We, my family including Dave, my son Wesley living in Oregon, and my granddaughter, Seeley, were all visiting my dad, George (known as Georgie as a child) at his house across from Bonner Park on Ronald St. in Missoula. It was the 4th of July, 2020. My dad fixed us some lemonade and we sat on the patio surrounded by dad's flowers. Ken, my brother, was also there.
I asked my dad what he did as a child on the 4th of July. Here's what he said: There wasn't much going on, however, he told a story about a fellow Polson area/Irvin Flats homesteader, Cliff McBroom, and how due to a fireworks accident on Flathead Lake, lost his hand and had it replaced by a hook!!
Here's what happened. Cliff and some others were lighting some fireworks on Flathead Lake. In those days fireworks really packed a punch and were more powerful than many modern day fireworks. Cliff was holding a firework which didn't go off completely at first so he dunked it in the lake water thinking it would douse the firework.
Instead of the firework going out it exploded in his hand which was under water and blew his hand off!
The doctors did surgery and his hand was fitted with a hook.
Cliff was at times known to get into some fights and you could say he had an angry streak that surfaced every now and then. So...when he did get into a fight his opponents knew that Cliff had a hook on his one hand and that it may be used on them!
This is the story my dad told to us on the 4th of July many years after the incident. As I haven't looked into this story as far as checking newspapers or finding some relatives this account is just from my dad, an Irvin Flats homesteader, who has a very good memory!
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