If you grew up in a small town like I did, old dirt roads and street corners where houses once stood may have a lot of meaning for you. For me, it was the corner of North Ellison Avenue and Arapaho Street in El Reno, Oklahoma. North Ellison Avenue represented a lot back then. In fact, it was my grandmothers house that once stood at 719 North Ellison Avenue in the far northwest bottoms of El Reno, Oklahoma. Her name was Netter Overstreet, born in 1894. It became the centerpiece and focal point where my Oklahoma childhood stories began. It was where my siblings and I first arrived from Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1964, where dirt roads and outhouses were new to us. Right next-door I’d spend time with an elderly blind lady named Mrs. Nelson, helping her feed her chickens and gather eggs. From that street corner I would walk down the block to Burton Park and enjoy my childhood dragonfly summers.
Perhaps many of you growing up had your own North Ellison Avenue, on the street where you lived.
Introducing North Ellison Avenue Press, inspired by life stories from the past.
Maurice this is so inspiring!
This project has cultivated a deep emotional tie that won’t let me leave certain memories of my past behind.