Studio Brings Back Fond Memories

The abandoned Minnehaha movie studio was a childhood playground for Don Amsbury.

His father, Al Amsbury, went to work for the parks department in 1924. The family lived in the now-demolished house.

Amsbury was 5 years old when the family moved in.

“We lived there for free, to take care of the place,” he said.

“As I look back on it, it was a wonderful place to grow up,” said Amsbury, the founder of Amsbury Glass in Spokane. His younger brother and two sisters were born at the house.

“There was a pond - we called it the beaver pond. It was made out of concrete. It was mostly filled in with dirt when we were there. I don’t even know how deep it was.

“Our backyard was a beautiful place. There were huge trees that are all gone now. It’s sad for me to go over there,” he said.

Amsbury was called to serve in the U.S. Army in World War II. When he returned, the house was still standing. He said he thinks it was torn down only a few years ago.

“I have a lot of fond memories over there. It was a wonderful place for kids. We played on those hills and knew every nook and cranny

“We played cowboys and Indians. We made our own fun.

“I roller-skated up on the second floor of the dance hall. We played basketball up there. The whole neighborhood came to play inside there,” he said.

“When we first moved in, there was a whole bunch of mercury lights. They stood eight or nine feet high,” he recalled.

“Each rack had a dozen vertical tubes. One of the boys in the neighborhood broke some tubes and the mercury went all over the floor,” he said.

Three Amsbury brothers, in their 70s and 80s, were among the crowd watching Shipman’s “Grub Stake” at Cooper Elementary School Saturday night.

“The movie was great, for an old silent movie,” Amsbury said. “I recognized quite a few scenes from around Minnehaha.”

, DataTimes