Memoirs of Fred Dillard

Submitted by Marvin Beatty

Part 5

From the Narrows to Wickliffe

At the Southeast corner of Hall Ridge the Great Earthquake of 1811 split the Sandstone ledge into two parts, one moved to the North and the other to the South. It left an opening all the way from the bottom to the top of an average of ten feet. At the top there is a portion that had to be hewn away with axes so that a road for wagons could be made. Today, for some reason the rock on the North is splitting and making a crack one inch in thickness.

The roads in these early days were first made by timber haulers. The massive white oak furnished wood for barrel staves and the hickory wood for spokes. Huge wagons drawn by oxen and horses moved the staves and spokes to Dubois and Jasper. These roads usually followed the lap of the road and have the name “Ridge Runners.” Such was the road that went through the Narrows. Today the marks made by the iron on single trees are plainly visible made when one animal pulled a little harder than the other. On the rock face are initials of school children made while loitering on their way home from school. On the South side of the Southern Ledge are three long marks. The surveyors could not plant a stone at the corner of this forty acres and so marked it with a pick.

The horses and oxen that had to pull the heavy loads through this narrow opening knew that they could not make it easier by see-sawing so the name of this place and the neighborhood around it was given the name “Pull Tight.” We that lived here liked to joke about living in Pull Tight but the pulling wasn’t any lighter here than anywhere else. In fact in those years the pulling was tight everywhere as I shall tell about later.

Four homes were near the Narrows. They were those belonging to Sherman Waddle, Red Bill Pinnick, Francis Russell and John Dillard.

The Waddle home was some 200 feet North of the Narrows, it was the typical sawed plank home of that time. It consisted of one large room and a kitchen shed across the back. The inside was lined with sealing and newspapers. Believe it or not these early homes could be comfortable. Mr. Waddle built the home himself as he did four altogether. Here he made a living farming in a small way and chopping cord wood for the Centerville Mill at 50 cents per cord from fallen tree tops. Here he and his wife, Sally (Kellams) were the parents pf two boys, Lee and Elmer. When they moved away this house became the home of an aged woman, Melinda Thurston and her daughter Josie Langford with her two boys Clifford and Walter. You wouldn’t believe it but these people made a living with a hoe. The rough hillside immediately near the Narrows was once their potato patch. Later Johnny Nicholson and his wife Ida (Kellams) lived here and it was in this house that John Kellams, her brother, died of a heart attack. This house located near the junction of nearby roads was later torn down and moved elsewhere.

The two homes and farms to the West of the Narrows I have described in detail elsewhere. They belonged to the Russell and Dillard families.

A little way to the South and to the West was the William Pinnick home. It was on a South hillside at the head of a depression and the cold North and West winds could not lower the temperature so much. Also the sun could shine upon it brightly and the South wind could make it warmer. This house was made of hewn logs. It consisted of two large rooms with a large chimney between them. Here lived Mr. Pinnick with his wife and children Lizzie, John and Ossie. When the older people passed away and the children moved elsewhere this farm became the property of James Pinnick. Elsewhere I have written how he mortgaged it , along with a forty now part of the Floyd Kellams farm, to the J.J. Case Machine Co. of Ohio and lost it to them. Then a Mr. Jacob Whitmire an owner of a large farm near Newton Stewart and a County Officer obtained these tracts from Case either by paying delinquent taxes or purchase or both. Through the later years it was owned by Winfield Jones and his wife Kate (Kellams), their children Orris, Nellie and -----.

Also, Noah and Malinda Thurston, Stant Thurston, James Ford and wife. Thad Williams that I have written about before, his wife and boys, Charles Kellams and his wife, the present owner is William A. Dillard and wife Emma (Limp). On the South side of this tract, due South of the Narrows is an Indian Battle ground and all of us that have plowed it have found many perfect Indian artifacts.

In the spring of 1908 when Jacob Whitmire acquired these two tracts of land he contracted with my father to build woven wire fences around most of the land. His renter delivered roll after roll of woven and barbed wire and near the first of April he began. I was a boy of fourteen then and he hired Mr. Waddle to help. So we built the fence during April and were glad when we had it done for it was making us late for planting a crop. Mr. Whitmire bought some fifteen head of cattle, some yearling colts and mules and 20 sheep. He gave me ten cents a day to see that they stayed inside and had water. They did well until late July and August and the water holes began to dry up. I dug them deeper but at last they dried completely and he had to take the cattle and colts home. He left the sheep and for the same ten cents per day I carried water from the Dillard spring for them. It took six large buckets a day poured into a zinc wash tub. I learned one thing and was glad that a sheep did not drink much water. They graze most of the cool summer night when the grass and leaves are full of dew. We placed bells on the leader, a doe or wether, and the tinkle, tinkle could be heard all night. When winter came I cared for the sheep in a cozy big farm near the Pinnick home. When lambing time came in December and January I learned more about sheep as I cared for them morning and evening as I went and returned from school. There were several twins and when spring came there were 20 lambs. The summer of 1909 was a repetition of 1908 and when I left in the fall to go to high school in Bloomington I left 40 sheep in the pasture. What Mr. Whitmire did with them I do not know. The earnings he paid me went a long way in helping me to stay in school. Thanks for the opportunity.

It is St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1971, and Painter Place is covered with a heavy white frost. The cold blustery March winds of yesterday have ceased during the cold night and the bright sun is coming up almost directly in the East obeying its divine command to return to the Spring Equinox. The only green appearing is the newly sprouted grass on the yard. This is the beginning of the time when all Patoka Place will be a luxurious green of grass and leaves. Six redbreasted robins are feeding among the trees on the lawn. Two (22turtle) doves are peaceably taking short steps as they waddle about. A pair of Quails are running along the drive. It all reminds me of a poem:

From Elon to Wickliffe

Part 6

The mind has a thousand eyes
And the heart but one
Yet the light of a whole life dies
When love is done

And so with this introduction I wish to go on with my story of the people that once lived between Elon and Wickliffe.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Randall W. Jehs, the very capable field agent for the Indiana State Library. Into his keeping I am giving these stories, dedicated to to the memory of the good people that once lived in this locality. To perpetuate the remembrance of a life the written story is many times better than the name carved upon beautiful marble or granite stone.

About three fourths miles South of the Narrows and just East of the Indiana Battle Ground stands the ruins of a house, built by Sherman Waddle. Here first lived this man and his wife Sally (Kellams) and their children, Lee, Elmer and Lula. Then it was owned by Frank Allen and his wife, Christina. This 40 acres grew many sugar maple trees and Mr. Allen always tapped them in the spring and made many gallons of syrup and pounds of sugar. Long after he and his wife were gone the gallon glass candy jars used for catching the sap could be seen glistening in the spring sunshine on the hill side. Then James M. Tucker of Paoli came into possession of this farm. He is the present owner and the beautiful trees have fallen by the chain saws of the timber cutters and the younger trees are starting a new growth to make the park more beautiful in the days to come.

The farm lying South and East of the Allen farm has been written about in the Thomas Pinnick, Charles Dillard story.

Due East of the Narrows 1/2 mile and on the Wickliffe - Elon Road stands the building marking the location of what was once a more imposing one. The first owner that I remember was Volney Dillard and his wife, Lucy (Morris). Here were born Floyd, Myrtle, Irene, Ivan, William, and Maude. This home had previously been that of James Gass and his wife, Elizabeth (Dillard) and their son Jon. Later it became that of Jesse Cope and his wife Nettie (Beatty) and their children Ada, Everett, Elvin, Andrew, Lee, and Agnes.

To give an idea of the goodness of these people I wish to record the following story. Andy and I were school mates in # 10 school that stood at the top of the hill above this home. Also above this place is Toad Frog Rock and a perfect umbrella rock As was the custom on March evenings after school I went home with Andy to spend the night as was the custom in those days. We did the nightly chores and after supper went into the large living room to enjoy the large fireplace with his father and mother, Jesse and Nettie. A storm was coming and there was keen thunder and lightning. The wind became frightening. Since they came over the hill from the South and they created a down draft and the fire in the fireplace would not burn. We used newspapers to keep the fire going and fanned it with a turkey wing. Finally the storm aborted and the fire had just warmed the room and there was a knock at the front door. When it was opened there stood a man dripping wet with a two year old child on his shoulder, and his wife with a small valise in her hand. The Copes took them in and while drying by the now sparkling fire they told this story. They were traveling with their household goods with a relative to a new home near Eckerty. North of Elon the wagon broke down and their relative was forced to take his horses and return. They had walked the two miles along the muddy road through Elon and had encountered the terrible storm. They were given supper, warm beds and the next morning Mr. Cope took the man ”Thad Williams” to a neighbor, Oscar Kellams, and they with his team and wagon moved to the log house South of the Narrows and set them up to housekeeping again. While Thad and Oscar were hitching the big draft horses to the wagon to go after the Williams furniture Thad sang “ I am living on the Hallelujah (Hally-Loo-Years).” The neighbors in Pull Tight gave the new comer food and clothing. Mr. William Pinnick gave Thad the job of clearing an old field for $15 and so the Williams family lived on.

MEMOIRS OF FRED DILLARD

Part 7

From Elon to Wickliffe

A short distance North of the Cope farm and across the road stand the home of Alfred Hartwick and his wife, Deloris (Haefling). It was built by Tobe Young and wife, Eliza (Kellams). Here were born Glenn, Arnel, and Harold. This was one of the well kept farms of that early day. Tobe and his family prospered. Above the ordinary farm buildings were erected. I myself had the privilege of helping to build the barn in 1918. This farm produced large crops of corn, wheat, hay and potatoes. Also all kinds of live stock. The teams were of the best. Between these two owners this farm was owned by a Mr. Odell, John Lindsey, Neal Kinley and others.

Just a 1/4 mile East of this farm by a big spring is the site of what was once a farmstead. In the early years it was the home of ( I am told) Grandma Byers, Ann Thompson, and the Reilly family. The last named family once were the proprietors of the Riley Hotel on the Circle in Indianapolis. Mrs. Lillian Pruitt, the piano music teacher in French Lick, was the daughter of this Mr. Riley. This talented woman was the music teacher for my three daughters. Later Samuel Young and his wife Rachel (Ford) begin the rearing of their family here. At one time in 1911 when the #10 schoolhouse was blown down this building was used for a schoolhouse and taught by Benjamin T. McFarland.

One half mile Northeast of this farm is located the Carroll graveyard that I have told about in my history of the Carroll family.

A short distance North of the Hartwick home is the site of the home of what was once that of John (Brigham) Young and his wife Maria (McKeighn). He was a Civil War Soldier, and could tell of many exciting incidents of that conflict. He liked guns and people. As I worked in the field to the South and high above his home there still is a vivid picture of uncle John coming out of his front gate to meet and talk to the mail boy coming down the road with the mail, riding his horse from Eckerty about three o’clock in the hot afternoon. John had some long rifles and he liked to fire them across the road and far down into the dry fields. He could tell where he was hitting by the flying dust.

A little further on from where these bullets would be hitting and between the Byers and Cope farms is the remains of the Barr home. I have referred to, Lettie Barr and Robert Barr, that were born here in the Pinnick story. Now I wish to write a story that happened on this Barr Place. It was told to me by my grandfather, John Dillard. I write it only as here say. A young man and his wife lived on this farm I suppose it was in the 1860’s. He was often seen riding with a man that lived on the high hill just Northwest of the French Lick Airport and others. In those days when two or three men were riding together the settlers were afraid of them. One night in winter there was an attempted robbery of two rather wealthy timber buyers that lived near the Lowe School in Greenfield Twp. in Orange County. These men were reported to be of rather large sums of money in their home. When the robbery failed these men fired upon the robbers when they rode away. About five days later the man who lived on the Burton Hill died and when the neighbors were preparing his body for burial they found a bullet hole in the back. I might say that in that day as in my life as a boy an embalming law had not been passed and the neighbors prepared the body for burial. In fact I have helped do that and sit with the body during the long lonely night.

A few days later the man that lived on the Barr place was missing. My grandfather and other neighbors spent days walking in the deep snow hunting unsuccessfully for him. Time passed and the wife went away. Years later this man and wife were found living in California.

Years later in the summer of 1908 the Thurston family consisting of the grandmother, mother and her two sons Clifford and Walter were blackberry picking in this same field. They could sell the berries in the village for 20 cents per gallon. It was a hot July day and the boys stayed in the shade and were not always with the others. When the women were ready to go home in the afternoon they had to become separated and did not go home together. Clifford was with one of them when they got home at nightfall Walter was not with either of them. So they alerted the neighbors, Sherman Waddle, my father and I took our lanterns and went to the field to hunt for them. We could find where the boys played and slept in the shade and we hoped we could find Walter asleep but after hunting for several hours we could not find him. We decided to go to the home of John and Maria near by to see if they had seen him and there sure enough was Walter asleep. He had come to their home when he was lost and they kept him. We took him back to his frantic family. For this same family we neighbors would have a woodcutting when the winter was long and severe. One man would bring a wagon and team and haul wood that the rest of us could cut with a cross cut saw and split with an ax.

About one half mile due North of the John Young farm and near the old road that leads over the crest of the hill to Elon and to the site of the home of John and Lottie (Carroll) Cummings. Their children were Benton, Dessie, Golda, Jessie, and Phonso. John was kicked by a mule that resulted in his death. Later Lottie was married to Frank Irwin and their children were Charles and Roy. Mr. Irwin had the first well drilling outfit in the country and there are drilled wells in Elon and the surrounding country made by him.

As I write the story of these dear people I am reminded of the words of a beautiful poem. It is said that the words express perfect rhythm and it closes with a noble thought. I have forgotten the author but I think he was one of the early English poets.

"The splendor falls on castle walls
And snowy summits, old in story
The long light shakes across the lake
And the wild cataract leaps in glory
Blow, bugle, blow,
Set your wild echoes flying
Answer echoes, dying, dying, dying
O hark, how clear and thinner, clearer, farther going
The horns of Elfland faintly blowing
Our echoes roll from soul to soul
And live forever and forever."

Coming back now North about one mile to the top of the hill is the stone foundation of what was once #10 school. It is located between the forks of the roads at the top of the ridge. I attended this school and graduated in 1909 Maude Holaday being the teacher. The teachers that I remember were Florian Nolan, Florence Cox, Clyde Palmer, Emmett Hall, Cora Jones, Nannie Parks, Minnie Flick, Elvin Cope, Fred Dillard, William Dillard, William Crowder, Sylvia Cox, B.J. McFarland, Maud Holaday, Fredonia Dillard, Hurst Livengood, Macey Burton and maybe others. The old building was blown down in 1911 and a new one built. It was sold in the 1950’s when the schools were consolidated. The acre is now a part of the Harwick farm.

One fourth mile East of this school is the site of the Lucy Dillard farm home. Here lived Floyd, Myrtle, Irene, Ivan, William and Maude. It is now a part of the Boyer farm.

Going on South at the cross roads is the home of Joseph Boyer and his wife Ruby (Decker). The first owner that I remember was Axley Kellams and his wife Elizabeth. Here lived Ora and Ida Sherman. Axley was a cooper. The older house was a large two roomed structure with a double fire place in the partition. This house was torn down and built into the present one by its owners Oscar Kellams and Alberta (Jones). Here lived Frances. It was later owned by a family from Indianapolis.

Next down the road East toward Newton Stewart are the two modern brick homes belonging to two brothers Jerry and Richard Summers, and their families. These boys are brick and stone masons and have had a part in constructing many of the business buildings and homes in and around Jasper. It is regretted that homes like these will be taken for a park.

The next home East is that of their father Bert and his wife Alma. This was the Thomas A. Kellams home. Here lived Eliza, Oscar, Pearl and Floyd. Also David Summers and his wife lived here. The wife of Tom Kellams was Cassie Deich. The Kellams family were good singers and sang for many occasions in the community.

Going North off the road 1/2 mile from the Summers home is the vacant house owned by Bly Harrison of French Lick. A large fresh water lake is built on this place. It is used by people of French Lick for recreation. He gave the name Shangrala to this farm. My first recollection is that the land was owned by Willis Ellis and his wife. Here lived his daughter Amy. The next owner was Charles Jacobs and his wife Laura (Byers). Their children were Orville, Olive, Ester, Elvis and Mary. Charlie died here and Laura later married Dr. Sanders. Later Charles Osborne and his wife Golda (Cummings) lived here. Their children were Orville, Frieda. Charlie ended his life here. Other families have lived here.

MEMOIRS OF FRED DILLARD

Part 8

From Elon to Wickliffe

Coming back to the road and going East we come to the William Byers home. It is a vacant house to the right. It first belonged to Greenfield Byers and wife, Tan (Carroll). Their children were John and Omer. Green died and Tan married his brother Wlliam. Their children were Minnie, Maggie, and Tommie. This farm now belongs to Ora McFarland.

Across the road from the Byers home is that of Cindy Grimes heirs. It was first owned by Jacob Tucker and his wife ------ Easter. Her children were Lena, Will, Ed and Jane. This farm was also owned by Samuel Young and Dr. R.L. Holaday.

The next farm down the road on the right is the Hickman Carroll farm. He and his first wife ---- King were the parents of William, John, Rebecca, and Bessie and Grace, Herman. His second wife Eva (King) was the mother of his children - Porter, Ester, and Alice. The story of Rev. John Carroll you can read in “Forty-seven Years Behind The Gospel Plow. “ This home was a favorite meeting place for the young people of the community. These were devout Christian people. Later the Coombus and Everidge families from Kentucky owned this farm. The home at present on this farm is that of Charles Allen and wife ---- (Neukam) and children.

The next home is the Benjamin Carroll that I have written about at greater length. It has been the home of James Smith, John Linthicum, Sr. and John Linthicum, Jr.. It now belongs to Anna Linthicum.

The next farm is that of Joseph W. Whitmire and his wife ---- (Leasor). It was once owned by Omer Byers and is now the property of Omar Lane. It is now one of the best farms in the community.

The next farm before coming to Newton Stewart is that of Charles Denbo, for many years the trustee of Jackson Township, a leader in the Mason and Oddfellow Lodges and leading farmer. Here lived Orris, Orville, Jesse, Hazel, Roy James, Joe, Paul, Halley, Marie and Ruth. This land was homesteaded by a Mr. Allen one of the first settlers of Newton Stewart. The old log house stood Northwest of the present farm. An Indian grave is near it. Charles Denbo’s wives were -----(Eckerty) and Cordelia (Russell).

Coming back West to the junction of the Newton Stewart and Elon-Wickliffe roads by the Joseph Boyer farm and going South one half mile we come to a farm- the buildings still standing - first owned by James Brown and his wife ----- Brown - here lived Dora and Kreth. Then it was the home of David Murray and his wife Arabella (Kinney). Here were born and lived Clad, Webster, Cordia, Lula, Maggie, Cleva, and Earl. Mr. Murray and his boys were prosperous farmers. As was the case of Johnny Byers there was a farm science for doing all things and at the right time. They were never behind with their work. They raised corn, wheat, clover, Potatoes, and livestock on the fertile fields to work with their teams. Shortly after sun up and enjoyed the cool morning air along with their well kept teams. On the smokehouse behind the house was a dinner bell that was more melodious than any in the whole countryside. Bells was to have dinner ready by 10:30 a.m. and when she rang the bell on hot summer days as a boy working on the nearby Dillard farm I knew that I had an hour and a half to go before unhitching my team for the noon hour.

At 12:30 Mr. Murray was back in the field and worked until 4 p.m. He hitched his team to a shade tree by the field and came to the house for his supper. That over he went back to the field and worked until after sun down in the cool evening hours. No wonder he was an efficient farmer. His wheat almost invariably made 20 bu. per acre which was the goal of farmers in that day when Harvest King wheat was raised by using 200 lbs. bone dust per acre. Following wheat in the fields came the beautiful crimson clover fields that yielded large quantities of seed to be sold at a high price in the late fall. During the year 1918 a Mr. Fred Raisen hauled 20 bu. of clover seed to Porter Eckerty at Eckerty in his road wagon and sold it for $25 per bu.The two horse load was paid for in cash by Mr. Eckerty totaling $500, an enormous sum to farmers in that day. As a rule the price varied from $15 to $25 per bu.

David and Arabella passed away on this farm. David during the deep snow in 1918. Their son Clad and his wife Janie (Easter) and their children Helen, Orville, Gladys and Nova, carried on until moving to Needham in 1930. Then William A. Dillard and his wife Emma (Limp) purchased the sought for place and lived there as the writers good neighbors before moving to Paoli. They built all new farm buildings and modernized the home. Then here lived Ronnie Merter and his wife Phyllis (Radke). They sold the 100 acre farm to Forest Hills Corporation which also has the George Deel and Jacob Partenheimer farms. Altogether the 337 acre tract is owned by six Jasper people and named Forest Hills. The Murray farm will be a part of the Indiana Park and the George Deel farm will be a part of the Lake and Park. The Partenheimer farm will be outside. George Summers and his wife Linda ( ) and Dougie and Daniel now live on the Murray farm

Next on the left of the road going towards Wickliffe is the Painter - Dillard farm (Painter Place), that I have written about in “The Little Picture with the Big Story.”

Next going toward Wickliffe on the left is the William Sinclair - Hiram Gottfried farm. This is the one that I wish to describe as a self sufficient farm in the day of the so called one family farm. By self sufficient farm we mean one on which all the products were produced almost entirely on the farm itself. Fertilizer in small quantities and tools were the chief items of expense.

This land was homesteaded from the U.S. by William Sinclair and his wife Nancy (Carroll). (see in names of people buried in Sinclair cemetery). They and their sons Matthew, Pleasant and Seldom, also John Wesley, built the cemetery log dwelling and barn that I can remember. They cleared the land on the broad fertile fields and prospered. ( see Nancy’s advice on her memorial to her children in Sinclair cemetery list).

When they passed away the farm went to John Wesley and his wife Sarah ( she died when she was 35 years of age. Later John Wesley married Boone (Thompson - Gass). His children were Claude, Jennie and Desco and hers was Amos Gass by a former marriage. John Wesley sold Jacob Painter 80 acres of the Sinclair farm to Jacob and Sarah Jane Painter. John Wesley died first and Seldom, Boone and Desco operated the farm until the deaths of Seldom and Boone. Then Desco and his wife, Nannie (Parks) farmed it until 1918 when they sold it to Hiram Gottfried and wife Anna (Limp) before moving to the Axley Dewitt farm near Paoli. Desco’s children born on this farm were Virginia, Ruth, Hoyt and Norman.

I’m afraid that in this day of large scale farming with all kinds of modern machinery and power driven machines and pesticides and herbicides and many other improvements and electricity that we may look upon the early one family farm as being one of small production and as being insignificant in the horse and buggy days. As I write of this farm and others I wish to point out that this was not the case. From 1906 until 1918 the Sinclair farm under the management of Seldom and Desco Sinclair this farm was very productive and prosperous. This was true when Hiram Gottfried owned it from 1918 until George Stevens bought it. Other self-sufficient farms near Wickliffe were those of the Limps, Deichs, Moerys, Eckertys, Gottfrieds, Zimmerman, Leasors, Rolands, Lanes, Cannavan, Sturm, Haiser, Stemply, McFarlands, Ritter, Deel, Veatch and others.

Seldom Sinclair was never married. Besides farming he was a franchised (by his company) fertilizer agent. This was a much sought after dealership in those days. Really he got a percent of all the sales in his district. He kept a small yellow brown speckled pony for a riding horse to contact the farmers in his district. He had a black box of samples. The different grades and analysis were in small glass bottles. Most farmers ordered a 135 phosphate grade at $13 a ton. Some were able to buy a higher analysis of different nutrients namely potash and nitrogen. At first the bone dust came in 225 lb bags and it took a man to handle them. In fact most farmers had to empty them into 1/2 bushel size galvanized containers and carry them to the drill. Later it came in 167 1/2 lb. bags. Then 125 lbs. , 100 lbs. , and then 50 lb paper bags and now in bulk.

My father at first always ordered 3 tons of 13% phosphate and gave a note to Mr. Sinclair for $39 with interest at 6%. When we threshed the wheat we paid the old note and made a new one. Think of the work entailed in producing a crop of wheat. In the first place three tons of bone dust meant three day long trips to Eckerty with a good team and wagon. One that could pull a ton up the big hills and through mud holes. Not all teams could do it. Then after threshing it took at least two trips to haul the 40 bu. of wheat at 85 cents to $1.00 per bu. to pay off the note.

Then realize all the plowing, sowing, preparation of seed and seed bed, swapping labor at threshing time, cooking for the wife or more. In spite of all these many farmers made a profit on a wheat crop and bought more land. In fact Seldom bought 40 acres from the Fred Eckerty farm South of the Sinclair farm. He also once owned the big Peter Gottfried , Ed Moery farm West of Wickliffe plus stocks and bonds. Even in those hard days men were successful.

The Desco Sinclair family tore down the old buildings and constructed more modern ones for that day. These are still standing though in ruin and unoccupied. The house has eight rooms large and with very high ceilings. There are four downstairs and four upstairs. It is well built and structurally sound today. It is weather boarded with first class yellow poplar lumber. In 1910 my father and I prepared a set of large yellow poplar logs on our farm. We had much of the lumber sawed 1 1/4 inch in thickness for making siding. We stacked this lumber for drying. We sold the lumber or 1800 board feet of it to Desco to make the siding for this house. He paid #3.00 per 100 or $54 for the lot. He came with a large, four horse wagon and loaded it and hauled it to Schnellville to a planing mill.

This Sinclair farm from 1914 to 1918 on the average per year produced 800 bu. of wheat, 500 bu. of corn, 30 bu. of clover seed, fifty head and cattle and sheep and other farm products. This was true of many other farms around Wickliffe. Desco kept four or five large draft horse, also buggy horses, all kinds of horse drawn machinery. The place was well fenced. It was watered by five clear water springs North of the house. He kept a hired hand and found work for him in rainy or clear weather. Homer Byers and Jesse Montgomery were his faithful farm hands for years. Now compared to our large commercial farms these farms do not grade too low in the production of crops and livestock. Isn’t this a good story for a Crawford County farm?

In 1918 Hiram Gottfried and his wife Anna (Limp) purchased this farm and moved from their Batman farm in Dubois County. Here lived Virgil, Willie and Arthur. All that was said of the production of the Sinclairs was repeated by Mr. Gottfried and his boys. I am glad to have had them as neighbors. We shared the butcherings, threshing, shreddings, clover hullings, wood cuttings and other farm work together. They were helpful in sickness and time of need.

But alas! When the children of these good people had grown and left to establish homes of their own, they, that had been so good to everyone else, decided they did not need each other (I suppose). Differences that had long existed were widened and they began to live alone. After renting the farm for a few years Hiram sold the farm to George Stevens, a retired railroad telegrapher from Hazerd, KY.

George and his wife Grace ( ) began improving the farm. They built another home and their son Eugene Stevens and his wife Hazel (Turner) with their boys James and Wayne moved into it. Later were born Michael and George. Mr. Stevens did not get to enjoy his retirment too long for he passed way with a heart attack. His son, Eugene and his mother managed and carried on the farming Into the middle 1960’s when they sold it to the Knies brothers, Elmer and Eugene. It is now a part of a very large farming operation by these young men. Eugene Stevens had been an efficient salesman for the Mooreman Feed Company and after selling the farm was promoted to District Sales Manager and served at Attica and Greencastle. Here he was killed in an auto-train accident. Here lived his wife Hazel, her mother and four sons. The boys as prepared for by their father are successfully preparing for and doing their lifes work. One Michael has received one of the highest Science Merit Qualification awards in the nation and is receiving a four year scholarship in the college of his choice either Rose Hulman or Depaw.

The next farm South is owned now by Earl and Carrie (Raufersen) Mason.It was first the home of a Swiss family, a branch of the Moery’s. They were Fred Feller and Marie Stuckey. I don’t know if they were husband and wife or of two families of those names. Fred Feller was a cheese maker and had come from the Alps. My father- in-law, Mr. Jacob Painter said he was once his hired hand and he made him bend his thumb down and compress with his fingers when milking the cows. Then Amos Gass and his wife Pearl (Canavan) lived there. He was a lover of fine saddle and harness horses. My recollections of him was that he was always pumping water from his well in front of the house for these beautiful horses. The wife was the daughter of Patrick Canavan an Irish Catholic that lived one mile East of Wickliffe. Others that lived in the house before the Masons were Charles Canavan, Charles Brown, George Atkins and Will Rudy.

Next toward Wickliffe are two new homes and a trailer.These are on a part of the 80 acres once owned by Seldom Sinclair. Other owners were Fred Eckerty, Romer Eckerty,and Clifford Cook. The present owners are the Knies brothers. The trailer is the home of Virginia Cook. The first house is that of Melvin and Wanda (Cook) Lane. The next is that of Clifford Cook and wife, Diana (McFarland) Cook. Their children are Clifford, Jr., Douglas and Mary. This takes us to the Southern boundary of the Park

Across the road from the Clifford Cook farm is that of Lester Stemply. It was first the home of Pleasant Sinclair and his wife Mary ( ). They had no children but raised a boy by the name of Sturgeon. He was a good farmer and was reported to have cash hidden about his farm. When he passed away search was made for it but to my knowledge it was never found.

An amusing story comes to my mind showing the superstition that all of us have more or less. When he quit farming he advertised an Empire one horse corn drill for sale for $14. As a young farmer in need of one I bought it from him at that price. Shortly thereafter I was in the Porter Eckerty hardware store and Porter laughingly said “And Ples Got his half dollar back after all.” It seems Pleas had bought the drill from Porter. Porter’s price was $13. Ples said “If you don’t care I will just pay you 50 cents more or $13.50 for the drill.” He distrusted the $13 afraid it would bring him bad luck. Other owners of this farm were Samuel Stemply, Thomas Stemply and wife, Hettie (Dugan), and the present owner Lester Stemply and wife Lenore (Hulls).

Going Northwest from the Stemply farm about 3/4 mile, is a two story white house that was built for Matt Sinclair and his wife Lizzie ( ) by a good carpenter Thomas Drake of Newton Stewart. Matt once said “I believe the house could be blown down the hill and still retain its shape like a box.” Truly it is to this day in good condition although the farm is in ruins. This farm is presently owned by a retired man from the Singer Company in South Bend named Fordraci. Here for a long time lived Lillian Sinclair (the daughter of Matt) and her husband, Arley Parks. Here were born Loral, J.B. and Mildred. This family later moved to Needham.

About a 1/2 mile East of the Sinclair farm is the site of old buildings. This was the home of the Melton family. Here lived Clarence, Kieper, and Mona. Kieper lost his life in WW 1 and is buried in the Sinclair Cemetery.

Going North from the big white house on the hill or the Matt Sinclair home we come to two homes, one on the right and one on the left. They were those of a father and son. On the left is that of the father James Smith and his wife, Nannie (Young). This house is built of logs and is much the same as it was when it was the home of the pioneer families. It is near the Sinclair Cemetery and Mr. Smith liked to scare his hired hands by telling them that ghosts often appeared. James Smith was once the owner of the Carroll - Linthicum home across the valley. He kept many fine horses in the log barn. North of the house since destroyed by fire. Just South of this home was a valley through which a spring branch ran and crossed the road. At the foot of a large elm tree, someone either Ben Carroll or Jim Smith had built a large horse watering trough some 20 ft. long. Farmers could drive in from the road and water their horses there without unhitching them. I’m sure many sweating horses appreciated this place on hot summer days. Some farmers would not water here for they said there was danger of their horses catching distemper, a disease prevalent among horses in that day.The home is now that of Esther Smith, the wife of James Smith, the grandson of James Smith, Sr.

On the right of the road is the home built by Everett Smith and his wife Eleanor (Russell). In my boyhood days this farm with its large barns, horse pens containing two acres and fenced with large rails ten feet high, large hay fields, and cribs and granaries. Here were kept large black and bay stallions for breeding work or draft horses. Also there were jacks and jennies for keeping a supply of mules for the neighboring farmers. Throughout the summer trees and posts along the country roads were covered with posters advertising these for breeding. There was always a beautiful picture of a horse or jackass in large black print was his pedigree breeding agreements. The name Everett Smith appeared on many of these. This was a large stock farm. He hired many farm hands. Among them were Omar Byers, Jesse Montgomery, Sam Sillings, Dave Sillings and others. Omerie, the wife of Arthur Gottfried and the daughter of Everett, now resides on this farm with her husband. This farm has always been in the hands of the Smith family

And so ends the story of the many families that will be displaced. It is crude and incomplete as I said in the beginning only an outline of the people and events taking place in this interesting part of Southern Indiana.