06/18/2026
TBT..........SIZZLING SIXTIES SUMMERS in WRAY
Standing on the porch on a recent soft June evening brought back memories of summers in Wray. Life moved slower, the big world seemed far away and little things loomed large in Wrayberry.
The heat didn’t faze Wray’s kids. We spent hours at the swimming pool (free admission until 5 pm), playing pickup kickball with the neighbors, rolling down the hill at City Park, or just lazing around in the shade. A 5-cent Coke at Rexall was a good pick-me up and a chance to meet up with friends. Bookworms raided the shelves at the public library. When you couldn’t find anything else to do, there was probably a garden bed that needed attention or chores around the house. Fresh-picked cherries, garden vegetables and sweet corn seemed tastier then.
Summer nights were magical. Fred Baker called ball games at what’s now Baker Field while littles chased lightning bugs by the old electric plant. If you were old enough to drive, you could scoop the loop a few dozen times or drive up to Flirt and watch the heat lightning out on the flats. A bicycle rider might freak out when a giant beetle suddenly landed on their shoulder. If you were 18 you could openly sip 3.2 beer at the Silver Spur, but there were rumors of clandestine keg parties in the canyons. Or you could drop into the Eagle’s Nest (now La Familia) for a burger or one of Ollie Wood’s famous popcorn balls and listen to the Beatles on the jukebox. Playing cards with grandparents and their siblings was a wonderful way to learn family history.
Summer was a time of festivals and celebrations. The high school marching band in their summer uniforms of jeans, white t-shirts and white tennies performed at Memorial Day remembrances, Wray Daze and the Yuma County Fair. The firemen’s Fourth-of-July fireworks shows at the baseball field drew a big crowd, but could be viewed nearly as well for free from Flirtation Point or the south hill. Family barbecues with homemade ice cream marked summer birthdays.
In 1968 the Chamber of Commerce introduced Wray Daze, hoping to bring more shoppers into town during the slow summer season. Merchants held sidewalk sales, there was a huge rodeo and special games for the kiddos. Friday Night Virgil Reed emceed a country music concert featuring several bands from the local area and the 4-H square dancers. Saturday night introduced a battle of the bands won by Holyoke band “Velvet Mist”.
For many Wrayites the highlight of the summer was the Yuma County Fair. Kids proudly displayed their summer 4-H projects and domestic prima donnas vied to win the ribbon for best cake/pickle/flower arrangement/quilt. If you were lucky enough to know a 4-Her who stayed in Yuma to care for livestock, you might be able to spend the night of the street dance in Yuma. Political parties held county picnics and famous country performers and rodeo riders appeared at the shows.
In the late 1960’s the outside world seemed pretty bleak. Crime levels were rising and we watched in horror as leaders were shot dead. Protests against the Vietnam war and in favor of civil rights seemed to pop up everywhere. Interest rates and inflation were rising and the dollar seemed shaky. But in this little corner of the American west, summer was a time to celebrate life.
Remember Eagle's Nest, Ollie Wood's popcorn balls, Wray High School Band, Wray Daze? Memories of Wray in the summer days anytime? I want to hear them.....
