In 1895, my grandfather, Julian (Jack) Dobson and his twin brother, Junius (June), took adjoining 160-acre homesteads on the breaks of Little Canyon in the Clearwater River drainage of north central Idaho. Together with their wives, sisters Ina and Bertha Dickson, the twins would live parallel lives in this place for the next 50 years. As a mostly-retired couple, my husband, Mike Warnock, and I now divide our time between the homesteads and a small modular “winter” home in Clarkston, Washington.The focus of our writing is to stay in touch with family and friends, sharing our retirement adventures, life experiences, and family history, much of which revolves around life on the homesteads. We are not farmers per se; the land is leased. But we enjoy learning to live the country life, studying and practicing conservation, and maintaining and preserving the homesteads and their history. I particularly enjoy the retro feel of life in the old country home. And when life in “real time” seems rather quiet, I love to bring members of the Dobson families to life by sharing letters, diaries, memories, and photos. My favorite character is my grandmother, Ina.
In 2012, the Idaho State Historical Society awarded century status to the Julian and Ina Dobson Homestead.