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| The East Hill -- Has it changed over the years? |
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| June & Jack (or Jack and June) |
Twin
brothers Jack and June Dobson stayed close to each other their entire lives.
When Jack, my grandfather, left Iowa and traveled to Oregon, Uncle June soon followed. After that they
didn’t separate again. They worked out the details of their lives together, pursuing
the same vocation and even marrying sisters. They watched and waited for the
Nez Perce Reservation to open, then took adjoining homesteads. For the next 50
years, they and their families lived side-by-side in the Gilbert community
south of Orofino, Idaho. Today my husband Mike and I own both homesteads and live in my grandparents' house.
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| The East Hill, 1923 |
And
I could go on about this – I have in the past and I will in the future – but
this post is about the hill east of our farmhouse, which was originally June’s
property. Over the 50 years that Jack and June worked their farms together,
access to Jack’s place was through June’s. The road came right over that hill
and into our yard. If you wanted to visit Jack and Ina, you would turn off the
road at June’s gate and travel in a southerly direction to his barnyard
(probably about a quarter of a mile). You might wave to June and Bertha on your
way through, but if you wanted them to think well of you, you’d stop to pass
the pleasantries. Then you’d continue through their barnyard and follow the
road in a westerly way – and down that “east hill” – until you came to Jack and
Ina’s gate, which was kept closed at all times to keep the cows in – or out
(whatever!).
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| Cows back in the day |
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| Escapee cows today |
In
1948, when both Jack and June’s wife Bertha were deceased, June sold his farm
to a neighbor, Earl Wright. Mr. Wright subsequently leveled all buildings and
put the farm yard into cultivation. Also gone was the privilege of access. According
to the terms of the sale, Mr. Wright hastily excavated a new lane to our farm
yard on Jack’s side of the property line, and that lane is still our access
today.
As
to the east hill, daughter Hallie wondered if it has changed over the years. I
was surprised that I could find a few pictures of the hill in our
collection of family photos, which I have posted here together with a picture
of the hill today.
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| c. 1952 |
Neighbor
Pete once explained to me that June thought a belt of rocks lay through that
hill and never cultivated it, but when Mr. Wright bought the land, he excavated
the rock and hired young Pete to help. In fact, Pete said that Mr. Wright was
picking rock there when he had a heart attack and died in 1954. Today, that
field is in cultivation except for a small rocky patch near the top of the
hill.
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| Identified as men from Lewiston and Charles, c. 1952 |
As
June’s homestead is now part of our farm, we can enjoy a circuitous walk – down
our lane, up Plank’s Pitch, across June’s field, and back to the farmyard over
the east hill, approximating the original access. In fact, Mike once considered
re-establishing a lane there but then realized he would have the upkeep of two
roads. He hasn’t mentioned it again. KW
I have now spent several minutes staring at these photos side-by-side. I have concluded that the hill HAS changed some. In the first black and white photo that has the gate at the far left, the slope from the more easterly fence post to the inside fence post appears more gradual. Then, in the last two photos, it looks like there's a bit of a pitch coming down from the more easterly fence posts and the area appears more level. That's my opinion, anyway.
ReplyDeleteDo you see the little white vertical rectangles in that first photo? Are those tree protectors? Was the orchard in the front of the house for a time?
I think the best comparison is the first and last pictures that show the corner of the barn in about the same perspective. Looking at those, the lay of the land looks pretty much the same to me.
ReplyDeleteI think that Mike is right. You have to find a firm point of comparison, and I didn't work very hard at that. The last two pictures from the '50s were taken from above -- probably from the "east dormer" above the front porch. Also, the maple tree interferes with the view now, so it's hard to find a vantage point that compares. We could work harder at this -- maybe when you're here, Hallie.
ReplyDeleteThat picture from 1923 is a treasure, and I never really looked at it before. At that time they wouldn't have had plastic tree protectors. I think those are shingles to protect whatever is planted there from the sun. And they wouldn't have been trees but maybe honeysuckle or a vine that would grow on the fence. The orchard was south of the house for many years.
That's a great post. The two pictures with the tractor must have been when they brought the D-2. I remember putting up oat hay with a binder and pitching the hay onto the wagon to take it to June's barn. The horses names were Sam and Madge. I drove the horses and Dale Johnson and your Dad pitched the hay onto the wagon and into the barn. It was very itchy. The only thing worse was red clover hay.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Dad's comment: That's what I'm saying...the first photo I mention is the "before" and the last two are the "after" showing the hill looking as it does today. Yes, we should look at photos when I'm there. That would be fun! I retract my comments if ALL of the photos were taken at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the actual topography has changed much, and the barn hasn't moved, but it's difficult now to say exactly where the old house was, where the gate was, etc. The only real point of reference we have from the old days is the barn.
ReplyDelete