All of which puts me in my usual frame of mind on such occasions; namely, searching mental nooks and crannies for fragments of the past. The earliest presidential election that I can remember is the 1932 campaign when Franklin D. Roosevelt defeated Herbert C. Hoover. It was only natural that we grammar school kids discussed "politics" in the context of what we heard at home from our parents, and there was a lot of it going on at Saratoga School.

One thing in particular sticks in my mind: the talk about "Wets" and "Drys." The terms, of course, referred to those who favored or opposed repeal of the U.S. Constitution's 18th Amendment, which forbade the manufacture, sale, importation or transportation of intoxicating liquors. As I remember, repeal itself wasn't an actual campaign issue, even though the timing coincided with the election.

My recollection is that we, at least the kids, referred to the Democrats as Wets and the Republicans as Drys. The 18th Amendment itself was repealed by vote of the states a year after the election. Roosevelt took office for the first of his four terms on March 4, 1933, a day I also remember. Another FDR memory involves casting my vote for him in 1944 in the so-called "soldier vote." Several months later I learned of his death from the Germany edition of the Army newspaper Stars and Stripes, a document I have kept as a valued memento.

But, back to 1933. The Great Depression, heralded by the stock market crash of 1929, was at its height, or maybe it was its depth. One of the popular songs associated with Roosevelt's "New Deal" was "Happy Days Are Here Again," which in many ways seemed premature. Saratoga was not as hard hit by the Depression as were industrialized areas. This was primarily an agricultural economy, and although there were some debt foreclosures on land, the overall economic picture here was more stable, despite certain individuals having to go on "relief," now welfare.

One of the significant bits of Depression evidence involved the transients—today they'd be called "homeless"—who camped under the Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road bridge over Saratoga Creek. Until the present bridge was built during the highway widening of 1965, the creek was spanned by a graceful concrete arch structure, one of many dating back to the late 1920s.

This smoke-blackened arch was evidence of the countless campfires that had been built alongside the creek by these unfortunate men. Today, we see homeless people standing by intersections and holding signs describing their plight as they seek donations. Back then, I remember the transients coming to the back door of our house, asking if there was any work they could do in return for food. My mother always tried to oblige, and she also saved bacon grease, which she gave them in coffee cans so they could use it in their under-the-bridge culinary efforts.

Switching topics again, let me go back to Prohibition. I don't recall ever having heard of any speakeasies in Saratoga, despite its early saloon history dating back to the lumbering days. I do remember hearing in later years of at least one still (distillery) back in the hills somewhere around the present Highway 9.

My main recollection of Prohibition violations has to do with weekend revelry at Wildwood Park, then a privately owned picnic ground. At the time, we were living at the end of Marion Avenue (there's that Road again) just a few hundred yards from the park. I can remember the sustained roaring sounds of revelry on Sunday nights, emanating from the park. The word bandied around was that these were not dry parties.

The Wets held sway, and I don't necessarily mean Democrats.