Sample of a 1956 Ford Crown Victoria
An important part of the high school scene during the 60’s was cars, and Powell County High School in Deer Lodge, Montana was no exception. Much of high school life revolved around cars: attracting friends, showing off, dating, competing with rivals, going to the drive-in, noon trips to the A&W Car Hop, etc. Mom apparently understood this very well, and she wanted me to enjoy high school fully, probably because she had chosen to get married at the early age of 16 (not uncommon in 1928 Canada) and she didn’t have the opportunity to fully enjoy high school herself. As a result, without my prior knowledge, she bought me a 1956 Ford Crown Victoria with a red, white and chrome body similar to the one pictured above except for darker red in place of the lighter pink. Mom gave the car to me in the fall of 1967 during the early part of my freshman year. I was totally surprised and likely the happiest boy in school, and certainly one of the most spoiled.
Front door of main building of Powell County High School in Deer Lodge, Montana
The car cost $265, which I believe Mom paid in cash. When Mom gave me the car she said, among other things, “I paid $265 for this car, and that is a lot of money. You better take darn good care of this car! And you better not get into any trouble, Niki, or I am taking it away!” I enthusiastically agreed.
A Great Job
I don’t recall Mom or Dad ever buying me gas, oil, parts, or other items for the car; I paid for these things myself, for I had what I thought was the best job in all of Deer Lodge: I was the movie projectionist at the Rialto Theater on Main Street, which was the only theater in the county except for the drive-in theater just outside of Deer Lodge that was owned by the same Hansen family that owned the Rialto Theater. I was paid $1.25 per hour, or about $28.00 per week take-home, which relatively speaking was a lot of money when gas was only $0.29 per gallon, candy bars and bottles of pop were only a nickel or a dime, and movie theater tickets were only a quarter. For the car I recall buying over time new white wall tires, shiny chrome half-moon hubcaps, a four-barrel carburetor, fancy floor mats, and several cans of wax. It seemed that I also had enough money to buy a new shirt, pair of pants, or other article of clothing each week, and everything else I reasonably needed. On several occasions my best friend, Chuck, and I drove the Ford to Butte to shop because there were larger clothing stores with more “hip” selections in Butte.
The Rialto Theater in Deer Lodge
Rapping
When Mom bought me the car, it had straight pipes, which are exhaust pipes that run underneath the car’s carriage without the inclusion of a muffler to dampen sound. Apparently straight pipes improve performance, horsepower and gas mileage when sized properly for the engine, but that is not the main reason why teenagers like straight pipes; teenagers like straight pipes because they are loud, and in 1967 Montana, straight pipes were not illegal, at least not per se. It was illegal to disturb the peace or engage in excessive exhibitionism, however, and thus care and restraint was needed to keep from getting in trouble with the police.
I eventually became quite skilled at the technique of revving the engine to the ideal RPMs and then letting my foot off the gas to cause the pipes to “rap” for three or four seconds. Rapping was a way of whistling at girls or getting attention from peers, and I did it often, especially when girls were in the car saying “rap” every time they saw someone they knew in another car or on the sidewalk.
Main Street of Deer Lodge, Montana near Saint Mary's Avenue
Cruising Main Street in Deer Lodge was a common ritual performed by valley teenagers, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. Cruising often included rapping by those who had vehicles with straight pipes. The police gave considerable latitude to youngsters cruising Main Street, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, I suppose to entice the kids to come into town rather than going somewhere else in the 10 by 60 mile Deer Lodge Valley or adjacent hills where they might otherwise get drunk, fight, or engage in illicit sexual activities.
Main Street in Deer Lodge - looking north
I did not participate much in the ritual of dragging Main. On two occasions when I did participate, I was confronted at the turn-a-round at the south edge of town after several passes by older boys who challenged my right to be dragging Main. My car and the popularity of my friends were apparently a threat to their egos, status, and turf. I was not old and big enough to stand up to them directly, and the ritual of dragging Main seemed a bit stupid to me anyway. I was therefore not inclined to rally support from my brother Larry, older cousins, or bigger friends to secure my right to drag Main. Also, fortunately, and perhaps by divine providence, I had to work most evenings at the theater, and thus I had to limit my cruising and other socializing activities to early evening or late night, which was actually a blessing because it no doubt kept me out of a lot of trouble.
Deer Lodge Main Street near the south end turn-a-round
The Chief of Police
I did get into trouble on one occasion, however, when Johnny Wilson, the Chief of Police in Deer Lodge, came to my house one Saturday morning and told me to drive my car to his house, park it in his driveway, and leave him my keys. Apparently there had been some complaints about me rapping around town and near the Junior High School where my friend Chuck was attending. He said that he was going to keep my car for two weeks, and if I could convince him after two weeks that I would behave, he might let me have the car back.
It was a scary Saturday morning two weeks later when I knocked on Johnny Wilson’s door and presented to him my most convincing reasons why I should have the car back. I promised to get my driver’s license, obey all speed limits, not rap near schools or late at night, and not pick up any Junior High girls when I picked up Chuck. Johnny Wilson agreed, gave me a stern warning, and let me have the keys. I did as I promised, and never had any more trouble with law enforcement ...at least in Deer Lodge.
Driving Test
I had promised Johnny Wilson, the Chief of Police, that I would get my driver’s license as a condition of him letting me have my car back after he grounded me from it for two weeks. Because ranching and agriculture were significant industries in Montana in 1967, youth were allowed to drive vehicles for farmers and ranchers at age 14 and above without needing driver’s licenses, so the formality of having a driver’s license was not well established. Youth were allowed to get a driver’s license, however, at age 15-1/2 under the proper circumstances. Thus, I took the driver’s exam when I was 15-1/2.
The day I took my road test was a cold, wintery day. The wind was blowing snow across the roads that were snow-packed and slippery. The examiner was an older gentleman who wore heavy boots and a large parka and toted a clip board with papers attached. He sat in the front passenger seat. Chuck accompanied us on the test. Chuck sat in the rear seat behind me. I don’t recall specifics of the road test except one: I ran a stop sign.
I was driving north on Fifth Street as I recall, and as I approached Missouri Avenue where there was a stop sign, I began to brake to slow down. However, as I braked I began to slide on the snow-packed and slippery road. The more I braked the more I slid, and after a couple of seconds I realized that I was going too fast to stop. I looked at the examiner; he was looking down and writing on his clip board; so I pretended that there was no stop sign and kept going. The examiner was smarter than I thought, however, because he spoke up while still writing on his clip board, “you know you are supposed to stop for stop signs, right”?
I said, “yes, but I didn’t know the road was so slippery there and when I started to slide I decided to keep going”.
As we continued the road test I was sure I had failed. At the end of the test the examiner elaborated on my driving, instructed me on how to properly approach stop signs in the snow, and said. “You passed”. I was surprised and elated. Chuck was likewise surprised, which was evident by his facial expression when our eyes met.
Girls
Even though I had a car and my parents gave me a lot of freedoms (way too much freedom for most people my age to be sure), and none of my friends were LDS, I was still a fairly good Mormon Boy. I did drink beer on occasions, and participated in some minor mischief, but I refrained from engaging in many sins others my age fell into despite divers temptations that were all around. I also drove to selected spots and parked with girls in the car, but I refrained from going all the way with any girl even though the offer was extended to me several times. I gave heed to my conscious, which was strong for the most part. As I look back, I can see that there was a divine hand acting over me.
Chuck and I were friends from the First Grade. We both failed the First Grade and repeated it together. Mom, Dad and I had moved to California for part of my First Grade school year, and when we returned to Deer Lodge I was not prepared for the more advanced Deer Lodge curriculum. Chuck had a similar First Grade year. Thus, Chuck and I were among the older kids in our school classes growing up. Also, Chuck failed the Seventh Grade when I was in Reno, Nevada, and thus attended the Eighth Grade at the Junior High School when I attended the Ninth Grade at the High School. While at the High School I spent most of my spare time with Rick Buhl.
Chuck was the quarterback on the Junior High School football team, which competed with schools in the nearby counties and was doing very well. Almost every day I drove from the High School to the Junior High School to pick up Chuck after school or after football practice. We attended almost all of the football games, and because we were older and I had a fancy car and Chuck was the quarterback, we were an attraction for many of the Junior High girls. However, our friends and the girls we liked were in High School, and we never socialized with any of the Junior High girls outside of the football games.
On one occasion Chuck and I were on a date with two girls. We went up near Beck Hill to park and drink beer. After being parked for a while, it was getting late and we needed to get the girls back home. However, when we tried to leave, we discovered that the car was stuck in the snow. We tried for about an hour to get the car unstuck, but to no avail. Because we needed to get the girls back home before their parents woke up and discovered them gone, it was decided that Chuck would go with the girls across the deep-snow-covered-field to the highway and either walk back to town on the road or hitch a ride. I was to stay with the car. Chuck said he would get someone to pull us out of the snow bank after sunrise. I thus fell asleep in the car after watching Chuck and the girls fade out of sight as they trekked toward the highway through the snow.
As dawn approached, I was awakened by a rancher in a pickup who came by and stopped where I was stuck. The rancher asked me a lot of questions. I truthfully answered him and explained what had happened, which was evident by the footprints in the snow and the beer cans strewn about the car. After being satisfied with my responses, and seeing that they were true, and knowing my family, the rancher told me that if I picked up the beer cans he would pull me out. He did so and I drove back to town and met up with Chuck. Chuck advised that the girls had gotten home safely and before their parents had discovered them gone.
On another occasion I was parked with a girl on a hill overlooking the Deer Lodge Valley. I had left the car for a moment -I think I took a leak- and upon returning I found that the girl had completely undone her top, removed her bottoms, and was laying spread eagle on the front seat of my car waiting for me. Upon walking up to the open door of the car and seeing her, I turned away quickly and said "I’m not doing that so please get dressed”!
I waited alongside the car for the girl to get dressed. We then talked for a bit and I drove her back into town. She told me that she never met a boy like me before. She said that she felt ashamed and thanked me for being a gentleman and showing her that there were good guys in the world. She said she hoped to marry a guy like me someday.
On another occasion Chuck and I were on dates with two girls and we drove east out of town a little ways to park along the road to Emery Mine. The girl I was with wanted to go for a walk into the nearby field. Once we had walked out of view from the car, to my surprise the girl wanted to go all the way with me. I started to succumb to her advances at first, but stopped myself and refused to continue. She began to cry and say words to the effect, "what is wrong with me? Aren't I pretty? Don't you like me?"
I tried to verbally convince her that it was my conscious and that it didn’t feel right, but I was not schooled in or in-tune with the Spirit enough to be effective in expressing gospel truths to her. I finally proved to her that there was nothing wrong with her by letting her feel the affect she had on me. That seemed to be proof enough and she felt better about herself and her girly powers. In the weeks that followed, however, she tried to coax me into bed with her on several occasions. I refused and never succumbed to the temptation to do so, but we did make out in the car a few times while parked in town and at the drive-in.
Dating High School girls had other challenges. There was a sophomore or junior who had a classic 1957 Chevy; I believe his name was Chris. Chris and I shared a love for our cars, but we were rivals with the girls. Chris liked a sophomore or junior girl named Sheryl. Sheryl's best friend was Linda, and Linda had a crush on my friend Rick. Rick was likely the cutest boy in High School. When Linda and Sheryl began to run with Rick and me, and spend a lot of time in my car after school, Chris decided to take action and stop me from letting Sheryl ride in my car. He rallied some friends, some of which were seniors, and set out one Saturday to do his dirty deed.
As usual, I had picked up Chuck and Rick one wintery Saturday morning. As we were leaving Rick's house, about eight guys in four vehicles tried to force us to the side of the road. One of the vehicles was Chris's 57 Chevy, and another was a classic black Ford pickup. I don’t remember the others.
For what seemed like an hour, but was probably only about 20 minutes, we raced around town trying to get away from the chasing horde. We had no idea why they were after us, but it was apparent that they meant to fight us as they yelled out orders for me to stop and made threatening promises about what they were going to do to us. While I was focusing on driving, Chuck and Rick were trying to identify who the guys were in the other vehicles. As Rick and Chuck were naming names, they were also saying things like "he's a senior" and "he's a linebacker" and "he's big and strong". It was clear that we were out-numbered and out-sized, and that getting caught was not going to be a pleasant event. At one point I thought to head out of town and out run them on the highway, but Chuck yelled, "No, stay in town so someone will see what is happening and call the police".
As we raced around town, one or two vehicles would succeed in getting in front of us, but in each case I was able to turn a corner to get free so they could not box us in. Finally, we were heading east on Maryland Avenue -as I recall- towards the football field at Cottonwood Park when Rick blurted out and pointed "turn there"!
Without thinking I turned onto a side road that passed through a vacant field on the right side of the street. Because it was winter, the road through the field was snow-packed and slippery. We were making slow progress along the road because my tires would spin if I tried to go fast. Midway through the field I realized we had made a mistake turning onto that road. Two of the cars had followed us onto the road and were behind us, but two had raced ahead of us on the snow-plowed Maryland Avenue and had entered the side road from the other end. We were trapped.
I came to a very reluctant stop in the middle of the field when there was finally nowhere else to go; there were two cars blocking the road forward, two behind, and impenetrable snow on either side.
As the horde began to exit their vehicles, Rick shouted "lock the doors", which we all did at once.
But then I thought that the approaching horde would simply break the windows and we were still going to get creamed. I also did not want to be known as a coward, which was a powerful feeling that came over me, so I unlocked my door. Chuck was behind me and saw what I had done and yelled "Nik, lock your door!"
I said "no, they are just going to break the windows, and I do not want to get a reputation of being a chicken". Chuck reached forward and locked my door. After finger-wrestling Chuck for the door lock for a few seconds, I simply left the door locked as Chuck insisted, but rolled down the window instead. We were now surrounded by the horde.
A big senior who I believe was named Dave came to my door and asked “Are you Nik McOmber”?
"Yes, what's the problem?” I awkwardly replied.
"You think you're really cool, don't you, driving around town in your fancy car and picking up girls?" retorted Dave
"No" I said sheepishly.
"Do you want to fight?" asked Dave.
I quickly and clearly said "No".
Dave then ordered, "Get out of the car"!
Again, I did not want to be known as a coward, so I complied and exited the car. I had no other reason to exit the car. I had a small glimmer of hope that God would protect me when I thought about part of the 23rd Psalm that I had memorized as a young boy: "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for Thou art with me". I prayed fervently to myself that God would be with me.
As I stood up Dave pointed to the other side of the car and said "let's go over there". I had stopped the car near a small rise where the snow was deep on the driver side of my car. We walked to the other side of the car where the snow was not as deep.
The entire horde was now on the passenger side of my car. I was alone with all of them; Rick and Chuck were still in the car watching intently. No one seemed interested in Rick or Chuck, only in me. I was still confused as to what was going on, and I figured I would soon be knocked out and would wake up in the hospital. I had been knocked out before and had forgotten several weeks of my life. I thought of that experience while being surrounded by the horde and was trying to remember the current moment so as not to forget what was about to happen. Then Chris began to speak to me and I gradually realized that this was about Chris being angry that Sheryl was riding in my car. I do not recall all that was said, but Rick and Chuck finally came out of the car and were standing and talking with the others that were standing around Chris, Dave and me who were in the center of the crowd.
At one point Dave faced off with me and ordered me to hit him. I refused and said, "No, I am not stupid, you'll cream me".
I suppose it was a form of honor for a senior not to hit a freshman first, so for the moment I was safe. Then Dave, after taunting me to hit him and apparently resigning to the fact that I was not going to hit him first, said, “Eat snow then” and forced me with his weight down on all fours. While I was down on all fours Dave pushed on the back of my neck with his hand, then with his knee, trying to force my face into the snow.
I was succeeding in keeping my face from touching the snow, but was about to be overpowered when one of the guys from the horde who had been talking with Chuck and Rick said, "Hey Dave, this kid’s brother is Larry McOmber".
Dave let loose of my neck and asked demandingly, "Is Larry McOmber your brother"?
I said, 'Yes".
From the horde someone said, "and Larry is still in town Dave", at which Dave took hold of my arm and helped me up.
"I didn't know Larry was your brother" said Dave. "I don't want any trouble from Larry”! Are you and I square"?
I happily exclaimed, "Yes, we're square! Thanks for not creaming me"!
Dave said, “I don’t want Larry coming after me”!
I said, “If you guys leave me alone, I’m sure he won’t”!
A few more words were exchanged that I do not recall, and the horde drove away. Chuck, Rick and I remained in the car for a while talking about our ordeal. We never had any more trouble with Chris or his friends, and yet Linda and Sheryl continued to hang around with us in the weeks that followed. I, however, was not as cocky as I had been before.
There were a lot of McOmber's in Powell County, and among them was my brother, Larry, who had a reputation of being a real tough guy, and he had just lived up to that reputation a few days earlier. But that is another story.
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