Brown Family History
This blog is a transcrition of a book of the History of the Brown family as written by Oral Carl Brown Sr. Born June 19th, 1884, Died in July 1967. Oral was a preacher from a long line of preachers. This book was written in 1962 at the age of 78 as a cronicle of family history and his lifes work for the "Oncoming younger Generation".
To **Table Of Contents**
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Chapter 1 - The Old Home Place
How It All Happened
Chapter 1
The Old Home Place
The Old Home Place - just to write or think of these words causes a feeling to well up inside that is akin to home sickness. The60 acre farm was not valuble because of the quality of the land; but rather because it was home. The place where a "heap" of living was done by a healthy, wide-awake, active, growing American family.
The 1/2 mile long and 1/4 mile plot of ground was located on the country line. this line was a public road, running North and South. On the east side of this road was Morgan County, on the west was Owen County. Martinville, Indiana was our County seat. the long-way of our farm was north and south. Our small home was in the center of the Place. It was 1 1/4 miles to Lewisville, where the Lewis Brothers had then and still have one of the best country stores one will find in a day's journey. Sears Roebuck and Co. did not get any business around there for Lewis Bros. would duplicate anything in their catalogue for Sears' low price if the buyer would add the freight or P. P. to the catalogue price.
People came for miles to trade at this store. And, it was the first store I ever saw. Here we traded.
back on the farm. The north forty had some 15 Sink-hopes. The south forty was what is called, "turkey gravel flats".
Most of this land was in timber when the folks bought there. I remember helping to clear much of it for the plow. It was no a money making farm. Only a place for a small home, garden, chicken houses, barn, pig lot, etc.
The house was all built from timbers that grew on the place. The sills were hewn from Yellow Poplar trees by "broad axes". The siding was sawed from yellow logs. The lumber used for frame work, sheathing, finishing lumber, even the boards that covered the house were "rived" from our own timber.
The house, when first built, consisted of two rooms down, a stairway, and two attic rooms, usable but unfinished.
the dimensions of the original house was about 20' X 24'. The living room, also the bed room, was 14' X 20'; the kitchen etc. was 10' X 20'. In the center of the partition was a chimney, built of brick, from the ground up through the roof.
To the east of the house, some 25' was dug a well, with water good and cold. east of this well some 10 feet was a smokehouse about 12' X 16', wherewe smoked our meat, kept our fruit, potatoes, canned fruit, flour, meal and most all meats. it was a crowded place, well stocked. Just south of this was the milk house, for milk, butter, etc. Southeast of this some 150 feet was the log barn, and west of this, the chicken house, corn crib, etc.
Such were the buildings and farm land where I was born.
Our Church was 1 1/2 miles away - a brick building, the Christian Church. It was 1 3/4 miles to our school.
Our life was simple. We raised and made most everything we used, or did without. Our Post Office was a little place called Alaska, 1/2 mile west of Lewisville. our school building was a large two-story brick building som 1/8 mile north of the Post Office. we seldom went to Martinsville.
Back to Table Of Contents
Chapter 1
The Old Home Place
The Old Home Place - just to write or think of these words causes a feeling to well up inside that is akin to home sickness. The60 acre farm was not valuble because of the quality of the land; but rather because it was home. The place where a "heap" of living was done by a healthy, wide-awake, active, growing American family.
The 1/2 mile long and 1/4 mile plot of ground was located on the country line. this line was a public road, running North and South. On the east side of this road was Morgan County, on the west was Owen County. Martinville, Indiana was our County seat. the long-way of our farm was north and south. Our small home was in the center of the Place. It was 1 1/4 miles to Lewisville, where the Lewis Brothers had then and still have one of the best country stores one will find in a day's journey. Sears Roebuck and Co. did not get any business around there for Lewis Bros. would duplicate anything in their catalogue for Sears' low price if the buyer would add the freight or P. P. to the catalogue price.
People came for miles to trade at this store. And, it was the first store I ever saw. Here we traded.
back on the farm. The north forty had some 15 Sink-hopes. The south forty was what is called, "turkey gravel flats".
Most of this land was in timber when the folks bought there. I remember helping to clear much of it for the plow. It was no a money making farm. Only a place for a small home, garden, chicken houses, barn, pig lot, etc.
The house was all built from timbers that grew on the place. The sills were hewn from Yellow Poplar trees by "broad axes". The siding was sawed from yellow logs. The lumber used for frame work, sheathing, finishing lumber, even the boards that covered the house were "rived" from our own timber.
The house, when first built, consisted of two rooms down, a stairway, and two attic rooms, usable but unfinished.
the dimensions of the original house was about 20' X 24'. The living room, also the bed room, was 14' X 20'; the kitchen etc. was 10' X 20'. In the center of the partition was a chimney, built of brick, from the ground up through the roof.
To the east of the house, some 25' was dug a well, with water good and cold. east of this well some 10 feet was a smokehouse about 12' X 16', wherewe smoked our meat, kept our fruit, potatoes, canned fruit, flour, meal and most all meats. it was a crowded place, well stocked. Just south of this was the milk house, for milk, butter, etc. Southeast of this some 150 feet was the log barn, and west of this, the chicken house, corn crib, etc.
Such were the buildings and farm land where I was born.
Our Church was 1 1/2 miles away - a brick building, the Christian Church. It was 1 3/4 miles to our school.
Our life was simple. We raised and made most everything we used, or did without. Our Post Office was a little place called Alaska, 1/2 mile west of Lewisville. our school building was a large two-story brick building som 1/8 mile north of the Post Office. we seldom went to Martinsville.
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