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7 W. Park
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When the Hernandez Family first arrived in McAlester, they bought 2 Katy
boxcars and converted them into a home. It was situated off the west
side of the MK&T tracks just south of Park Street in North Town.
McAlester was 2 towns at the time -- North Town and South Town. Our postal
address was Box 75, North McAlester, Oklahoma. In 1938 or 1939, Linzel & Jesse paid $100.00 for the house on 7 West Park and signed the deed over to Daddy (Jose Hernandez). Originally, the house was the office of Bolen Mines and in the back was something like a stable -- I don't know what it's called but they kept the horses and mules that were used to work in the mines. It was a huge building with stalls. When we moved to the new house, Daddy rented out the boxcar home to some people. Out behind the house on Park was another little house that was fixed up and rented out. The lady that lived there came to McAlester to be near her husband who was in the penitentiary. She was very poor so Daddy and Mama never really got any rent money from her. She was a wonderful lady and very nice. She and Mama drank coffee and visited together every day. Park street was about 2 blocks long and went from N. Birch to A Street. House addresses weren't numbered like they are today. Each house had a sequential number. Linzel's house sat on the north side of the street and was 3 W Park because his house was the 3rd house from the railroad tracks. Our house was on the south side of the street and the 7th house from the tracks. |
