Creating Fiction from History: 6/15/2022

Billy sure loved his rocks! Big ones, small ones, dull ones, shiny ones, light ones, heavy ones; if it caught Billy's eye (not many didn't), it soon found its way into his trusty (or make that "rusty") red companion. Where it went from there depended on how heavy or light, shiny or dull, small or big.

The big ones usually became part of some landscaping project. Sometimes it was a fence of whatever size and purpose. Others were simply a marker for some grave, whether it was some poor little animal who had been where it shouldn't or an apple core Billy had planted while playing Johnny Appleseed. Oh, the joys of childhood!

William Robert Henford was born to William and Dianne Henford on October 31, 1964. Yes, one can only imagine the Halloween parties, but maybe that's another story for another day! Today's story is about Billy and his rocks.

Billy came by his love for rocks in particular and landscaping in general from his parents. His mother was a rockhound herself. In fact, not many stories of Billy's mother before he came along didn't involve pockets full of rocks. William Sr. had also found his true love in Nature, beginning with scaping his land, then turning his talents into pure gold, doing the same for others. Billy loved working with his father, learning at an early age how satisfying it could be to sculpt Nature's natural curves into something just as beautiful but more utilitarian.

Growing up in the 60s and early 70s, as Billy had, when most kids his age were out until dark throwing or kicking balls or even rocks in some fashion, Billy could be found picking rocks in the fields surrounding his home. He carted them around in his old Radio Flyer, building some structure out of the bigger ones. Sometimes he had to recruit help in gathering and placing the larger stones, but as he got older, Billy found he could do it himself. In fact, he found he preferred to work on his own, as "playing with rocks" became a cause for ridicule from certain peers. At least until Billy showed them how happy one could be working in Nature.

Billy is pictured here at age five while taking a break next to one of his many piles of freshly harvested rocks.

If you would like to create fiction from history with one of the museum's photos, please contact the Ledger at (406) 287-5301 or email whledger@gmail.com.