During the 1950's and 60's Brockton, MA was still a bustling industrial city that was noted for being a shoe manufacturing center. While those factories were closing, many of them moving south for cheaper labor costs and tax breaks, enough of them were still running to provide employment. In addition, the skilled laborers often possessed craftsmanship that could not be taught, only learned from those who had come before them. The industry as a whole, however, was on the move.
As a youngster Brockton was a collection of four sections and mine was the North End, also called Montello. We had our own Junior High School, Little League, playgrounds and the other amenities that made us a community, including an 18 hole Municipal Golf Course, one of four golf couses citywide. Although we were mostly a blue collar populace, with many of us growing up in owner occupied two and three family apartments, we were thankful for what we had. So it was a grand day when my parents scraped enough money together to buy a small three bedroom ranch nearby.
Most of our summer days were spent at Walker Playground where we played baseball and had a team that played against the other playground teams. It was during this time that we made aquaintences with other kids on those teams, and rode our bikes to their field if it was an 'away' game. The only adult involved would be the home teams' supervisor.
As we grew older we would interact with these kids at various events such as dances, the Brockton Fair and other happenings of the day. Our parents were mainly products of the Great Depression and, later, World War Two. Though their beginnings were humble they were living the dream of home ownership, a world at peace, ( the Godless, Communist Russians were a threat), we were confident that our government would keep them from our shores.
Times have certainly changed but it doesn't negate the fact that we were the luckiest generation, brought into the world by the greatest generation. Brockton, MA was unique in its' own way but, no different from hundreds of other small cities.
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