WELL, ALL I CAN SAY, AGAIN FOR THE UMPTEENTH TIME IS, 'I DIDN'T GET TO GO TO THE 4TH OF JULY RODEO AT DAN RUSSELL ARENA IN THE FOLSOM PARK! HOWEVER, "THERE IS ALWAYS NEXT YEAR," AS MY LOVELY WIFE POINTS OUT.
In the meantime, my stepfather, Mr. Barnum, lived in the Folsom area from about 1957 through 1965. He left me some of his old rodeo days photos and lots of good memories when he passed away a few years ago. Mr. Barnum was an interesting sort of guy. He was born somewhere in Westville, Oklahoma, September, 23, 192?. Mr. Barnum knew Dan Russel, as well as most of the other local characters around Folsom in back in 1957. Almost everyone who was anyone hung out in one or another of the 13 'watering holes' in and around the area. There were barely 4000 people living in Folsom at the time Mr. Barnum built a beer bar, resturant, and store at Bass Lake just west of Folsom--and, Sutter street was the closest place you could get supplies. Incidentally, the only remaining 'watering hole' from the old days, the Sutter Club is still in operation in the same location today, though not under the same ownership. I was a teenager in the eleventh grade at Folsom High School, the 'Old One.' Elvis Presley was definitely here to stay, but Roy Rogers was King of the Cowboys.
