STORIES
If our lives are a book, the cars we drive define the chapters.
These are stories featuring cars, trucks, and even RVs that played a role in the lives of the people who owned or drove them. Many are set in Fort Stockton, Texas and involve a cast of characters in and around the dusty southwest Texas town. A lot of the stories are shared around the table at The Grounds for Divorce, where the ‘regulars’ meet.
Pull up a chair and let Lucinda pour you a hot cuppa joe and enjoy.
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ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES
Harlan Beaucamp showed up at the Grounds for Divorce this morning. Drove into town in his old ’59 Dodge W300 Power Wagon. Harlan and his Dodge were both cut from the same cloth, or sheet metal, as it were. Tough as a boot, as few repairs as possible, both in need of several more that…
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THE TALL COTTON SUPPER CLUB
Everybody who was anybody in Fort Stockton back in the day had a membership at the Tall Cotton Yacht and Supper Club out on the shores of Lake Leon. There seemed to be competition between the more well heeled as to who could outdo whom in those heady days after the war where everyone was…
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THE LITTLE HELPER
Back after the war, Fort Stockton was going through the same growth spurt the rest of the country was. New shopping centers were popping up everywhere. City planners were figuring out how to expand as quickly as possible without the town losing the tumbleweed atmosphere the residents had grown to love and take for granted. …
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WESTERN MIGRATION OF T. REX
Some men just have the gift. It can’t be defined, certainly can’t be taught. If it could be bottled, it would sell for a fortune. The ones who can capitalize on it become rich. The ones who can capitalize on it and market it, change the world. Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk,…
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COBRA DAMAGE
Hal Pepke had a hankerin’ for the unusual. Always had. Folks speculated that’s how he ended up marrying his cousin, Anaya. ‘Anaya’ was an Indian name meaning “being completely free”, in this case “completely free” meant not having to worry about the family tree not really branching to the degree it probably should. Nonetheless, they…
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THIRST FOR A HURST
In Highland Park it was easier to make the short drive to Tully’s from the corporate offices than it was to drive all the way home, even though dinner was waiting. Tully’s was a bar Chrysler executives had been going to for decades. A tradition, of sorts. Old school. Dark oak paneling surrounding cracked leather…
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DRIVING A HARD BARGAIN, ALL THE WAY HOME
It was a bitter cold January morning when the old couple walked into the dealership. He was dressed in a crisp double breasted suit, she in a floral print matronly dress mostly hidden by a thick wool overcoat. They were the first couple in that day. The more seasoned salesman glanced at the new kid. …
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WHO’S THAT BAD GIRL?
SPECIAL FATHER’S DAY EDITION! HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO ALL YOU DADS OUT THERE. I was 17. She was 20. She wore jean shorts that were way too short and shirts that were way too flimsy. High top boots designed for a different kind of combat. Most of the time she wore sunglasses, which was just…
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SPOONING IN A CADDY
George O’Mally drives a big ol’ 1974 Caddy just like this one. His is bright red, too, but the craftsmanship used in taping the tears on his seats is not nearly the same quality as is executed on this one. George retired from the Fort Stockton Regional Airport and Feedlot several years back. Having lived…