Thinking about home and ancestors, I was tempted to write about the home I grew up in but will save that for another time. This story is about the home my mother cherished while growing up in Hayward, California.
55 Main Street
My mother often shared fond memories of her childhood where the family would gather after dinner and make music together. Horns (trumpet and trombone), Strings (violin banjo, mandolin, and violin), Piano, and Drums were all mentioned at one time or another. My mother did not play an instrument; however, she loved to dance and would add to the fun with dancing and acrobatics while the music played.
This tradition morphed a bit when the three siblings left the nest to establish their own families. The oldest, my Uncle Jim kept the music alive. I remember trips to their mountain home in the forest of Lake Tahoe, and after dinner, we would all gather around while Uncle Jim and Aunt Bernie played mandolin and guitar while singing folk songs of the day.
Next in line, was Aunt Marian who lived two doors down from us. They had an organ in their house and they would let us play as we tried to plunk out a melody. The bigger memory of their home is the Beatle albums that Aunt Marian would buy to keep us entertained while she was at school completing her teacher's education at Cal State Hayward (class of ’66). We had so much fun in their garage singing along and acting out Beatles performances.
My mother was the third and youngest. With five small children in the house, and dad working long hours, there was not much time for music other than listening on the radio. I remember when they bought their first “stereophonic” radio/record player combination. Their first album was a Simon and Garfunkle, “Sounds of Silence” I think. My father would often lie between the two speakers and marvel at how he felt surrounded by the sounds of different instruments on different sides. As for me, I had my radio going all day every day, singing along with the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater, Sly and the Family Stone, Temptations, and the Supremes.
55 Main Street was my mother’s childhood home. Although she lived in many houses growing up (Valle Vista Ave, Kellog Street, Niles, etc). There was no doubt when you said ‘home’ this is where my mother’s mind went. I know this because as she aged, her mind fell victim to Alzheimer’s disease, and she would often ask my father to take her home, even though they were in their home of thirty years. He would assure her that she was home, but she could not see it.
“Come on let’s go! I live at 55 Main Street, we need to get going, get your coat, and let’s go,” she would insist. It was difficult, as those who are familiar with the process know.
When I tried to find 55 Main Street I was baffled as this address no longer exists. All the addresses on Main Street were converted to a five-digit number sometime during the 1950s. However, I was able to locate the house using old photos and current photos from online real estate companies. The new address is 21855 Main Street, see the photos below.
So when I think of Home Sweet Home, I think of my mother and her fond memories created in her home at 55 Main Street. Memories so dear, they were etched into her mind deeper than the Alzheimer’s that destroyed it. She now rests in peace with our Lord and the love she knew growing up in her "home sweet home" at 55 Main Street.
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| Banta Family Photo, in front of their home at 55 Main Street, Hayward CA Back Center is my grandfather, Marvin Banta, back right are his parents, Theodore and Verona Banta, back left is Harry Higbee and Belle Banta Higbee (Marvin's sister and brother-in-law), my mother Pat Banta (Grandon) is front center, her mother Nina Banta directly behind, and her sister Marian Banta (Bear) behind and to the left. |
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| The home at 55 Main Street, now 21855 Main Street, unknown date. A close-up view reveals the same wood balcony and the same four steps to a brick porch. |
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| The home at 55 Main Street, now 21855 Main Street, circa 2024, upgrades visible. |
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