Early day Garland, seven miles from where we lived in Penrose, was a bustling place with hotels, a department store, at least one, an elevator, and who knows what else? I remember Mother taking me to the department store to buy a pair of overshoes. Our Penrose mail was delivered through the Garland Post Office until long after I left home in January 1950. Joe Bob Cubbage was the lovable postmaster, and we used to think he read all of our postcards, which was fine, because nothing of import was ever on any of them. The Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy RR went through Garland on its way to Cody. Passenger cars on this railroad carried Yellowstone Park visitors in early times, and the railroad was used to move Japanese internees on the final leg of their sad journey to the Heart Mountain Relocation Center during WWII, as the prison facilities were politely called. We had moved to Ralston during the WW II years from 1941-1944, where we lived immediately adjacent to the railroad. We went out by the tracks and waved at all of the Japanese people in the rail cars as they went by, and they were always waving at us. We had only a partial understanding of this great American Tragedy when we were very young.
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There was also a bank - our grandfather's half brother, Great Uncle Isaac Wasden, lived in the building after the bank abandoned it, until his death. The sidewalk was a boardwalk - I remember walking on it, holding onto Mother's hand. There was a wonderful picture of Joe Bob Cubbage in The Billings Gazette about a week ago, along with an article aboug Garland.
In later years I remember riding to the beet dump at Garland in the old truck and being in awe of the big steam engines as they roared into the "station". I loved the Post Office and remember when Joe Bob Cubbage let us help him fold the flag. Also, there were the years we went to the Post Office to pick up the crate/box of baby chicks. Amazing things came through the Post Office. Fun memories.
The other exciting stop in Garland was Gail Burke's blacksmith shop. Dad went there to get farm machinery parts welded. We were not supposed to look, but I always did to watch the sparks fly.
A significantly belated comment, but I too remember the boardwalk. Grandpa Wasden took me to the store to buy me some overshoes and I remember walking on the boardwalk.
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