This is an oral history interview with Doug and Sadie Roach on August 25, 1987.
(DR) I applied for the position of storekeeper and heard nothing of it for three years. As the situation was, I had just changed boarding houses where I lived in Seattle. I got a telegram on a Friday evening when I got home from work requesting me to report on May 14, which was the following Monday. They just caught up with me inside the deadline to let them know I was available or that pick would have gone to someone else. I hurried quit my job, and packed up what I could in a valise and a suitcase. The rest I took to her [Sadie’s] folk’s home…..
(SR) And a car, which we had purchased together.
(DR) I took the train in Seattle on Saturday night and arrived down here (Crater Lake) on Sunday. I reported to the old Park Service offices in the old, original post office building, and came up on the 14th of May in 1934. That began my experience as assistant storekeeper under Gould. The things that happened at that time kind of upset the routine of the park. The day that I came on duty Superintendent Solinsky was suspended and so was the chief clerk, a man by the name of A.R. Edwin, and another man by the name of Davidson. I just knew those three by name because they were not in active service for the park from that time on. Very shortly after that, the man who I was assisting, Gould, was later suspended. So Dave Canfield was appointed as acting superintendent for a term, and then his (permanent) appointment came through (1).
