That itemized bill was the e ticket cost of the folks’ adding more space to Casa McBeth, after Chris arrived, in April of 1958. The cost of the three room addition, was a little over 9k. Converted into todays dollars would be just over 100K. So a very expensive expansion, indeed.
This bill was an artifact from my parents’ belongings that I had to keep. It’s a cool piece of the family history. What was built during all those hours noted? My sister’s bedroom, the parents’ bathroom, and the piece de resistance, the den. Which was designed to entertain. The highlight being the bar, where I still see my father sitting at the end, reading the night edition of the Progress Bulletin, smoking a Kent, and drinking a Jim Beam and soda before Mom called us for dinner.
A few tidbits in that bill. Look at the labor, 547.5 hours would stretch the project to almost 14 full 40-hour workweeks of labor. The majority of the lumber used was from C&E Lumber in Pomona. They are still in business today. But I noticed that Baker Lumber wasn’t used for much. Which is very surprising considering the family lived across the street from us. All of that lumber from C&E amounted to 11% of the entire project.
1958 turned out to be the year we first got air conditioning. Other then the bathroom, I’m guessing that was Mom’s favorite addition. Also, I love the cost of the building permit, $18. But Sam Gill was not employed in 1953 to build our actual house. Nope, the folks and our neighbors next door, the Thorburns had both houses built at the same time, employing Mr Thorburn’s father. I don’t think they did BOGO deals in 1953.
The house stayed in the family for 56 years, until the folks sold it in 2009. It holds amazing memories.
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