My Life at Stony Point
It was a bleak cold day when I entered my new home. It didn't seem much like a bridal homecoming with the sister of the man I married there and the father also, who was an invalid. But love overcomes all obstacles and we were happy to be together. Stony Point was a farm in the Kentucky hills just south of the Ohio river. It was an isolated place, only three houses were visible on that side of the river, which was the main attraction, as it really was a boat landing for all the big boats on the Ohio. The neighbors would come to ship their freight or receive it. We enjoyed seeing them come and go. There was good fishing, some fish weighed 45lbs. Some times one would go jugging (jug fishing). This was done by plugging the jugs or tin cans and attaching hooks to short lines on them. Then you would throw them in the river. You would have several. It was real sport to get a fish on the line and watch it bob up and down, first near and then farther away. You would follow it in your boat and finally, he would wear out and you would land him. The neighbors would come on horseback to buy fish. When my husband would have a large catch, he would have the hired man go on horseback around the countryside to tell the neighbors we had fish. This was a real treat. Mr. Fallie, an elderly gentleman, arranged to sell the heads for chowder. In the winter there was skating on the river...
The farm was a busy place winter and summer. When threshing time came the threshing machine was drawn by oxen, as the roads were bad, almost impassable. As I said, it was an old fashioned farm, everything was done by us that was possible. We made our own soap and candles. There were no electric appliances in those days. We never dreamed of such things. We did all our own baking and cooking. We went into the fields to pick berries, tended our gardens, and put the milk in crocks and woe unto us if the red ants found the cream; then the pigs had a feast, they didn't mind if it wasn't whipped.
The little ones came along every few years. They weren't much help at first. I had to tie them with a rope while I made garden for they could pull up onions faster than I could plant them and too one had to be very watchful for we were near the railroad and river. One time, our baby boy, George was missing and naturally I was frightened. I went to the river and to the railroad tracks but I didn't find him. Then when I got back to the house I found him hiding in a barrel half full of sand, playing contentedly. He just didn't care to answer when I called.
Visitors and travelors were always welcome. Pedlers too sometimes stayed all night and gave us some of their wares, mostly yard goods and linen, for keeping them. Some were real interesting and talented. One man from New York told us all about the big ships at sea and remember 50 years back it was educational to hear from the outside world. Literature was scarce. We took the Weekly Enquirer and Farm and Fireside. We got our mail once a week by skiff in the Ohio town of Higginsport, one and a half miles away.
This man from New York made sketches of my husband and the oldest baby, Bessie Kate. They got lost. Another time three circus men were stranded, one had a leg off. They played lots of music. We called the neighbors to enjoy it with us. We never turned any one away hungery. At that time we happened to have a real vicious looking cow with great big Texas horns, and she detested children.
We also had shanty boat visitors, and they were a nuisance. They always wanted to borrow something and sometimes would steal if they couldn't get things otherwise. One day a little shanty boat girl came up to ask for something...but the mean cow saw her first and I am still wondering what she wanted. She just flew, all I could see was her raggedy dresstail flying.
We had good times and bad times, just like people have in life, but while young one cannot understand why the sorrows and trials must come; but as we grow older we get reconciled to things that happen to us and we see all about us that others have their share of troubles too.
I still remember another instance...two young men, the Dinkle boys, came up from Cincinnati and brought a phonograph, something we had never heard before, so we stayed up most of the night to listen. It was quite a novelty, for remember, there were no radios, no shows to go to. The highlights of life were the County Fair once a year, a moonlight fete for comunity and sometimes a dance which was quite a jolly affair with a violin and guitar for music. They danced the old fashioned waltz, Polka and Square dances for which my husband was famous for calling. Whenever someone expected to give the dance, a horse back rider was sent out to inform the neighbors, riding for miles, the roads were very bad in winter especially, and the only way to get to the dance was by horseback. It was nothing unusual to see a rider, woman or man with one child in front and one or two on behind the adult. They all stuck on somehow and the horses were trained to sidle up to the gates, which we had to go through, sometimes they would let you open the gate and sidle around on the other side so it could be closed.
One time my sister-in-law made a new dress for a dance, and when she got home she discovered that she had only basted the sleeves in. How fortunate it was that they did not pull out, for in those days it would have been a great calamity to bare your arms.
If there were too many in the family to go horse back, they would hitch two horses to the old farm wagon, put hay or straw in it, blankets on top and what a jolly ride for the family. But not always as I remember, when I had to have dental care in Ripley, a town 12 miles away, we rode in a jolt wagon on the wagon seats. It was a ride to be remembered for part of the time the children would jolt off the seats and be on the floor. The roads were very narrow and rough and we had to be watchful for if we met someone, we had to find a place where we could pass one another. On that trip, the wagon came uncoupled at the end of the journey. We crossed the river on the ferry to Ripley.
When the first baby arrived, a Doctor was sent for four miles distance over bad roads. We sent a hired man on horse back to get the Doctor. He was to go to the drug store first to get some whiskey...he did and he got drunk first, then when he finally went to get the Doctor, the doctor wasn't at home. After five hours the new arrival came. Another Doctor found the mother and child peacefully sleeping.
Then when the baby was 12 days old, there was a bad railroad wreck on our place. I was left alone at the house to take care of the bread baking, We lived in an old fashioned house, although a very good one. There was a cellar way in the middle of the hallway which I had to go through to go to the kitchen. Some one carelessly left the door open and I fell into the space with my twelve day old baby in my arms, but miraculously neither of us were hurt. I'm sure the baby hadn't lost her voice anyway, the way she screamed. I always felt that God was with us that day.
I remember, too, going after the cows one day, quite a distance from the old house when an awful storm came up, with terrible claps of thunder and fierce keen lightning. I had the same child in my arms, about one year old, but we came through unharmed, under the sheltering trees. I think this child was born under a lucky star, for she had been very fortunate. She followed her father to the house roof when only two; she climbed up the ladder and when her father saw her, he talked quietly to her and edged over to her without frightening her and took her down safely.
The second child, George, was in his highchair in the garden where I was at work when Bessie, the oldest one ran towards him and he laughed and shouted with glee, that was fine until little Bessie Kate gave the chair an extra hard push and over...
These notes were also found amoung the same papers as the above stories.
lived at Stony Point 7 and a half years. moved to Augusta then to Chilo—in Hall home. then down road to Emily Prathers. then to Ed Prathers, back to Emily's. built our own lived there 6 years then to Aikens farm then to Nells place. then to Ceadron—then to ? —then to Mt. Olive—then to Riddle Road (in Cincinnati). After Dad passed on we lived on Shafer Ave 2 years. moved 1 year at Ft. Wayne then to Oakley (in Cincinnati) here 19 years. had 2 floods 1 fire 1 tornado.
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rev: 2007