Richard Bostwick Reminiscences

Home Page

Welfare Office Stories
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Cab Driving Stories
Introduction
The Way It Was - 1930
The Gambler And His Gal 1927
The Last One To Know 1926
Just A Couple Of Hustlers 1925
Cash On Delivery 1923
One Born Every Minute 1923
Fun Is Where You Find It 1923
An Ace In The Hole 1922
And A Little Child Shall…
Gold Tooth Murphy
Aiding And Abetting 1929
Buried Treasure 1927
The Good Samaritan
Just A Country Trip
The Prodigal Son
Occupational Hazard
Four Bags Full
Overtime Pay
Above And Beyond The Call
Fourth Down And Ten
Let There Be Light
Take It Or Leave It
Double Or Nothing
Bandit
The Champ
Three Of A Kind
My Silent Big Spender
N.P.R.R. (Northern Pacific Railroad) Mr. Moody

Extras

Prohibition Stories
A Little Competition
Some Did Burn
Last Words

Biography of Richard Bostwick

Richard Bostwick was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 31, 1904, the son of William and Mary (McMillin) Bostwick. In the early 1920s he came to Fargo, North Dakota where he met and married Clara Baker, the daughter of Harry D. and Angeline Baker, on June 12, 1922. The young couple made their home with the Bakers at their residence in Fargo. At this time, Richard Bostwick secured a job working as a cab driver, for which many of the stories in his reminiscence takes place. Around 1930 he was employed as a driver for the United Light Heat & Power Co. About 1932 he was working for the Cass County Relief office. The 1935 payroll lists him as an Assistant File Clerk with a salary of $15.00 a week. From 1934 to 1936, the Fargo city directories once again list Richard Bostwick as working as a driver for the Royal and the Doyle cab lines. In 1938 he was employed as a bus driver for the Northern Transit Co. He remained at this position until 1942 when he moved to Tacoma, Washington to work in the railroad yards. In Tacoma he went on to own and operate Rainier Plumbing Company and was a member of the Plumbers and Steamfitters, Local 82. He also served as a director of apprenticeships for the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.

The Bostwicks were the parents of nine children; Richard, Thomas, William, James, Reneé, Gloria, Mary, Patricia and Nancy. In 1982 Richard and Clara celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Richard Bostwick passed away on Feb. 23, 1986 of cancer. Clara died a year later. Richard and Clara left behind a large number of descendants who are blessed with the ability to read these intriguing stories. It is a gift they will continue to give for generations to come.

The Richard Bostwick family, Fargo, N.D., ca. 1938 Back row: Bill, Clara holding Jim, Richard Jr., Richard Sr. and Reneé Front row: Patricia, Thomas, Gloria and Nancy