I was born in Longview but lived in Kelso. Half my family was from Kelso, the other half from Longview. I don't remember any prostitutes but I do remember the taverns. I actually remember returning in the car from Longview and as we passed the tavern under the bridge, my dad brought the car to a screeching hault and jumped out to assist his brother who was fighting on the sidewalk.

If the newspaper story above, is true, its no wonder the Longview family looked down their noses at the Kelso family.

The only hazy memory I have is that my great aunt Catherine (from Kelso) moved to Long Beach and lived in a beautiful old Victorian house near Oysterville. Her name was Catherine but everyone called her Kate. As a child I thought it looked like a museum with all of the oriental carpets and stained glass and ornate furniture. I knew something wasn't quite right because my parents would always skirt every question about her and her house and her lack of husband. The family inherited her house and used it in the summers and in the winters when we dug clams.

Kelso was the old town - Longview was the company town where most of the men worked in mills and had a steady pay check. The people of Kelso were mainly loggers and fisherman. I had another uncle that lived on a float house amidst the log booms. You had to walk the booms to get to his place. I don't know about shake bolts back then but nowadays, you cut them to length and then bust the shakes out of the bolt with a fro.

Yes, Kelso was a rough and tumble place back then. My dad moved us to Seattle in the 50's because as he said, "He wanted a little more for us kids and didn't want me to marry the son of the guy who owned the service station next to the hiway" - you know, the one with all the hubcaps.

Kelso is an odd little place but its my hometown and I remember it fondly. My grandmas little cedar shack is still there. My cousin lives in it.