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Ga3~ r 2ao Displacement of Families ~ The Weldon Valley contains three small towns, two very active churches, twenty-eight small businesses, two post offices, a school system serving over 200 students and 844 full-time residents. This is an extremely stable community, with farms very rarely being sold out of the family. There are many third generations in the Valley, several fourth generations, and a few fifth generations. My grandson is a fifth generation, with his maternal great-grandfather coming to the Valley with his parents in 1907 when he was five years of age. My census figures were prepared by six farm ladies of the community. who took the time to compile an accurate census of the Valley, and anyone interested may have a copy. These figures do not include any of the many farms that will be damaged by the rerouting of the railroad, because their homes will still be there, even if a train does run through the middle of their sprinkler system. On one point I must agree with Mr. Felix Sparks. After being con- fronted with about JOO. angry residents when he was with a tour of the dam site, The Fort 110rgan Times quoted Mr. Sparks as saying the people were frustrated over delays in dam construction. The frustration is because these people do not want to lose their homes, their churches, their school, their community, and their life-long friends and family ties. There are eight families farming and ranching north of the dam that will be nearly isolated. Five of these families are communicate members of the Weldon Valley Presbyterian Church at Goodrich, and will lose their church. Four of these families are young farmers and ranchers, each with two or more small children to educate. A look at the map will show that r ~