The Orchard Oasis

The Orchard Oasis Story

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My parents, George and Norma Newcomb, bought the acre on Orchard in 1954.  At the time, neither Orchard or 21st streets were paved or even through streets.  They saw the potential for a wonderful location to live and raise our family.  At the time, Downing Elementary School had just been built and was less than two blocks away.  Wilson High School was about to be built and was just seven blocks away.  Westgate had only 14 homes, but was growing.

My parents cleared a spot on the wooded land to get their car onto the property.  From there, they spent weekends clearing the spot where they wanted to build.  My father bought an old tractor and the work began.  He acted as the general contractor and the two of them did a great deal of the building, mostly on weekends.

We moved into our home in 1956.  Orchard had a barricade on the dirt road in front of the house.  North 21st ended at Orchard, and it was necessary to honk before driving around a huge stump, jogging over to 19th, then turning left toward Huson.

My father had grown up on a huge farm in Alberta, Canada and understood hard physical labor, logging, building, and vegetable gardening.  My mother grew up in Vancouver, Canada where her parents had immaculate English flower gardens, but also grew vegetables. They were both raised with a strong work ethic and shared the dream of having a home they took pride in.  As the area began to grow, they purchased the back acre.  Through the years, my Mom followed her passion and built the rockeries and flower gardens. Her favorite project was creating the fish pond with the waterfalls. My dad always had a vegetable garden, and enjoyed using his tractor to clear more of the property.  For several years, they raised and sold Christmas trees.

As my sister and I were growing up, our family and some of the neighbor kids played softball on Orchard, using the barricade as the backstop. We built forts in the woods and learned about nature.  Just as we all played together, Dad and Mom expected us to do our share of the work too.  They taught us to love the beauty in things, and the value of growing our own food.  Until the basement was partially finished, we roller skated in the area of the family room.  We had a wonderful childhood in this home and on this property.

Dad was never idle.  He constantly had projects that included building storage cabinets and shelving.  Because my parents grew up during the depression, they saved everything, knowing that whatever it was, it could be reused.  This became clearly evident as we began a six-month process of cleaning out this home and property after my Mom’s passing.

We loved having picnics in the patio area.  Mom and Dad built the fire pit and we frequently roasted hotdogs and marshmallows in our own private park.

Dad was 95 when he passed in 2017, and Mom was 97 when she passed in 2020. This home and property have been in my life for 67 years.  I marvel at so many aspects of the visions and dreams my parents achieved.  I was my Mom’s primary caregiver the last year of her life.  The kitchen had always been the place where we all sat down together at meals, but it became extra special for me as we shared meals her final year. We loved watching the birds and squirrels especially at breakfast.  It was great entertainment in a secluded natural wonderland.

Above the house  completed