Jerold Van Faasen interview, 1987 Aug. 3.

              JEROLD VAN FAASEN
OH 1087
New Deal in Montana/ Fort Peck Dam Oral History Project
Montana Historical Society
Summary
TAPE I – SIDE A
0 to 5 minutes
Describes area in Michigan where born, Dutch settlement. Lived in Holland, Michigan
throughout childhood. “ I thought I wanted to be a civil engineer and my step- mother
helped me. She thought I was eligible for a scholarship and got me the forms to fill out
and everything.” Describes scholarship received, $ 200 per year. How worked way
through college, more scholarship money. Graduated from Michigan Tech in 1934.
Going to college during depression years: “ There wasn’t too much else to do, you know,
I was really very lucky to be going to college. Difficult to get a job.” Parents would
have helped him pay for education, but unable. When got out of college was hard to find
a job. Tax Roll revision job, 1934, Grand Haven, Michigan, 50 cents an hour.
Moonlighting job. Road draftsman position, 1935, Lansing, Michigan.
6 to 10 minutes
Describes Lexington, Missouri, job as draftsman, 90 day job that completed in 6 weeks.
Spent rest of time sending out applications for jobs, one of them was to Fort Peck, “ and
before the week was out I had an offer from Fort Peck to report, to come at my own
expense. So I packed my gear and went to Fort Peck, that was in October, 1935 and I
think I reported for work on 28 th of October.” Got letter from Fort Peck. First
impression of Fort Peck area when arrived? “ Well, I got off the train in Glasgow in the
middle of the night, of course, and I waited until 8 o’clock in the morning . . . to get a
bus to get out to Fort Peck, and when I got to Wheeler, I was wondering, what the devil I
was doing in Montana. Very apprehensive. Finally wound up, I got squared away, and I
lived in the foreman’s dormitory in barracks 3304.”