The year was 1964. There was an old Austin contractor by the name of Holland Page. My dad worked for Mr. Page for a few years in the 60s. His office and shop was just north of US 183 about 3 or 4 blocks on North Lamar.

Kenny and I spent many Saturday’s there exploring around climbing on every kind of piece of machinery imaginable.

Mr. Page was a very large man, or so it seemed. He was always nice to us. He didn’t seem to care what we did, he only cautioned us to watch for rattlesnakes back around all the accumulation of junk that was our playground. I guess insurance regulations weren’t then like they are today.

My biggest thrill of all was when we would go there and his big Kenworth Haul Truck was there dropping off or picking up a load. Below is a picture of a truck that looks so much like that old Kenworth. It was a 1940 model. It was retired in 1964, with 4.5 million miles on it. The same driver had picked it up at he factory and driven it every mile or so was the tale. His name was Mullins. I have no idea what his given name was. He was called Mullins by everyone.

Mullins had started to work for Mr. Page back just before the truck was purchased. There were a lot of Military Bases and Government work that Holland Page Construction built. Mullins worked 6 and 7 days a week. I was told that he went a year at a time without a day off. Limits on how much a driver could drive hadn’t been dreamed up at that time. As many miles as that seems like, I did some quick calculations and it’s completely believable that he covered that much ground during those years. I believe it only had the engine rebuilt 4 times during its life.

Our Dad came home with news one day that we would be moving. Mr. Page had contracted for a bunch of work in British Honduras. We were told of the various shots we would need before we could go. We were all excited. Big things were happening. Things dragged on for a few weeks or months. Finally we were told everything was off for the move. There had been a big regime change in the government is what I was told years later and that canceled out everything. Of course that country is now known as Belize.

So much effort has gone into the British Honduras deal that once it fell through, Mr. Page decided it was time to sellout and shutdown. Hence the retiring of the Kenworth and Mullins. Cec went on to other things as well and within a year or so we were headed back to Marble Falls.

After I was grown I landed in Austin, working from one end of it to the other, I spotted the old Kenworth, abandoned. I was sure that was it. There was a sand blasting company, Sharp’s Sandblasting that used to be on the northwest corner of what is now US 183 and Mopac Blvd.

I stopped and inquired about it and sure enough, that was the truck. There were plans to rebuild it. When highway expansion started and development of that area took over, Sharp’s moved and so did the truck. I always dreamed of one day finding that truck and bringing it back to life. A dream never realized.

In the late 1970s I would see and visit Mr. Page. He lived at Riverside Dr. and I-35 on top of the hill over looking the city. He lost his wife a few years earlier. In his later years he had a driver than would deliver him to Jim’s Coffee Shop for breakfast. We got to visit occasionally. It was always nice listening to his many stories. His mind was really good. He had started building Texas roads with teams of mules and fresnos. There were always plenty of tales he could tell.

In November of 1983 we got an invitation to attend his 90th birthday celebration in Lockhart, his boyhood hometown. Cec and I went down there.

There were many of the old timers there that day. I don’t think I ever saw him after that day. He passed away in 1987.

I have often wondered how much different life would be if that move to British Hondus had taken place. I’m glad it didn’t. I’m happy right here where I am this day.