There were cows to be milked. We had to feed them silage in the winter from the silo. There were chickens to be fed. We kept corn (which we shelled with a corn sheller) and oats in the granary for them. The granary was part of the machine shed. This is also where the big molasses boiling vat was stored when not used. Daddy’s tools were kept there until later on he moved them into the smokehouse.
The smokehouse was used for hanging and curing meat but also used as a storage area for canning jars and other household supplies such as wash tubs and tub rack, garden tools, shoe lass, boiler, hand plows, ladders and butter churns. Later on, it housed the one of the freezers and became a collection point for old newspapers etc. It had a loft that had Uncle Herbert’s old wheelchair and many other wondrous items. We were always attacked by wasps when we tried to go up there. Onions were hung to dry in the smokehouse. The cellar was under the smokehouse. Entrance to the cellar was through double doors that lay on the ground but slanted upward touching the smokehouse. They were not quite steep enough to “slide down.” Our house had no basement, so the cellar was our place of refuge in case there was ever a tornado. Only one time that I can remember, did we have to prepare to go to the cellar. We stood by the kitchen door, ready to go, but we didn’t have to go after all. A bad storm did blow over a chicken brooder house that we were using for a house for the calves on the north side of the yard. It was destroyed but the calves were not harmed. Mother later planted a flower garden on that spot because of the rich soil (manure) and she had beautiful cockscombs and zinnias and it was truly lovely.
Lloyd Jr. says
Sorry this wasn’t up earlier today. I accidentally set it for 14:00 instead of 04:00.
Cleopha Howard says
I enjoyed your article about the farm. This was pretty much after I left home in 1953. I am looking forward to the rest of your story.
Aunt Lolly says
I remember running out to the smoke house with a butcher knife, and slicing off slices of ham that was hanging in white sacks. When Mahlon butchered a calf, that was also hung there and we cut off it what we needed. This would be in the winter, and the meat was frozen. You couldn’t do that in the summer.
Cleopha Howard says
yes , I remember doing that also, and that meat was so good.I remember going to the celler every morning for a jar of jelly and what ever else that was down there that we needed. That was when i came back from living with cousin Frieda and I hadent got started milking yet. Where was Mahlon at this time. I cant remember if he was still at home or if he was in the service then.