The Young Carson Family Settles in Oklahoma

On April 28, 1930, when the U.S. Census was taken, Chester and his young family were living in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They lived in a house on the property of his father, W.L. Carson, recorded as 1916 S.W. Lindley Avenue, at the corner of Lindley and Binkly Street. Chester was 26 and paying $8.00 per month rent. The rent seems small by 2005 standards, but this was at a time when Chester earned only $5.00 per week.

He made a living as a carpenter. Their daughter, Bernice L., born in Oklahoma, was only about 2 7/12ths years old at the time. Bernard L, their son, is about 12 months old. He too was born in Oklahoma.


The 1930 U.S. Census record of the Carson household

Also living in the residence were Chester’s mother, Maude, and Chester’s brother, John V Carson and John’s wife Zetta. John is also known as Vergil. They too pay $8 rent. John V was born in Kansas, and was the second son of William L and Maude. Zetta was born in Texas, as were both of her parents.

Chester and his family lived in the smaller of the two houses on the property. The home had no hot water, so Kathleen used to heat water on the gas stove. One day, water got into the stove, putting out the pilot and allowing unburned gas to escape. There was so much gas in the home that Bernie nearly died, and the fire department and police were called to the scene. When the cause of the problem became clear, the family was warned to not heat water like that again.

From the obituary for John K Carson we know that W.L. was in Oklahoma as early as 1927, but not when or why Chester and Kathleen, or Vergil and Zetta, joined him.


A view of the Carson home in Oklahoma