Albert KinneyInterview

With AliciaPeterson

Eureka, MT

11/00

           Albert Kinney was born up Pinkham Creek on August 27, 1920. He lived on the Homestead up Gut Creek. His dad was from Almaway, Michigan and came here in 1910, lived inWhitefish for a while.  His parentsgot married in Eureka, MT in 1910, at what is now the Catholic Parsonage. Albert was the youngest child of four, 2 brothers Ervin and Archie andone sister, Dorothy.

           They moved to the Thatcher place, which is now the Pinkham Ranchwhen he was 4 or 5 years old.  Hewent to the Pinkham schoolhouse for the first 3 years with about 6 or 8 otherkids.  He had to walk to school,which was about a mile and half.

           Albert moved to Eureka in 1938-started school and went through gradeschool and graduated in 1947. The principal in the grade school was ProfessorPrice and the principal in the high school was Coren (sic) and then DonBoslough.

           There were only three houses in his neighborhood in Eureka.  His parents owned the whole block and how there are housesall around it.  He still livesthere.

           After school Albert wanted to go to college and do bookkeeping but thedoctor said his eyes were too bad.  Sohe ended up working in the mills.  Hefirst worked at Kennedy Stevens, which is now Hursts mill.  It burned down.  hotels a prix reduits LevocaThenhe went to work for W.C. Albey (sic), which is now Gwynns Lumber where heworked until 1960.  Then he went towork at Hursts in Fortine.  Afterawhile Plum Creek bought it out and he worked there until he retired in1990.  When he was working in themills he ran the planer for 15-20 years and still has all of his fingers.

           When he was growing up he liked to ride bikes and snowmobiles when he gotout of school.  When he was inschool he couldnt play sports because of poor eye sight.  He has always like western music.  He likes to read quite a bit. He got good grades in school.  Hedoesnt think the teachers were as good as they are today. He couldnt do much hunting because of his sight. His brothers and dad hunted.  Stockholm accommodationInabout the 40s and 50s they planted elk on Pinkham. Albert said that his dad had never seen any moose or horns (?) aroundhere in the 30s and 40s.

           When he lived up Pinkham, the neighbors were about a mile and a halfapart.  They had dances from houseto house.  The traditions are aboutthe same but back then you didnt get anything fancy, because you didnthave the money.  You had to make duewith what food or clothes you had and mom made most of the clothes.  He didnt get any allowance, just did what needed tobe done around the house and land.  Thefad at the time was overalls, jeans, t-shirts, and flannels.

           In Eureka there were several businesses. There was Eureka Commercial, two bars, Montana Market, the Creamery, anda Texaco station and a Farmers Union gas station.  There were two hotels in town, one was where the Town Pump isnow and the one that was just restored. (National Hotel)  The one where the Town Pump is burned down and the postoffice was in it.

           Some of the doctors were Dr. Hunter and then Dr. Lowell (sic). He was here for a while then found out he didnt have a license andthen he left.  A Dr. Clarkput in a hospital down town next to Eureka Drug Store, where they remodeled it. He made house calls and delivered babies. The state took over everything and condemned it so he had to shuteverything down.  His family washealthy, they wouldnt go to the doctor when they had the flu or colds andthats all they got.

           Some of his (Alberts) nephews were in the war (WWII). A lot of kids from his classes were also in the war.

           When they went on a trip they went to Oregon and Idaho in a model AFord.  They were dependablecars.  They went to Oregon becausehis moms sisters lived there.  Archie(brother) moved to Post Falls, Idaho so they stopped to visit he and his wife. All of his brothers and sisters got married. Archie eventually moved back to Montana. When Albert got enough money to buy a decent car he traveled to Canadaand to Glacier Park.

           While growing up in 1946 there was a flood that took out theTobacco River Bridge in town.  Theyhad to put up a boardwalk that was the only way to get back and forth into town. Where the historic buildings are now was all under water and over to theLincoln Electric building is now.  Therewere a bunch of dams going down the river to generate electricity.

           To this day his brother Ervin and him are the only ones in thatgeneration alive.  He went to his 50^thclass reunion.  Most of his friendsfrom his graduating class have died, one just recently.