Would people stay with your parents on their way through. Where would they stay. And ah.

George Torgerson: Well they did stop and went out with my parents and we always had to sleep in the record during the night night there would be no, I think some place because we had a pretty good sized home.

Sam Schrager: And they were going to Homestead.

George Torgerson: And they were. That's what they would do.

Sam Schrager: You think they were, they were taking up homesteads there with with in mind the idea selling out to Potlatch later.

George Torgerson: Well, I know them from us. That was taken up right at the early days there. They planned to sell the jumbo. That's what they planned to do. You know, they planned the terminal.

Sam Schrager: But Trumble never thought. I wonder if he ever thought of developing the area. I mean, all he was doing, he had a he was running some stock and he had a kind of a lodge, didn't he, for people to hunt at your.

George Torgerson: Station like that. That's right. So but anyhow well then that probably you and I of near there when he sold the course all them homesteaders, one of them they sold, I don't know if there was any that sold them right out to the public.

Sam Schrager: Did you ever talk to Trumbull.

George Torgerson: yeah.

Sam Schrager: Yeah. What kind of a gun was he?

George Torgerson: Well, I guess he was pretty nice fellow. Of course it was like they all said that it seemed that way and fish didn't like and that they were like one thing. He looked out for himself. But as far as that goes on in.

Sam Schrager: Well, there was never a community around there like it was. Park was there? No, no. You never you know, I'm wondering how many people ever did homestead around, you know, forever. I know we couldn't figure it out exactly, but I'm wondering how many homesteaders were in that area.

George Torgerson: Well, I wouldn't know how many there, but there was a good many, many.

Sam Schrager: Do you remember when Potlatch put Mill and.

Unknown Speaker: And this and this and. No, no.

George Torgerson: No. And my dad and I at that time, we'd shown the cattle and then we had the hay that we raised out in that meadow. Well, then we hold it, hold it. There is no Gerber. When they first started up there. So now there is a picture of Elk River, and I don't know part of it there it isn't.

George Torgerson: It isn't all of it. That was and I think the other thing around about 1914 or maybe 12 or 14, I throw that in and it just gets harder. But it is. Well, let me see. You mentioned something about the last. Clark. Yeah. Nice evening.

Sam Schrager: Yeah, I was talking to Mrs. Clark. Yeah, on the phone.

George Torgerson: No, Unless, of course, he took that drill through that picture. But he had gotten well.

Sam Schrager: Became a boomtown overnight, didn't it?

George Torgerson: Yes. And it pretty much showed that really it put a lot of people to work. And if you shut that off, I got a little story I'm going to tell you about nigger Joe.

Sam Schrager: can't we put it on tape? I like that. We've been trying to get all the stories we can about him. We really want the stories about him.

George Torgerson: Well, there's only nigger we lived at. At that time was the name James. And, you know, was a saloon and. And all that years and years ago to Lawrence's place. LAWRENCE All right. Russell Haynes. So anyhow, I then when the PFI when they came to start the you know buying them from blues C and into board by then one of the fellows that are they one of they had process and he met somebody and even says do you know of any body that drives who has four horses And we're all afraid for us.

George Torgerson: And so these fellows that story says that, yes, he says there's a colored man that lives up by what they call the gentleman, and he says he's a good horseman and got good horses. But of course, says he's a colored man. says I don't give a darn what color he is if he's got good two horses, you home and we're all free.

George Torgerson: Why, he says, you bet. And he says, I'll send them down here to you. And so you even meet up with him. And no, he did. nigger. Joe. He says that. That the first evening that he was there, he says that, of course, that I had my place. He says, I got in the back and sat there.

George Torgerson: And I know they keep on looking at me and looking at me. And I thought to myself, Well, no, that's just all right, we'll get acquainted some of these times. But next evening, he says the curiosity. Then he says they had to come over and begin a visit. And so he says that game, it is often a colored man is out in this kind of whether it was called snowmen or not, or he says, you know, he says that I, I, I'm often into it and I've been in this part of the country quite a while.

George Torgerson: He said, I'm tough business. And he says, don't know there were you live in is there a colony of you folks? And he says, No, sir, no, sir. He says, They just me and my wife and three children, all the rest of them up there are Swedes, and we're the only white people about.

George Torgerson: Yeah.

George Torgerson: I had I'll never forget when that.

Sam Schrager: Well you think that, that that would happen when outsiders would come in that would know would know the Wells family and that they would just naturally assume that that somehow that you know, being as he was black that that he wasn't a part of that community like the other people, nor.

George Torgerson: Was he he got to be just when we meet up with all we do. Well, he used to bail hay for us on that round meadow and you know, that he with of folks around there. And that way we didn't think anything more of that black than anything at all.

Sam Schrager: Well, I was thinking about outsiders. People would come in well like Potlatch you.

George Torgerson: Well of course know them fellow. That from the Potlatch then of course they come from Wisconsin, Michigan, the like of that. And of course they, they, they, they, they didn't You never think about turnip but it wasn't long until they would just go with him and just say was will the rest of us. So he but anyhow and he got by pretty good and of course he was good money enjoying the whole family I guess is gone by now.

Sam Schrager: You had a pretty hard drinking reputation, too.

George Torgerson: yeah. Yeah. You back you out here right now? Yeah. Well, I guess that that's what what got him I guess was. Yeah. And it wasn't whiskey he was drinking. No, I can't think you should.

Sam Schrager: Read moonshine for one thing. That wasn't it.

George Torgerson: No, he got a hold of the wrong bottle. He's right. He got a hold of and he took that here. And. And they said that's what, that's what got on.

Sam Schrager: Wasn't whiskey at all that he drank.

George Torgerson: I suppose part and part of it was too. But he got older this year the bottle and do and mixed it and that that's what really got him so.

Sam Schrager: Well you figured that they were accepted just like any white person.

George Torgerson: Yeah right. Yeah. It was like he used to say he come in and.

Sam Schrager: Before you.

George Torgerson: Know me, he'd come in and he'd wash. And you know, he said, Don't make any different from what? I scrub it just as black as they were.

George Torgerson: So he had.

George Torgerson: To.

Unknown Speaker: Yeah. You know, I had.

George Torgerson: I had many laughs not only during.

Sam Schrager: The dansville and a had a saloon there. Yeah. That's what I heard. Who would, who would drink at it anyway. Would it be mostly the homesteaders from around there.

George Torgerson: yes. And then I'll tell you, gosh, that's something that is and has been and always will be. And a lot of people, they drink pretty heavy. Yeah. A lot of it is like, you know, living right across from over here. Why? Then they say, hey, guys, why do you do You can't get out and holler whoopee or anything?

George Torgerson: No, I said, I always go across the river when I hear one of the big horn holler, Whoopee.

George Torgerson: So.

Sam Schrager: Well, Elk River was, It had an awful lot of different nationalities working at that mill building.

George Torgerson: yes, Yes, there was. I don't think that there were any Negroes that work there. But outside of that one and every nationality, I think even worse. Well, then they were. They're either a gentle giant Chinese and. Yeah.

Sam Schrager: Yeah, well, how did, how, how, how was life in the town like in their, in their these earlier years when they had a meal going and everything.

George Torgerson: Or are tell you right now that that was one of the best towns there these fellows the traveling salesman seemed like that they sense that Elk River is one of the best towns that we can get in. And now we were there in business and and grain. And we'd we'd have to pay the freight and and all that stuff.

George Torgerson: She end of every month. Well then we had our bills made up and coming the first four or five years that we were there, I think all we lost was about $10. That was all we lost. And gosh, you know, it would run in to several hundred dollars a month.

Sam Schrager: Now, are you talking about credit? Don't give him.

George Torgerson: Credit that and but guys make up the bill and let over payday for them and do payday for us guys here's your money and your money So he was he was really good in that way and everybody had a few dollars.

Sam Schrager: So people people would always pay you back when they.

George Torgerson: yes. At the end of the month when payday. What. And little extra help every now and then. And there was fuel that had a little spare time. Why did and when they said they were going to come if they said it was 8:00 in the morning or 7:00 in the morning, you could just ensure that they would be there at that time.

George Torgerson: Hey, you know, and as far as the money, why then whenever you presented the bill was in the and then they paid it, no questions or anything else. No. Well as far as that goes and and the nice and the nice bunch of people and one would have no bad luck. hard luck for them. Yeah. We, we better chip in a few dollars.

George Torgerson: You need to and help them out a little bit. And that's what we'd done, you know, And I wish I knew why they had a little hard luck away. The rest of us, to kind of help. Well, and which, you know, it was pretty nice.

Sam Schrager: What kind of hard luck. Good person. Have them. I'm just.

George Torgerson: a lot of them had sickness made. Their house would burn or something. You know why they do that?

Sam Schrager: So what did you did you have mostly to do with the with the townspeople or with the lumberjacks. No. And the house.

George Torgerson: Well. Well, we had 4 hours on the. They see the current wood at the mill. And then we had four horses on the wagon. That is, to haul o wood from the dump. And gosh, we even have to look after that. We didn't pay. We just turn in the bill to the company on day three, and they paid us so much load for hauling.

George Torgerson: And then and so a lot of of that we my daddy, we wanted, we we, we, they always had. Aren't we done the brother, he had a few dollars and I think you had $2 too and anybody was leaving there. Well then, well I just tell you the house let us. And your, our house, of course.

George Torgerson: And we always saw the timber right close there. You know that the that mill would be staying there from here. And instead of that, when they closed down they said we will open in April, but they would never come. So we had one time we had been out there trying to do that. We lived and of course we we paid $2,000, but then we sold them very well, put some furniture in one and we sold it for $350.

George Torgerson: So we took a big no I know and buying a home I Well.

Sam Schrager: Was there a big difference? I'm trying to figure out what the social life was like in in Elk River at the time. And I'm thinking was mostly been married. Married couples in town were they like, did you have much to do with management people in in Elk River? Or was it more or was it the guys that worked in the sawmill and their wives?

Sam Schrager: Many of them married that.

George Torgerson: yeah, you too. You take practically all them that a male. They they were married men. Yes. Yeah. out here there was always something going on. There was somebody who was promoting or something either and, and I used to get the biggest kick out of that in the morning when they would go to work at 7:00. And then we'd have to get out in the beginning, all the freight out of the on the cars and deliver it to the stores and and God, you know.

George Torgerson: Hey there. And did you hear this your story about so-and-so last night and no, no, you'd have to tell you a story and gosh, you know, there were you left to your sides. We just heard, you know.

George Torgerson: Yeah.

George Torgerson: Yeah, right, right. No, I kind of wish. No, you follow me. Get back in. Something like that again. That was really good time.

Sam Schrager: You think that was a lot more that you may compare life in Elk River to life or destaca one to another?

George Torgerson: Well, of course, you were just kind of by yourself a little more on the independent side. I imagine that is when you were part. But still, on the other hand, amusement and life of that and moneywise. Well, then, you know, it was worth the place because we made good money.

Sam Schrager: Now do you think people were closer to each other in park than they were in Elk River?

George Torgerson: Well, no, I, I wouldn't say that that they were, because, of course, there wasn't too many of us that park. So but they, they were pretty much done the same.

Sam Schrager: Not much difference among the people. Of course, in Park they were mostly the same nationality and and in Elk River I imagine they were all different kinds of.

George Torgerson: yes, it was. But I'll tell you, if anybody drifted in there that a pretty good citizen, why then he didn't stay long because they made it pretty miserable for him. So that way or then you know it, they just left and you might see their their best. And the good ones, their well.

Sam Schrager: Who would decide, you know, whether the person was a good person or not?

George Torgerson: Well, I don't know. But yeah, I really how they decided it but as soon as some new fellows drifted in there, it wasn't long until everybody was well. Now, what is your. How is he here? and so on. And by golly, you know, they didn't work it down to that. He wasn't any good. And by golly, though, if he wasn't, well, then he didn't stay well.

Sam Schrager: Did you know, Mr. Blum, at all? yeah. Yeah. Well, what was he like as the superintendent of the mill there? Yeah.

George Torgerson: Blum He was in a way, he was of a distant man. But when you got acquainted with him, he was real nice. I liked the. And Charlie Manson, He was. It was another one of their families, you know, Liked him. yeah? Yeah. And of course, after Bill passed away or that message room when ever he'd go anywhere, why he would let anybody or a rope or a trunk because the ship and see and I'd have to know George he's got the common good time I got Rupert heaven so they Yeah I there's Dan and and he'd call about he was going away in that room and he'd say okay you know you, you got

George Torgerson: the drop that truck. We have no business up there whatsoever and I'd have to go out and go patrol and get things fixed around for him.

Sam Schrager: And he stayed for many years after he died.

George Torgerson: Well, yes, he was there. well, it wasn't too awfully long either, but they. It was several years that they didn't.

Sam Schrager: Lumberjacks come into Elk River from the camps around. Not a great deal. yeah?

George Torgerson: Yeah. You take on Saturday night, you know, hanging around down and we just laid out in.

Unknown Speaker: There, you know.

Sam Schrager: Was the moonshine plentiful around after? I imagine it must have been.

George Torgerson: yeah.

Unknown Speaker: Yeah, you bet you.

George Torgerson: Yeah. There was a lot of it made out there. No woods. And of course, with our business. Why then I got acquainted with all this corn and sugar like that. And then I went out and of course I did. And fell out there, that is. And now I. Then that was when deputy sheriffs come. But they may be wrong.

George Torgerson: I don't.

Sam Schrager: Know. Would they be trying to find out from you? Yeah.

George Torgerson: Moonshiners were not what they do. You know, they tried to find out and I never I never tell them. I just said, well, you know, we're here to make a living and they're paying their way. So I have nothing to see. Maybe it was wrong. I don't know. I didn't feel that taking in the moonshiners money and then go squeal on them.

George Torgerson: I Didn't think that was right then.

Sam Schrager: So what can you remember about the kind of places that these moonshiners lived? Did they have just little cabin up in the woods someplace that right.

George Torgerson: And you have a cabin or restaurant? Summertime, they'd have it and then they'd get in. That is where they had running water. Yeah. And then that's the way they were.

Sam Schrager: They were they lumberjacks or lumberjack types themselves. Well.

George Torgerson: And some are more and some were more. No, there was a colored man that was there for a while and, and now and that was all he ever done. He never worked or anything yet nobody ever done. And most of them said that he made the best moonshine of India.

Sam Schrager: Did you ever know his name?

George Torgerson: I couldn't. Offhand. I couldn't tell you.

Sam Schrager: That's interesting, because I had heard about him. But then I don't want too much about the Elk River area. I wonder if he come from the south because quite a bit of that moonshine did. They were southerners.

George Torgerson: But that's right. He did come from the South. Yeah, you're right. The U.S. from the South. But he had a trade and and anyhow I then that's what they all kind of said that he he made the best moonshine of India.

Sam Schrager: Did most of these fellas like this. This guy did they were able to to get by with it not get caught.

George Torgerson: Well he he never got caught. And in fact, right around Elk River there, there wasn't too many of them that ever got, you know, when I was he and I at that time, when I was well, I just I could walk. And, you know, I thought probation would be one of the best things that, you know, that could be because there's so many of these people, if they take a drink, they can't quit.

George Torgerson: So I thought no probation is they need and that would kind of help take care of this. But I went to the conclusion and after being them bootleggers and that I've come to the conclusion that I shouldn't have ordered that way. It just yeah I guess it was. Why then it just threw everything then is for the bootleggers and so I really.

Sam Schrager: Couldn't work really. It just didn't work.

George Torgerson: It didn't work. Gosh, you know why they spent thousands of thousands of dollars that is trying to catch up to them and that. But they they didn't get anywhere. And we just did what a liquor drink manager is, right? The day I met you.

Sam Schrager: What about, in Elk River? Was they very strict? Were the sheriffs really rough on any guys? Were in town drinking or drunk?

George Torgerson: they they were. I'd say that they were pretty lesbian down there, but still, if they got clear on a place, well then they had a restroom. You do have to pay a fine.

Sam Schrager: Do you think it was, I don't know if you would know, but I know, like in Potlatch. Well, that was a company owned town court. So there, you know, a person could could known any of those houses or anything or the business. Guess all the businessmen were salary. I wonder if that was an attraction of Elk River to a lot of people because their they could make little money on their own and that sort of thing.

George Torgerson: Yeah, well, I think you're right. I think that that kind of brought, you know, good or no in Elk River when I first do that is when I, when I well when I wanted to move in there and live there with my family, why, you know, I couldn't buy a house, you know, they, they were restricted and river.

George Torgerson: Yeah. Grew it just like I'd.

Sam Schrager: it was all company owned.

George Torgerson: All company owner at one time.

Sam Schrager: Yeah. When was when was this if you were trying to buy.

George Torgerson: Well I went there in 25 1925 and I went there.

Sam Schrager: Well then how come you said that you later bought another one.

George Torgerson: And they opened it up and they, they were selling their houses and everything and anybody else. Well then that did good to buy where you could buy up all out as you earn it. They Yeah.

Sam Schrager: So in other words, Elk River was a company owned town just like farmland.

George Torgerson: Right. And at one time it was a company owned town.

Sam Schrager: So but the businesses could operate independent of that.

George Torgerson: Yeah, they were, they were independent.

Sam Schrager: Well, that's kind of funny. They sold their house, and just before they shut the town down that.

George Torgerson: Well, they, they, they just kind of owned a fast one. That's.

George Torgerson: Yeah. No, that's why I said that if I was big enough I did like to take this plant down here on my shoulders and just take it upside down.

George Torgerson: It's kind of mean way.

George Torgerson: To look at it. But but they, they, they, they Sure. And then, you know, I knew I do. Nice for those fellows that was left there.

Sam Schrager: What did it did it really just changed the town completely overnight when they shut down.

George Torgerson: yeah, you bet you changed it. And of course, they were all looking forward to opening up in the spring. It was a bad winter. And they did say that it's too much snow and that that we're going to shut down and because it's just too hard to operate. But you open any right?

Sam Schrager: Yeah. What, what winter was this? What year you married?

George Torgerson: well, it was in the early thirties was when this.

Sam Schrager: Place, the Depression had already hit.

George Torgerson: Yeah, you know it in the Depression. And it was, I don't know, Detroit. But anyhow it wasn't early thirties. That's when I went there. I had bought in there with my brother in there by then I said I'm 30 or five years and then I said, I'm going to sell out and move and gosh, this year when we was there, well, that was the biggest year that we ever had.

George Torgerson: And so he said, Why do you think of it now? Well, I think I better stay. You know, I think because guys never business to use the money we're making now, we can hardly afford to one can afford to quit. And it was very much I think it's pretty much the think here and then then this room this and of course everything went really in the mail and and run away in the bush and anything there and you know there wasn't any camps close by either.

George Torgerson: Never was operating so that there weren't anything there.

Sam Schrager: And what did most of the people move out of town right away or didn't just graduate?

George Torgerson: They just gradually moved away. Yeah, and they were right. You know, Julie.

Sam Schrager: I think maybe hers to me, of course, never been there, but just for what I would imagine, that it would have been really rough on kind of separating people that had grown to be friends and knew each other and like the town.

George Torgerson: Right did was, you know, we we we really didn't like to to to part. But then that was one of them things we yeah. Now Mrs. Clark dad he, he had the butcher shop up there and of course at that time. Yeah. Well it was same all over. A butcher shop was a butcher shop. Maybe they had a kangaroo pickles or a sauerkraut, or something like that that they'd have that is to, to sell to go with meat.

George Torgerson: But now and butcher shop. Where then you go right down here into a drugstore and you go down there and you can buy that you got, you go in there and buy anything practically that you want and that it made it rough. That it made it rough. I think, you know, like at that time with an and butcher shop was a butcher shop, a store was and they sell clothing and like a that and a drugstore it was kind of by itself but today when you go into any of these places, you could buy anything with you, practically anything you want.

Sam Schrager: Is there any, what happened in the business community? What happened to your business at that time? Did it just just go down and go down the drain?

George Torgerson: Yeah, they just went right down that right that you and my brother and I. Then we. That was in the Depression. The company sold a lot of their stuff and even their old, shovel steam. And our steam showed that they had some. A brother and I, we got married. That was kind of gold and platinum. Right. And so then, old people who owned and they had to leave on some land.

George Torgerson: And so that, by golly, we got a shovel. So we, we went to mining and, well, I didn't mind, but my brother did. He was the main miner. And then there was a couple of us that we knew would well, they were shovel runners and like that, and we got them and, and remained there for about three years.

George Torgerson: And we didn't do too bad, of course, there was too many others enough. That was the trouble. There was too many of us, you know. So then we finally decided to quit mining. No, I, I, When the town folded up, I went to work for the Clearwater. I would keep doing it and what I did and I.

George Torgerson: Well, you know, I stayed with them for about 40 minutes.

Sam Schrager: Each day at Elk River.

George Torgerson: Yeah. And I still have the kind of.

Sam Schrager: What kind of a difference did it make in the social life before and after?

George Torgerson: gosh. You know, it was you come into town in the evening and it was just so quiet there that the Navin Stern at all. sure. Nothin to do at all. So it was. But anyhow, I then and when I, when I went to work and then the equipment, I, I really paid a loan out. There's equipment that is to the state.

George Torgerson: See they had the state. They had to take care of the road from Elk River to move. And so then I was kind of their main man. He so then I so I was between the state and the highway. That's where I was working because I had had to quit tires.

Sam Schrager: You ran the equipment yourself.

George Torgerson: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that way or then. No, no. When I well the state they wouldn't furnish anything and I like gravel like that and gosh I guess part that mud all the time. And so then anyhow I then one day or then and I wasn't feeling too good at the time and they don't he was with the state, he came up and we were out, was out on the road in the old days and bad, and Yeah.

George Torgerson: And you fellows don't give me anything to venture Greenville. I've never been going to fill a hole. I said we've got get up here and, and dig it out and they can shovel and shovel around and, and we don't get nowhere with it and so they know well it's going to get better some of these days, you know, is as far as with me, I guess you can get, you know take me off from your list digest I I'm quitting.

George Torgerson: Well, what are we going to do with the equipment is going back to where I, I guess I made up my mind that I've been.

Unknown Speaker: Here long enough to take you in and.

George Torgerson: Can you still stay with it? No, I said that I have some time, so I, I, I'm through. And so that that was fun. And Butch Meyer, he was the I was the speech superintendent in Moscow, and he really didn't fire me. I get all I'm going to do. When we met up there, he lived on Texas ranch at that time.

George Torgerson: So yeah, he used to come up, you know, and so then he they get supper that evening and he says to the woman in marriage that this this television behavior was him.

George Torgerson: And.

George Torgerson: That we got to lose him. He just he filed his resignation and he quit and he's moving away. And the idea where he's moving, well, he did say that his children was getting for the university or getting out of the high school. So that that's kind of where he plans to go. But he you know, I am sure that he's going to Moscow.

George Torgerson: But then somewhere you got to go to. And so that I wonder why you left. And well, she says that they're having to do with the schoolhouse this evening. And she says, I'm pretty sure there's where he is. But he says they don't take them doing and like that. And I don't you know and and so they and your daughter and or whoever you want it made sense that well I never get them for young children and make them in and George you're a wanted and so I went out and there he was He says to me he says that they tell me that you're going to leave.

George Torgerson: Yeah, right. I have turned in everything. So, you know, I'm free now to go. And he says, you know, he's going to Moscow. Well, I said, I kind of think that, well, we'd better move to. And my first wife, she had an infant in Moscow, so and so. Anyhow, I then we thought that would be a pretty good place to enjoy that.

George Torgerson: And he says, Yeah, you coming to work for me, won't you. And well, I you, I better not make any promises. I says that, you know I there's times when I have thought that I like to be a carpenter. I said I like doing this kind of hammer up to make some black males. It has a little bit man.

George Torgerson: But Well, he says, you know, he says, I knew the man. And he said, I liked and you and well, I changed that. I don't like you and promise you, you know, I said, I promise you that's what I'm going to do. Well, he says, make one promise that you're going to come and you go to work with me.

George Torgerson: Okay, I there's that. But now I don't want you to feel bad If I don't stay, why then I don't want you to feel bad if I quit. Right. There's. You know, I've always thought that that was the only privilege, really, any working man had. If he didn't like it, he could quit. No, no, he says that's fine.

George Torgerson: If you don't like it, why did you still went there and you stayed there 20 years?

Sam Schrager: What did you do for him?

George Torgerson: I went to work and say, whatever that was to do it. And I was kind of his right hand man. And then, you know, about five usually passed away. And then I took over the streets, and then the job.

Sam Schrager: In Moscow.

George Torgerson: I didn't like doo doo doo doo. There weren't any of us did like to leave, but still where we were near had. And of course, my children and I, we were already paying for two of them that is in Moscow, going to the university and all of them. And we had two more coming up with three boys and a girl in the family.

George Torgerson: So we, and we went there and, I didn't think I was well, I wasn't sure. I didn't know. Of course, I had quite a lot of, you know, and heavy equipment. And so I'm sure.

Sam Schrager: You've mentioned before that that the grave business was, was doing extremely well right up until the town went down.

George Torgerson: yes.

Sam Schrager: Why? Why do you think the business was good? What was most of the work that you that you folks were doing.

George Torgerson: Well and there in town. Well then we had to there and work. And that is for the hall and freight and delivery. We had two deliveries to make and one in the morning at nine and the other one at 4:00 in the afternoon. And then I had a we had a truck and then I moved quite a lot of people away from there.

George Torgerson: I don't a lot of. So now between all of it, why then did you pretty nice.

Sam Schrager: These deliveries you say in the morning they were just all over town. You were all over town from the from the.

George Torgerson: Virgin work and there was three stores there and we delivered from all three of.

Sam Schrager: Three store before the mill went out.

George Torgerson: Yeah. Yeah. There was three stores there and, and you know, they, they done a good business and then, you know, yeah, there was and you know, there was a lot of times we had 100 boxes to go and I don't know if you ever seen, but they're the collapsible ones that we just, when you put your groceries in it where you opened it up and then when it come to you were through while you had it, you just collapsed it and make it all lay right down.

George Torgerson: Black.

Sam Schrager: No. Haven't seen them.

George Torgerson: Yeah. Yes, that's what we had up there. You know, we, we kept busy and then we. Homewood Some of them got cut. Some would, you know, would have to haul working.

Sam Schrager: Or into town or.

George Torgerson: Get into town for nice. Yeah.

Sam Schrager: So did you, did you take care of the horses. yeah.

George Torgerson: Yeah. We had, Well, we had to room in the our behind that is for six head and, and the company then we are just down there. We had two horses down there of course. And when we begin a hold of them we had of course down and the company board. So.

Sam Schrager: Well do you think that there was a lot of resentment in the town when the windmill was taken out? Do you think that for time people were very angry?

George Torgerson: yeah. You John era right now the we get lot of Well they they they weren't ready to move were they. And spent their money you might say for something they this or that and it just left them in real hard circumstances.

Sam Schrager: It was there any good people trying there was there any effort that they could make to try and heat the company, change their mind or try to buy the mill or something like that? Was there any thing you could do on paper?

George Torgerson: There wasn't a thing you could do. They just when they got ready to clean up in there and that you just got boxcars and loaded that mill, They won. They did bring some of it down here. Glorious. All right. But no, like the older stuff than that that they couldn't use. Why they just loaded it in in a car and shipped it out and it went to Japan as know what?

George Torgerson: Hey, that was one thing about them. They ask any odd friends or anything about anybody, It's they done it and that was it. You know, they I dare I know the that potlatch, you know, they, they they you know, I got my oldest boy his one he's worked with the Potlatch now for 32 years. He started in in the move along in go in my boy then he's well he's got 20 by 20 years and you can even.

Sam Schrager: Do but it sounds like so they really didn't it sounds like they really could be pretty hard on people. I mean they could do things without.

George Torgerson: Yeah.

Sam Schrager: They didn't care about them.

George Torgerson: They, they didn't show that they cared about the people. But no, I don't know. The thing about my son under daughter in law, they were over. And so then when they closed up Bovill, Iowa, then they moved them in. Or that if they well, they were going to leave one or two men there that would be could live with up there.

George Torgerson: And so then they wanted to move up to headquarters there. And so then they said, you know, we're not going up to headquarters. He's plenty of snow. And bad enough right here and we are far enough in here. We can get out. We if we want to go into Spokane, we want to go anyway. We can get out from here.

George Torgerson: We're in. So if you haven't got anything, you know, at headquarters, why, you might as well take our name off. Really? And so that. no, they. We don't want to do that. We need you in headquarters. Well, we're not moving, so and so then in a day or so, I then they come around, they said, would you move to Saint Mary's?

George Torgerson: And they said, Yes, we'll move to Saint Mary's. And how soon can you move well and get pregnant? Any time. Well, we're going to have a truck you to move. You make it a week. Would that be all right? And so then they said. Well, what do you think? I know we can sell our home here so we can be all right.

George Torgerson: And even if they. It's empty for a few days. Well, that's true. But anyhow, and then in a week I went and they moved to St Mary's and they had been there now I think. And to us. So I suppose I shouldn't feel too hurt about that. I think they gave them a living and. And what would we do.

Sam Schrager: What does she do for now.

George Torgerson: She worked in the office up there.

Sam Schrager: And what does he.

George Torgerson: Do. And he works out and.

Sam Schrager: I was.

George Torgerson: An accountant and.

Sam Schrager: I was thinking about some of these different groups that were in in the Middle and Elk River in those days. And I have heard there were a couple of Japanese businessmen in Elk River. They there when you were there, there was a photographer and a dentist. Yeah. When you were there, do you remember anything about those two fellows unusual to have Japanese businessmen in a small town?

George Torgerson: As far as that goes, they didn't. They didn't stay true on anything. It wasn't their way alone. So But now the laundry. Now that, that was Chinese laundry. And then there there was a gap that worked down there in the mill. He was and he was a great, great, great at lumber. There's Yeah. And a bootleg.

Unknown Speaker: By going out and you're right I know that he was a bootleg.

George Torgerson: Yeah. He'd clean up on them, you know, and but their mothers do they, they didn't, they knew.

Sam Schrager: How did you get to know that grader this feller.

George Torgerson: Yeah I, I knew I used to get down a well I mean sometimes when I get around down, around the pool house and I used to shoot little pool too and, and, but I really wish I could begin to play him, you know? But, you know, I, I, I, I'd try, I'd just get out there and just show them that I want to get out of a sport anyhow.

George Torgerson: And. But no.

Sam Schrager: These other guys, wouldn't they know he was a good player too. Why would they even try to beat him, Right.

George Torgerson: Well, yeah. Now there was other colors there. They were good pool players do. But I'll tell you right now that he was just about the best that I have ever seen.

Sam Schrager: But he run a hole, a straight rack more.

George Torgerson: Times of you, do you know, A lot of times he didn't. Of course. I think that there was times that and he he would just let the other feller, you know, let him win because they had to win once in a while. But I think that that was just why he'd done it. He'd just make a bad play, something like that.

George Torgerson: And, and you know, it was.

Sam Schrager: Were these fellows Japanese like this guy Chinese? I know a lot of places here was a lot of prejudice against them for being Orientals. And I'm wondering what it was like for them now, forever.

George Torgerson: They don't seem to show that. I don't think that anybody really. Well, but it would look down on them because they were foreigners like. But the thing that I kind of hated by it, they always send back to China for their Jewish sauce and rice and things. And I can't think of the other ones, but now, my gosh, had read reduced Yeah.

George Torgerson: And according.

Sam Schrager: To they they would get some fish would.

George Torgerson: Be. Yeah. And like I said you're right fish also.

Sam Schrager: I think that's milk.

George Torgerson: yeah they right now who used to we used to hate to have to pick up that freight you know because that smelly stuff.

Sam Schrager: Was just from China and Japan.

George Torgerson: And China. Yeah. And you know, that is funny. Very interesting. You know, they have little, Chinese children, you know, they were always talking about China. Yeah. How nice. How nice it was in China. Yeah. So I imagine that the old folks that they kind praised China were there.

Sam Schrager: Was there more than one Chinese family there? More than just like laundry?

George Torgerson: There was well over three families there.

Sam Schrager: And we they all in the mortgage business are.

George Torgerson: Well and that is really the the women and one of the men I but the others.

Sam Schrager: the Chinese men.

George Torgerson: Did you know they were a man.

Sam Schrager: Down and they pretty much keep to themselves as far as socialize.

George Torgerson: Well yes, I would say that they did kind of keep to themselves, although they'd come out, do a lot of the activities, their whole social.

Sam Schrager: But what kind of activities or are you thinking.

George Torgerson: Well, hey, if there was any problem sort of social stuff going on my head and it, they, they they'd be there to get in on it and.

Unknown Speaker: And and, and this and this and this and this and this and and and I.

Sam Schrager: Would stay a little bit longer. But I did a few more things. I'd like to ask you about it.

George Torgerson: Yeah, you do that.

Sam Schrager: I was thinking it the difference before and after the mill went out far as social life goes, what kind of programs you'd have, What kinds of things did you stop having after the mill went out that you used to have before? Well.

George Torgerson: No. they. The Lord just. No, I joined the Masons there. And also the, Well, I follow is not follow. And I went there and then at the most and of course they always put on some kind of an entertainment or something that, you know, and that was and then of course, the women, they, they used to put on feet.

George Torgerson: And another there was a fellow named Richard, but he was the foreman on the road from Al Gruber. That is really good. From Mount Herbert to Boulder. Part of it they you and, well, you went over nearby hill halfway on it anyhow. One it in he was the spaghetti maker. She the better God doing spaghetti and she always used to put chicken and gosh, it was tasty.

George Torgerson: But I had through the stomach. Yeah. He, you know, he was going to do spicy stuff and golly, I wish he would take me just about two weeks to get over it and but anyhow, I then, you know, that was part of the life that we'd live, you know, would be they'd on things like that. But and so we he was pretty much social, you know, and get out.

Sam Schrager: We Italians and that, and the Greeks that worked at the mill they were many of them married.

George Torgerson: Yeah.

Sam Schrager: They were largely married.

George Torgerson: If you take the most of them. Yeah. They, they.

Sam Schrager: Did, they mixed in with the rest of the town quite a bit or not.

George Torgerson: yeah. Yeah they were, yeah. They were just like any of the rest of us were never there was, wasn't doing right. You bet they were. There to partake in it.

Sam Schrager: And we did friendships were friendships formed across those lines. It didn't matter. I mean would did, would Italian people be good friends with the Swedish people?

George Torgerson: yeah. That's one thing. As far as nationality there, it didn't make any difference. Didn't make any difference If you if you were just a good citizen, that was all that to didn't make any difference what you were.

Sam Schrager: I had the idea in the town of Potlatch, for instance, that the men were mostly the Greeks and Italians were mostly single. They didn't have families in town and they were pretty separate from the rest of us, of the town.

George Torgerson: Or that sure.

Sam Schrager: As compared to what you you're describing about Elk River.

George Torgerson: Yeah. No, no. As far as they, they didn't look down on anybody as if he was a good citizen. But my one and I, you better be a good citizen If you wasn't.

George Torgerson: You.

George Torgerson: You had a rough life to lead.

Sam Schrager: Well, I get to ask you, in those days, what made somebody not be a good citizen? What would you it?

George Torgerson: Well, you know, you know, if I read them days, why then there was always somebody that was going to go, George nip you or get you some way. Yeah, of course. He's been that way all the way through as far as high school. But you have to note that Elk River. No, there follows like that one. And they didn't last long.

George Torgerson: They just make it too miserable for that. I gather that they were ready to move immediately.

Sam Schrager: Say they make miserable The whole community would make it hard on. They wouldn't anything to do with them.

George Torgerson: Right. And they do. I know that, do they? We get that if if they get and they talk it over. And I'd say that well no he's not now but he he's going to be you begin of course. Yeah. There wasn't any of us that that tried to make it easy for them at all and down round the mill logistically if they they he was working the mill there and that way they they made it miserable for him down there.

Sam Schrager: Also were there many bachelor men working at the mill there.

George Torgerson: Too old. There was quite a few. There were some but not near as many as it is, right, one would think for.

Sam Schrager: Those mostly mostly married.

George Torgerson: Mostly married men.

Sam Schrager: If you were going to. Yes how many?

George Torgerson: And funeral from Agnes. And they demanded this. They came down from Spokane and I hadn't seen them for, I don't know, good many years. And it was real nice. And we had a real visit. And, And he says to me, You still drive a car? Yes, John. I said, I don't leave home too far from it.

George Torgerson: My eyes are getting bad. So I said, If I well-acquainted with it, You mean you ain't going to come up to Spokane and see me? Well, I says that I have got a boy. And I says that he gets into Spokane.

Sam Schrager: Every at all and spend any time of in there or.

George Torgerson: Where.

Sam Schrager: Elk River falls.

George Torgerson: We used to go to the old maybe camp overnight out there or something like that. And, and of course, I don't do hemlock. We used to Huckleberry because it was quite a lot of areas and we used to out on Sundays and little spare time when we get out there and huckleberry and and.

Sam Schrager: So that was the place that most people did go to, to for enjoyment.

George Torgerson: they used to go down there that, you know, a few of them did, they did go down and no. And then the war folks, they say that they just part of the lure of all that they can see anymore because the water from the Dorset Dam, its way up there.

Sam Schrager: Is the upper phone still there, though?

George Torgerson: They is it now understand it right then it's it's still there you see. And that's 160 ground. Yeah. Yeah.

Sam Schrager: This road that you mentioned from Hendrick there was a road that my clear and Carter Dale were through in the early days. Right. Yeah.

George Torgerson: What kind of road was it. Well I do, I know it is pretty rough road area at that time and I haven't been over that is the grade there now for more. I don't know. You must be here nine years and I don't think that from the Cedar Creek side, I don't think that they have done too much work on it.

George Torgerson: And I don't know what they've done on the park side either. So, yeah, he didn't get here a 16 miles from the place, that is to.

Sam Schrager: Is that where you father traded?

George Torgerson: Yeah, actually, he traded pretty much. Yeah. Well, I'd like to know where I think all all cause dairy at that time wasn't there some more?

Sam Schrager: All in all, it sounds like you have really good memories of. Of life at Elk River. I mean, and what that town was like as a town.

George Torgerson: yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, you take where you already just kind of get home taken a little bit. You've got to remember their things. So. Yeah. Yeah. Well, yeah.

Sam Schrager: Now you know what happened to most of the businessmen after they left Elk River? What they did well, how they made out.

George Torgerson: So of them now, I can't think of the the people that had to make greeting, but now they went to Eugene, Oregon, and of course, he was a baker. He was a good head. So it wouldn't make much difference where he would land. He'd do good. And I always do well. I never did get to visit with him as down there.

George Torgerson: But anyhow, I then there were others. Then they said that he was doing real good and, knowed of course. No, Doc, of course he quit. And. And of course, John Morris. He's still there with that hard work. I regret. And the others? No, I don't. When there wasn't too many of the others, only they. Well, they just quit.

George Torgerson: They were all people too, and they just quit. So. But anyhow I then. And now. Why then. Yeah. I don't know if there's one story there. I think.

Sam Schrager: The, the mill itself when it was running, was really a very modern mill wasn't it.

George Torgerson: yeah. It, it was one of the where most modern mills in the States or even out of the state I guess, but it was modern.

Sam Schrager: Oregon so.

George Torgerson: It was really a nice meal. Gosh, you know, it was nice. And now just before, about two years before they closed that down now in the painting mill, why then they, they, they, they for was getting bad and instead of laying the floor lengthwise or like that, they cut block about I think it was eight inches and then they ceremony and that's the way that this that I mean they had their foundation and underneath that was solid too and then they set them on in and they worked on that a long, long time because there was a lot of it.

George Torgerson: And that was about two or three years before they shut down.

Sam Schrager: I heard the planning mill continued to run for a while after the rest of the mill was shut down.

George Torgerson: He did. They had a bunch of lumber there and then so they just cleaned it out. So it we did run.

Sam Schrager: Did they ever say why they were taking the mill out?

George Torgerson: No. The only thing was that they were starting this mainly here and or that's what we. well, we knew that when they started this built here, the Elk River was short lived, which it was I say. And no. Well I mean it was timber quite a lot of timber that was less than five miles away when they shut that new and they and all that, no one knew some of it and it was all there to Potlatch so near here to listen.

George Torgerson: And of course they hired, they bought all that. We did live there. We at first we didn't think much about about it. We thought it was still good. But that is their mill would still be operating near downtown. But he is far as any warning or anything that is from the PFI I. And it wasn't the they shut it down and they knew just the mill.

George Torgerson: And then I guess about a year after they shut down, then they began to tear it down and tear down some of it. Well I guess some of it might have went to DuPont in the summer and some down here and but an awful lot of it. But one thing I didn't like about that either, they had quite a lot of repairs down there.

George Torgerson: You know, and it was new and and I don't suppose that they had any place to put it to do that. And if I were stood there with a big sledge, would you just give it a cut with a big sled just to make a chunk out of it or something so nobody else could use it And to it up in the car and that way.

George Torgerson: And so I don't know.

Sam Schrager: What kind of repair stuff was this, what kind of equipment?

George Torgerson: it would be for pretty much anywhere and everywhere around the mill is where it would be. So they whether they got more money out of it by then selling it for scrap and they would otherwise, I don't know, I imagine they.

Unknown Speaker: Made it big.