Happy Monday.
Urg. It was so hot I slept like crap last night, and I really want to go home and go back to bed.
Brad and the kids and I tried to take the boat out yesterday, and after spending 2 hours trying to locate a place to launch that wasn't packed and still had trailer parking, we got the boat in the water only to discover that it wouldn't start. Crap. Brad is seething since he de-winterized and started it the day before. It has been touchy ever since his mom flooded it a couple of summers ago. Anyway, came home, swam in the little pool, relaxed, read books and had a laid-back afternoon.
****
My trip rocked. Getting into those old trunks was like Christmas for me. For some background, my Grandfather, Grandmother, aunt, and Great Grandparents and the rest of the family moved to NE Washington state in 1930. They lived in two adjoining farms north of town. Fast forward to the '50's. My aunt and her husband build a new house sited less than 20 feet from the house my dad grew up in. They moved out of the old house (apparently not worth fixing) and used it for storage. During this time, my Great-great grandfather, one great aunt, and my grandmother die. All their keepsakes are placed in trunks in a bedroom of the old house.
The 60's/70's: My great grandmother dies, and my grandfather remarries and they get a place in town. The north farm is sold, while my aunt and uncle stay on at the southern piece. More stuff is placed in the exceedingly decrepit old house.
70's/80's: My grandfather dies, his belongings from town are put in the old house, his widow moves in with her kids. The roof has begun to leak.
The 80's - Young Laura takes an interest in the secrets the old house might hold, but is forbidden to go in due to structural crap. Laura sneaks around the first floor every summer poking through junk but finds nothing of consequence. Does not go up to the upper floors because even though she's roaming around inside the house she has enough of a brain to not want to fall through the floor.
The 90's. House is becoming a serious safety issue, and some items are removed and placed in storage. The old farmhouse is burned.
Aunt and uncle divorce, sell the property, move into town.
***
So basically, no one had seen most of this stuff since the 50's, and it sat there fermenting for at least 20 of those years. Tons of pictures, some eaten by critters and all smelling of mouse poo and water damage. My cousins, who are on the fire department and ambulance crew, provided me with some gloves and away I went. The first trunk had old clothes in it. The second was a jackpot. Clothing, quilts, some personalized pillow tops that someone had made for my dad and aunt when the family left Missouri, a wedding dress that the mice chewed on. (DAMMIT!) My Grandfather's diploma, some correspondence, the note to his new Model-T ($400! Wow.) There were also certificates for my Great grandmother's (and two of her sisters') confirmations. The best thing? Having proof positive that the people I suspected took my great grandmother in when her mother died were the people I'd found in a 1900 census. I opened the lid of the trunk and the first thing I saw was her adoptive father's name written on it. It is amazing to research things, come to a conclusion, and then find physical proof that your supposition was correct.
Long story short, I was able to get a bunch of names, places and such that allowed me to prove many things I was researching. I just wish someone had labeled all the portraits! I have a bunch of photographs dating from about 1880 to the 20's that have no names on them.
Best find on the trip? A 100+ year old Bible that belonged to my Great Great Aunt Elizabeth. No one was sure who it belonged to since no one ever spoke of my Great Grandfather's brother and sister, or even knew he had siblings until I started researching the family. I know it was hers, because she had written "Lizzie Hooper" in it in pen and ink, probably around 1880 or so. Now, I just need to figure out what happened to them.
All in all, a productive trip, and I really enjoyed spending time with family I hadn't seen in about 10 years. It was awesome. We will be going back again later this summer. :)
Brad and the kids and I tried to take the boat out yesterday, and after spending 2 hours trying to locate a place to launch that wasn't packed and still had trailer parking, we got the boat in the water only to discover that it wouldn't start. Crap. Brad is seething since he de-winterized and started it the day before. It has been touchy ever since his mom flooded it a couple of summers ago. Anyway, came home, swam in the little pool, relaxed, read books and had a laid-back afternoon.
****
My trip rocked. Getting into those old trunks was like Christmas for me. For some background, my Grandfather, Grandmother, aunt, and Great Grandparents and the rest of the family moved to NE Washington state in 1930. They lived in two adjoining farms north of town. Fast forward to the '50's. My aunt and her husband build a new house sited less than 20 feet from the house my dad grew up in. They moved out of the old house (apparently not worth fixing) and used it for storage. During this time, my Great-great grandfather, one great aunt, and my grandmother die. All their keepsakes are placed in trunks in a bedroom of the old house.
The 60's/70's: My great grandmother dies, and my grandfather remarries and they get a place in town. The north farm is sold, while my aunt and uncle stay on at the southern piece. More stuff is placed in the exceedingly decrepit old house.
70's/80's: My grandfather dies, his belongings from town are put in the old house, his widow moves in with her kids. The roof has begun to leak.
The 80's - Young Laura takes an interest in the secrets the old house might hold, but is forbidden to go in due to structural crap. Laura sneaks around the first floor every summer poking through junk but finds nothing of consequence. Does not go up to the upper floors because even though she's roaming around inside the house she has enough of a brain to not want to fall through the floor.
The 90's. House is becoming a serious safety issue, and some items are removed and placed in storage. The old farmhouse is burned.
Aunt and uncle divorce, sell the property, move into town.
***
So basically, no one had seen most of this stuff since the 50's, and it sat there fermenting for at least 20 of those years. Tons of pictures, some eaten by critters and all smelling of mouse poo and water damage. My cousins, who are on the fire department and ambulance crew, provided me with some gloves and away I went. The first trunk had old clothes in it. The second was a jackpot. Clothing, quilts, some personalized pillow tops that someone had made for my dad and aunt when the family left Missouri, a wedding dress that the mice chewed on. (DAMMIT!) My Grandfather's diploma, some correspondence, the note to his new Model-T ($400! Wow.) There were also certificates for my Great grandmother's (and two of her sisters') confirmations. The best thing? Having proof positive that the people I suspected took my great grandmother in when her mother died were the people I'd found in a 1900 census. I opened the lid of the trunk and the first thing I saw was her adoptive father's name written on it. It is amazing to research things, come to a conclusion, and then find physical proof that your supposition was correct.
Long story short, I was able to get a bunch of names, places and such that allowed me to prove many things I was researching. I just wish someone had labeled all the portraits! I have a bunch of photographs dating from about 1880 to the 20's that have no names on them.
Best find on the trip? A 100+ year old Bible that belonged to my Great Great Aunt Elizabeth. No one was sure who it belonged to since no one ever spoke of my Great Grandfather's brother and sister, or even knew he had siblings until I started researching the family. I know it was hers, because she had written "Lizzie Hooper" in it in pen and ink, probably around 1880 or so. Now, I just need to figure out what happened to them.
All in all, a productive trip, and I really enjoyed spending time with family I hadn't seen in about 10 years. It was awesome. We will be going back again later this summer. :)