Friday, August 27, 2010

Reminiscing Childhood

Today I decided to take a ride northwest and maybe see some greener pastures. Things are rather dry in the Topeka area. I headed up through St Marys, on to Corning then headed west on a county road. This used to be the old highway 9 that came out of Centralia. The crops are good up that way. I noticed there are quite a few new farm homes along this paved road. They have had good crops for several years in a row and somewhat better prices for their grain so they are fixing up their homesteads.

When I went through Centralia I noticed the Methodist Church on the corner. I attended school in Centralia for about three years and they were building a new school so we went to the Methodist Church for school. I remember shooting marbles in front of the church at recess. When I was west of Centraila I decided to head north 2 miles to the farmstead where we lived. This is what it used to look like.
From Dot
An aerial view.
From Dot
Dad and us kids.
From Dot
Mom and kids.
From Dot
This is what it looks like now. Not one original building left.
From St Louis Kids & Frankfort
I went on west a mile then back south to the highway. I went west three more miles and went north to farm where we lived in 1946 when dad got out of the Army. This is what that house looked like.
From Gerstner
Not a pleasant sight.
From Dot
September 1947
From Dot
Alvin, Betty, Connie at Vermillion about 1948
From Dot
As you might expect there are no buildings left there. The windmill is still there and this is what it looks like now.
From St Louis Kids & Frankfort
From St Louis Kids & Frankfort
I went on around the section and went west, then back south. I went by John Hollands old place and some of it is still there. Mom & Dad used to visit with them and play cards. Us kids would play with there kids. When I came to the highway and looked west there was my grandparents old home. It has been added onto and is kept up well. The large barn is gone.
From St Louis Kids & Frankfort
From St Louis Kids & Frankfort
This is dad and me in front of their house.
From Al's scan's from Dot's albums
This is dad and me on a new 1945 Massey Harris tractor in front of the house.
From Al's scan's from Dot's albums
Farm sale February 1949.
From Al's scan's from Dot's albums
I went on west on highway 9 to Vliets and went about a mile and half south to Dan Gerstner's, my cousin. He, along with two hired men, were putting new siding on the house and had a machine shed framed up. I forgot to take a picture. I visited with him for a short time and I mentioned I had stopped at some of our old farms. He said they had taken their dad, Lloyd, to his dads old place a while back and was invited into the house. Lloyd could remember where some of the rooms were before the remodel. Dan suggested I stop at our old farm south of Frankfort so I did. It is about 2 and a half miles south, then east a mile. I managed to get a picture before the dog ran me off. I sure looks a lot nicer now. Ed Dressman bought the farm from dad. Dad had it built in 1961 the year I graduated from high school. This is what it looked like then.
From Al's scan's from Dot's albums
The old house at Frankfort with 61 Ford. I lived in this house from 1953 to 1961.
From Al's scan's from Dot's albums
It looks like this now. Notice the dog coming at me!
From St Louis Kids & Frankfort
I went on east to the next mile road then went south going by the Farrell farm that now has a new house. I headed back west to 99 highway past Blaine, Westmoreland, and Wamego to I-70. I headed back home after a nice trip remembering old times. Not all were good times, but most were.

This is what our lawns look like in Topeka. Mine is green because I water but notice the one across the street that is not watered.
From St Louis Kids & Frankfort