Oral History of Boyd and Jeanette Done
written by:
Erica Magallanez
“It was a community really separate from Tucson. Between Tucson and Binghampton there’s nothing but desert. And we were really a close-knit community there, and friends and relatives all grew up together and still hang together, those that are still around…” These are the words of a Tucson native who has described his place of home as Binghampton. Boyd Done, who has lived in Tucson throughout his childhood reminisces on the days of what Binghampton once was. Now, married to his wife Jeanette Done, both Tucson natives remember vividly what it was like growing up in this wonderful town of Binghampton.
Jeanette Done was born on April 7th 1936, in the living room
of her home on Dodge Blvd just off of Ft. Lowell.
“…My parents built their house out of adobe that they made in the
driveway of our house. You’d dry
a pit and you’d put water and straw and all this and you’d make your adobes.
And so, they built their home and that’s where I was born,” says
Jeanette Done. Jeanette Done
remembers her home as a safe community that has such a significant meaning to
her as well as all the others who were born and raised in Binghampton.
Jeanette, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
remembers one of her favorite childhood memories living in Binghampton.
“Um, the church on Ft. Lowell, believe it or not use to have a swimming
pool behind it that the church owned, and one of our favorite things to do as
kids was waiting for the swimming pool to open, and we would all go swim until
we were sick and sunburned and nearly hospitalized.” This church was the nucleus of the Binghampton community.
The majority of the population was primarily Mormons of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Throughout
her childhood there were always things to do as a young child.
In the summer evenings Jeanette and her friends would go out into the
community and play fun games that don’t exist anymore.
One specific game that Jeanette Done remembers was kick-the-can, “there
was a can and you each had a team and you went and hid and whoever was it would
have to find you, and if you could avoid being found and get back to home base
and kick-the-can, then you were home free.”
Her husband, Boyd Done has a slightly different version of kick-the-can,
“Well, the guy had to get the can and put it back in the middle of the circle,
if you jumped over it, you were home free.
If he kicked the can, then he had to go out and then he had to find
everybody, he had to come back and say, I saw so and so.
So then you were caught.” Although
Boyd and Jeanette each have their own version of kick-the-can, it was still a
fun and exciting game that they enjoyed as children.
Jeanette says, “I have vivid memories of all that whole area down there
where we lived, every summer evening we went out playing games together, mother
didn’t worry that it wasn’t safe for her daughters to be out in the evening
as young girls, and there was just a real close atmosphere out there…”
So what was so significant about this town of Binghampton?
Was it the church people, the friendly atmosphere, the fact that
everybody knew everybody, or how it was simply a community in itself?
These qualities and much more contribute to what was known as
Binghampton. It was a unique
community isolated from Tucson where each individual took care and concern for
each other. You didn’t have to be
a member of the church; you were just your own person and were excepted for who
you are. “…And we were just all
family and maybe that was the most unique part of it,” says Jeanette Done.
Jeanette’s husband Boyd Done has his own fond memories growing up in
Binghampton. Born in 1934 at Saint
Mary’s hospital, Mr. Done is also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. Attending
Davidson Elementary, Catalina Jr. High, and graduating from
Tucson High School, Boyd Done has more than a few childhood memories of
his own. With enthusiasm Boyd
states, “ I would go back forever on memories.
I was reminiscing the other day, as kids, mom would give us 50 cents and
we would ride the bus downtown, go to the Tucson Theatres, watch all the Tarzan,
and cartoons, buy all the popcorn and drink we could eat and ride the bus back
home and still have change left over.” This
was the highlight for Boyd and his friends and family who lived in this special
community. One of Boyd Done’s
homes was located on the corner of Hardy and Chapel just 2 blocks north of Ft.
Lowell and 1 block east of Dodge. Like
his wife, Boyd’s home was made out of adobe by his father.
Boyd remembers, “But my dad built it with adobe, and I guess everybody
did, that’s how they built their homes, and uh, even though he wasn’t a
contractor he still had the help of friends and neighbors…” The importance
of growing up in Binghampton were the roots that were embedded upon this little
town. The relationships that the
people had with one another were so strong that whether you lived in Binghampton
and moved away, you were still considered family.
“I feel that is their home to them,” says Boyd.
The people of Binghampton had a bond with one another which, expanded
greatly as the population grew.
Although Boyd and Jeanette do not live in Binghampton anymore, they still attend their church that is located in Binghampton. Boyd and many of his friends try to reunite their old friendship that was once, long ago, so strong and close, which made Binghampton what it use to be. This fun loving couple from Binghampton met each other growing up as children. Knowing each other all their lives has given them the opportunity to create wonderful memories of their homeland. It has also brought them close to their society and it’s surroundings. Boyd continues to say, “ Jeanette lived a block away from me going to high school and so we would walk to visit each other and when we got married we bought a home right in the middle of it so if we ever had a fight, she could run to my home and I could run to hers.” Today many of the homes in Binghampton are now reconstructed as businesses and other operational buildings. What are left are the many wonderful memories that were once so vivid in the minds of the Binghampton settlers. The transit of the people has lost its community-like feeling and Binghampton is not the neat little community that it use to be. Although Binghampton has changed, there will always be the memories of this “sleepy little community.” Jeanette smiles as she states, “ a little small town nation, we will never go back to those days but it was unique and it was a childhood that I wish everybody could experience because of the uniqueness of it. We were all friends, we were all family.” Boyd concludes, “ We still reveal Binghampton, it’s a special community because we’re so close, growing up there.”
This area of Binghampton is not just significant to
the Done family but to many other Tucson natives as well.
Being able to share such a wonderful place with so many friendly people
has made Binghampton a historical site. Nothing
can ever replace the fond childhood memories that one has, especially for the
Done’s. The home of a person is
something cherish able that cannot be replaced.
Friends, family, neighbor’s, and relatives all make-up what is
considered an individual’s home. The actual site may be long gone but one will always have the
vivid memories of their first home because home is definitely where the heart
is.