HERR - HARRIGAN - 1975 - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Dear Remelly (sic) & Elanore (sic) Herr:

I have enjoyed reading the articles in the Journal & Review about the Shades. There is a part of that land I knew as I taught school at the Dowden School located near this region. I lived with a family o Shultz, first name Alansoe (Imansoe?). It was a wild country then. If I went to Waveland I went south on the road Iam (?) I think that was his name lived and the old parents family of Priebs (sic). Think one of them still lives there. It was early enough for me to cross sugar creek in daylight . I cut several miles. Forded Sugar Creek (capped this time) where I think the Davis Bridge is now. If you crossed with the road, there was a very deep hole. I was told to let the horse go as it wanted to. He wouDld go up the Creek a short distance and go west a few feet and came back to the road. This was one of the n atural bridges they said. You had to get out and lead it on the boulders were so large that they would almost turn the buggy over. You could not pass on the road. One day Myrtle Rice and I was on it and we met some cattle. There just was nothing to do but chase the cattle down the high embankmet as the other side of the road was steep drop direct into the creek. West of the road was a large cleared place that it was not safe to pass after dark. Our house was directly across from the Priebes. One Saturday I took the children and I went about or less than a quarter of a mile to see a pretty place the older ones had been talking about. Dorothy Schultz Douglass was with us. She was three years old and I saw what looked like a pretty walk and started on it an I when I looked to see where Dorothy was and she was following me so I turned back to get her off. Well I was one of those muls (?) nuls (?) (kbz - perhaps knolls) and thought I could walk across it. I was close on ought to our house for a 3-year-old girl to walk. It was the Devils Back Bone Most anything could happen around there. She and Mr. Rice say when he had a big bell to pay say ? he went out and cut down a tree to pay the bill. They lived across a field from us. Grandma Burgess was born in 1827 and I have heard say they often saw Indians walking single file along the creek south of the house. They house was between the New Market road and the Vandalia track on the south side of the road. It was long enough after 1927 for her to know Indians. She said there was a big camping place on what we would call a town up east ? I don't know where. It is all interesting. They used to tell me I was like my great-great grandmother, La Boiteaux. Why didn't we ask more questions back in those days? Remember me to Jane Hen (crossed out) Haneach (crossed out) Haenisch. I always have a hard time remember the spelling. I like Jane and Ed also very much. I started this just to tell about Granma and seeing the Indians in the 1830 or 40ths.

Love, Forrest Harrigan Hope you can read this: All right for 93 years I guess