Stone Boat

The large wash-out just east of Sunflower Ridge entrance was washed out in a monster one rain back in my Dads life. I assume most of the galleys we see in your area were made then. That was his story.  We have used that wash-out many times to dump stones from the stone boat. We would drive our team of horses, Duke and Dora, very close to the edge. The stones and stone-boat would slide down the washout and off came the stones. Worked neat. A stone boat is a group of large 3 inch thick wood planks, 8 ft long by 5 ft wide, dragged on the ground. Dad and I cleared lots of land. The boat was so you could roll the stones onto it that were too heavy to lift. No loaders back then. Many of the stones you see today, when I built Sunflower Ridge, I hauled back out of that spot and used them where you see now. 

As a kid Duke was a valuable pet for me. His back was so wide, that I just put my feet straight out in front and couldn't get around his back. When I would put my feet on his side, I would do the splits. That hurt! No saddle. I tried but after getting off I could hardly walk. I love Duke. The team was very good in the winter snow, giving sleigh rides. We were in a different world then.

Chauncey and the Three Oaks

I was born right here on Pettis Ave on Dad’s farm, but there was a little problem. I got pneumonia as a 2 year old.  Mom lost one baby already. Things didn't look good for me, so I was told. They took me to the second house on Chauncey Rd. (starting from Cannonsburg going South).  They put onion pollices on me night and day for a week. Yes it worked. I do not like onions today.

The three large oaks trees were there far before me. They must go back well over 100 years.  There was a barn west 500 ft or so from the trees just for hay and grain. There was a carving on one of the grain doors “E H” . I Think it stood for Ernie Hubbel  He was the first owner that I remember of the Grist Mill down on Chauncey. The next owner was called Forrest Wood.  He played in the Grand Rapids symphony violin.  The E. H. carving I put in the yellow house across the road they took it all out and burned it.

The Grist Mill at Chancey was very important to Dad and I.  Lots of history in that place. 

Eighty-eight Years

We have a box 2ft. by 3 ft. of pictures of the old barn that I changed into a sunflower plant processing seeds for salad bars and bird seed. There are two pictures hanging in my shop; one of the barn change and the other when Ruth and I were pictured in the front page of the Grand Rapids press. 

As an 88 year old guy, I look back and see such changes in life. As a 10 year old my job was to milk my four cows, while Dad milked the other eleven.  The radio played the “Happy Hank Get Your Clothes Together” song every morning. Today I looked at the Space-x Falcon rocket taking a Tesla car into space, that is if it makes it. I call that a change.

The corner farm of Five Mile and Pettis I only remember being owned by my Uncle Carlton Johnson.  He was a preacher for a while but ended up as the farmer on that corner.  

My job today is trying to win in lawn bowling.

 The Hedge

Here is a novice thing that happened in your area when we were hulling sunflower seeds in the old barn. I would like to show you the barn that I fixed up to hull, package all the different seeds. The original use of the upper floor was used for hay. The lower level was originally used for milking thirty cows. I turned that lower part in cleaning and packaging seeds. And I changed the hay barn upper floor to store lots of pallets of seed in bags. It was much heavier than hay.  One day in the lower level I noticed the floor sagging lots with all the weight the seed that was stored on top. Plus the highlow that moved the pallets around. We had some 23 men working for us at that time. I showed the sagging beams to the fellows. We all agreed we needed posts quick. I assigned two men to take my chain saw and go straight east to my hedge and bring back six 8 ft. posts to save the barn from falling in. 

In 2 hrs back they came with beautiful posts. We put them in and saved the barn and never thought a thing about it. One week later Mr. Graham (that owned your woods where you live) and one inspector came over and asked me if I knew if anybody was in his woods cutting trees.  A light went on and realized the kids went over to where you live to get the posts, and not the ones in my hedge.  He had a fit. I was so sorry. Mr. Graham wanted me to plant all the trees

back. I don't how it was settled but I left it all up to my insurance company. So if you see your  acres short of 8 inch trees, I did it!

 Anvil

Yes, Forrest C. and Freeman C. are my grandparents. Strange but true, Ruth and I are in a genealogy class and are learning some of the same. Can't give the name now but my great great, somewhere back, came over on a ship to America. He had a talent of shoeing horses. The one thing he brought was an anvil to make horse shoes. I have that anvil in my shop.  Two dates on the side 1876 and the other Queen of England sign. It is well used. You must see it.

Mel

Family is the most wonderful thing a person can have.  I sure love my family. Ruth is one great gal and we are deeply in love with one another and with our kids.

Let’s talk about the white house that you mentioned. I know Mel and Mary very well.  Let’s start way back when Mel was 3 years old. My Dad could hardly wait for Sunday at West Cannon Church to tease Mel.  Dad would say he was going to take him home with him. Dad did that every week.  He would run to his Mom and Dad for protection. Mel was a very attractive red head.  Everybody loved him. I remember his Mom finally convinced Mel to say to my Dad “Yes I will go!” It was so funny when that happened. My Dad didn't know what to do.  He didn't take him home but stopped teasing him.

 Sulky One Bottom Plow

Dad plowed with a sulky one bottom plow on his farm. While sitting so close to the ground, he’d watch the dirt move and he saw many stone arrows. He would stop and pick them up and bring them to the house. I remember them so much. One that was outstanding. It was 4 inches oblong with a circle on both sides. Polished a red color and very heavy. We all wondered what that was.  We chipped it and it was silver in the center. Sent the chip to MSU and gave direction where Dad found it and the question “What is this?”. The answer back was, “It is pure nickel and probably a meteor.  Probably polished by the Indians and used it as a god.” What a story, but what an end. We took it to the farm on Pettis stored it in the old shop. I showed everybody, but I guess one person somewhere took it. It is lost. I have made a like shape out of wood with my lathe gave it to our neighbor. That stone should be in Cannon Township Museum today. I have taken things up there now in my senior years, but so sorry not that stone.

 Shivaree

I would like to talk about the house that Margie Smallfield lives in. Eighty years ago life, in this area was different. I would be around 8 years old. There was a word called “shivaree”. That was where someone would harass a newlywed couple. 

Let me give an illustration. The house Margie lives in now was owned by my Uncle Carlton Johnson. He went to Moody Bible Institute to study to be a preacher. One of his daughters, Betty Johnson, got married to a popular man named Frank Gallop. He was a dedicated police man that rode a police motorcycle.  Sadly, he was killed after 2 years of marriage.

Let’s go back to the shivery. I remember the night the young men and kids planned to shivaree Betty and her newlywed husband. That celebration is where a group would do anything to make noise; an old pan, firecrackers, old saw blades, one that was always used was a 3 ft saw blade, hole in the center, with two men caring it with a steal pipe in the middle. While using hammers of any style, you would hit the saw blade and just make all the noise possible.

I remember the time that was set up for the event. Betty and her husband not knowing anything about it. We had one person keep check on the house to see when all the lights were out except the bedroom. Firecrackers were in a bag. I grabbed a handful and fell in with the crowd. When we were all around the front of the house, one person would light a firecracker and then everybody would make all the noise possible. It was very loud. I remember I lit a firecracker but it didn't light. I didn't pay any attention to it, but someone behind yelled at me it was burning.  I dropped it and bang. Those firecrackers were very large and dangerous. I'm sure it would have hurt my hand. Safety then wasn't followed much at all. The noise would continue until Betty and Frank would come out and invite us in for some kind of treat. Strange but that went on lots. 

Snow and Horses

I well remember way back around 1933. The roads were all gravel and the winters were very snowy. In fact, I remember my Mom waking me up early to see the snow plows coming through Pettis for the first time in weeks. Yes, they were filled with snow. Sometimes, it would rain and that would make the drifts so strong that you could walk on top of the drifts. Winters were times to build tunnels and lots of them. No tractors, just horses.

Our team of horses, Duke and Dora, were used every day. Dad and I would clean the barn every day and make a big load of manure. I would ride with him on his lap when I was younger. When I was older, I was right in the middle of cleaning the barn, feeding the calves and horses and stuff like that. I really loved it. Every day Dad would spread the load regardless of weather. It wouldn't make any differences how deep the snow was, Duke and Dora would just walk right through it. Sometimes, the snow would be so deep that it would be up to their belly. The history of Duke and Dora with me was a very exciting time. In the summers the team was used for farming.  Duke would raise his right foot anytime I would say "Shake hands”.

Mornings

Let me take you through a day starting at age five with Duke and Dora. That team played a great part in my life. Morning wake up time was around 5:00 to 5:30. During summer time, I went out to milk my three cows that Dad assigned me to milk. Those three cows were cows that wouldn't kick. After milking, I would go in the house for a big breakfast. Always after breakfast we would read a portion of the scripture, kneel and pray. Dad would pray first then Ione, me, then Mom.  I continue reading and praying every morning, even today. 

Dad was thinking work and would say before he got up “Harness the horses." Those horses were the power of the farm. I would back up Duke first by the wall where the harnesses were, Dad would throw them on, put on the bridle with the steel rod going past the teeth into the tender part of their jaw. That is so you can control the horse. Then I would lead them out and hook them up to the wagon. I couldn't hook them on to the neck yoke until older. I could hook them to the whippletree with no problem. 

Growing Up

As I got older, I did it all; getting hay in the barn and thrashing bee's was the whole summer.  Driving the team pulling the wagon and hay loader was my big job and loved it. The front gate on the wagon was 5 ft high. I would stand on the top board driving Duke and Dora. Dad would load the wagon till I was buried in the hay.  When the wagon was full, over my head he would reach down pull me up and off to the barn to unload. 

The thrashing bee's would be when five or six farms (Dad being one of them) would have all the grain cut, shocked in rows and we would all have our team load on the grain bundles. Then we would take it to the thrasher and made into clean grain. And finally, blow the straw into the barn. 

With all the five or six wagons from different farms, that made ten to twenty guys, plus kids and women needing to eat. There would be long boards on saw horses making tables in the front yard. The women would load it with food for the dinner time. I remember Dad would ask Mom where her food was because he didn't want to eat anybody else’s food. There were two big tubs of water to wash the hands. The first one always looked dirty and then we’d rinse in the clean one.  If the men wore gloves they wouldn't wash their hands.  They thought they were clean. In the summer the thrasher would go from farm to farm until all the grain was trashed.  

Beef Steers

One more story with Duke. Dad had cows, turkeys, and beef steers. One time he got thirty head of steers right from out west. The steers didn't know what a barn was! They were wild but beautiful, small 400lb animals. The truck backed up to the barn and unloaded them. Then they shut the doors and off the truck went. 

Dad kept them in the barn for a week and then opened the door to let them out in the barn yard. The fence was 6 ft pine boards that were so close together you couldn't get through. When those wild steers saw the open doors, out they went and never stopped for the wood fence! They chased that fence like it was paper. We chased them until couldn't run any more.  Idea! I got Duke out, without a saddle, and the steers just loved Duke. Drove them back into the barn and they, and I, loved Duke. My legs were sore for a while straddling the big back of Duke.

Snow Plow

Thought of another Duke story I think you would enjoy. This was in the winter. We had lots and lots of snow, eighty years ago was all different from today. The whole winter was full of lots of show. One of my many jobs was to shovel a path through the snow coming from the house to the barn. I really liked the job and would make banks on each side of the path. Sometimes just to build up banks was fun. 

One time I wanted to do a faster job of plowing so why not make a real snow plow and pull it right down the path. I would love it. Yes, I made a snow plow 3 ft. wide and was so proud how it looked. Now, there was a problem when I pulled it because it wouldn't stay down on the snow. One side would pop up. I got a cement block set it on the plow but then it was so heavy that I couldn't pull it. New idea, go get Duke, hooked him up to the plow.  Got him out, put the harness on him and led him out of the barn.

When you separate the team Dora was very unhappy.  She would whinny several times, stomp her hoofs but I didn't care. I always called her dumb Dora.  She was always letting Duke pull more.  I watched that laziness all the time when we were in the hay. She would slack off and I would yell at her “Get-de-up”. Then she would stay even with Duke.

Back to my plow. I was going to plow snow and make my Dad very happy. Duke was so big, I just loved him. He was my best friend. I led him over to the snow plow. He would always do and go, anywhere I led him. I got an old whippletree and hooked it to the snow plow.  I was so thrilled to think of this idea and watch the snow just fly with Duke having so much power.

I stood on the plow that would be enough weight, plus the cement block. “Get-de-up” I said. Duke was familiar with wagons, mowers, side delivery rakes etc. but this snow plow was all new and small to him. When I said “Get-de-up” he lunged ahead, expecting a big pull. My little snow plow wasn't a big pull for him, in fact the first pull ended up in a SNAP. Yes, it broke right in the middle folding up to a straight line. 

Duke heard the snap that scared him and off he went. He was pulling me fast, right into the barn door with the broken snow plow right behind us. What a mess. I took him back in his stall. He was very happy. I tried to build a better snow plow. I put a small seat on it but just didn't work. There was no way to keep it straight. It would flop all over the place, but it didn't break in the middle this time. 

Duke was a real friend. I didn't have any close neighbors to play with. When I was with Duke, many times he would put his head right in my chest and kind of push. I liked that. I think he was sending me a message that he liked me. I sure loved Duke!

Thrashing Bee’s and Cigarettes

The thrashing bee's were when all the farmers in our community would have their grain cut, dried and shocked in rows. The thrasher owner would come in the community with his machine and go to each farm and thrash. I always thought the thrasher would come to our farm first.

Let’s say eight farmers would come and help Dad thresh our grain. When we were done we would all go to the next farm thresh his grain and do that to each farmer until all the eight farms were done. That is what we called a "thrashing bee". 

Buck Gunnel was one of the owners of the machine. His tractor was a Huber. I remember when he would come up the hill by our farm I would go out and just see the tracks the Huber tractor would make on the gravel road. I put my foot in the place where he would shift and dig up the gravel with the big wide steel wheels. All roads were gravel.

One time while looking at the tracks following the tracks down the road there was a cigarette laying right on the gravel. It must have fallen out of pocket while he was driving the big machine going down the road. Wow! What would I do with that? So I put it in my pocket. A time came while I was with a friend, his name was Gerald VanDellen, and I showed him what I found. He said “Just break it in half.” So I did, and I gave him the other half. He lit his and then lit mine. I took one big suck, thinking this was going to be a big deal. I held it between my fingers like all the other guys would. That suck made me cough and cough, and then choked and everything else. 

I couldn't believe why anyone would like to suck on things like that. I need water or something. I couldn't go to Mom because I knew that she wouldn't like it. That was the first and last of ever doing a crazy thing like trying to smoke.

The other owner of another thrasher was Skip. His thrashing machine was newer. He wasn't as fat as Buck. One time while sitting at the dinner table, Dad said that he was going to buy his own thrashing machine because he wouldn’t have to go to other farmers. And that it took so long to thrasher all their grain because their farm was slow and hard to complete the work. When they would come to our farm all the work was done in one day. 

No other farmer was equipped like my Dad's farm. He would spend 4 to 5 days at each other farm, so that was too long. Dad said there is so much wasted time going to all those other farmers, he wanted to just stay at our farm and work. Dad was a good farmer. So we bought and owned our own thrasher now. I was proud of that decision Dad made. It was a smaller machine but it did the same thing. At that time in my life we had both horses and tractors. We used both of them, all the time. We set the thrasher right in the middle of the main barn floor and we would do all our own thrashing. In fact, other farmers would just come over and help. They liked my Dad.

 Straw and a Lifesaver

Going through the many different things that happened as a 10 year old I remember Moffitt's barn.  Many things happened around that area.

Let’s go back to the thrashing events. One time I remember so clearly following the thresher going in their barn with that big Huber tractor I loved. What power! He and Buck Gunnel unhooked the thresher right on 5 Mile Road. He backed the tractor around and I saw the big wheels dig into the gravel road. I loved it. He then hooked the thresher to the front of the big tractor. Then he pushed the machine right up through the ditch and into the barn. I thought that was neat. 

At this time, the barn owner didn't keep the straw blower so it could blow the straw in the barn as they threshed. He had it sticking out the back door of the barn. This is all different from what my Dad would do. Dad would blow all the straw available in the barn to use in the winter for bedding the cows and horses. If you would look at the Moffitt's barn from the south side you would see the big blower pipe sticking out hanging in mid air. 

I'm going to guess the barn owners at that time were the Moffitt family. My Uncle Carlton married Effie, maiden name was Moffitt. 

Back to the back of the barn. Instead of blowing the straw in the barn they would blow it in a big pile out in the barn yard. Before they would blow the straw on the pile, they would drive 4 large stakes into the ground 8 ft. apart, making a square. Little did we know the danger that was staring us in the face with this.

They put snow fence on top and all around the stakes making a little house. We kids loved it. We would go in and do all the kids stuff, in a make believe play house. When they threshed the grain the straw coming from the thresher pipe would pile in top of the contraption sealing it from the weather. All was good, we thought.  A hand full of straw was so light but a pile of straw would weigh several ton. 

The threshing went on as usual. The straw was piled high over this contraption. Most everybody went home when the grain was all threshed. What a beautiful sealed place to play. We heard the sound "Crack", and the weight of the big pile of straw broke the poles and the snow fence came crashing down. Most of us got out but one little girl was pinned to the ground with the fence and poles on top of her!  I don't know who the girl was but we ran to get help! 

Most of the men were gone because the threshing was done. We found Monroe Barker still standing by the front of the barn. He was a big guy. We told him that the straw house fell in and we needed help! He came running and saw what happened.  The pole mess was an impossible thing to lift. There was ton's of straw all over the crashed poles.  He grabbed the pole with his big hands and, with unknowing human strength, "lifted" the poles right off the girl and saved her life. Many said it was super human to be able to do something like that. 

The reason for the straw home was for the calves and cows go to into the straw pile shed and have a cheap winter home. The animals would be protected from weather and eat a little straw.

Halloween

In the Halloween time Moffitt's barn was used again. I always looked up to the big guys in the community; names like Russ, Dick, Marve, Paul, Vern and others, they were always trying to have fun. When Halloween came, trouble was always just around the corner.

The day after Halloween I looked at the Moffitt’s barn and there it was, his steel wheel wagon, reach, tongue, wheels and all sitting right on top of the barn roof.  Probably 300 lbs but to this day I have no idea how they got it up there, or how, and who took it down. We all thought that was so funny. Today the police would be all over the place with something like that going on.

Moffitt Hill School

For just a little, let’s go back to the school right across the road from the Moffitt’s house.  It was a one room school with an 8 by 20 ft. entrance shed built and hooked to the bigger room. The shed is where we stacked our lunches for dinner recess. We all had a desk with the little ink hole on top right of the cover. 

When the teacher would call for a class to come forward, we (the class grade called) would come up and sit on this long bench. Then the teacher would ask or direct our thoughts to the book we were supposed to read. For a few minutes she would help, talk, tell stories what we should learn and then dismiss us and all go back to our seats. When the kindergarten kids came up, the teacher would show flash cards, or words that were in very large print, asking the kids to say the word written on the card. We would sometime blurt out the word. Teacher would not like that. 

One day the back door of our room come flying open and in flew two guys. There was no fear like today, never would think anything bad coming, but something funny was coming for sure. Who do you think came flying in?  It was those big trouble makers; Russ and Marve. They weren't trouble makers in fact we liked them.  They walked right up to the front, and sat down right on the benches, where we would sit while a class was in session. We all just roared. The teacher I think loved it too. 

We were all standing up, so excited to see this all happen.  The teacher, Miss Philips single very attractive, got out the flash cards and started drilling the guys on the simple words. The 2 guys would make up some funny word, like what the card said.  Finally, Marve would say it's time for recess and then out they went. We all thought that was the best thing that could ever happen. It took a few minutes and we were all calmed down. Some of the kids in the school were real bullies and we were afraid of them.

Shake Hands

Duke meant a lot to me. My mind goes back to him lots. His color was soft red with a long white streak down the front of his face. He was so obedient with anything that I would try to have him do. Every time while standing in front of him I would give the command "Shake hands". He would bring his right leg way up, I would hold it and shake it. His leg was so big with so much soft hair on it. Both he and I had a deep love for one another. So often he would bring his huge head around and touch me.

West Cannon Church

Let me give you a picture of West Cannon Church as a kid. There were many young people in the area and West Cannon was a very effective church. There were three couples that just gave so much of their life to help at the church.  The young people’s organization was called BYPU.  The letters didn't mean much but the three couples did. They were Uncle Albert and Aunt Lois, Harley (a school teacher) and Bee Lee with Harold and Winnie Stillwell. Winnie helped me lots with my trombone playing. This group of three workers worked endless with the church young people. Uncle Albert was a strong leader and would lead singing while Aunt Lois played the piano.  Uncle Albert was good in leading singing with us kids. 

I remember one chorus, out of so many, that we learned. It went like this,

On Sunday I am happy,

Monday full of joy,

Tuesday I have peace within that nothing can destroy.

Wednesday and on Thursday walking in the light,

Friday it is Heaven below and

Saturday always bright.

Then he added another chorus like this,

Grumble on Sunday Monday Tuesday

Grumble on Wednesday too,

Grumble on Thursday Friday Saturday,

Grumble the whole week through!

We all laughed so much with singing like that. The job he did was very long lasting for me, that I even remember it now. 

Sin

In our Sunday evening young people’s class he would have many Bible quizzes. He would have the first person stand that could say or read some verse or answer any question in his mind that he would give. He would drill us on the books of the Bible.  We would always stand and then give the answer. Naturally we all wanted to be first. He made us feel so important.

One time Bee Lee gave an illustration of sin. She brought me up in front of the group and compared sin to one thread of string.  She tied that one string around my wrists and asked if I could break it. “Sure, I can!” I thought. Then I demonstrated how strong I was. “Snap!” went the string that she used to tie my wrists. Then she put my hands together again and wrapped it several times around my wrists. I tried hard to break that many strings, but I couldn't. Bee said that is what happens when so many sins are in our life and we can't get out of them. I always remembered that lesson. West Cannon means a lot to me. I chose Jesus as my Savior in that period of my life. I pray for West Cannon every day. A pastor, Rev. Carl Weir, was our pastor for many years. He created the "Lord’s Acre" program. He was a very amazing leader.