Mom's Story Part 1a

On July 4, 1919, Dad and Mother moved into their beautiful new home, and from the age of ten months until today this has been my home, and I’ve loved it. Here my children were reared. The home was built of creamed colored Gallup brick with heavy sandstone rock lintels above the windows and doors. Dad hauled all the rock from a near-by quarry and cut most of the stone himself. Mr. Dyon contracted to build the house for $5,280 a large sum of money in those days. Professional bricklayers and carpenters were brought in from Los Angeles to do the construction. After adding the finish work on the upstairs and basement; putting in a water system with a little pump in the basement – (one of the first houses in town to have in-doors plumbing and a bath-room) adding electrical system throughout the house and cement sidewalks around the home, the cost amounted to about $7,000. That was exorbitant! But, Dad was a terrific worker, and when the home was finished he only owed $600 on it, which he quickly paid off. It was a struggle for this young couple, but they didn’t mind the sacrifice.