Lincoln Home National Historic Sight

Springfield, Illinois










It was notated on an Historical Marker that this angle of the Lincoln home is the most photographed angle.

Do you recognize it? I think the house always used to be white.






they may end up restoring the whole city!






























Himself and I stopped here, on our way to Kristy and Tony's. I had been to Springfield as a child with my folks but boy! has it ever changed!


I remember driving up to the Lincoln home and being able to park there. Right on the street. Now you park two or three blocks away and walk in.



And instead of just the Lincoln home, just one house, there are three or four blocks of historic, beautifully renovated homes. There's also a museum and probably much more to see than I could even begin to remember.


We were on a schedule and couldn't stay long but we walked around and looked.




I will need to go back some time . . .

St. Genevieve, Missouri

this house, on the corner in the drawing (and borrowed from the internet) may be the oldest house in St. Genevieve, if my memory serves me.

Dating back to the 1700s it (might) be of vertical log construction. oh well here, borrowed from the St. Genevieve tourism site:

"This French creole vernacular post in the ground is number three of three in Ste. Genevieve and of only five in the US. Much of the fabric of the house is intact. It is a medium-sized (about 36 feet long) creole house with a central chimney. The original hipped roof with king-post trusses and the encircling gallery have been restored" . . . so guess it it isn't the oldest but certainly a rarity. And here's my photo, taken in September . . . along with other houses.

Stop in St. Genevieve for an afternoon and you'll enjoy your visit. You'll like these old houses. You'll be charmed, I'm sure!

West Virginia Scenes

Nana got all dizzy and posted the next West Virginia series in the wrong blog! go here

http://mo-homestead.blogspot.com/2009/09/west-virginia-scenes.html

for more West Virginia photos.

This could be a Picture Postcard

This mill is in Babcock State Park, Wood County, in the great state of West Virginia. Oh wait. I may have to take that back. This cabin is NOT in Wood County, WV but I want Wood County should stick in your head, already. Wood County holds the city of Parkersburg and the city park with the Cooper cabin . . . and many of your Granny's (and your) ancestors lived here. The Vaughans, definitely, the Vaughans. The Wests, Barnetts, Mayhews maybe and the Coopers . . . oh there's more! Don't get me started!

There was a lot of stone and cement work in Babcock State Park and it dates back to the 1930s.











Himself and I stayed in this little cabin in Babcock State Park. We managed to stay in three different cabins on our weeklong road trip. This cabin was my favorite as it had a little screened sitting porch. The evening was cool and after a long drive, it was good to sit out in the cool night air and relax.

The first cabin at North Bend State Park up by Parkersburg, had two bedrooms, a regular kitchen, a living room, TV, fire place -- the works!

The cabin above was one room and a bath, with the sitting porch. It had bunk beds but they were double-size bunk beds so a family with 3 or 4 children could stay here. Mom and Dad in one bunk and three or four children in the other! It had a stove, refrigerator and sink. This was built during the Great Depression by a CCC crew. (I think the CCC will be a story for another day.) Anyway, things were old and "made do" in this cabin. Hinges too big for the particular window, for example -- but they worked. They got the job done.

The third cabin was just a bedroom and a bath. It was in Southern Illinois and was really nice but there was no kitchen, no sitting porch nor TV. Still, for the cost of a motel room, a nice place to stay.

oh say, can you tell I like cabins?

Can you tell I like West Virginia?

Ties that bind.

Happy 10th Anniversary
Craig & Tracia.


Such a milestone! Congratulations!

Did you ever think you would look back
and say, we are married 10 years.
I remember that feeling.
Astonishment. Wonder. But also

a sense of accomplishment
and pride - when you have time
to think about it because
you are busy with Life.

Focused on children and jobs
and grocery shopping. What
on earth for supper tonight?
and getting a full night's sleep.

I commend you for getting here.
For braving the elements; for taking
the chance. These milestones, truely,
are ties that binds.


Wishing you many more, Love, ma

PS: love the photo but it was very early in my digital photograhy days and not very good quality -- however, Traci is lovely and Craig beaming! I do like this pic!

I interrupt the Vacation entries to bring you this

history newscast:

Hopestill Austin on Goody Cole and a woman newly delivered.

The deposition of Hopestill Austin aged twenty-nine years or thereabout saith that about seven year ago: living in the house of Mrs. Nanneye: did see Goody Cole at the said Mrs. Nanneye's house: where the said Goody Cole hearing that Mrs. Pearson was lately brought to bed in the said house: had a desire to go see the said Mrs. Pearson and her little one; whereupon Mrs. Pearson's nurse replied that her mistress was not very well: and did not desire any more company: But she the said Goody Cole pressed to go up the stairs: but this deponent pulled her down again, saying that she should not go up: whereupon the said Goody Cole replied that it had been better she had gone up: so went away muttering; what she said this deponent cannot tell: but in a very little time both Mrs. Pearson and her child was taken very ill; and in a very sad manner: whereof the child died; Goody Cole said is there gentle folk above: this deponent said, gentle or simple you shall not go up: whereupon she went away muttering as abovesaid and further saith not. Deposed in court September 5, 1673 the prisoner at the bar. Edward Rawson Secretary.
Source: Suffolk County Court Files, 13:1228 (MA).


Nance: don't believe we are descended from Hopestill Austin . . . but what a great name . . . Hopestill! What a great story!

Himself's bounty

Himself has been busy. Aren't they "purty"?

Stillwell Road

This small (mainly) Family Cemetery lies at the junction of Rte 47 and Stillwell Road. My Great, Great Grandfather Grandmother Vaughan are buried here and another Gr/Gr Uncle (or some such) and his wife and a Grand Aunt Sue Vaughan. There are here along with family and cousins.

More current Cousins Mike and Wanda and their son, Dave and Susie all live on Stillwell Road and cousin Mark and his wife, Gina live "above" Stillwell Road. Then there's Joe and Dixie but I think they've moved. I don't think they live on or above or below Stillwell Road. 30 years ago Joe lived on Farrell Lane, I think! but maybe now where Vaughan Lane is but with the roads going every which direction . . . I sure wouldn't know for sure! Click here for map -->

Map of 3807 Stillwell Rd Davisville, WV by MapQuest

Shared via AddThis

Historical Markers -- at last!

http://www.hmdb.org/

My mother told how her folks, Katherine "Byrd" Vaughan and Lewis Coe worked at a lumber camp one winter in the Hills of West Virginia. The train ran to Camden on Gauley, WV and then somehow, they were loaded up and taken "up" the mountain to the lumber camp. Granny was only 3 or so and just had a few memories of this time plus what her Mother had told her. She and her older brother were pretty much doted on by the lumber jacks as they were the only children around. I'm not sure what my Grampa's job duties were . . . maybe just plain lumber jack but my Granny was the cook. Can you imagine cooking for a crew of 20-30 men, morning, noon and night?

Anyway, Camden on Gauley would have been on the Gauley River so this Historical Marker caught my eye when Himself and I were in West Virginia this month.

Actually, all Historical Markers catch my eye and I always want to stop and read them. I don't always get to stop but I am always ready to stop. So a year or so ago, Kristy and Tony told us of an idea Tony had (the way I remember it, anyway) of creating a data base of Historical Marker locations. I thought that was a great idea and I even started my own data base of places I have been, what town has all the brick houses?, what town is the best example of French/Creole houses in the US? what town has the water tower with a smiley face, etc.

Then. There! Last evening while trying to learn more about the Gauley River and this historical marker, I found this web-site -- the Historical Marker Data Base. Yep. There is one and it is good.

Sorry, Tony . . . someone beat you to it! http://www.hmdb.org/

I can't figure out how to put in a link so you'll have to copy and paste this into your browser.

Parkersburg, West Virginia

Built and lived in by my grandchildren's great, great, great, great, great, great grand parents, Henry and Lydia Posey Cooper -- and my children's 5 greats! It boggles my mind!

Bunny and other Tales

came bedtime tonight and the girls were getting relaxed and thinking about sleep when Morghan realized she wanted her "Confetti", her stuffed bunny of various colors. So I searched the downstairs, behind and in and around and Lanny finally asked Morghan and I what we were looking for. When we told him, he still didn't know but when we told him the bunny's name was Confetti, he said, "Confetti?" CON fetti? Around supper time he remembered Madeline saying something like, "Confetti, I hate you, Confetti!" and she went on about her business but Lanny didn't remember what she did or where she went next.

So I go to Madeline and she's about asleep and I tell her PaPa heard her say she hated Confetti and she tried to tell me where he was. Somewhere from "the paper drawer" and far back. So I think I know and go look in the hall cupboards as there is a stash of paper in there. No luck. Morghan thinks she might know and looks somewhere else. No luck, no Confetti.

We go back to Maddie again but we are gentle as we don't want her to get her second wind. We want her to sleep in the bed and not end up on the davenport again and she says "table" but not the one we eat at and "by PaPa" and again, way back somewhere! So off we go again to look and finally Morghan finds Confetti in the drawer of the coffee table and she hugs him and carries him to bed. As she crawls in, I hear her say "thank you, Maddie" and soon both sweet girlies are sound asleep.

"Thank you, Maddie" . . .

Where to start?

I have so much to say and so many pictures and so little time! Guess when the snow blows and winter is here, I'll have more time than things to write about so vacation may have to wait, for now. That doesn't seem right, at all, does it -- but maybe I will remember this time and all the things I have left unsaid and I will relate summer memories.

Himself and I spent a week traveling. It was a good week. It was a hard week too -- we wear out quicker than we used to, darn it. We don't like it and like less to admit it, but it's true. We saw beautiful, quiet, rural America and then places where the traffic was just plain non-stop; obnoxious; nerve wracking and everyone drove 20 miles an hour faster than we did -- faster than the speed limit.

We enjoyed West Virginia and Virginia and Kentucky are beautiful but we about got bogged down in Kentucky -- but that is a story for another day.

We enjoyed some time with Kristy and Tony. We came home and had time with Craig and Traci and three dear little Hofs. Now Erica, Dana and Jack are conferencing and we are having time with the sweeties, Morghan and Madeline and Audri an evening or two a week -- and we've got fun and potential stories!

Memory! don't fail me come winter!

Henry and Lydia Cooper

Somewhere I have a better photo of these two photographs. The originals sit on the fireplace mantel in the 2-story log cabin. The log cabin sits in the Parkersburg, WV city park.