Jack Edward Barth

Autobiography of Jack Edward Barth.

Written October 1990 by Jack Edward Barth.

I would like to start this with a quick review of my parents. Dad (Victor Barth) was one of nine or ten children. He was one of the youngest. I know of only two who were younger, Aunt Julia and his half brother, Hugo. The older children were born in Germany. Since Dad was born in 1882, the family must have emigrated in the mid to late 1870s. The family was from the Idar Oberstein area. This area is famous for its gems. Dad grew up in Newark, New Jersey. He said he quit school after the sixth grade in order to work. What he worked at is unknown to me.

His brother, Emil, was about two years older than Dad and had trouble with Asthma. He was advised to go to Colorado or Arizona for his health. When Dad was nineteen, he and Uncle Emil moved to Colorado. For several years they worked both in Denver and in the Steamboat Springs area. Dad even told about selling colored margarine in Denver, claiming it was butter.

After several years, Dad and Uncle Emil decided to homestead in Deep Creek, north of Steamboat. They borrowed some money from their sister Ida and homesteaded as much land as they could. Between the two of them, they surrounded a parcel of land that allowed them to claim it. They built a one room cabin using logs from a local mountain forest. They hunted deer and birds for their meat. Dad never could understand why there was a limited hunting season, even when he lived in Denver. There was always a shot gun, a 41 Colt revolver, a 25 35 rifle, and often others in the gun cabinet. I remember Dad hunting pheasants even though there was no open season. One time he bagged a doe out of season.

When Dad and Uncle Emil were married and the partnership became uncomfortable, they agreed to split. Uncle Emil insisted he acquire Dad's part. Dad believed that Uncle Emil shorted him when they evaluated the property.

Mother, Jennie Grace Cool, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her father and sister, Anna Cornelia, died when she was quite young. Mother and her mother moved to Colorado to live with my mother's grandmother and step grandfather Hart at their ranch near Clark, Colorado (on the Elk river north of Steamboat Springs).

When Mother and Dad left the Deep Creek Ranch, they moved to Taylor, Washington, where Mother's uncle, Sam Tomes, was supervisor in a coal mine. Vincent, my eldest brother, was born there. After Sam was killed in a mine accident, they moved to Los Angeles, California. Dad worked in a grocery store. Some of our relatives lived there, including my grandmother Hart and Mother Vale (Mary Josephine). My other brother, Donald, was born in Los Angeles.

From L.A., the folks moved to Loveland, Colorado. Dad worked several jobs. At one time he worked in a sugar beet processing plant, which he said was the hardest work he ever did. From there they moved to Denver where I was born November 17, 1919.

I remember almost nothing about the house our family lived in when I was born. It was a small duplex at 41st and Zenobia in northwest Denver. I believe it had no bathroom. The toilet was located in a shed in the backyard, with a water supply and a normal sewer connection. In later years, Vincent reminded me that it had been his job to carry the night pot out and empty it in the toilet each morning. I was also told that Friday evening baths were taken in a wash tub placed on the kitchen floor.

My birthplace was the Lutheran Hospital, across town from our house. At that time, new mothers stayed in the hospital about two weeks. During those two weeks, my father would bring a supply of diapers each evening for the next day, take home the dirty diapers, wash them by hand in the wash tub, hang them to dry, all before bedtime. The trip to and from the hospital was made by trolley which at that time were open, without doors. Collecting the laundry, washing, hanging to dry, and traveling on the trolley during the cold November nights would have been no fun, and that might have been the motivation for Dad to buy the Dodge car in 1920.

At the time of my birth, Dad was 37 and Mother was 31. My two brothers were Vincent, 9, and Donald, 7 years old. My addition to the family must have put a strain on the already crowded living conditions in the small duplex. However, the family continued to live there until I was three years old.

While the age of my parents would not be considered old by present standards, I did notice that some of my friends in school had younger parents. I remember being envious of those who had young mothers.

Having brothers 9 and 7 years older created some interesting problems. I was not able to enter into their play groups and activities. When our parents left the three of us, I was left in their control. When we grew up, I believe that I had a closer relationship with each of them than they had with each other.

In the mid twenties we acquired our first radio, a non powered crystal set, a cube about three inches on each side with a crystal and adjustable whisker to contact the crystal for tuning. We had two pairs of earphones for audio. I remember one of the Dempsey Tunney heavy weight fights when the rest of the family each had one of the detachable ear phones and I was left frantically trying to find out how the fight was progressing.

When I was three, Mother and Dad purchased a house at 33rd and Utica (4500 West 33rd Avenue) for about $4,000. It was a two bedroom house, poorly arranged, since entrance to the smaller bedroom was through the main bedroom. It had a 3/4 basement that was later used for sleeping. When we moved to 33rd street, Mother did not have a washing machine. She hand washed with the old wash board. Soon after we moved to 33rd, we bought a Maytag washing machine that we had for years. The streets at that time were gravel surfaced and did not have a Macadam surface until about 1930. The street lights located on most corners were arc lights.

Donald, Vincent and I were to share the smaller bedroom, so a triple deck bunk bed was purchased. When it was assembled, it was too tall for the room, so Dad had to rework it, shortening the distance between bunks. Donald occupied the top bunk, Vincent the center, and I, the lower. Mother was worried about me falling out of a higher bunk.

The house had a nice living room and dining room, but the family took all of their regular meals in the kitchen. There was a small inside back porch that was occupied by the ice box. Dad made the original ice box, but later we had a commercially made ice box. About 1929 we inherited a G.E. refrigerator from California where Mother Vale (Mary Josephine) and Aunt Jen (Jenny Hill) lived.

In the spring of 1925 I entered kindergarten at the old Edison grade school. In the fall, at the new Edison grade school, when I was to finish kindergarten, the class was over filled, and as one of the older children, I was pushed up to the first grade. Thus, I was one of the youngest and smallest in that class. I always believed that this move had considerable impact on my life: some good and some bad.

The Dodge car was one of the few luxuries that we had. The car was unusual. It had a 12 volt electrical system when all other makes had six volt systems; it had the starter generator as a single unit; the engine clutch was a wet clutch; the gear shift pattern was different from standard; the brakes were mechanical, not hydraulic, and they were mounted only on the rear wheels. For its time, it was a quality car.

Even though Dad grew up in the horse and buggy days, he was willing to do mechanical work on the car. He would even disassemble the engine and file the ends of the bearing caps to reduce the slop in the rod bearings. The tire rims were complicated and had a removable ring that retained the tire. Each time we had a flat (which was often), this rim had to be removed.

Our summer family vacation was usually a one or two week trip to Routt County. The trip to Steamboat Springs was a 180 mile trip over dirt roads, taking all day, usually with a couple of flat tires. Dad had installed a steel box on the rear of the car and a retainer on the left hand running board to carry our camping gear. The Dodge was an open touring car. We did not carry the removable curtains, so rain was always a problem. In Routt County we would sometimes camp in Steamboat Springs and sometimes stay with the Magils. Mrs. Morrel Magil was a schoolmate of Mother's. We would visit the Smiths who lived on the Hart Ranch where Mother grew up. Cousin Paul Barth's second marriage was to the Smith's daughter, Vera. We would also go on to Craig and visit the Blevens. Mr. Blevens was the sheriff in Craig. Mrs. Blevens had been another schoolmate of Mother's.

Other than the trips to Routt County, we often made week end trips to the local mountains to places like Echo Lake. Dad was always an enthusiastic hiker. One of the early hikes was up Mt. Evans before the road was open to the top. Mother and I stopped just above Summit Lake. Dad, Vincent, Donald, Uncle Emil, Carl, and Paul made the top. (Carl and Paul were Uncle Emil's sons.) They decided to take a short cut on the return trip and got trapped on the north face, forcing them to make a dangerous slide down a glacier. Later hikes were up Longs, and Grays and Torres. One unsuccessful trip was to Crestone Peak. The Mosers, Dad, Donald, Vincent, myself, and Allie (cousin Alexandra Patterson) packed into base camp. We were unable to find the route to the top and gave up.

The Dodge car was used every work day. For some reason, Dad drove it to work (3 miles) each day rather than taking the streetcar. His usual work week was 51/2 days with occasional night work. I remember the half day on Saturday because he would often pick up a gallon of buttermilk on the way home, and we would feast on that for our Saturday lunch.

Dad enjoyed raising German Shepherd dogs. The most notable was Gary (Gary Von Der Norden). He was medium sized, cream and black, and professionally trained for protection. His owner was a lady that had left him with us to board. While in our care, he contracted distemper. He survived, but he was left totally blind. His owner moved about and could not keep a blind dog, so she gave him to us. He had no trouble as long as we did not move chairs into his normal pathways. He was an exceptional dog, and Dad enjoyed showing him off, exhibiting his training. Even though he was blind, he remembered his commands. He lived for 15 years.

I attended Edison grade school, Skinner Jr. High, and North High, with a one year break at Las Vegas, Nevada High. I graduated from North High in Denver, June 1937. I attended Colorado A & M (now Colorado State University) for one year, then transferred to Colorado University at Boulder, Colorado. I graduated in June 1941 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with an Aeronautical option.

The 1920 Dodge was the family car for about 10 years. Then we got a used 1928 Chrysler four door which was not very durable. Later, we got a used 1932 PB Plymouth coupe. The Chrysler was taken on the trip to Yellowstone National Park. On that trip were the Clio Davidsons, the Lucas' (Aunt Julia and Uncle Arthur), and the Mosers. The 1932 Plymouth was a great car. Unfortunately, the folks traded it in when they bought the used 1937 Buick, rather than giving it to me.

Donald was always enthused with cars. About 1927 he obtained a model T Ford that had thrown a rod through the side of the block. Dad had the block welded up and made a sheet iron body for the vehicle. Later, when the folks purchased the Chrysler, they gave Vincent and Donald the old Dodge. Donald traded the Dodge for a motorcycle: an Indian Twin. Later he got a Harley motorcycle with a side car. After that, in the 1934 and 1935 period, he had a couple of Chryslers (convertibles).

Through the public school years, the family had limited means, and we always were careful about money. Dad had salvaged leather belting from the sugar beet factory, and he soled our shoes for years. He also cut our hair to save money. During this time, Vincent graduated from North High School. The family finances were inadequate to send him to college, so he worked on the Denver Tramway to put himself through school. By the time Donald graduated from high school, the folks were able to send him to school at Colorado A & M.

Until Dad lost his job, his position and pay at the Hardesty pipe and tank shop gradually improved. However, during the 1929 depression, the Hardesty Co. was purchased by an outside company, reorganized, and Dad was out of a job. He worked some short jobs until 1935 when he was able to get a job with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation as an inspector on the Hoover (Boulder) Dam penstocks. After he started there, he told Vincent and Donald that they could get jobs with Babcock Wilcox, contractor for the penstocks, welding the 20 foot pipes. This was a very hot job, and Donald always felt it permanently damaged his health. Dad continued to work for the U.S.B.R. on various projects (including Grand Coulee) until he retired at 65.

When Dad, Vincent, and Donald went to Nevada to work on the Dam, they left Mother and me to close up the house and bring the 1932 PB Plymouth to Nevada. Neither Mother nor I could drive, so before Donald left, he showed me how to shift the manual transmission and had me drive around the block. Before Mother and I left for Nevada, I did a little driving. The car battery was failing. Mother could not afford to buy a battery and asked Uncle Emil if he would loan her enough money for a new battery. He refused, typical of Uncle Emil. We loaded the Plymouth completely, even taking the cat, and started out. The first day, we made Medicine Bow, Wyoming. The next day we made Rock Springs, Wyoming. The third day we arrived in Riverton, Utah, where Uncle Albert's family lived. After a day layover, we headed out and made it to St. George, Utah. Then on to Boulder City, Nevada. I was now an experienced driver. Mother never learned to drive.

I entered Las Vegas High in March or April and attended through June 1936. The year and a quarter I spent in Nevada going to high school was a most interesting time. The friends were mostly from construction families, and a little adventuresome. That year was the first and only time I ever ditched school. Mother and Dad were notified by the school, and we had a serious talk about that. Mother and Dad had a very negative feeling about all my Boulder City friends that I believe was not fully justified.

During the summer of 1935, I wanted to take dance lessons. Mother and Dad refused to fund the lessons. They believed that I might become too social as they felt Donald had become. Their refusing me to have a car caused a crisis when I was a sophomore in college. Again, they believed that it would take away from my school effort.

The Boulder Dam project was winding down and the family was finally split up for good. Vincent went to work up in the Bay region of Washington State. Donald returned to school at C.S.U. Mother and Dad went to some other project, and I went to Denver for my senior high school year. I stayed with some old neighborhood friends, the Milnes (33rd and Tennison) for awhile. When I graduated from high school, no relatives or friends attended the ceremony, which was a downer.

Any biography about the Barth family should high light the Mosers. They were a young couple that moved into the house across the street from us about 1925. Pete had an unfortunate past. He was born in Austria and never knew his real father. His mother and step father emigrated to the U.S. His mother and two sisters died in an epidemic. Ultimately, his stepfather abandoned him while he was a teenager, but despite this unfortunate situation, Pete got a decent education and became a paper cutter in a print shop. While not high paid, the Mosers were able to live comfortably.

Letha's past is not as well known. I believe when she was a teenager she came from Canada to live with an aunt in Indianapolis. She was adventuresome and came to Denver where she met and married Pete. They failed in their attempt to have children.

Gradually, the Mosers and Barths became quite good friends. Since Mosers had no children, they showed considerable interest in Vincent, Donald, and me. After Polly and I married, their interest was expanded to our whole family. Pete's main hobbies were photography and wood working. Pete passed on the photographic interest to me and, ultimately, to my sons, John and Peter. For many years (1950 to 1980) besides summer trips, we spent most Christmas holidays with the Mosers, either in Denver or in Palos Verdes, California.

Pete and Letha encouraged us to take summer trips with them and introduced us to many Western areas such as Monument Valley, Organ Pipe, Arches, etc. We hiked down into the Grand Canyon with them and also spent five days on a house boat on Lake Powell with Mosers. Letha died suddenly in 1982, and Pete died a couple of months later. Polly and I inherited the major portion of their estate.

When I graduated from high school, I was undecided whether to go to college, but Dad said to start and change my elective, if necessary. So, in September 1937, I entered Colorado A & M (now Colorado State University), taking civil engineering. The next year I transferred to the University of Colorado at Boulder, taking mechanical engineering with an aeronautical engineering option.

During the time I was in college, Mother and Dad were at various dam projects, so I had no home to return to on weekends except for a room in the Moser's basement. During my last year in college, I entered the government sponsored civilian pilot training program (C.P.T.P.). We trained in Taylorcraft (65 H.P.) aircraft. I enjoyed this training and became quite proficient in piloting a small aircraft. My record in college was not outstanding, but satisfactory. I graduated on schedule in June 1941 receiving a B.S.M.E. with an aeronautical option.

After graduating, I applied for work at Lockheed Burbank in California and Boeing in Seattle, Washington. I don't know why, but I did not approach Douglas since Vincent and Donald already worked there. Boeing made an offer of $120 a month, and I accepted the offer before I received the Lockheed offer, so off to Seattle. At Boeing, I was assigned to detail drawing. When I started work in Seattle, I had no car. After several months, I had saved enough money to make a down payment on a Harley Davidson 74 (1200 cc) motorcycle. This was the beginning of interest in and occasional ownerships of motorcycles that lasted until 1985 when the orthopedic doctor said, "No more."

About that time, I had to sign up for the draft. I realized that I could get a work deferment, but I would be stuck at that job for the duration of the draft, so after four months, I quit Boeing and headed for southern California on my motorcycle. With Donald's introduction, I had no trouble getting on at Douglas. A most important path opened for me in that I was assigned to work in the structural loads and analysis group rather than in structural design. Later, I realized that my talent was in structural loads and analysis rather than in conceptual structural design.

I continued at Douglas (El Segundo Division) until 1962, working on the XA26, XTB2D 1, XSB2D 1, AD 1, 558 1, F3D, A2D, F4D, A3D, and A4D, all Navy aircraft, and a couple of atom bomb cases, mainly doing structural analysis.

In 1962 work was slow, and I decided to leave Douglas and work at Northrop Hawthorne. My assignment at Northrop was as head of the Structural Research Group. After four months, I decided my interest was in hardware, not research, and I returned to Douglas in the same group, and continued there until I retired in October 1979. My last major assignment was as head of the Structural Loads, Dynamics, and Strength Analysis Section of the DC10 project.

In 1946 I purchased in partnership a two place Cessna 120 airplane costing $3000. The airplane was too small for cross country flights, so after about two years, I sold my share for $1000.

Meeting Polly was a major by product of working at Douglas. Polly worked for Donald, and he arranged a date for us to meet in August of 1945. After going together for two years, I proposed marriage in Yosemite Valley, watching the firefall (since discontinued). Yosemite was chosen by me as a romantic spot for proposing.

We were married on August 8, 1947 in Santa Monica. I was 27, Polly was 26, and Sydney was 4. Shortly after getting married, we moved to a Westchester apartment on Manchester Blvd. John was born June 5, 1950 in Santa Monica at Santa Monica Hospital. We decided that we wanted a house, so we shopped around Westchester, but found that we could purchase a lot in Palos Verdes Estates for $1500, compared to one in Westchester for $2500. We had an architect design a house and a contractor build it. We moved in December 14, 1951. The total cost, including the lot, was about $15,000. The house as originally built, was only 1200 sq. ft. In 1960 we remodeled and added about 600 sq. ft. costing $10,000, resulting in a very nice arrangement.

Peter was born October 11, 1955 in Santa Monica at St. Johns Hospital.

Our vacations were generally camping in the Sierras or in Colorado. After the boys were older, we made several backpack trips in the Sierras. In September 1965 we backpacked in from Whitney Portal and climbed Mt. Whitney. Our party was Polly, John, Peter, Al Epstien (a friend), and me. (Donald and I had climbed Whitney in the fall of 1945.)

Mother and Dad's retirement pay from the U.S.B.R. was not great, so Dad went to work at Ralphs Grocery as a box boy for one or two years to gain some Social Security benefits. Since Mother and Dad lived close to us, being in Westchester, they quite often came for Sunday dinner with us. Also, Dad helped with many projects around our new home.

Mother had a history of heart problems and passed away December 1959. After that, Dad lived alone for a few years until he finally sold his house and moved in with us for about a year before he died of heart failure. His estate was about $25,000 and was equally divided among Vincent, Donald, and myself.

Sydney, John, and Peter all graduated from the local high school, but only Peter completed college at Ft. Collins, Colorado (Colorado State University).

In April 1972 we purchased a four bedroom condominium in Mammoth with the idea of sharing skiing trips with the family.

The other dog that become very much a part of our family was Udo. In June of 1966 we went looking for a dog. Udo was picked by Peter, naturally the most expensive of the litter. Udo, like Gary, was a German Shepherd, but somewhat larger and brown and black. We installed a doggie door in the back of the house so that he could enter when he desired. He was not as professionally trained as Gary, but he became even more a part of our family. We let him set his own pattern of entering and exiting the house.

To me, the most memorable habit of his was when we went to bed. He would come back to the bedroom with us, lay down on Polly's side of the bed for a little while, then get up and come around on my side for a little while, then get up and go out the doggie door and sleep for the night in the dog house. In the morning, when he decided that it was time to come in the house, he would tap the doggie door with his nose, asking to be invited in. He would not enter in the morning until invited. This was his own routine, not something we had required or trained him to do.

Udo was fed each evening, and, of course, he had his own dish. Peter taught him to retrieve his dish form the back step. At the proper time, we told him to get his dish, and he would dash down the hall, out the doggie door, turn the dish over so that he could grip it in his mouth, come back through the doggie door, back to the kitchen where he would drop it to the floor, and wait for it to be filled. We could never teach him to retrieve the morning newspaper from the front driveway, although he always accompanied me when I went out to get it. He developed hip trouble and only survived to ten years.

I should make a few comments about my engineering career. During my 38 years at Douglas, I was always involved in assuring integrity of the aircraft structures. This included determining the structural design loads and accomplishing the analysis that proved the structure capable of carrying those loads. For competitive reasons, a minimum weight of structure was very important. This responsibility was sobering when one realized an error in judgement endangered the lives of the crew and passengers. Fortunately, I was satisfied that I had not contributed to any of the accidents. I always felt fortunate that I was able to have a career in that area of engineering. I cannot think of any other type of work that I would have preferred.

By the time I retired from McDonnell Douglas, October 31, 1979, Sydney was starting to work there. John was working at Huntington Beach, California, and Peter was working at a log cabin mill in Laramie, Wyoming.

Polly and I purchased a recreation van which we used for trips throughout the West. We have also made trips on the motorcycle, and some trips on cruise ships.

In 1983 Polly required two major operations to eliminate an obstruction in the urethra tube, both left and right sides. In 1984, I was diagnosed as having prostate cancer involving a couple of operations. I had radioactive iodine seeds implanted, and as of now, September 1990, the problem is under control.

In 1985 I had arthritis of the right hip, and on November 21, I had a complete hip replacement. This operation proved very successful, except the orthopedic doctor said no more motorcycles, and no more skiing. So, I sold my 550 Honda and gave away my skis.

Presently, we are leading a quiet life playing golf once or twice a week, and taking a couple of trips out of state each year.

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Update by David Victor Barth on January 28, 2008 and again on 15 January 2012:
In 2006 Jack suffered several strokes which affected his speech and, later, he withdrew and didn't speak or show any understanding of what was going on. Polly took care of him at home with day help from care agency workers. On 10 October 2010, Jack passed away peacefully. Polly retained one care giver whom she scheduled to work on Monday to help her take care of the house and drive her on errands. In 2011 she turned 90 and was in very good health. She walked around her neighborhood nearly every day.