There was an apple tree located at the extreme north west corner of the farm. Early Harvest by name. It was next to the road and in season was visited by the Weaver clan and I suppose the Cripes, and Schrocks, all knew it was there. The large house built to accommodate two families separated by a door that never was locked. It was well kept and painted white. A broad lane from the large farm yard ran south. On the east side of the house yard continuing south past orchard touching the southwest field, thence, to the Christ Pletcher farm, where it joined a lane thru the Pletcher's farm to the south road, Highway Number 20. This lane was traveled by the Schrock children on way to the Pickrell school. This orchard was south of the house. All kinds of apples: Early Harvest, June Sweet, Sheep Nose, Tolpehoken and many others. The berry patch and truck patch between the house and orchard. All kinds of berries, especially the June berry row. From the large enclosed porch to the east and to the north east a walk led to the rock pump house, with windmill on top. Fresh water was pumped in a small tank then thru a milk trough where the food was refrigerated, then on to the farm in a large tank for the live stock. The floor of the rock building was laid with brick, as I remember.
The walk ran north to the wood house where was kept plenty of dry wood. A small house known as the fruit drying house. To the west was the grape vineyard with a number of varieties: Moors Early, Niagara White but mostly Concords. This vineyard was well kept and provided the family the fine grapes. Grandfather loved them. About this time there was a belief that grape and berry seeds were responsible for inflammation of the bowl (bowel) (now appendicitis). Grandfather's children were very apprehensive of him eating so many grapes and cause bowl (bowel) trouble. By the number of places near the vineyard where grandfather sat swallowing the seeds and dropping the hulls on the ground, it indicated that Grandfather ate lots of grapes.
Carrying of wood from the wood house to the large wood box in the house near the stoves was a lot of fun for the grandchildren when they visited grandpa. The house was large and well furnished. Even the sleeping rooms up stairs, where the children all slept and from this home went out, at the proper time, to establish homes. The large bank barn located northeast of the house, a a suitable distance. A large manure and straw stack yard. Eastward was a lane running east to reach the east fields. The farm consisted of 160 acres and was all tillable but a few acres in the northeast corner, quite rough, this was his timber lot. Source of lumber and wood, and a good mushroom timber.
The farm produced large crops of wheat and corn and the harvesting was done by hand work. Grandfather always had plenty of clean jokes to tell. Heard him tell of when he and some other boys came upon a neighbor whose wagon, heavily loaded, mired so the team was not able to move it. The boys grabbed the wheels but put their power in reverse. Finally the man stated that the team could not make it. When Yost said "your team pulls well" and they grabbed the wheels and put it in forward, out they went.
(Editors notes: paragraph 1 Christ Pletcher - unknown (not in family tree); paragraph 2 - 'bowl' referred to twice should be bowel.)
Know anything about anyone mentioned in this post? Please contact me using the e-mail address to the right under my picture.
Mary Post Warren
© copyright 2011, all rights reserved, Mary Post Warren
No comments:
Post a Comment