The job was now at its peak with over 700 workers and moving along pretty much on schedule. By later spring, most of the equipment for the aluminum rolling mill had been installed. Stan Hosmer had a strong background in setting machinery and personally handled this portion of the field work. By June, the plant was far enough along for the company to have an official dedication.

It was held on June 23, 1963, with Nelson Rockefeller as the honored guest speaker. It was one of those cold, windy summer days which sometimes occurred in the summer along the lake with a high temperature in the low 50s. We set up two large tents to host the governor and other dignitaries along with the Aluminium of Canada officials. One for the ceremony and one for the fancy lunch. We rounded up about six hot-air blowers and placed them around the perimeter blowing in hot air under the flaps of the tents.

The plant was now in the start-up phase, and we continued working with a much reduced force on outlying structures, railroads, the main office building and other miscellaneous items until early in 1964 when the job was officially turned over to the owners.

In the fall 1963, our realtor told us the owner of our Fifth Street house was putting it up for sale. We knew that we had about a year more on the job and were uncertain what to do. If we stayed until it was sold, it might be close to the time we would be leaving, which would make it difficult to find a house for such a short time.




We decided to see if we could find another house to rent and soon found one on Cuyahoga Street. It was a nice house and neighborhood, but a much smaller house, a little cramped with all our furniture, but we thought we would manage. We rented it and had help in moving from friends on the job, and we settled in there in late September.







On November 22, 1963, President Kennedy was shot in Dallas, Texas. It was in the afternoon, and I was at work when I heard the news. It spread throughout the jobsite, and soon there were many small groups of workers gathered and talking about it, and the work practically stopped for the day. Margeet recalls hearing about it while talking to our neighbor, Marie Sykes. For the next three days, about everyone in the country was glued to their TVs following the news.

This winter was another one with heavy snowfall, falling practically every evening. The first thing I would do after breakfast was to grab my snow shovel to clear off the snow plowed onto my short driveway. Margeet would later shovel off the sidewalk of our corner house. We had a small backyard and as the snow piled up, I would help the kids dig snow tunnels for them to play in.