3810 Ridge Road, Ransomville, NY Near Lockport, NY. Dad's second job was here, as a farm hand at the age of 17 if I've got the numbers right? He had been working on a farm near Utica, NY starting at the age of 16. Had to drop out of school and work to help support his family. Good stories! He lived in the above house with the owner's family at first until he and my Mom moved to a tiny place just down the road when they married in 1945. I arrived not long after, so Dad was working here when I was born!
The place seems pretty run down now, but was a prosperous dairy farm in the day! Dad has told lots of stories about his days here, including watching some of the very first top secret experimental jet airplanes flying over from a nearby air base. This was the middle of WWII!
One of Dad's stories involved him driving a tractor through the wall of the shed/barn shown in the picture below, not long after it had been expanded using very hard to obtain lumber. Again - during WWII and resources had to be allocated to the war effort first, and even though the owner of the farm also owned a lumber mill, he had to go through considerable paperwork to get permission to use his own lumber on his farm! Another story to follow about a car accident Dad had just
down the road a bit. Is there a trend here? But please remember that
he was between the ages of 17 and 19 while working here!
Below --- Recent aerial view of the farm (photographed from my computer screen) Map/aerial view link I tried didn't work? Later edit - I think this link will work. Link works, plus you can click on the little guy and see a street view of the place.... this interwebs thingy is GREAT!
As a farm worker during WWII, Dad got a deferment from the draft as an essential worker. Food for the troops and for the folks at home was important!
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