Barry Livingston, Shayla Livingston, and Michael Livingston

Recorded April 22, 2012 Archived April 22, 2012 38:24 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id: sfb001790

Description

Barry Livingston (85) interviewed by his son Michael Livingston (58) and his granddaughter Shayla Livingston (25) about growing up in San Francisco, California, working for as fashion store called Livingston Brothers, his time in the Navy, and his love of skiing and the outdoors.

Subject Log / Time Code

B. on growing up in San Francisco, California.
B. on his dog walking business.
B. on the fashion store Livingston Brothers. B. on the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire.
B. on volunteering for the Navy, and traveling on an ammunition ship to Australia.
B. on the 49ers football team.
B. on skiing at Lake Tahoe.
B. on hiking the John Muir Trail with his sons.
B. on getting a Republican hired for office, who was running against Shirley Temple.
B. on walking over the Golden Gate Bridge on opening day.
B. on technology.
S. on getting to know her grandfather better.

Participants

  • Barry Livingston
  • Shayla Livingston
  • Michael Livingston

Recording Locations

CJM

Venue / Recording Kit


Transcript

StoryCorps uses Google Cloud Speech-to-Text and Natural Language API to provide machine-generated transcripts. Transcripts have not been checked for accuracy and may contain errors. Learn more about our FAQs through our Help Center or do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any questions.

00:03 Hello, my name is Sheila Livingston. I'm 26 years old today is April 22nd, 2012 or in San Francisco, and I'm here with my father Michael and my grandfather Barry.

00:16 My name is Michael Livingston and I am 58 today is April 22nd 2012 back in San Francisco, and I'm here with my daughter Shayla and my father Barry. Hi, my name is Barry Livingston. I'm 85 years old today is April 22nd 2012. The location is San Francisco born and raised and a grandson and granddaughter and Grandson son and granddaughter.

00:49 All right. So Graham bear as you said you were born and raised in San Francisco, but where exactly did did you grow up in Hillsboro with my Georgia boarman and my father but I really grew up in San Francisco. We came back when the when they were separated. We move back to San Francisco. So I grew up in the city. What street starts out on Jackson Street and then moved to 2728 Union.

01:26 So that's only within a few blocks of where you live now, right? There's this house that has a large pine tree vet the vet's 2728 Union Street and it did have a pine tree in the backyard. We used to we used to spend some time in the summer up at on the Truckee River and I caught squirrels of chipmunks actually and had a cage in the backyard at one point had four or five Chipmunks and it was a pretty big case. So I had to cut a couple of branches of the tree and actually now some 70 years later. You can see the space in the trades its way taller than most of the houses, but you can see the space in the tree from the corner of Lyon Street.

02:22 So we're here in San Francisco and there's always people walking dogs. And there's the dog walkers. We started Lauren Tryon and I started the business a hundred years ago. Well, maybe only 70 and when we were each walking for dogs at that, I think $0.25 a dog we were ecstatic now. These guys are walking six and eight dogs of $15 ahead. I'm jealous. If you want to commission. Will you tell us your real name? Barmen bar in Livingston? Barman is my grandfather's of last name DW Barman

03:08 And where was he from their family was from Buffalo New York. I don't know his I'm ashamed to say I don't know where they came from. But I think it was Germany in German show. And where did your father's parents come from a little a little town that I have trouble pronouncing Livingston was obviously not their last name when they came through Ellis Island. They didn't change up with boys who brought out the the names just throw that Livingston over diseases. I think it was more like Laura Bernstein and what did they come over all at once or one at a time? One of them was 17. So the others were plus or minus, which is amazing age that came over and took to go to work. They lived a little in the Midwest.

04:08 Went down to Los Angeles for a. Of time like three or four years and then then moved to the Bay Area move to San Francisco where they eventually started the retail store. So can you tell us a little bit about living some brothers and it's in this beginning and maybe the fire and earthquake beginning was with the three boys and they started it. I think the first store was on Fillmore Street of the fire moved them down to Dunes of Grand Avenue and Gary or famous story is the boys had rented some wagon and we're taking some of the merchandise to a still one of the families houses in the city and Caruso with been here singing at the Opera the night before and he was also on a wagon does his

05:08 Wagon was lighter and faster and he almost drove off the road.

05:15 And then they started up pretty quickly after the fire. How are they able to do that? We were able to start up after the fire because their contact one of them actually my grandfather had an office in New York and their contacts in in New York sent the merchandise without being paid for it. So we were we were able to get merchandise quickly. And for that reason we told a lot of better merchandise people weren't buying Rags they were buying riches and so they did very well right after the fire. Is it like to walk into one of those stores?

05:58 I thought I didn't walk into one of those stories way back then but San Francisco when you went downtown you dress for the women dress, very well-coached. How will Coach dresses double handle bag? Definitely a hat is a fancy shoes. So you just didn't go shopping downtown in a pair of jeans that story is that David used to greet the first two customers at the door with carnations. Is that true to remember that I already I have no idea but he could have you could have created them. Okay.

06:39 I'm into remember when you first started working at Livingston Brothers. I was given an assignment to do everything. I open boxes. I put tags on merchandise. I worked in the stock control office, but I remain the boss's son. So I was well cared for

07:04 Well, I got I started a high school at Lowell taking over. We were living on Union Street at the time took the oldie car down to Fillmore Street took the Fillmore Street cable cars up to the top of Filmore and Union at Fillmore and Jackson, I guess and then took the 22 down to the 5 in the five hours to Lowell, but I graduated from Fountain Valley because Dad went back and went back in the service after my first year and went up to the camp Stoneman so they shipped me off to boarding school. And then when did you get drafted volunteered but only to avoid being drafted cuz I didn't want to go into the army. I preferred the Navy and so I volunteered for the Navy and was on an an Ambien if

08:03 Kinship in the South Pacific. Would you believe bringing ammunition back from Australia to San Francisco great and any stories about that. Do you want to tell us about how well does ammunition ship that had picked up ammunition just before us exploded. So the Aussies weren't loading the ships and we did so when we were loading the five in shells which were big and had grommets around the base of them. You're supposed to lay them down. There was much easier to stand them up which we did what we had a little rough weather grommets work their way up to shows were rolling all over the base of the of the ship the sea to home test of the ships. We made thousands of and I went up and told the officer of the deck he sent me to the captain.

09:01 We have to go back and restock the ammunition. I was not considered at you.

09:10 Apprised that was the name Livingston became persona non grata, and the TV, I was transferred running arrival in San Francisco. So it's so tell us the story about hitchhiking home one day after boot camp in those days. Everybody gave us a serviceman a ride anywhere. I probably hit shied from from San Diego up to San Francisco. I was on the other side. I cross the Bay Bridge. I was hitchhiking up to Pittsburgh for Camp salmen was and the family drove by me and they're nice new convertible. I just

09:58 So your mom and dad drove right by Mom and Dad drove right by me.

10:02 Peggy and Carl Peggy Carroll Road, you had a few brought a shell backwards.

10:11 All right, Dad tells about the 49ers. You're a long time 49ers and how far back do you go way back to Kezar? I was there for the catch of my best thing about the going to Kezar. I had a secret parking place right at the edge of the Panhandle gorgos in the Golden Gate Park and I could park for free a block away from the stadium the illegal completely illegal, but no tickets on Sunday.

10:44 Is there Francisco's changed a little bit?

10:50 So that one of our favorite places was to go up to the circle 3L Ranch you have any particular stories of of the ranch that you'd like to tell memories of the fat is the ranch was completely it was trees or wasn't there wasn't any open area, but they just keep them horses and some chickens and it was fun taking care of the horses grooming them you were actually able to do a little riding around then because everything wasn't fenced off. But now of course you can't ride anywhere, but you learn to ride from an early age we did when we were up at the stain on the Truckee River we used to go there was a stable on the way in the Tahoe and a we used to ride out from there.

11:50 Just for the record you did just ride last weekend even last weekend. Is it still the same?

12:00 Dad, you you love the outdoors and you've introduced both Brian my brother and me to skiing and backpacking and biking. I'm an early ate something that we've kept up with our family. So can you tell us a little bit about skiing and some of those early memories of skiing at Tahoe skiing? I like it was I thought it was great. We were up there early and late lunch on the hill. Can you tell us a little bit about lunch on the hill? Where was where was your favorite place to eat? There was that we were off of kt22 off to the side there was with a wonderful View and we we eventually met another guy who made up there we exchanged recipes I think mine was

12:55 Apples with mustard and his was a little fancier tell yum yum cookies and he like your Grey Poupon. Do you remember when Alex Cushing the owner raised his prices $2 at one time from 7 to $9 from 7 to $9. We were the first on the lift and the last off the live with absolutely ridiculous. I do remember that you forced us to ski in any weather condition some terrible memories of skiing in the rain forbidden to go back into the lodge. Do you have any members that my memory is it used to take Brian and me to a fairly inexpensive accommodation in Truckee?

13:46 It was not a whorehouse single rooms, but it was not a whorehouse.

13:55 And I am I have a very fun memory of returning home with you used to like to take Brian and me separately because you claim that you could get a lot of information out of us on those lawn for our trips. Is it that we had our best conversations on those for our trips? Yes. I did. It was hard to stay awake after a long day skiing so our next door neighbor who was the doctor gave me what I called stay awake pills. I inadvertently told him that was almost more fun to drive home then to ski and she took the pills away from you since they were something else.

14:30 And one of my favorite memories of of skiing with you is how much you appreciated the outdoors and you remember what you used to make us a on the chairlift who are who are that's right you but you used to make a say, who are you said you wouldn't take us back up again. And what kind of gear did you guys use proper? Ski gear the skis were tall enough to hit that when you raise your arm up. They hit the middle of your palm. They were about 5 or 6 inch wide with a lovely secure Bye by NSync.

15:11 If you fell down they didn't come off the safety strap was as dangerous as the buying a better technology better skier. Dad you while you were in the fashion industry for a long time. And do you remember that one product that came along years ago that you that you claim was going to revolutionize the the industry ultrasuede Let It Go by but I wore for about the 10 years probably go back to when you were in boot camp. You said that your grandfather came to visit you and father separated in early age. I really didn't know my grandfather. But at the when I finish boot camp, he came out to San Diego to visit me and stayed at the

16:11 Hotel Del Coronado Coronado Hotel, and we had dinner and talked but I was just a dumb kid. I had no idea what it meant to him and now is a grandparent. I

16:27 I'm sad.

16:30 Dad we are

16:33 We have dogs as we were growing up a number of them and I'm wondering if you could talk to me about Barron. Our first purchase Barron was accused of biting several people including Ryan of Ryan.

16:53 But it was never proven in court. You're defending Barron to this day cuz he could you remember that. He was a particular mix of dogs. Remember what it was forgotten what the mix was that he was big and bold think it was Doberman Pinscher and boxer and he was driven away to a security Compound on it on when you were on a trip to New York by our mother. Do you remember that? Never quite forgiven her?

17:23 So back to skiing. There's something about the chairlift crashing at Shirley Lake. I actually had to ask Michael about that. I forgot about it, but we were standing at the base of Shirley Lake ski lift to get on it and have it all of a sudden the chair is broke and came cable backed up or something and came you're going backwards and people falling off and piling up in a in a pile. We were trying to yell at them to jump off, but they didn't jump off and they were dumped off and we had to walk back out but our favorite remembrances of the course that we didn't get a free ride. We got to walk dog and they advertise free tickets at the top. And of course, there was no one there. There was no one there.

18:18 So you you are in real estate after Livingston Rose white? Why did Livingston Rose close brothers clothes? I left before we closed it in for a while there. The whole city was a sea of of old German Jewish retail stores Livingston's ransaw phlebas David Sean wasser. We last we've actually lasted the longest independently, but the daughters were coming along and they weren't about to go in these old ladies homes. I mean, we would we have a nice department for the daughters, but they wouldn't even go and they wouldn't even go in the stores reason weed last of those long as we did. We had the love. We had a number of branched or some of which words are 4000 square feet and they served the community to they were in actually the one on Chestnut.

19:18 It was an old Italian neighborhood and we had to in the Embarcadero Center, which were working women want out of Laurel Village was very fancy. They kept us they kept us in business. But we we sunk it by keeping the flagship store wrong. Remember what you called those little small stores are those those were Twix Twix right thing. You have to remember about those stores with inventory control then as it is now is the name of the game but in inventory control, then we were using those three Park tickets with a department number the manufacturer number the style number that color in the size. We print those tickets put them on the merchandise tear them off when we sold them when the tickets came to the unit Control Office flood all that merchandise in on an individual pay.

20:18 I mean now now you scan it and you have the information and seconds. It was a project right different world. Now, I mean people doing inventory control with unbelievable.

20:35 So dad getting back to your love of the outdoors. We went on a an extraordinary hike when Brian and I were in our a mid-to-late teens you want to tell us a little bit about the John Muir Trail and its Evolution with Tad and the John Muir Trail is 250 250 miles long and Ted tied. It was a very close friend brought his three sons along and we have another man was coming but didn't make it. So we had his son along it was it was the one of the great trips. It was a significant part of my life. We packed all the free packed all the food for getting a little bit of the rice. Somehow some of us about 10 lb of rice doesn't make it so we lost a little late but it was an unbelievable. It was an unbelievable trip.

21:35 How many fish did you eat to make up to the rice of us on the trip and it was 28 days and we ate 600 fish. They weren't very big though. We had to they had to be over 6in to keep them and there weren't many of the world or 6 in.

21:59 Yeah, we actually just have to fruit drops part way to they brought them up and put them somewhere on the trail how we work that out I don't remember but it saved our but we we had to Topo maps with the Packers were taking exit do I take an extra donkey and then they bury it under rocks and we KO Mark topo maps we just hope that we are marking the right spot and that the Bears had dug it up and eating it do you remember why dad left early amazing we were. Maldives to the Rangers Power Rangers the Rangers were in doing some work and Michael seemed to have a friend a lady friend who is anxiously awaiting his return and the ring and the Rangers gave him a ride out I swear without telling me

22:58 What without even telling until he'd gone but that may or may not be true. Now permanently ruined dad's football career has he lost so much weight to start with.

23:20 Speaking of uncle's. Oh now, you know, I ain't this a better one. So I love talking politics with you and I've always enjoyed that greatly and I am a die-hard liberal and so are you which makes it more fun? But I hear that at one point you got a republican elected ran for Congress and he was you can't believe how involved we were he was our life. I think that was back in 68 and we we sent the Good Ship Lollipop The Good Ship Lollipop by Shirley Temple and she was running against him, but we had talked. I mean there was a whole gang of us who are McCloskey fans. He was a liberal Republican but being a liberal Republican. He didn't get anywhere in Congress and either in any of his I guess he was elected 3 times I even made County Central Committee.

24:19 And when a republican Central Committee and went down to one convention and never returned and haven't voted Republican since but he in that first election, he was he wasn't given a snowball's chance in hell of beating Shirley Temple and you all really actually initiated the first Grassroots ground-up door-to-door campaign. It really has become I think people were doing it, but we did it. We did a hell of a job. I mean we ate slept your friends were for Pete McCloskey, or they weren't your friends. I guess you weren't tweeting. So are you really just going door-to-door know we weren't waiting.

25:03 And there weren't even tell if it is it. I don't think we did a lot of telephone calls. I think it was strictly door-to-door. Yep.

25:12 So we have many more questions here getting back to your love the outdoors. You view provided bikes for Ryan Zoe Shayla for Brian me Lori, you've been getting people out on bikes. When did you start biking and can you tell us about some of your biking exploits great biking I could but I got a few memorable that fall off a few times. You're probably thinking of the time I went over the over the handlebars in the Presidio going around the curve the second time. I remember where it's someone open their door and and you had already done that once and so you you remind me that you were cognizant of the whole thing enough to be able to swear at the guy as you were flying through the air.

26:08 And I'm still worried about doors as I drive by them and the cars car doors.

26:18 It's about the Golden Gate Bridge what you live very close to I walked over on opening day and Carol and I walked over on the 50th Anniversary. When was had all those people on it and it sunk about four feet. It was the thing that's amazing about that is how well-behaved everybody was we were all good people were coming from a rim and we were coming from San Francisco. Everybody just turned around very calmly and walk back the way they came nobody. I don't think anybody yells a screen door and turned around and start but it did drop. I think it dropped several feet. It was it was it was spooky. So you are out on the bridge on opening day great. Great. And right now I'm in school and so are you from school?

27:18 Hoover old folks no test which the servants love and the professor's love even more cuz they're doing their favorite stick and they don't have to grade any garbage budget. It's great. We go out 2 days a week ago out two days. Sometimes three days a week and take one or two classes a day.

27:41 That you you're in Remarkable Health at 85. You you love to walk you walk a lot. But as she'll reports here, we can't help but notice that you can eat one or two. It's it's has I only eat one. It's it at lunch.

28:01 And I'm sticking with that story and I'm sticking with that story and it's due to my exercise and that I'm in such good shape. I'm in Swensons is your favorite Swensons up on us went to the on Union and hide where you worked you too in Palo Alto. That was my first job following in your son of Barbara and I lived on 1048 Union and there was just a half a block away from Swenson's I used to casually go for an evening desert. Occasionally. I do remember dinners in San Francisco with you and Mom and Brian where we would eat and out in the mission Sunset Aaron area command and then drive all the way across town to go to Swensons for an ice cream on the way home is only proper.

28:56 So it's speaking of food, you and Carol have taught me lots about wine and you started that tradition when I was 13 and Zoe Ryan and I have all benefited from your amazing generosity and the incredible travels that you have done in your life and you gave us for our 13th birthday the present of going to whatever City we would like to go to and being a 13 year old girl. I chose Paris and your until the story about me receiving a little bit of wine from waiter quite often. We were we decided where to go to dinner which was a big decision of the day and we were in some little Bistro and waiter asked if Manziel would like a little wine and we said yes and he came back and it was pouring a little more and we said no she's driving and

29:56 And it went around the restaurant. That was so sterical you could hear it. You could hear the story going around the restaurant. She's driving.

30:05 Do you remember where you went with with Zoe and Ryan on what cities London to do with the theater and Ryan went to Rome?

30:20 Were you surprised by those choices know where is that when you work for Livingston Brothers you traveled to buy is that correct? We bought overseas which is one of the reasons we last as long as we did. We actually bought with 14 other stores. One of them has a little store called Nordstrom's using the term loosely. It was a little store then they were mostly the shoe store. But we take we take them the good Fashions Liz Claiborne for example is a hotline and those days we take her spring Styles over and have them made in Fall Fabrics in in different countries actually starting it in Japan. Japan was an inexpensive Market in those days. We went from Japan to Korea to Singapore to Hong Kong Hong Kong was great. So she's used to say it.

31:15 Oh, I forgot the hotel was wonderful Hotel. I hear the stewardesses look a little different to the planes were properly dress with at least 6 inch skirts.

31:28 And you and you and Carole also made some trips of your own EU and traveled to China. Do you remember driving down in Mexico for a Christmas gathering with your goods arriving in Mexico when you'd had your sabbatical and we brought our gifts all the way from China and all the way?

31:53 That's right where you peel chili rellenos and shrimp stew endlessly, I think.

32:05 You talk a little bit about the work you do it I volunteer at scoring score helps small startup business if it works for the SBA and it helps mall and start up businesses and it's it's interesting because I'm helping people who are going into the retail business. They're going to rent property. I was a retail real estate broker so I can tell them what the rental things as I can talk to them about stock control and I can talk to him about this play. They could displays the name of the game is my favorite story is everybody comes into your shop and they tell you how wonderful things are they come back two weeks later and ask what's new and the way you get around that what's new as you change the display you put a different jacket over a different shirt at it looks new.

32:59 Dad, you you were born really sort of Technology as we know it and it's absolutely infancy and much of it didn't exist it all but you yeah. Yeah, you're an iPad User in a computer user. So he talked to us a little bit about sort of growing up with that evolution of Technology mentioned before keeping stock control. Now, you just wipe it. So it was a technology is everything even when I left Livingston Brothers. I was a real estate broker. I kept my information about space available space on three-by-five cards. So I had I had the location on the card at that time. They were starting to put it on computers I didn't but if we want to computer you can have the square feet. You can lift it by square feet. You can List It by location. You can listen to the my price. I have it by

33:59 Location Android going through to buy three-by-five Cards.

34:05 Made for an early retirement

34:11 Ryan in Finland over Skype just get the iPad 2 with the camera so that you can do it from your iPad very nice sofa with your iPad and the glass of wine off to the right.

34:28 How to check your mail and check your mail you doing important things in the mail speaking of Ryan and Finland. One of the one of the questions we have here is will you go to Finland when Ryan gets married will have to because we'll never see him again. If we don't have a great programmer. I just want to say that having lived out here for two years. It's been so fun and wonderful to get to know you better and

35:08 I'm just so grateful for everything you've done for me and my siblings been fun having you as nice to meet Paul where where little jealous of fall he seems to be taking you away as Carol says you didn't get info for being the next marriage ceremony. You wouldn't have to travel as far but we won't share this by the way by the pond.

35:45 Oh, no, not the same time.

35:50 Dad a many other things you like to talk about from we have just a few minutes left here from your child at any other stories that you like to share. I think we're I think we've covered it pretty pretty much we all we did have one story on the Truckee river right of the family used to stay at the house in the Truckee river that the rented at during the summer. I think from the Menzies who were friends. It was right across from this place where the people were going to build a ski ski Village called Squaw Valley and he can remember my father and his his buddies sitting out on the deck and see what are they going to build another ski Village for we already have sugar bowl.

36:41 That could have been why we didn't Livingston Brothers didn't last either.

36:47 Oh, I also will.

36:51 Circle tree Ranch the circles real woods was Peggy Carl and Brun became your stepmom when you were how old dad remember probably

37:10 Can I had to do something like something like that? She was pretty young herself. She was quite young herself you remember how old she was in the Sun? And she and Carl had quite the social life. Yes. They were social life of very formal is the in the Opera in the Junior League and all that stuff. You said she was on the Young Museum and you got to do it you're going to do going to the symphony is a ballet. It's just a sterical. I mean when you know where that used to look like.

37:55 Great. Well Dad. This is been a real pleasure and a privilege to know if there's anything else you'd like to add. It's not a bad Inquisition.

38:08 The session formerly known as the Inquisition as we bring it to a close. Thank you Dad would love you. This is look forward to sharing this with everybody in the family. Has there really been a lot of fun? Thanks so much.