Alena "Jean" (Lara) Smith

Living

Jeanie was not born in Seneca. She moved here because her dad wanted work.

Jeanie lived on B Street . She had also lived in a cheese box. It was painted yellow. The cheese box was cramped.  It had two rooms: a kitchen/ living room and a sleeping area.  Her family had 4 kids, and her mom and dad.

Jeanie said in her free time she would play at Big Tree.  Big Tree had a tire swing. She used to climb up on Big Tree on spikes to the huge branches.  Her sister Lola would climb up and then get scared.   Jeanie would also play at Porcupine Rock. Jeanie swam at the swimming pool every day when it was warm enough, and she would play in the woods. She ice skated in the winter at the slough.

On the 4^th of July everyone would have a picnic out at Parrish Cabin Campground.  They had Christmas just like they have now. Jeanie got ice skates once for a present.

They would take whoever was sick to the nurse, Carine Williams. She made you feel good and she had a healing touch. If it was bad they would have to take you to the doctor in John Day .  It would take 45 minutes to get to John Day .  The road was paved then, but not as wide as it is now.

Some of the buildings, including the manager’s house, were made of brick. Most of the hotel in Seneca was made of knotty pine and wood.

Jeanie also has some old Seneca money (tokens) from a long time ago.

Jeanie wasn’t in Seneca when it was 54º below zero.

Back then, all the kids did the same kinds of things as Jeanie.  I know because my dad and my grandma tell the same kind of stories.  They have lived here a long time also.

The School

Jeanie Smith’s experiences at Seneca School are many.  She attended school and worked there too, and she has some interesting stories to tell.

She attended school from 1945 to 1953.  Coincidentally, her best friend, Ginger Brown, was the principal’s (Hilliard Brown) daughter.  Her teachers included Esma Reynolds, who made you memorize all your states and capitals before you could pass to the next grade, Mrs. England , Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Hendrix, and Mr. Brown. Esma Reynolds was also the person who started the rope jumping. Of course, Jeanie participated in the rope jumping.  She went to Eugene and Boise with the rope jumpers. She also played volleyball.

All in all, Jeanie has enjoyed the school and has many good memories.

Work

There were not many jobs available for women back then.  Women could work at the store or post office, clean the hotel, be a teacher’s aide, or do housework.

When Jeanie started working, she was 41 years old.  She worked at the mill cleaning the office for half an hour each day and earned $125.00 per month.  The mill was noisy and muddy at times. A lot of the guys who worked there got deaf.

The train came though the landing and through the shop.  Jeanie doesn’t know how big the train was, but the logs were big.

Jeanie also worked as a janitor at Seneca School . She liked the kids most of all. In her working years at the school (1973-1998), she was once goofing around on the stage dancing and she fell off the stage to a few good laughs.

Jeanie said her favorite jobs were being a mom and working as a janitor at the school.

Change

According to Jeanie Smith, the town has changed in many ways.  There aren’t as many people, but the town is bigger now.  People aren’t as friendly now as when people worked for Hines. The streets are paved now. There’s a better sewer and water system now.  Jeanie said the town has changed so much because it was for the better and many of the rules and laws have changed.  She also said that the environment hasn’t changed much, except there were bigger trees then and there aren’t as many trees now.

She wasn’t sure why the theater closed, but she thought that it was too expensive to run.

Jeanie said that she was here when the store burned down.  She said that it was early in the morning.  It was described as a big fireball and people were running all around.