Ross's early memories of Holbrook

"The earliest experience that I can recall occurred when we were living in Holbrook, Arizona.  Because of the alkali soil along the banks of the Little Colorado River in this section of Arizona, very little grows.  Our small frame house faced south and was without the benefit of lawn or shade trees.  The wooden steps at the front door provided a place for me to play.  I recall playing on the steps in the warm Arizona sunshine with a large collie dog and her fat, yellow puppies.  They fascinated me as they ran over my legs and tumbled down the steps.  Our house was directly across the street from the Santa Fe railroad tracks and two or three blocks from the Little Colorado river.  When the noisy freight trains or passenger trains would lumber through town and past our house, the frightened little puppies would frantically climb the steps and tumble down again."

(The photo of Holbrook was taken about 12 years later than Ross's memories  but serves to give an idea of the hot, dusty little town by the railroad and river.)