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OLD HOUSES
Note the sod house in the background. Mr. and Mrs. W.T. Lock home and children Lizzie, Alvin and Orville. Taken in 1908.
RECALL SOD HOUSE DAYS IN STAFFORD COUNTY Macksville Enterprise March 18,1937
Joe Van Vranken who conducts a “Here and There” column in the Pratt Union, recently told of some of his recollections of his child hood days when the Van Vranken family lived in a sod house near Macksville. According to J.T. Askew who was an intimate friend of the family, the Van Vranken sod house stood on what is now the J.A. Scammey home place north of Macksville. Joe’s article follows:
“While reminiscing over boyhood days, I thought of the old roll towel that mother used to cherish. In those days water was scarce and we used it only to soften up the dirt on our face and hands and the towel had to complete the job. One good thing about those towels was when the spot become too dirty to use we could turn up a cleaner spot. One towel was supposed to last a family of eight for a week but before the time was up the article of refinement would often stand alone.
“Toothache was a common ailment and there being no dentists in these days the old Doctor preceeded to pull the offending molar. He had one pair of forceps and used them freely. He used carbolic acid to deaden the pain and it did the work.
“Underclothes were an unknown quantity. I never had a suit of the inside clothes until I was seventeen years of age. However we made up for this deficiency by wearing from three to five pairs of pants. Just to suit the weather.
"The only home entertainment available at most homes was a mouth harp and a fiddle. Many an evening was wholly spent in this pastime.
“No one had an auto. If a boy had a pony and cart he was the pride of the valley and any girl in the township would give him a date.
“It was a real thrill to hold your best girl on a one-seated cart. Those seats were about 16 inches wide and by doing some clever “squeezing” two could sit quite comfortable on the seat. That--of course--was before I weighted 200 pounds.
“The hired girl was usually the most alluring of the female sex in our neighborhood and we boys all vied with each other for a place in her affections.
“I have often combed my hair and done an extra bit of washing my face in a vain effort to attract the new cook in our home. It was futile.
“We always slept three in a bed. Eight of we Vans lived in a three roomed sod house and there was no extra bedroom or beds.
“On several occasions I have gotten up in the night, dispatched a bull snake that had crawled in through the sod-plugged up the hole he had crawled in and went back to bed.
“The family that had a rag carpet were considered Ritzy. Often the old eight inch wide clap boards made up the only floor. However, we were happy and more contented than most of the families of today.
“And when evening came, father would get the old family Bible and read a chapter. All must be in the home in time for prayer or give a good excuse for his absence. After the reading of the Word all knelt while father and mother made such prayers that are seldom heard today.
"Their earnest plea was that their six sons would grow up honest useful men. Their hearts ached then at the vices and nets of sin cast about their boys and spent hours in prayer to offset these insidious temptations besetting their flock. The next morning before any one could eat breakfast all again assembled in the old front room again reading and praying occurred. I am wondering if-after all-we wer not more happy and sincere then than now.
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Gilmore House in Macksville where Phyllis Suiter now Satterlee home south Main where Apco Station is
lives. Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore and Lawrence standing in now. Taken about 1910.
front.
John Harden and Elizabeth Starke and their youngest son, John Dave, taken at their homestead after the house was built over the dugout circa 1888.
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W.A. Satterlee home.
Grandpa and Grandma Robert T. Anderson’s home, now where the new Macksville Cemetery is located.
The home of Charles and Carrie Stark, where they lived all their married life. It was built in 1908 on north main street.
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Mrs. J.H. (Elizabeth) Starke is standing by the front steps of their newly purchased home in Macksville. They moved here in 1901 from their homestead northeast of Macksville.
Charles Satterlee first home 1897.
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McNinch home present Kephart House in (Cassady) now Macksville.
Grandma McNinch’s boarding house in (Cassady) now Macksville.
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Louisa (Lamb) Johnson, right; Fernie (Johnson) left. Sherwood Johnson home, 6 miles south and 3 miles west of Macksville, Ks. Located in Edwards County.
Charley and Ethel Neelly home near Hopewell, Ks. Left to right: Viola, Ethel, Archie, Charley, Oric and Dale.
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Samuel Edmond and Carrie Hartshorn Biggs home • a farm 1 1/2 west of Macksville, Kansas. This was taken about 1925. Sam was born here, Oct. 31,1889.
Dillwyn Church 1913.
DILLWYN
Fred and Earl Doggett. Doggett Welding in Dillwyn.
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