Written by Joe Montgomery:
 

September 1936, G.W. Montgomery, wife Rosie, five children Opal, John, Arthur, Joe, and Jewel, and one nephew, Alfred Moran arrived at Sunset Labor camp, commonly known as the "Government Camp."

A 1929 stake-bed truck held the family of 8 and their meager belongings.  They had come to the camp seeking a place to live while looking for work.  Work available at that time of the year meant picking cotton.

They were assigned a tent with wooden floor with wood up the side approximately 4 ft., and another tent to be located behind the main tent and had no floor or wooden sides. There were no electricity or water at the tent sites.  The main tent was for cooking purposes and for sleeping Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery and the two girls.  The other tent as sleeping quarters for the four boys.

The family was soon at work in the cotton fields.  Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery, sons John and Arthur, daughter Opal and nephew Alfred.  The baby, Jewel, accompanied her parents to the field and spent her day riding on the end of her parents cotton sack, or playing in the shade of the cotton wagon, at the end of the cotton row.

The youngest boy, Joe, enrolled in Vineland school, where he along with other children walked round trip, 2 miles each day.  Saturdays were spent in the cotton field with the rest of the family.

Restroom and shower facilities were available in the camp, with several families using them.  this large building consisted of flush toilets and showers.  One of the duties of the Montgomery family was the cleaning of this restroom once a week.  Restroom duty was share with other members living in the camp.

Dances were usually held on Saturday night, when the weather permitted, because the dance floor was a wooden floor with no roof.  This dance floor was located just West of the now existing community building.

Music was provided by members of the camp.  There were fiddlers, harmonica and guitar players.  a good time was had by all.

The camp members did their own  policing and settling of disputes, with Mr. Montgomery usually acting as bouncer at these Saturday night dances.  He was a large man.

For Sunday church services, an arbor of brush, was erected, near the rest rooms.

The Montgomery family spent approximately a year at this facility, and greatly appreciated the fact that this site was available to them.
 

submitted by Joe Montgomery.  Mr. Montgomery was employed by the DiGiorgio School District as bus driver.  He is retired now.  his mother, Rosie Montgomery passed away just short of her 104th birthday.

 

Personal reminiscences
The Arvin Tiller/Lamont Reporter
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