[Ed. note: Without our memories, some buildings may well be worthless. When paired with a story, many are priceless. Thanks for the memory, Bob!]
It was just an old brick building on the northwest corner of Speer and Federal in Northwest Denver - probably past the century mark. I doubt if it had any historical value to most people. However, within that building, lots of pleasant events were created.
In September, 1937, I remember my Dad and I going into that building where he purchased a brand new 1937 Ford 1 1/2 ton truck. He used the few hundred dollars which were gleaned out of our recent farm sale. That was a thrilling experience. I remember feeling the smooth royal blue paint, smelling the newness of the interior upholstery, and listening to the quiet, powerful V8 engine pull that big machine off the lot.
Decades later, that building was occupied by another Ford dealer—Hover Motors, Inc. It was then I, who was the buyer of a new Ford truck. An attractive, blue eyed office worker helped me with the paperwork. Later on I worked at Hover's as a salesman. Still later, I left Denver to establish my own business in Phoenix, Arizona. Eventually, I returned to that familiar old building. My purpose on that trip was to remove that smiling, blue eyed lovely, from the building and take her to Phoenix to become my bride. 30 years later, Shirley and I drove by to see the old building, where we had met. We were shocked! Bulldozers had just finished leveling the structure—leaving only piles of dirt as a monument.
Lots of memories flashed through my mind. I doubt if it took very long to demolish that structure, but the memories which began there over the past seven decades, can never be torn apart.
Excerpt from the book, Are You Ready For This?, Bob Coulson, iUniverse, Lincoln, NE, 2006.
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