Posted on by Phil Strawn

Chapter 1. Wagons Ho-To California!


My grandparents, my father, and my aunt migrated from Texas to California in 1934 because there were no jobs available in Fort Worth or Dallas. When reaching the desert town of Needles, CA, they were immediately labeled “Okie’s” by the border guards. My grandfather, a man of few but choice words, mostly curse ones, did his best to convince the guards that he was a Texan and had visited Oklahoma once for a funeral, which made the situation worse because the guards then labeled them Texas Okie’s, which was a double insult, and to boot, they weren’t welcome in the land of pleasant weather and movie stars. Grandfather turned himself into a poor man’s Will Rogers, with plenty of aw-shucks, dirt-kicking, and head-scratching, which made the guards laugh, so the family was admitted. He forgot to mention the three pistols, the sawed-off shotgun, and his pet Rattlesnake, stashed in a burlap bag under the front seat of his Ford.

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Wagons Ho to California ! Chapter 2. The Arrival

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12 Replies to “Chapter 1. Wagons Ho-To California!”

  1. Looking forward to chapter two.

    One look down the aisles of the new HEB proves your point about our open borders. Very few look like they were born in Texas, much less living in Fort Worth for a long time.   Alas, I can only imagine that is what heaven will look like…a bunch of travelers looking for a better place to be.  I look forward to that chapter two as well.   

    I enjoy your ‘Notes from the Cactus Patch’ as they provide a well-sought chuckle during a busy afternoon. Often, one gets too involved in the mundane of the ‘have to get done’ and forgets to seek the joy of life.  

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  2. Uprooting was simpler back then when families weren’t leaving a job for a job. They usually moved when they depleted the game in their area and needed new hunting grounds in search of vittles and razorbacks. You apparently have difficulty admitting your grandfather was outed as a Texas Okie-your roots. Live with it and be proud. Thanks for the laughs, Phil. 🙂

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    1. Granddad John Henry was born in Kennedale Texas in 1893 so he was a Texan to the bone. Now, on my mothers side of the family, they were all Okies that were transplanted to Santa Anna, Texas. I am proud that the Strawn family made it to LA and had a good seven year run of it before moving back to Fort Worth. John Steinbeck wrote the best book on those times and trials, The Grapes of Wrath.

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  3. Texas Okies… too bad he didn’t show them Bubba.
    We have tons of Californians moving here…that is why my house has tripled in price. Lets see…what could they be getting away from? Hmmm…the worst governor ever, high taxes, and all the crt, dei you can handle.

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