Charlie Kelly Family Page

CHARLIE KELLY'S SCRAPBOOK

Right: 1971 portrait

This page is the place where I display various personal documents and photos on the Internet. I don't expect it to be of interest to you, but it makes it easy for me to show this material to others who might be interested. It's not like it costs me extra to put up another page, so why not? If you found this page boring, weird or silly, you would be correct, so feel free to click one of the links at the top of the page. There's more to the site than my baby pictures, but this is the page for the baby pictures.

Wait! Come back! I was so cute!

The Cundiff Saga. This is an oral history of my great-grandparents' trek across the country by wagon around the turn of the 20th century. It is a story of hardship and tragedy, and should be required reading for modern kids who have no idea what their forebears went through.

Left: my great aunt, Susie Cundiff Patrick, in 1911.

The Championship Season, 1954

THE 1954 MILL VALLEY COASTER DERBY

This would be my first appearance in any publication. Here's the story.

The Mill Valley Cub Scouts (BSA) held an annual coaster derby on Throckmorton Avenue in front of Old Mill School. My father designed and built the craftiest coaster ever.

The cowling for my racer was a round cheese box, and I steered by a yoke made from the sawed-off "Y" from the frame of an old tricycle. A cable attached to the ends of the axles wrapped around bottom of the yoke under the frame, which geared down the steering and damped oscillation. Every other coaster had just a hand-held rope attached to the axle and the drivers couldn't steer straight lines. The brake was a piece of a car tire which I could rub on the ground by pulling on a lever on the side of the frame. The seat was a booster seat my dad had made in a night wood shop class when I was young enough to need such a thing.

The number was "23" for Pack 2, Den 3. The other racers laughed at my funny looking rig, but only at first. My helmet (not required by any rules) was an old-fashioned leather football helmet. No way you could put on this race today.

Ball bearing wheels were prohibited, although one father attempted to cheat and used them. He was exposed when he claimed that another racer had ball bearing wheels, which was untrue, but the accused father then demanded that his accuser take off a wheel. He was busted and disqualified.

While ball bearings may have been prohibited, having a machine shop polish the ends of the axles to a perfect bearing surface was not, and my father had that done, and he mixed light oil with graphite for a lubricant.

I only drove that coaster a few times, first for practice runs at Park School, and then the three heats at the race. I couldn't believe that each time I coasted down the hill, I pulled away from the other racer. I was the coaster champ of Mill Valley a few weeks before my ninth birthday.

I got my picture in the paper, along with "Interpret #63." I guess the reporter meant "Intrepid #23." Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick, you can see the number in the photol! "Interpret"? No wonder you're working for the Mill Valley Record, and not, say, The Petaluma Dairy Review.

Because I had already been stitched up from an accident on a Flexy Flyer, the idea of an eight year old kid with a penchant for head injuries having the fastest coaster in Mill Valley seemed like sure death, so Old #23 was dismantled and put in storage for the next event, which would be my brother Jim's turn. Unfortunately, the race was not held again for several years, and Jim never got his shot at the title, but I got to keep the trophy until they needed it again.

Jim and me after the race.

The Fish Story

Ten years old, and my dad took me on a salmon fishing party boat. My father was subject to seasickness, and spent much of the day feeding the fish, while I ate his lunch and half the other lunches on the boat.

Oh yeah. I caught a fish. This was the biggest salmon that was caught that day on any of the boats out of Sausalito, 31 1/2 pounds. I could barely hold it off the ground for the photo.

I only wish we had a better camera at the time.

A month before my 13th birthday.

I am an alumnus of Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley California, Class of 1963. In 2003 I was instrumental in organizing the 40th year reunion for my class. In connection with that reunion I created a website for the Class of 1963.

Click on my freshman Student Body Card to go to the website for the Tamalpais High School Class of 1963.

SIBLINGS

1948

1966

Easter Sunday

1994, at Edith's high school reunion.

1960

Skateboarding in 1965

1983

Anyone interested in viewing my Honorable Discharge from the United States Army can do so here.

I went to Park School. Here is a link to a reunion from another class.


	THE 1954 MILL VALLEY COASTER DERBY This would be my first appearance in any publication. Here's the story. The Mill Valley Cub Scouts (BSA) held an annual coaster derby on Throckmorton Avenue in front of Old Mill School. My father designed and built the craftiest coaster ever. The cowling for my racer was a round cheese box, and I steered by a yoke made from the sawed-off "Y" from the frame of an old tricycle. A cable attached to the ends of the axles wrapped around bottom of the yoke under the frame, which geared down the steering and damped oscillation. Every other coaster had just a hand-held rope attached to the axle and the drivers couldn't steer straight lines. The brake was a piece of a car tire which I could rub on the ground by pulling on a lever on the side of the frame. The seat was a booster seat my dad had made in a night wood shop class when I was young enough to need such a thing. The number was "23" for Pack 2, Den 3. The other racers laughed at my funny looking rig, but only at first. My helmet (not required by any rules) was an old-fashioned leather football helmet. No way you could put on this race today. Ball bearing wheels were prohibited, although one father attempted to cheat and used them. He was exposed when he claimed that another racer had ball bearing wheels, which was untrue, but the accused father then demanded that his accuser take off a wheel. He was busted and disqualified. While ball bearings may have been prohibited, having a machine shop polish the ends of the axles to a perfect bearing surface was not, and my father had that done, and he mixed light oil with graphite for a lubricant. I only drove that coaster a few times, first for practice runs at Park School, and then the three heats at the race. I couldn't believe that each time I coasted down the hill, I pulled away from the other racer. I was the coaster champ of Mill Valley a few weeks before my ninth birthday. I got my picture in the paper, along with "Interpret #63." I guess the reporter meant "Intrepid #23." Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick, you can see the number in the photol! "Interpret"? No wonder you're working for the Mill Valley Record, and not, say, The Petaluma Dairy Review. Because I had already been stitched up from an accident on a Flexy Flyer, the idea of an eight year old kid with a penchant for head injuries having the fastest coaster in Mill Valley seemed like sure death, so Old #23 was dismantled and put in storage for the next event, which would be my brother Jim's turn. Unfortunately, the race was not held again for several years, and Jim never got his shot at the title, but I got to keep the trophy until they needed it again.
Jim and me after the race.
The Fish Story Ten years old, and my dad took me on a salmon fishing party boat. My father was subject to seasickness, and spent much of the day feeding the fish, while I ate his lunch and half the other lunches on the boat. Oh yeah. I caught a fish. This was the biggest salmon that was caught that day on any of the boats out of Sausalito, 31 1/2 pounds. I could barely hold it off the ground for the photo. I only wish we had a better camera at the time.