Family History Friday: Grandpa Bradshaw

I always knew that my Grandpa Bradshaw was pretty awesome, but as I have learned more about him this week I realize that "awesome" doesn't even begin to describe him. His personal history is the stuff that movies are made of; full of high drama, comedy, and adventure. I know that I will probably say this a million times as I do family history work but "I wish I would have learned all this long ago."  I have such a great desire to camp out at grandma and grandpa's house and ask questions for days. It's probably a good thing I live in Michigan and can only bother them by phone.
Well I would hate for any of you out there to go another day without hearing more about Grandpa Bradshaw's childhood so here are a few of my favorite stories. And if you want to read more when you are done with this post (and I am pretty sure you will) click here to read the full version of Grandpa's personal history.

Note: All the stories from grandpa's personal history are indicated with italics below. If anyone reading this post knows of any additional histories, interviews, or photos regarding grandpa or grandma please let me know. I am trying to compile everything and then post it to familysearch.org Thanks!

All right... Roll Film!

Kieth Charles Bradshaw

Kieth Age 6

"Our parents were living south of Drummond, Montana in July of I was born in the Community Hospital, Missoula, Montana July 31, 1932.  A good number of my parent's children were born at home, however, for some reason I was born in a hospital.     

When I was about two years old, I got into the lye, rubbing some on my face, but fortunately not swallowing any.  My parents were not home at the time; however, my Aunt Rosalie was taking care of the kids and when she saw my plight, picked me up and ran nearly one half mile to my Uncle Charlie’s.  He had a car that sped us to Drummond, where a Doctor treated me for lye burns on the face and hands.  They scabbed over and left a few small scars that still show today, but nothing serious."

Note: Lye was a serious danger during the early 1900s. Great-Grandpa Charles Bradshaw's sister Mary died at age three after swallowing lye. 

Ranch in Drummond

"Dad rented an eighty acre parcel of land where he planted mainly wheat and about an acre of potatoes.  Enough potatoes were raised for our family and some to sell or trade.  The land was located about five miles southwest of the house and we would leave early in the morning to tend the potato patch.  Chemicals were too expensive at that time and so we had to go through the potato plants and manually pick off the bugs and place them in a small, metal can.  When the can was full, we would take them to the end of the row and stomp on them.  Not a very attractive exercise, but rather effective.  These insects could destroy the crop in a matter of days if they themselves were not destroyed."

Ranch House in Drummond abt 1970

Note: When grandpa was 7 years old his parents purchased a section of land north of their current home. 

"Without any buildings on this land, my parents decided to move the current house onto the newly acquired land. It was about a miles distance [from the location of the old house] traveling through a couple of neighbor's property. This journey meant taking down several fences, crossing a small stream as well as up and down some small hills. Four railroad jacks were rented and four large telephone poles acquired. Each jack had an arm like the handle on a water pump. By pumping the arm, great weights could be moved. Since the house was based on wooden blocks without a foundation, the jacks could be placed at each corner. With a couple of people on each jack, the arms were worked simultaneously lifting the house enough to place the long poles underneath. These poles were positioned so they could receive the weight of the house and yet remain relatively level. They were then chained together forming a fairly stable support for the house even when in the moving mode. Two caterpillars were contracted to move the house. This drama happened in the late spring and took two days to go the distance. Our family stayed with Charlie and Elizabeth Bradshaw during this period of time. I remember coming home from school on the school bus and seeing the house being pulled by the tractors. It was the first day and then the next day seeing it in its new and semi-permanent place on our newly acquired ranch.

 It was placed on wooden blocks once again where it would remain for many months. Wood steps were put in place and on the third day our family moved back into the house. The highway was only seventy yards from the house and Drummond two miles. There was electric power available. The power lines were next to the highway and soon after the house was settled into its new location, electricity became a part of its life. My parents purchased a small fridgidare refrigerator that lasted a long, long time. It was about half the size of most present day refrigerators, but it was a great luxury as were the electric lights. Inside plumbing was still years in the future as was a furnace and convenient hot water."

Bradshaw Siblings Age 9
(Grandpa is the short one on the back row)

 "One excursions [scout camping trip] happened when I was about ten years old. Sam Gunnell and his wife lived a couple of miles southeast of our ranch.  They weren't able to have children.  Sam liked the scouting program and so volunteered to be the scoutmaster for the rural area south of Drummond....

We were taken about twenty miles west of Hall to a stream by the name of Harvey Creek.  It was small, fast moving, cold watered fed from melting snow and down deep in a narrow valley.The entrance road was poorly kept and steep.  The driver took us down to the stream, dropped equipment and people and went back to ranching planning on picking us up in five days.

A large tent was erected near an old, dirt-floored trapper's cabin that was uninhabited by people but popular with the Harvey Creek pack rats.  As soon as the tent was in place and the equipment stored inside along with the sleeping bags, most of us went fishing.  Sam was an excellent fly fisherman and would usually catch enough for everybody.  In those days, there was not a fish limit, thus we caught plenty of fish for dinner.  After dinner we did some exploring and were back early ready to get to bed.

About midnight a strong wind with bolts of lightning and rain pounded the heavy tent.  Not many minutes into the storm the tent started leaking and not too many more minutes the wind caught one edge of the tent pulling the wood stakes from the soaked ground.The tent collapsed on top of the ten of us.  There really wasn't a second option.  We grabbed our sleeping gear and clothes, made a rapid exit and an equally rapid entrance into the trappers cabin.  A rat's home has an odor distinctly rattish.  It is not pleasant.  The cabin had an old mattress showing metal springs which was soon occupied by Sam with everybody else sleeping on the dirt floor.  There was a glassless window that fed some fresh air into the cabin.  Sleep came slow that night with the noise of wind and the flashes of lightning accompanied by the crash of thunder.  Most of the sleeping bags were damp, some were wet, others soaked.

By morning the storm had lessened and we were able to dry out some.  Breakfast was prepared in the cabin.  We stayed the five days with considerable rain making the entrance road a quagmire.  We stayed another day and could see that the truck would not be able to get down to Harvey Creek.  Again there weren't many options.  Sam said that he would stay with the equipment and that the rest should hike out.  It was about twenty miles to home if we cut cross country and not follow the road to Hall and then home.  After we got up and out of the valley, we could see off in the distance a wagon pulled by a team of horses.

When we got closer, we could see it was my dad and my cousin Henry Bradshaw coming to get us the truck not even able to get back that far.  Instead of loading in the wagon, most of us decided to walk home.  The wagon continued down to Harvey Creek and picked up the equipment and Sam.  We arrived home about four o'clock in the afternoon well before my dad returned."  

Bradshaw Family in Drummond abt 1937
(Grandpa is the on the far left
standing straight like a soldier

"I remember vividly some of the teachings of my mother and her example of dedication and hard work.  Very seldom do I remember her complaining about life's offerings.  I never remember her not being active and participating in the church or being overly hard on her children.  She always recognized her great responsibilities as a mother having more patience than most.

My dad provided for the family, had a great interest in the ranch and wanted all of the children to receive a good education. He was friendly to everyone--family and neighbors alike and was generous with his time and work.

All of my brothers and sister have been successful in life and even though time has passed and distances are great, I have good feelings and memories about my family."

Kieth abt 1949

"As a freshman I played on the Junior Varsity basketball team and we usually played a preliminary game to the varsity. Practices were very short.  The varsity practiced the last period of the day and had to be finished in time to catch the bus.  Junior Varsity practices were the next to last period of the day and many times the varsity would use both periods.  We were still freshmen.  Our uniforms were hand downs from the varsity and most of the spectators did not arrive until our game was history.

 I made the varsity as a sophomore and was one of the first subs to get into the game.  Deer Lodge was in the same league as Drummond and we played them at home early in the season.  Not very often did we beat them.  Early in the game it appeared the same thing was going to happen.  Coach Leach put me in late in the first quarter and I was able to make six quick baskets and stole the ball several times.  We were ahead at the half and I got to play most of the remainder of the game, however, we lost by a couple of points and for the rest of the year I got to play quite a bit in each game."

Kieth abt 1947

"In the winter with the temperatures well below zero, it was a challenge to get the pickup started.  Sometime in January we were going to town, Drummond, for a basketball game.  It was in nineteen forty five and the second World War was still going on and gas stamps were needed to purchase fuel.  However, farmers were given extra stamps because of machinary requirements, so we normally had enough gasoline, even to drive to a basketball game.

Verlin was driving the Ford with passengers Dan, Allen, Carol, Larry and myself.  Several railroad tracks had to be crossed before entering Drummond, so with the windshield badly frosted over the person in the far right of the truck had to have his window rolled down, head partly out and voicing direction commands to the driver.  The cold was extreme and the navigator was sometimes timid about the window.  At any rate the railroad tracks were crossed.  Immediately beyond the tracks was the main street of town with a large stop sign.  Verlin made his final approach to main street, but veered too much to the right and hit the stop sign dead center.  This put another dent in front of the truck and broke one of the headlights.  That stop sign remained in the down position for a number of weeks.  Probably a good thing since the trip to town was repeated a number of times during the basketball season."

Grandpa,

These stories were entertaining and gave me a greater appreciation for the world you grew up in. It was such a treat to take a few baby steps backward with you.  I love you and cannot wait to learn more about your incredible past!