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Category Archives: Family History
First Christmas
A first Christmas is a significant thing: the first Christmas in a relationship; the first Christmas after a wedding; a baby’s first Christmas; the first Christmas after the death of a loved one. In 1871 our homesteading family celebrated their … Continue reading
The Creek as a Corridor for People
The traditional views of the origins of Thanksgiving involve Indians and Pilgrims sharing a meal to celebrate peaceful coexistence and the Fall harvest. In reality, the Indigenous people probably saved the colonial settlers from starvation and later interactions were hardly … Continue reading
Posted in Family History, Farm History
Tagged dugout, homesteaders, Native American, Thanksgiving
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Civil War Connections
When the homesteaders came to the Farm, the Civil War had been over for about six years. Although there was no direct involvement by family members who lived here on the Farm, one of the sons (Grandpa George) married the … Continue reading
The Rock That Hides
The water level in the Creek after the rain last week was about 1 foot higher than a couple of days before that and 2 feet higher than several weeks ago. It hasn’t been this high since the spring of … Continue reading
Posted in Earth Science, Family History
Tagged bank ersion, big boulder, flood, high water
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The Hunt for More Homesteaders’ Art
The post back in May describing Great-grandma Hattie Shurr’s artwork was followed up by one in July that featured more of her pictures. That second post also includes paintings done by two sisters-in-law in Murray County. This current post is … Continue reading
Posted in Family History
Tagged inspiration, landscape painting, still life painting, women artists
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Mourning the Loss of a Tree
Early in the evening last Thursday, a thunderstorm blew through….literally. You could see the gust front on the National Weather Service radar before the rain in the main cell even got to us. It dropped about a half inch that … Continue reading
Posted in Family History, Farm History
Tagged ash trees, hackberries, Little House, young families
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Images of the Lone Tree
The Lone Tree that gave this Farm its name was supposedly a landmark for travelers and possibly a boundary marker between Native American territories. Located about a quarter mile north of the state line between Minnesota and Iowa, it probably … Continue reading
Four Generations on the Farm
There were people living here long before our family farm was established. The homesteaders encountered Dakota Indians from the north and west who routinely traveled along the Creek. There are also local landmarks that suggest there were Native Americans in … Continue reading
Posted in Family History
Tagged bonanza farming, conventional farming, subsistence farming, sustainable farming
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The Hunt for Art Treasures
Several months ago I did a post on Great-grandma Hattie Shurr who homesteaded here on the Farm. After retirement around 1900 she had more free time and started to paint. She shared many of those pictures with friends and family, … Continue reading
Music Along the Creek
Over the years and through several generations, there’s been music along the Creek. In the days before radio and recordings, you had to make your own music and the homesteading family did that. But even in later years, people continued … Continue reading
Lone Tree Farm on Kanaranzi Creek 