In 1953, the US Bureau of Reclamation decided to build an embankment dam across the Snake River between Swan Valley Idaho and Alpine Wyoming. At the time, Grandpa and Grandma Livingston lived in a ranch near the Snake River in Alpine Wyoming. As a result of the dam and the establishment of the Palisades Reservoir, Grandma and Grandpa's home and ranch would be covered by the waters of the reservoir. Thus, they sold the ranch and moved to 1045 Darling Street in Ogden Utah.
While building the dam started in 1953, it was not finished until 1957. According to an entry from Grandpa's journal, they sold the ranch and moved to Ogden in 1952. However, five of their children (Shirley, Justin, Geneal, Colleen, and Leon) graduated from Star Valley High School. (Uncle Leon would have been in the SVHS class of 1956 with my Dad.) (See p. 334-335, Corsi, E.W., "Hills of Home: A History of Etna and Alpine 1885-1989," available online, last accessed August 1, 2021) Mom and Aunt Madalyn were 9 years old in 1952 when they moved to Ogden.
I remember visiting Grandma and Grandpa Livingston when I was younger. These are specific things I remember.
- Grandpa Livingston always had a toothpick in his mouth. When I would give him a hug to say hello or before we left from visiting, he would kiss me on the cheek. His toothpick would poke me.
- I remember eating oatmeal and toast for breakfast. Grandma Livingston would drink Postum with her breakfast. Sometimes Mom would drink it too. Dad said we should not drink Postum because it was a "hot drink."
- I also remember eating fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy for dinner.
- There was a small alcove off the kitchen in the hallway that led to the bedrooms and bathroom. There was almost always an unfrosted, angel's food cake in a cake serving dish with the glass dome lid on the table in this alcove. I remember as a young boy trying to think of a way to get the lid off of the cake quietly (i.e., without making the glass "ping") so that I could sneak a piece of cake.
- In one end of the alcove was Grandma's step stool and the telephone hung on the wall. When we would call grandma on the phone from home, I would imagine Grandma sitting on this stool while she talked to us on the phone.
- The house had one bedroom that was "Uncle Leon's bedroom" and another bedroom that was "Mom and Aunt Madlyn's bedroom." Uncle Leon's old bedroom was the guest bedroom and Mom's old bedroom was Grandma's sewing room.
- In the living room, Grandpa had his recliner and Grandma had her chair. There was a magazine rack that had the church magazines, Reader's Digest, and other magazines. Grandma and Grandpa liked to do word search puzzles. There was always at least one word search puzzle book in the magazine rack.
- I remember sitting in the living room to watch "The Price is Right," "As the World Turns," and "General Hospital," and "Days of Our Lives." with my grandparents during the day.
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