Gene Bryant is a Carlton resident who has seen several changes in the town over the years. In our interview with him, he shared his observations on how Carlton has changed, both in terms of its appearance and the behavior of its residents. He also reflected on his personal life, from his school days to the present, and how the changes around him have impacted the community. It was interesting to hear about the town’s past and present from someone who has experienced it firsthand.

Gene Bryant has lived in Carlton his entire life. He's seen and experienced many changes in his life in Carlton. Gene Bryant has seen Carlton High School be cut down from 3 stories down to 1. Gene Bryant has always gone to school at Carlton and told us during our interview with him that the elementary school used to be in the high school. He told us that when he was in school they only had 3 sports at the time, football in spring, and basketball in winter.

When Gene Bryant was in high school, the Vietnam War was going on and he told us that he and a lot of his friends were given numbers, that he wasn't drafted, and that the smaller the number, the more likely you would get chosen. He said that he lost a few friends from Carlton and Esko, and he also said that he lost a good friend from Barnum, McGregor. Bryant said that the only time that they would get news coverage was 5:30-6:30 PM because they didn't have 24-hour coverage.  

Gene Bryant had quite an interesting job life until he retired. He has always worked even through high school and after that into college. When he was in school he said that he worked at a neighbor's farm and that they were allowed to take one week off of school in the fall to harvest crops. His other 2 jobs were a referee for basketball and working at USG for ceiling tiles. He worked as a basketball ref because he had always been playing basketball and liked his job. The job he had at USG was research and development to make better ceiling coating.

It’s fascinating to learn about how towns have changed over time. Gene Bryant has some really interesting observations about Carlton. He talks about how the town has changed in terms of its appearance and the behavior of its residents. By reflecting on his personal life, from his school days to the present, Gene provides a unique perspective on the town’s past and present. It’s always valuable to hear about the experiences of those who have lived through the changes and can provide a firsthand account of how things have evolved.