THE LAST FAIR
INTRODUCTION In the 1950’s my large family lived in an antebellum stone house on a hob- by-farm owned by a local business tycoon in a Susquehanna River town. The tycoon hired my father to make this farm a showplace, and he made it so with meticulous care. My parents spawned eight children, and my brother Terry (14 months younger) and I were the oldest. Dad was a good farmer with an eye for agrarian beauty and efficiency. His job was to raise prize animals and crops while keeping the property immaculately clean and neat. Economics were secondary. We lived in that stone house in a corner of a building complex that included neatly painted and trimmed barns, animal pens, garages, and offices The complex was surrounded by neat fields of hay, corn, and wheat. All fencing was straight and painted bright white. I don’t recall a broken or bent board or a blemish in the paint on the buildings or fencing – probably because there weren’t any. Neatly trimmed grass with flower-filled and weeded borders covered most open areas. It was my job to mow the grass, and it took a full day to do it. I remember well the long, hot summer days when the time dragged on. Those days seemed very long, as so many days since. But they seem like they were
The image above was provided by Doug Kuziak, and reflects a typical 1952 summer day on the Kuziak family farm near Bloomsburg. At present, the author’s classmate Doug still lives on that farm. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project was motivated by urging from my son, David Bache. He made many valuable suggestions that shaped the tone and emphasis of a story describing events from my adolescent years in the mid-1950’s. He liked my little memoir called “Dancing with the Steers.” I wrote this my family. But David urged me to consider a wider audience. This is my attempt. My younger sister Julie is a careful editor who enhanced the clarity and quality of the narrative. Betsy Whitenight Strunk is an important character in this story and remains a close friend now, 70 years later. Betsy helped me remember important details and provided most of the figures. My middle-school classmate Doug Kuziak also provided photos.
only yesterday. Days pass slowly, but years go by so quickly ……
The antebellum (i.e., pre-1860) stone house where the author’s family lived in the 1960’s. This is a 2026 photo taken by Doug Kuziak. It hasn’t changed.
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