Leaving Savannah

In August 1951, fifteen-year-old Rose left Savannah with her family for Los Angeles, where her father, Henry, had accepted work in railroad maintenance. Their belongings travelled west in a loaded car. Henry kept maps on his knees, while Clara, Rose’s mother, kept track of their stops. For Rose, the journey meant leaving familiar streets and her childhood friend Ruth behind.

Before the journey was over, Rose wrote Ruth a postcard. She wanted their friendship to continue across the distance. A few weeks after the family arrived in Los Angeles, Henry took them to Santa Monica. There, Rose saw the Pacific for the first time. She stood holding her sandals as the cold water reached her ankles. It was late summer 1951, and she was beginning to discover her new home.