*all that remains

Yet more pictures from Camden County from my solo visit. When we were kids, my sisters and I would ride with my mother to take my Daddy some lunch.  I do have fond memories of running over to the edge of the fence at No.3 Shipping to hand my daddy a bag of hot lunch under the tall chain link fence that surrounded Gilman Paper Company. Then we three girls, would give daddy a kiss through the small openings in the chain links. You know, it is just one of those sweet memories.   

My dad did not attend college, much less finish high school but instead took a job in Camden County when I was just a few years old. He worked there without missing a day's work for years, he was very dedicated in his job. Even when he drank, he got up the next morning and went to work.  As it goes, the paper company opened in the 40's and ended up being sold somewhere in the time frame of 2000.  When it changed hands, Durango, the company buying stated they had no desires to lay people off and that it would be business as usual.  Unfortunately many things went in the opposite direction as was told. Sadly, my father, along with many, many other people in that local community lost their jobs. The company was closed, and to this day most of it has been demolished.

Many of the young people who worked there went on to get some training and take other jobs, but for men like my father who had done nothing but this kind of work for 20+ to 30 years found themselves displaced. There was much pain and heartache involved not only on our my fathers part, but other families as well.  My father could have learned a different trade but was not willing as was the case with many other men.   It is said that many are still waiting on their last pay check, retirement benefits and separation pay.