I lived in Vernon in the 1960's. My grandfather owned a grocery store at 2910 S Main called McCrary Grocery & Mkt. His name was Forest S McCrary. I remember stocking shelves when i was a small kid. Watching him carry in a side of beef from Wright meat packing and butcher it up in the store. Learned life's early lesson in this small town. He would open up the store at 4:30 AM for all of the ranch hands getting provisions for the day that worked at the Waggoner ranch when it was in the Waggoner family. It was the largest ranch in Texas under one fence. Around 6AM he would come back in the house behind the grocery store for breakfast. By 7AM he was back out in the store. He would work that store six days a week until about 6PM or later. He never complained. When inflation hit hard in the 70's his wife Vada McCrary would stamp the prices on the canned goods because he didn't have the heart to charge what the goods were costing him. I remember watching him taking nail polish remover and wiping off the prices and stamping on the goods what he thought people could afford. He was a soft touch. Moms would bring their kids in barefoot into the store and he would give the an extra 1/2 pound of hamburger meat. When his wife would take him to task that he was being taken advantage of he would say: "That is between them and the Lord". If they represent themselves to be in want he would extend. One of my other memories was when the ranchers and farmers would come into the store, it seemed like the sole topic of conversation was: when it rain last, how much rain we got and how much rain we need. There was a severe drought in Texas in the mid to late 50's when the state or much of it got little rain at all. Everything around us was brown. At noon on the radio they would broadcast the greenbelt farm report. I remember thinking as a small kid, where is the green?
My great grandfather Stephen Castlebury helped found the town in the late 1800’s. Was a great place to grow up during its heydays in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.
I grew up living on Buffalo St. right across from Castlebury park. I think an elderly lady named Mrs Castleberry lived directly across the parkway from our house. She was either Mrs Castlebury or maiden name Castlebury. I think she told stories of her Father donating and founding the parkway and maybe the town. All that was over 50 years ago and my memory is a bit hazy but that was a truly neat neighborhood and also iconic Texas town.
I grew up in Vernon and rode my bike all over it. My Dad’s office was in second floor of the courthouse. We didn’t lock our doors unless out of town. Great times as a kid growing up 60’s and 70’s.
After spending 38 years running cross country OTR as a truck driver/owner operator I haven’t had much desire to watch trucking videos on RU-vid since I retired in 2015. But, ‘your’ video caught my attention and with you having a voice very similar to that of the actor Denver Pyle I just HAD to watch the whole video! It felt good to look out through the windshield of a big truck again even if it WAS yours! I’ve been dormant in Houston Texas since I retired, but, after buying a 1989 Dodge Class B Rv (camper van) almost a year ago, and slowly rebuilding it and replacing everything from the ground up, I’m about to take my first maiden spin in ‘Honey’ and head to Phoenix for a couple of weeks on the 22nd of February 2023! I already know it’s gonna seem strange not having to pull into the chicken coops anymore, worry about time schedules, having to deal with DOT, not running a log book no more, stopping and checking my straps, chains and binders on my load, or, ANYthing to do with trucking! But, I ‘do’ think because after so many years in trucking, then retiring, and, sitting local for almost eight years I’ll actually start missing trucking again…for a very short time though I’m sure! Thanks for such a comforting and enjoyable video taking me back to places I’ve been to a million gazillion times during my past career! Even though I’m retired, not being a concrete cowboy and a prisoner of the highway anymore I’ll ‘STILL’ be a truck driver at heart until I die! Stay safe, stay you, and, always keep God as your co-driver! ~Jim~ youtube.com/@TOTALLYRELAXED
My grandparents both sides lived in Vernon.farmer valley,Tom H. Turkett.Tom born 1901 worked 50years for the city ( street department) church, central Christian....lived on Yamparka st.
