Memories – Garner State Park

I think it was during the summer of 1962 that the three of us decided to go to Garner State Park for the weekend. Richard Smallwood, Clifford Rains, and I had been good friends all through Burbank and Sam Houston. Smallwood and Rains had known each other for many more years than that. We wanted to go there for the experience before we got too old and married. I had heard from others about the dances at night and the river and the kids that would come from other parts of the state to be there. Understand, we were three guys still in our teens. We took with us a change of clothes, swimming trunks, and a few snacks. We had no reservations, did not think any were needed, and figured we would not need much.

Rains and Smallwood both had new 1962 Chevy Impalas and I had a 1959 Ford Galaxy. My car had a bigger motor and used more gas, so we took Clifford’s car. I don’t remember how long it took to get there, but we were tired and got there just before they closed the gates. There were no cabins available, no campsites available, but we found a tree off to the side where we parked the car to make our camp with only a blanket to lay on the ground or to sleep in the car.

A short time later, the warmup music started so we hurried to the pavilion for the dancing. If you know where Garner is located, then you know how hot it is there during the summer. As the sun was setting and a little breeze was in the air, it was time to find a dance partner. All of the kids were there to have fun and to dance with someone they did not know. A guy could not ask for a better chance to get a girl to dance with him. It was a fun night dancing with some cute girls and the music was great there on the pavilion. Trying to sleep that night was not nearly as much fun.

The next morning, we went for a drive that took us on a drive that included the road continuing down the middle of the creek to get to where the road continued on the other side of the creek. From up on the hill we could look down on a place that we learned was a Baptist Camp where they had summer camps for youth. We then went to another place on the creek and Clifford parked in the creek and we washed his car. After lunch, we decided to go swimming, so we went and put on our swimming trunks, lock our stuff in the trunk of the car, and went swimming. When we got out of the water and went to change into our clothes for the night – that is when Clifford realized his keys were in his pants pocket, locked in the trunk.

The car was unlocked with all of the windows rolled down; however, the cars back then had no trunk release inside the car and the trunk had to be unlocked with a key. Panic was all over Clifford’s face and Smallwood could get carried away with teasing Clifford. I told them to spread out and ask if anyone had some pliers or a wrench while I took out the backseat. I knew we could get the upper part of the backseat out there would be a small opening to the trunk. We got it out and got a close hanger from a family nearby and managed to reach his pants. We got his keys and opened the trunk.

It was getting late in the afternoon, so Clifford and Richard went to change clothes while I put the seat back in the car. The music had just got started when I got there. Another great evening, but we were very tired by the time the music stopped. We had made some new friends and exchanged names, but we knew it was unlikely we would ever see them again. The drive home seemed even longer, but we had enjoyed the weekend and made some good memories of those days.

Floyd Cramer – Last Date