“Memories of Gallup” will share interviews by Bob Rosebrough with some of the extraordinary people who have made Gallup such a historically rich and culturally beautiful place to live.
By Bob Rosebrough
Memories of Gallup
Everyone in Gallup Had An interview with Paul McCollum and Pat Gurley, Part 1 of 2
H
down here to run that. And it was at such a time – pre-war – that my dad sold his car, e’s just a kid,” Paul McCollum says as he nods toward Pat Gurley. everything he had, to get us down here. And my sister and I and my grandmother Paul graduated from Gallup High in 1954 and Paul says, “He’s a lived in the old Grant Hotel across from Ricca Mercantile. We lived upstairs there year younger than I am.” until we could find a place to rent.” Trading Porcupine Eggs at Valley Forge. Pat says, “I went to the Of his dad, Paul says, “He worked very hard. He was kind of the Barnum public school in the seventh grade after going to Catholic school and and Bailey of his time. He did everything. He’d bring in a whole truckload of oranges that’s kind of where I remember meeting Paul.” “And then we became very involved in Boy Scouts together in Troop 40,” says and sell them for a penny a piece, or a truckload of watermelons that would sell for a dime a piece. He was right on it and always had something going. He built up Paul. “The Mormon Church had the world’s greatest Boy Scout leader, Wayne Banks. K & S to the point where, in 1948, he and some partners were able to buy it. Joe He was the Bishop of the Mormon Church and he was their Boy Scout leader. We Plese and George Bubany, both knowing my father, guaranteed a loan for him at the camped out every weekend. We would go either up to Toadlena or out to McGaffey.” Merchants Bank. They said, ‘We see you coming to work every morning wearing Pat and Paul remember going to jamborees at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania and your apron, going home late at night, we’re willing to back you up.’ And that’s how he Canada. “Pat and I were tent mates the whole time,” says Paul. At the jamborees the bought the store. He then began to remodel it; Gallup Boy Scouts relished pulling the wool over turned it into a supermarket. It was called Jay’s the eyes of troops from the east. Supermarket.” At every jamboree they brought things to “We had a bakery, had a soda fountain, trade. “Porcupine eggs. Have you ever heard of had a little place for kids to come and stay, and porcupine eggs?” asks Pat. bathrooms set aside for the people that came After a pause he says, “They’re called into town because they had no other facilities. cockle burrs.” Pat and Paul burst into a joint Anyway, it turned out to be a very successful laugh. venture.” “Honest to goodness,” says Pat. Pat says, “It was right across the street “Oh, those poor guys from back east,” from Bubany Lumber.” adds Paul. Thinking back to that time, Paul says, “Back east, we had them believing that,” “And at one time, we had 95 employees.” says Pat and they laugh again. When he was 13 or 14, Pat was briefly “He was kind of the Barnum and one of those employees. He says, “Paul’s dad Bailey of his time.” Paul says his father, Jay put me to work, if you want to call it that, until McCollum, “moved here from Durango when he caught me sleeping one time on top of the I was four years old. He had been running a potatoes.” Pat and Paul burst into a laugh. Safeway store.” “224. Just three numbers. I Paul’s father was recruited to Gallup remember that.” Pat says his father, Clair by R.K. Kelsey and Guy Shepherd who owned Gurley, “came here in 1932 and bought the a trading post and market called K & S. “They Paul and Pat look through an old Annual from Ford dealership from an old coal miner by the went to Durango, found him and brought him their time at Gallup High School.
38
gallupjourney@gmail.com