An Interview with Paul Gordeuk in 1996

Paul Gordeuk

I interviewed Paul in 1996 and he shared with me the memories recounted here. They do not all correlate with what I heard from others, which is one of the things that builds out that lense!

Paul Gordeuk came to California to work for Less Bailey. His brother had become acquainted with Les while in the Army. Les has met him and some friends while they were on furlough and taken him home for a good meal. The brother related this to Paul and suggested that Paul, who wanted very much to come to California, might be able to work for Les. This was soon accomplished. Paul came to California for the purpose of helping Les develop a resort area which was later named Cedar Slope. Paul was 22 years old then. He lived with Les and his family or at the resort while he was employed there.

His first job for Les was to add windows, a bathroom and a shed to what is now the Roberts cabin, which was the only structure on the property when Baily acquired it. It has been the cook shed for the logging operation.

The next cabin built was on lot 7, the Zumwalt cabin, built for Dr. Zumwalt who owned it from the time it was built in '47 until it was sold to Mr. Charles Lafayette Reasoner in 1952.

The next cabin was built on spec, the cabin just down the slope from the store. The next few were the cabin on lot 46, which is now owned by the Khourys. Paul related that he had to redo the kitchen on this one four times until the wife was satisfied. Three ounces of gold dust were used in the mortar that went into the fireplace. This was for luck. The gold was contributed by the wife. Paul also make the chandelier out of manzanita which is an earmark of a cabin he worked on. Examples of this are seen in many of the cabin at Cedar Slope.

It was in 1947 that Les decided to celebrate the Fourth of July in a way that matched the extravagance of his imagination. Knowing that fireworks were illegal he bade Paul to set of a charge of dynamite on the flat rock on lot 46. Paul placed a stick of dynamite and a fuse. No, Les told him, this was not large enough. So ten sticks of dynamite and ten fuses where forthwith placed on the rock while Paul scampered out of the blast zone. The explosion was echoed back and forth across the mountain for five minutes. Later that day the party went down to Springville and were queried about the thunder and lightning storm. Les responded with a straight face that he has seen no storm.

The Great Rock Caper

Les decided that a chimney should be built, and of course that Paul should do it. Paul had never built a chimney but Les never let this stop him. Rock was needed first, Les said, and so they climbed in the truck and headed up the mountain to look for some. At 190 and L oso (Bear in Spanish) Creek, they found a likely looking outcropping of good stone in a cut above the highway. Les told Paul to go up and lever out a few pieces. Starting his long involvement with Manzanita, Paul was able to save himself from joining the general stampede of stone onto the road, completely blocking the highway.

the two of them decided that they really must clear enough to allow a car to pass. Soon there was a collection of stopped vehicles and the drivers and passengers started a spontaneous effort to clear the road. Never one to pass up an opportunity, Les convinc3ed them to pile the best stone into his truck. From this came the chimney still adorning the Roberts cabin. About 15 or 20 people were involved in the clearing effort.

Les had a real knack for finding things for Paul to do. Paul wold no sooner hear Les say, ``I or we are going to..." that he would start to worry. At this time Paul was not exactly on the pay roll. Les promised to pay him when it became convenient but their actual arrangement was work for food, clothes and spending money.

Les never actually got around to paying Paul. But 15 minutes before he died of an anyurism, Les insisted on writing up a codicil to his will leaving Paul a lot at Cedar Slope. This was lot 10, and is today the site for the Gordeuk cabin.

Les' wife Ruth was a college professor who also collected butterflies and other insects.

This collection was on display in their cabin and many children spent hours going

over the specimens. Some were inspired to start collections of their own.