My parents moved to Niles, California in 1937 when I was one year old. My brother, Ray, was two. My sister, Louise, was born in 1938 while we lived in Niles. I don't remember moving to Niles, nor do I recall my sister's birth, but I began remembering names and places by the time I was three years old. What I am posting here is from my memory of the period 1939-1940 with the help of some old photos.

The Maples was a short distance northeast of Mission Boulevard and the town of Niles, California. (The "Niles District" is today part of the city of Fremont) The Maples included a restaurant, a service station (regular gasoline only), two rental cabins and a small campground. Located on the east side of Alameda Creek along Niles Canyon road (this portion now called "Old Canyon Road), The name "Maples" was decided by my mother, based upon three large maple trees located on the property.

The restaurant was a small "coffee shop" type place with a U shaped counter at which patrons sat on tall bar type stools. The food served was most frequently coffee and sandwiches, sometimes homemade pie and doughnuts. Full breakfasts of bacon and eggs, toast, hotcakes and cereal was available as was a full lunch and dinner menu. Beer and wine were also served. The sole cook, food server and dish washer was my mother. There was a portable dance floor adjacent to the restaurant which brought in a few party goers on Saturday nights.

Along the east side of the property, were the Union Pacific railroad tracks. They traversed the side of a hill about 200 feet from the back of the property. Across the highway and Alameda Creek were the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks. It seemed that trains were going by in one direction or another at all times of the day

During the years we lived in Niles, the Union Pacific railroad was involved in building a railroad tunnel through the hillside east of us just south of Niles Canyon road. The workers, whom we knew as The Tunnel Gang, probably contributed a lot to the early success of the Maples; they were there for meals and snacks and sometimes for the Saturday night dancing and festivities. As a child of three and four, It sometimes puzzled me that these workers who, while always nice to us, could become so raucous, talk so loud and laugh so freely as they enjoyed their Saturday nights.

To the north was the pottery. Clay products were transposed into pipe and related items. There was a group of men who worked at the pottery that became very close to us at "The Maples". There was Frank Rollick who operated a "company store" near the pottery; There was T.I. I never learned his real name; there was Bob Wire, the truck driver who repeatedly scared me to death because he said he was going to take me home with him (and I believed him).

The Wilsons lived just to the north of our property at the entrance of the road to the pottery. The Wilsons had two daughters, Dawn and Diane; (as a three year old I remembered their names as Don and Donnie Ann) Dawn was about one year older than I (about the age of my brother, Ray), whereas Dianne was slightly younger than I. Dawn and Dianne were our playmates for about one year until they moved with their parents in 1939.

There were others that I recall ,in addition to the Pottery Gang, who frequented the Maples. There was Frank Rollick, Ruth and T.I. and Jack Wise (he, who was known lovingly by many names including Jack Weasel), Bill Bunk, George and Alice Wulzen and the Hales ( The Hales had two children, Bob who was about two years older than Ray and Alice who was about Ray's age); Les Stivers (who was inclined to imbibe a bit too much of "the grape" and ; and Laurie (he, who at the young age of 18 had captured my mother's heart by praising her cooking and admiring her children)

One incident that I recall is that a representative of an unidentified group area approached my mother and obtained permission to set up camp on the property of The Maples. My mother gave her permission. Upon looking out onto the grounds later in the day, she exclaimed that it looked like a circus had been set up on the grounds. The group, later known as gypsies, took over the grounds; they and their children stole items from the restaurant and service station; and they carried on night time activities that kept others in the complex awake at night.

My mother, never the shy, retiring type bluntly told them to get out. With her, there was no 3 day notice; when she said to get out, you had better go.--and they did.

Spot was a shepherd mix. He was a very protective dog but very good with children. But Spot chased trains; he also chased cars and Lord help anyone who threatened any of his three children. I recall my cousin Bob telling me many years later of this dog grabbing me by the seat of my trousers and pulling me back from the highway. Spot was a real member of the family. Our dog, Spot, being very protective, tried to scare away the trains that ran so close to our property; he got too close one day and this cost him his life. (the first major trauma of my young life)

One morning we couldn't find Spot. Spot never strayed from the house and his three charges, except to chase trains and cars, of course. We called and called but Spot was nowhere to be found. Later in the day, we found him along the Union Pacific tracks, his head on one side and his body on the other. That was nearly seventy years ago; Yet, I recall it vividly today.

We lovingly referred to our 1928 Hupmobile as "the old hup". It was a coup (roadster type) with a small back seat roomy enough for us three children. It was light gray/brown in color and had a small permanent type visor over the windshield. In order to start the car it was necessary to pull out the choke and retard the spark; When first starting out, the car would chug and lunge until it was warmed up and the choke lever was pushed back in. (Mom seemed to make it chug more and longer than did Dad.) Ray and I found it amusing to make prolonged "aaaaaah" sounds while the car was thus jerking and chugging, the result being our smooth aaaaa sounds became ah ah ah ah sounds.

One incident that I recall quite well is that Ray and I (He was the big brother at four; I was only three) climbed into the old hup one day while it was parked out under one of the maple trees. Ray, being the oldest, told me he would drive; I would have to sit on the passenger side. Spot, who came along about that time, climbed in also; he took his place in the back seat sitting up straight in anticipation of this trip we were all taking. Ray put his foot on the starter (starters were all on the floorboard in those days providing your car even had a starter) and the car began to move across the lot. The ignition was not on and the car didn't start, but it was in gear and the starter caused the car to move. I believe we traveled about 50 to 100 feet using just the starter. We felt a large thump and came to an abrupt stop. Ray got out of the car and examined the situation; he advised me that we had a flat tire.

Spanking was in vogue back then. Spot was the only one who didn't get spanked.

They came in great numbers. Some had vehicles; others arrived on freight trains (non fare paying). What they all had in common was that they had no money, no place to live and no jobs. Most had limited educations and very little job skills. Most were white and from the dustbowl states. Where they came from made little difference; if they spoke with a “southern” accent and were on the road, they were "Oakies". California residents wanted the Oakies somewhere else except possibly the crop growers at harvest time (sound familiar?). I think most people agreed that someone should do something with them. They were the poorest of the poor during this period of the 1930's.

Those that arrived at the Maples came with tents, camp stoves, an occasional jalopy car and often with several ragged children. They set up their tents at the back of our property near the Union Pacific If my Mother and Dad charged them for the camp space, it would have been minimal. More likely, they split wood or did cleanup work as payment.

No, the homeless did not just come on the scene in the 1980's nor is the public sentiment toward them much different than it was then. Those that had "theirs" felt that the oakies caused their own plight and they didn’t want them “in their back yard”.

I recall walking by one of the tents at the back of our property and seeing the people inside eating. I asked what they were eating and was told "corn bread" I asked for some and was given something ; I don't think it was corn bread. When I arrived back at our house, mom asked where I had gotten the food. When I told her, she trotted over to the tent and advised the people not to feed us. I think it was a few days later that I walked by the tent again when the people were eating and asked what they were eating. I got the same answer, "corn bread". I asked for some and was told I my mother wouldn't let me have any. Somehow. I got another piece of cornbread or whatever they were eating. This time I didn’t tell my mother.

Niles Canyon road crossed Alameda creek in two places near the Maples. The first bridge coming out from town (Niles)crossed the creek in a easterly direction; the road then paralleled the creek past the Maples and traffic passed by on their way up the canyon. The second bridge crossed back over the creek to the west almost directly across from the Maples. A dirt road continued straight on to the pottery along the east, side of the creek. I believe it was early 1940 that the state of California rebuilt the entire highway along the west side of Alameda Creek so through traffic no longer traveled past the Maples. The bridge across from the Maples was torn down and the Maples was at this point located on a dead end road.

I can still recall the dynamite blasts used to destroy the old bridge. After the bridge came down, there were no more trucks stopping at the Maples on their way up the canyon and there were no more tourists.

The Wilsons moved away; the Hales moved away. The railroad tunnel was completed and the tunnel gang came no more and; the Maples went into bankruptcy.

We moved from Niles in late 1940.