Title
BELFIELD, MY OLD HOME TOWN
Creator
Thor G. Olson
Coverage
TOWNSHIP 139N RANGE 99W
Text
BELFIELD, MY OLD HOME TOWN
We all have our moments when we sit quietly down,
And our thoughts drift back to our old home town.
Time passes swiftly and we’re growing older too;
The kids we knew as babies are now as big as you.
No, it's not the buildings that give the town its name,
It's the good old folks that live there that keep your town the same.
You will see the N. P. depot standing by the track,
But it's folks like Holmes and Barrows that welcome a fellow back.
You’ll see the tall, red elevators with grain stored in the bin;
But it's Doering, Thompson and others that draw the farmers in.
Before you get to Main Street you’ll see signs up on all sides,
“Kessel's”, “Poluck's”, “Lumber”, “We buy butter, eggs, cream and hides”
You’ll see a stretch of scoria as you head north up the street.
But it's not the road or the scenery that counts;
It's the old friends that you meet.
There's the same old barber shop and “Herby” cutting hair.
“Ben Determann's General Mdse.” with Fred Henry working there.
Across the street is the “Post Office”, “Carl Indergard's” is next door.
“Prokop Bros. Pool and Refreshments”, “Jimmy Christensen's Store”.
Across the alley is “South Side Merc.”, good old Adam Roth is the same.
Right next door is “Drugs and Soda”, “McAdams Drug” is the name.
Of this drugstore I have memories; of the ice cream cones I’d smack;
Of medicines and stock tonics, but above all, my old friend “Mac”.
Next door is the “First National Bank” with its pillars by the door.
The Milstens, John and son Wellman, still pace its bright, tiled floor.
There's Mr. Haney on the steps, and then we turn to meet
The two old partners, Hugh and Nick, hurrying across the street.
Here's “Clark Hardware” on your right, and “Fleming's” with “Bucky” in charge.
“City Drug” and “Brownfield's Store”, the town seems rather large.
There's the old familiar gas pumps in front of “Ehrle and Doyles”.
The same old bench on the sidewalk, and the rack with cans of oil.
That bench is vacant beside the door and it makes me very sad;
There's Frank Dick waiting alone, in vain for Peter Indergard and my Dad.
There's “Sorenson's” place across the street, “Machinery by John Deere”.
There's Henry and daughter, Marvel. The older “boys” gather there.
“Thompson Hardware” on the corner; the “Gamble Store” sandwiched between.
“Skip” Thompson is washing windows, his usual Thursday routine.
Across from there is “Indergard's”, the cash store for clothing and food.
Next to them is “Ingman's Lunch”, where the coffee and food is good.
There's the long, low canopy of “Chrysler's Garage”, “Fred Altenberg's Shoe Shop”.
“Cafe — Hotel — Restaurant” with “Mary Lindhe, Prop”.
“Ye Olde Town Pump” and “Barber Shop”, and “Mary Metzger — Tailor”.
A service star hangs in her window, her “Joey ” is a sailor.
The only way the town has changed is the diminished population.
There's a reason for that emptiness, we know it only too well.
“Our boys” are on the fighting fronts, Casablanca and Guadalcanal.
But when this war is over and everything cools down,
You can bet your bottom dollar they’ll go back to The Old Home Town.
Yes, there's something about old Belfield, the home of poor and rich,
Ranchers, farmers, businessmen and the man who digs the ditch.
No, it's not Heart River; nor its groves of trees and the buildings aren’t so grand,
It's just the folks that live there, the friends that shake your hand
By Thor G. Olson, “Local Yokel”
Written in the ‘40's
We all have our moments when we sit quietly down,
And our thoughts drift back to our old home town.
Time passes swiftly and we’re growing older too;
The kids we knew as babies are now as big as you.
No, it's not the buildings that give the town its name,
It's the good old folks that live there that keep your town the same.
You will see the N. P. depot standing by the track,
But it's folks like Holmes and Barrows that welcome a fellow back.
You’ll see the tall, red elevators with grain stored in the bin;
But it's Doering, Thompson and others that draw the farmers in.
Before you get to Main Street you’ll see signs up on all sides,
“Kessel's”, “Poluck's”, “Lumber”, “We buy butter, eggs, cream and hides”
You’ll see a stretch of scoria as you head north up the street.
But it's not the road or the scenery that counts;
It's the old friends that you meet.
There's the same old barber shop and “Herby” cutting hair.
“Ben Determann's General Mdse.” with Fred Henry working there.
Across the street is the “Post Office”, “Carl Indergard's” is next door.
“Prokop Bros. Pool and Refreshments”, “Jimmy Christensen's Store”.
Across the alley is “South Side Merc.”, good old Adam Roth is the same.
Right next door is “Drugs and Soda”, “McAdams Drug” is the name.
Of this drugstore I have memories; of the ice cream cones I’d smack;
Of medicines and stock tonics, but above all, my old friend “Mac”.
Next door is the “First National Bank” with its pillars by the door.
The Milstens, John and son Wellman, still pace its bright, tiled floor.
There's Mr. Haney on the steps, and then we turn to meet
The two old partners, Hugh and Nick, hurrying across the street.
Here's “Clark Hardware” on your right, and “Fleming's” with “Bucky” in charge.
“City Drug” and “Brownfield's Store”, the town seems rather large.
There's the old familiar gas pumps in front of “Ehrle and Doyles”.
The same old bench on the sidewalk, and the rack with cans of oil.
That bench is vacant beside the door and it makes me very sad;
There's Frank Dick waiting alone, in vain for Peter Indergard and my Dad.
There's “Sorenson's” place across the street, “Machinery by John Deere”.
There's Henry and daughter, Marvel. The older “boys” gather there.
“Thompson Hardware” on the corner; the “Gamble Store” sandwiched between.
“Skip” Thompson is washing windows, his usual Thursday routine.
Across from there is “Indergard's”, the cash store for clothing and food.
Next to them is “Ingman's Lunch”, where the coffee and food is good.
There's the long, low canopy of “Chrysler's Garage”, “Fred Altenberg's Shoe Shop”.
“Cafe — Hotel — Restaurant” with “Mary Lindhe, Prop”.
“Ye Olde Town Pump” and “Barber Shop”, and “Mary Metzger — Tailor”.
A service star hangs in her window, her “Joey ” is a sailor.
The only way the town has changed is the diminished population.
There's a reason for that emptiness, we know it only too well.
“Our boys” are on the fighting fronts, Casablanca and Guadalcanal.
But when this war is over and everything cools down,
You can bet your bottom dollar they’ll go back to The Old Home Town.
Yes, there's something about old Belfield, the home of poor and rich,
Ranchers, farmers, businessmen and the man who digs the ditch.
No, it's not Heart River; nor its groves of trees and the buildings aren’t so grand,
It's just the folks that live there, the friends that shake your hand
By Thor G. Olson, “Local Yokel”
Written in the ‘40's