Cherry Pits to Blossoms

By Mel Barella

Cherry Pits to Blossoms is about a young boy who grew up in a small town, in Northern Colorado. The father was an alcoholic with a second-grade education who struggled to support his family. An enormously proud father who was a hard worker who struggled to support his family.

Despite his pride and his family ethics, he fou

• Language: English
• Publisher: Best Books Media
• Release date: Nov 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9781956095234

Book preview

cover.jpg

Cherry Pits To Blossoms

Mel Barella

Copyright © Mel Barella.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by reviewers, who may quote brief passages in a review.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-956095-24-1 (Paperback Edition)

ISBN: 978-1-956095-25-8 (Hardcover Edition)

ISBN: 978-1-956095-23-4 (E-book Edition)

Book Ordering Information

Best Books Media

132 West 31st Street, 9th Fl.

New York, NY, 10001 USA

www.bestbooksmedia.com

[e-mail]

1 [phone]

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Chapter 1 Family Origin

Chapter 2 Fort Collins Area

Chapter 3 Holy Family Experience

Chapter 4 Discrimination

Chapter 5 Family Survival

Chapter 6 Children’s Games

Chapter 7 People and life Influences

Chapter 8 Frightful Encounters

Chapter 9 Interesting Characters in My Life

Appendix

Conclusion

Chapter I

Family Origin

My Grandparents

Francisco and Adelaida

Barella and Children

Barella.JPG

My origin and family beginning goes back to a man and woman called Manuel Jaquez and Mama Pillar. These are the names I heard all my life. These two people are like images I developed in my mind with much praise. My Grandfather Francisco Barella only lives in pictures and in the memories of the elders in the family that still exist, and they are very few these days for many have passed on.

The family was raised by Mama Pillar and was split into two families, Barella and Jaques. Manuel Jaquez and Mama Pillar reared 3 children which consisted of Francisco Barella, Patrick Barella and one Jaques offspring. I am unaware of the name of the boy that followed the Jaquez trail.

We know very little of the Jaques family and only know of a few people in the Barella family that have met the offspring of the Jaques family. The family members met parts of the Jaques family in Costilla, New Mexico and the Jaques family have the same thoughts in their minds of their origin.

My Fathers family originated in Spain and migrated to the United States. The family then settled in New Mexico and traveled to Northern Colorado from Gardner, New Mexico, then then to Colorado in the 1800’s. I know my Grandparents were married in 1890’s. I did not know that my grandmother was twelve years old and was a very young bride. This was very common for the times for young women to marry at a young age.

I was privileged to know Adeladia Barella, my grandmother and the wife of Franciso Barella. Adeladia was born in Huerfano, County in 1877 and passed on in 1958 of natural causes, in Fort Collins at the age of 82. I was at Adelaida’s bedside at the time of her death. A day I will never forget because it still holds the memory of a loving grandmother with all her family at her bedside. Adelaida moved to Larimer County in 1907 and spent the rest of her life in the area.

Francisco was born in 1876 and passed on in 1921 during an automobile accident in Timnath, Colorado. My father Tony Barella was two years old and had vague memories of his father. Dad was raised by my grandmother and experienced the parentship of his elders and in particular my uncle Mike and aunt Mamie who raised my father to his teenage years.

Dad was raised by my Uncle Mike and my aunt Mamie, after Dad reached his teenage years and like many teenagers, he was too much of a handful for my grandmother to raise. Uncle Mike and Aunt Mamie had several of their own children to raise, but it was common in the Hispanic families to raise children of their siblings or children to help them rear their children. Grandmother raised 14 of her children and 4 of her Grandchildren.

Dad moved to Denver after his teenage years to start his career as a cook where he spent nearly ten years in the Hotel industry. Dad worked as a Chef for the Park Lane and Shirley Savoy Hotels in the 1930’s.

Francisco’s death certificate reads that Francisco was of Mexican decent which was far from the truth. Back in the day the authorities assumed all Hispanics in the area were of Mexican decent, that’s just the way it was back in those days because of discrimination, bad records and or no statistical surveys to find out true origins. My father Tony Barella was born in Berthoud, Colorado and passed on in 1982 in Fort Collins of Natural causes.

Grandma Adelaida and Francisco raised 18 children with 4 deceased at an early age. Grandmother also raised 5 grandchildren in addition to her biological family. Francisco and Adelaida combined had 150 descendants. Fifty-eight grandchildren and 77 great grandchildren. I had a family reunion in 2004 and we had a count of over 400 descendants.

My mother, Viola Faviola McGrath Barella was born in Mora, New Mexico in 1922 and passed on in Fort Collins in May 2009, of natural causes. Mom and dad had 9 children mostly all living in the Fort Collins area. Mom attended school in Denver and was a graduate of Manual High and was a Thunderbird which was a high school cheerleader and was a very good and accomplishment singer. Mom sang at the Denver Coliseum and at weddings and in church. Mom was offered a contract to sing in the big night clubs in Chicago, but Grandfather would not let his teenage daughter follow that career because he was very strict and did not trust the direction of the talent scouts at that time.

My mother’s parents Trinidad McGrath and lucinda Trujillo were married March 8, 1911. Trinidad was born in Roy New, Mexico, February 18, 1890, and passed on February 2, 1973, of natural causes. Lucinda was born in Cleveland New Mexico April 27, 1893, and passed on December 21, 1986, of natural causes. Trinidad and lucinda made their home in the Denver area. Together they fathered 11 children, 8 girls and 3 boys. Grandfather and grandmother also had 2 grandchildren which deceased at an early age.

Trinidad and lucinda McGrath

My Mom’s parents and my grandparents

MCGRATH.jpg

My parents Tony and Viola Barella

both looking their Sunday best

momdad.JPG

Chapter II

Fort Collins Area

Fort Collins was named after a military fort that was started and was commissioned in the 1860’s and it was started and named after Colonel William O Collins, and penned named Fort Collins, after the Indian wars. The Military, pioneers, Indians, and Trappers used the Poudre River and the Overland Trail as a mode of transportation in and out of the territory using canoes, horses, and wagons to travel and cross the raging waters of the Poudre River.

A military Fort located in LaPorte; Colorado was once the first fort in the area. LaPorte is just a stone throw away from Fort Collins and is very influential in the territory. If you travel to Bellevue, Colorado you can see some of the old buildings that were once horse stables for the Calvary. I once heard that LaPorte was once considered for the State Capitol like other small towns in Colorado.

Bellevue has a lot of History and gives you a sense of our past. Located there is an old grange hall, post office, and church. This gives you the feeling of the early years when Bellevue was in the heart of the Calvary post with military horse soldiers, old wagons, horses roaming the streets and men walking around with six guns strapped to their side and still finding remnants of arrow heads and American Indian presence.

The rocky Mountain area is used for much of the hiking and fishing in the area. If you go to the red Feather lakes (Dowdy lake, West Lake, Parvin lake) you will find the famous Pot Belly restaurant where I always enjoyed their Chili in a black iron pot covered with onions and cheese, a yummy treat. Some fine great cross-country skiing and some great Horseback riding trails and trout fishing.

Also, nestled 9 miles above red Feather are the Crystal lakes where I once owned and enjoyed a beautiful cabin that I enjoyed with my family. Great fishing at Crystal and my greatest enjoyment was fishing on the Snoopy a little creek that runs through Crystal. Crystal has a 50-acre lake where you can fish by canoes and electric motorboats.

There have been several names for the Poudre, to name a few. The first known name was Pateros Creek which was coined by Major Stephen H. Long. The Major reported on his 1820 expedition to the Rocky Mountains and referred to what is thought to be the Cache la Poudre River as Pateros Creek. He learned the name, Pateros Creek from a Frenchman who was said to have been stumbled upon it. The Major wandered upon it after about twenty days, short of supplies and food. He was found by a band of Kiowa’s who frequented this part of the country and restored to his companions, a party of hunters camping at that time on the Arkansas. The Story was in 1936 Fort Collins express Courier, no date.

The Sioux, lived in the Fort Collins area and called it the Poudre River Pateros Creek which means Swift Current." (Article pasted in the Pioneer association’s Scrapbook, no date).

Many times, as kids we heard stories about Alfred Packer and how some Colorado State University students celebrate Alfred Packer Day, about the Rocky Mountain Cannibal. Admired by some and deplored by many. This man was on a trip with several men, and when they ran out of food, and it was very cold, and to survive he ate his companions.

Watson’s Lake

Just down the road is Bellevue, Colorado and it is near Watson’s Lake and hatchery. Watson lake was at one time a supervised swimming hole for LaPorte community. My friends and I spent a great deal of our time swimming at Watsons Lake. The swimming hole was on the south side of Watsons Lake and the north side was primarily for fishing due to the terrain. Across from the lake to the east is the Poudre River, so if you do not have luck fishing at Watsons you can try the Poudre.

I often pass through LaPorte from Fort Collins on the way up the Poudre Canyon. I spent a great deal of time fishing at Watson’s with my fathers, uncles, family, and friends. I have fond memories fishing with my father and learned to fish at Watson’s Lake. I also spent time with my children at Watson’s and taught my children about camping and fishing at Watsons. Over the years we had many camper trailers that we enjoyed at Watson’s Lake; a memory cherished by my family.

Civilian Conservation Camps (CC Camps)

In the 30’s the economy was very weak in the area and people had to work in the government run CC camps known as the Civilian Conservation camps. Working camps were in liver- more and the Waverly areas. Another name mentioned was the WPA program for unemployed people in the area. My dad told me that he was employed by the CC camps and that is how he helped support his family through the rough times.

Today people live off unemployment and should be working in camp like the CC camps to help boost the economy. Too many people are spending 2 and 3 years living off unemployment and are not even looking for jobs. This is a great program for those that need jobs but there is too many living off the system, and this is killing our economy.

The government just keeps extending the program. If people do not have unemployment, then they just live off of the Welfare program, another government program that pays people more than most jobs these days, so people rather draw welfare, then work. Most seniors must work to survive, so they take jobs the young should be doing.

Unemployment pays more than social security so the problem in balancing the budget is very difficult because the economist do not know what they are doing. I think uneducated people would do a better job with the budget because balancing the budget would be a bigger priority too them. The educated with many degrees tend to complicate things and have so many different programs that are so expensive and they just run up the spending and create other problems. Not only that they pay themselves such high wages that it puts a great deal of pressure on the economy. The government just keeps raising the ceiling on the budget and we keep getting deeper in debt.

I see a lot of the labor is being done by immigrants and not the American people who need to feed their families instead they are taking advantage of the government. People say immigrants are taking advantage, what about those Americans that are perfectly able to work and just drain the unemployment and Welfare programs.

Laporte Community

Today, laporte is still a small community with a Post office, two bars, a grocery store, gas station, Pizza parlor, and a school. One of my favorite spots to eat is at Vern’s restaurant located on 287 and is known for its food and fishing supplies and a quick stop for a meal and refreshments. You will find some of the best Cinnamon rolls in the area. A good friend of mine used to own and run Vern’s Cafe until he passed on. I believe it is still family owned and still provides great food and service.

laporte for many years was our passage to laramie and red Feather stopping over at the Forks Hotel. There is a bypass around laporte that continues up 287 to laramie. This bypass was built in the 80’s. It makes it a lot easier to drive to laramie, but it takes economy away from laporte. During these times even the little towns need the revenue to survive.

Ideal Cement Plant

Near laporte was the Ideal Cement Factory and when it was light up at night it looked like a city in lights and or maybe a Disney land, but during the day it looked like a Cement plant, dusty and dirty.

Much of the Shale along the Front range was processed in the area and was responsible for a great deal of the housing development and construction in the area. The plant still exists but is not the Cement powerhouse it once was. It also employed many of the people in the area and was a great contributor to the local economy. The Chief Operating Officer was Governor Richard lamb who was once the Governor of Colorado in the 1960’s.

Bingham Hill

Another place that intrigued us was Bingham Hill near Bellevue, Colorado. Bellevue still has that country feeling and it is a beautiful drive up to Bingham hill or you can take the Southern route up to Horse Tooth.

Driving east up Bingham hill throughout the spring, summer and fall when the water is flowing in the ditch. The grade of the ditch appears like the water is flowing uphill which is against the law of gravity. In the winter months when the ditch is frozen or snowed over you cannot see the water flowing?

I have taken several people up Bingham Hill to verify the water flow and they all say the same it appears like the water is flowing uphill. This has always fascinated and will forever continue to intrigue me. I have never measured the flow of the water, but it looks like this is a freak of nature. This might be my eyes playing tricks on me, but it works for me. In the area is the Bingham Hill Cemetery where much of the people that passed on are buried in this Cemetery. I recently spoke to a family member that was raised in Colorado and said that often when she came from California, she would drive up Bingham Hill. (Note: a book was written by Rose links about Bingham Hill), available in on the internet and in Book stores.

Laporte is so near to Fort Collins that the people in the area consider the living the same. A lot of Fort Collins people spend a great deal of time in laporte and pass through on their way to Laramie and the Red Feather lakes, and/or sightseeing. The Watson Lake area has the most beautiful mountain range with, and array of colors given by Mother Nature decorating the west ridge of the mountain. There is also an abundance of logging activity going on in the area and you might on some days encounter the experience of logging trucks coming down Poudre canyon. You will find that many of the local people living in the area make their living selling wood to residents in the area.

I have always imagined in my mind an Indian Chief standing on the ridge above the mountain range as you drive up to laramie off 287 as you pass the mouth of Poudre Canyon, of course this is just a kid’s mind playing tricks, but the view is worth the look. This was one of my favorite fishing locations for me and my family. I am at the mindset, even if the fish aren’t biting. I have a beautiful view and a place for relaxation. The Poudre canyon is a fishing, camping, and picnic heaven. This has been our family hideaway of enjoyment for many years.

Fort Collins Proper

Fort Collins was once considered a one-horse town to many people living outside of the area, but has seen many changes over the years, and still maintains its old town atmosphere and character, with some of the old buildings still showing the dates if their historic creation. If you go back to some of the old historical pictures you will see some of the old buildings. These buildings still maintain its historic value and one of those such buildings is the Northern Hotel where Presidents once stayed. This building is still a very live Monument that still graces Fort Collins on College Avenue.

As a kid this was a historic for me and I was in and around it every day as a kid building his future. I remember the first pay bathroom I saw was at the Northern Hotel. I was there recently, and I see they still have a non-resident use policy. They have a special code to use the bathrooms and is still in a sense only for the use of residents.

I remember my family coming from Denver in the 50’s to Fort Collins to visit. Thinking and saying we lived in a farm town, cow town, or one-horse town and wondering if we had indoor plumbing and bathroom facilities. I was still expecting to see cows and horses roaming the streets with just a bunch of farmers in coveralls, riding horses and wearing cowboy hats while roaming the streets.

It was like was traveling a thousand miles away for them just to go from Denver to Fort Collins. I remember my mother always acting like she had to pack for a week when we were taking a trip to Denver. It was like she was taking a trip to the other side of the world. It always seemed like my family felt like 65 miles to Denver took a lifetime.

A trek across Denver takes longer than driving to Fort Collins these days. With today’s cars and freeways, it is just a hop and skip and a jump away to the big metropolis to the south, the Mile High City. There was a time when my uncle used to hitch hike from Denver to Fort Collins. When I was kid it was not uncommon for people to do that, but in today’s world with the laws in place that is pretty much a thing of the past because of the danger of unruly drivers robbing, raping, and beating hitchhikers. Also, many people have been hit by passing traffic, It is very much a safety issue, and it is well enforced and for good reason.

I remember before I-25 driving up to Denver using 287 or the old 2 lane I-25 passage the came on the north side of Washington avenue from Denver. We thought it was so exciting when the freeway was being built. On I-25 and Mulberry there was a roundabout which was called the circle exit and I recall many accidents occurring on the exit. I see they are starting to re-enact that same engineering nightmare. There must be a better design for a freeway exit. The ones old enough to remember the Mouse Trap in Denver experienced the same freeway design and saw the same confusion.

Many of the streets in Fort Collins were still dirt and had no gutters so when it rained it was quite messy. There was still railroad tracks throughout the town. The end of town was Prospect to the south and what we called the y to the North. The Highway 287 was the main highway from Denver to Fort Collins and Cheyenne and laramie Wyoming. I-25 had not been constructed yet so then Fort Collins absorbed most of the traffic, North and South and it went right through college avenue.

Northern Colorado Racetrack

On the North side of a town in the late 50’s was a big car racetrack and, on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings you could hear the cars buzzing around with sounds of their big engines roaring around the track and you could smell the burning rubber and the bad smell of the engine exhaust.

CSU Rams

I remember back in the late 60’s when the CSU rams would host the laramie, Wyoming Cowboys, they were such rivals and still are. After the game they would all go to a Club that was south of town on College and Horse Tooth called the Matterhorn.

There would be such a buzz and an influx of Wyoming people rocking the town. The Matterhorn hosted many of the great bands in the area and was a popular meeting place for many young people in the area. Many of my friends and I spent many a time dancing and listening to the music at the Matterhorn night club. The Matterhorn night club burned down in the late 60’s and has been forgotten by many of the people in the area.

The young people that used to cater to the Matterhorn are now either passed on or are area seniors only thinking about their families, retirement and not enjoying the night club scene as they once did cruise the streets of Fort Collins drinking beer and enjoying life and being teenagers.

The Football College games were played at the stadium located on college are now played at the Ram’s stadium on Overland trail west of town by the foothills of Fort Collins.

The CSU college team was called the aggie’s and not the RAM’s and was not a big interest to young boys of my generation, it was mostly attended by college students and their parents.

I only knew one of my friends that enjoyed watching college football because it had not caught on to the public at the time. Colorado State University is a very popular college in the nation, and it provides a good education too many students across the country, but Fort Collins does not provide many jobs, so many college students do not stay because there is no future for them in the way of a career. A great number of foot players are scouted by the NFL because CSU provides a lot of talent to the NFL.

A very proud asset and well know feature to the college is the a up on the mountain above Fort Collins. You can still see the painted stone on the side of the mountain by the Horse Tooth reservoir. Every so many years the students will paint the rocks on the side of the mountain to give a fresh and clean look for the college. The College was the main population that really Fort Collins a memorable township. The Horse Tooth road was name because in clear view to the west is a featured high on the mountain side is what appears to be a large tooth.

Railroad Train Station

Many people remember when the old train station on riverside was hosting many people when train travel was the popular mode of transportation. That station has been mostly unused but has served as restaurants over the years but mainly today the park that is adjacent to the station is across the street from homeless shelter and you find many homeless people resting and, in some case, living in the park, a sad picture to see. These homeless people came from all over the country for emotional and domestic help, it is nice that they have a place to get help and comfort, but it is a sore eye for the city of Fort Collins.

Woodward Governor

This Company’s name has been changed but those that lived in Fort Collins at the time are familiar with the company because it still part of the Fort Collins community but has changed a great deal of their work ethics over the years which discriminated against many of the minorities in the area. This company was located across the street on linden and riverside.

Pickle Factory

Down the road on riverside was a big Pickle Factory owned by the Dreher family. The Pickle Factory employed many of the people in the area and many migrate workers worked in the fields. Many of the pickles grown in the area were processed by the Dreher Company.

A few months after my wife and I got married we were living off of riverside and my wife witnessed a man swimming in the nude in the vats and she contacted the local police department.

The police showed up after the man removed himself from the area, but my wife was insistent that there was a man swimming in the vats.

I went to school with one of the Dreher boys and his family owned and operated, Jax Surplus who is now owned by a corporation that has many other Surplus business in the area. This store was primarily an army surplus store and has since turned into a store for outdoor clothing, fishing, and camping for the area. People who come from all around the globe that are tourists in the area frequent Jax Surplus.

Another area that has changed drastically is linden Street which is now called Old town where many people go to enjoy a walking mall with restaurants, stores and a water fountain where people go to enjoy an atmosphere of music and good food. Before Old Town this street was full of bars, barber shops, Pool Halls, and businesses. There was another popular bar that has since come and gone that hosted many popular bands was the Green Onion and has since been a thing of the past.

Toliver and Kinney Hardware

Another great place was a Hardware store where I was employed as a teenager. This business was the Toliver and Kinney store. I was employed in the Machine shop and really enjoyed the store, the people, and most of all mister Toliver. This gentleman was up in age but was very fair to his customers and his employees. The store sold everything from Televisions, paint supplies and Dynamite supplies for the local contractors.

During my tenure there I did many things. I used to drive to Horse Tooth to pick up Dynamite for the store to sell to the customers in the area. It was believed that it was not dangerous for me because the blasting caps were stored separate from the Dynamite. I often wonder if that was the case. I did not question the operation, after all being only seventeen, I assumed it was true, but today I think it was dangerous and I was put into a compromised situation. I had to drive to an underground cellar near Horse Tooth reservoir to get the dynamite. I think in today’s world you would have to be trained in the use of explosives before you would be allowed to handle Dynamite. Later on in my early twenties I worked for a construction company where