Hart's Square- Houser Family

Since I was "mom guilted" into attending the Hart's Square event yesterday, I was not expecting much, just thought another golden halo for me since I was able to take her. Picked mom up and contrary to normal, she did not fall asleep on the drive over, but chatted non-stop. Had to make a detour by the home place so she could spy on the renovations. She and Pop had made a test drive by the location on Friday so she trusted her memory rather than the written directions to get us to the event. Remarkably she correctly remembered every turn as most of them had some landmark from her past.

I have to say I am glad I went. We spent a little over 3 hours there and did not see everything. Almost every way you turned, you saw something of interest. A national champion whistler was in the Peace Chapel whistling hymns, bluegrass bands were playing and various craftsmen were displaying their skills.  For me, it is remarkable that one family had the vision and fortitude to invest themselves in our history. The attention to detail, honoring the craftsmanship and history of each home or building is a testament to the Hart family's commitment to this project.

Seeing that our family has a home on this site was an honor. While we were at the house, Dr. Hart arrived. He had no badge or fanfare to signify who he was, it appeared that he was just mingling with the crowd and checking on the locations. It is hard not to be in awe of someone that created such a remarkable landmark.

Janice and Jerry were at the Levi Houser home with Randy and Alice when we arrived. Mom remembered seeing her grandmother in the living room of this two story home. The house was built by Levi Houser who died in the civil war so that would have been Mom's great grandfather. He enlisted at the age of 38 and died at Gettysburg in 1863. His son, Anderson stayed in the home and raised 8 children. In 1948, the house with 100 acres of land was sold at public auction. In 2006 the home was donated to Hart's Square.

If you would like to make plans to attend this one day event next year, see below for the ticket information and order your tickets early.

Hart's Square is open to the public on the fourth Saturday of October each year. Tickets are $25 per person and are available through the Catawba County History Museum, starting the beginning of October. Proceeds are donated to the Hart's Square Foundation and the Catawba County Historical Association.






Jerry, Hazeline and Dr. Hart

To view more pictures of Hart's Square click here. Use the slideshow option to view larger pictures.

   

Fall At The Farm

When I see the leaves turning beautiful in the Fall it reminds me of life on the farm when I was a young teenager. The persimmons begin to fall and if I remember correctly, mama always said it had to frost on them before they could be used to make persimmon pudding. I recall there was a persimmon tree by the path down to the pond and we would watch for them to start falling so we could have some of that delicious persimmon pudding or in our words when we were young "simmon puddin". Later on sister Ilease began making it and kept up the tradition by bringing it to our family gatherings and everyone looked forward to that.

Another reminder of Fall was the Corn Shuckings that some of the neighbors had and I looked forward to those. A huge pile of corn would be stacked and neighbors would gather around to start shucking it. There would be talk and laughter and anticipation of who might find a "red ear" and would be the lucky one to either get or give a kiss, I can't remember the exact rules. When all the corn had been shucked there would be a big meal prepared for all the helpers. It was as much a social gathering as a work gathering, lots of stories and tall tales would be told, especially if someone happened to bring a "bottle" and shared it.

Then there was Halloween. We always hoped it would not rain that day; it would not be too cold and there would be a bright moon to light upthe sky at night. There were no fancy costumes in those years. You had to come up with your own costumes which was usually a stocking over your face, lips painted and wearing some of your mom or dad's clothes. We would go to the neighbor's homes to see if they could guess who we were. There was no "Trick or Treat" either. However, the Hendrick family always gave us parched peanuts and apples and we loved and looked forward to that. We just walked around and if it got real dark and scary someone might just hold your hand and that was a thrill, especially if it was a boy you liked. I remember one year we had "Sparklers" and when we got to Shuf and Lucy's house we lit those and walked around the outside windows waving them and making crazy noises and scared their little ones, I believe their names were Bunt and Bob. Of course, we were asked to leave and told that was not a very nice thing to do and we were not welcome there the next year.

As we got older, the tradition was to dress and go to town on Halloween night and just walk up and down the streets to see who all you could recognize. You also got to meet a lot of people who were friends of someone you knew and they just might ask you to sit with them when you went to the movie on Saturday night.

Fall, after the weather got really cold was Hog Killing time. Most of the family would come home to help with that. I remember coming home from school and every door knob in the house would seem greasy from grinding sausage and making lard. I did not like that part but I did love the liver that mama would fry and then make gravy. I loved the livermush until I heard mama telling someone what went into making that and then I could not eat it for a long time. The tenderloin she fried was also very good and that made especially good gravy. In fact, I would love to have some now over one of her biscuits!

Happy Birthday Hazeline

Today is Hazeline's birthday and I would like for you to help celebrate her life and accomplishments. It is extremely easy at times to be a member of her family. She takes care and watches over so many people that it seems like she is always in motion. She makes it appear easy to juggle so many commitments and always seems willing to take on another one. As her children have grown up, her role has changed and sometimes I am amazed at how funny she can be, that she is able to actually sit down and take the time to read a book or watch a movie. She is usually up for a spur of the moment trip that Dad would like to take- granted the departure time may be delayed. She has discovered lattes at McDonalds, how to navigate an iphone and contribute to this blog. If you have a medical issue or need information, she becomes an avid researcher, seeking information that may help you. Her hamburgers are the best I have ever eaten. She has bonded with her dog- Rosie so much that she thinks the dog understands all the conversations they have in the kitchen.  She still irons anything that comes out of the dryer. Saturday will always be clean the house day, it does not matter if it was cleaned the day before- that is the way she was raised. She cooks for all of us each Sunday, never knowing who will show up for lunch but wanting to be prepared

As our family as grown older, our roles have changed but she will always be the glue that holds us together.  Our family is lucky that we are able to celebrate this day with her and I just want her to know that I love and treasure her.

Happy Birthday Mom

Saturdays at the Homeplace

Saturday evenings were always special growing up. After spending the day helping mama clean house and making some preparations for the Sunday lunch, sweeping the yard with a brush broom to take care of where the chickens had been, scouring out the outhouse and other various chores we all looked forward to the evening hours. You never knew who may come to spend the night. This was very special because they always brought special food with them that we normally did not have on the farm. For example, when Allen and Carole came they brought the items to make spaghetti which we all loved. Someone else may bring oysters to make oyster stew or ground beef to make cheeseburgers. Some brought cheese and pimento to make pimento cheese and we toasted those sandwiches in the wood stove oven. They were delicious, the cheese was usually cheddar and when you took a bite it would string and you had to know the trick to handling that. Of course, mama usually made her "cake of cornbread" because that was what most of the visitors (family) looked forward to. I liked the cornbread as well except when the cows got into garlic and our milk had this strange taste.

After the evening meal we usually got to do something special. For me when I became a teenager it was going to the movies. My friend, Harrilene Allen's father, would take us to town to see the movie and then come back to pick us up. They were one of the few families that had a family car and they were so gracious to allow other neighborhood children to go places with them. It was amazing how many bodies could be packed into one car.

As I grew older, Saturday night became "date night" and that presented a problem for me. My brothers loved to hunt and they always had a lot of hunting dogs and when my date arrived they would all gather round his car and howl like you cannot imagine. I would beg my brothers to pen the dogs up in the wash house but they did not always agree to do that. My friends used to say that everyone better treat Hazeline with respect or she would "seek" her five brothers and her daddy plus all the dogs on him. Needless to say, I was treated with respect.

Since we played the game at our Houser Gathering recalling memories from the past I have been thinking of many precious happenings during my growing up days. I have much to be thankful for, I not only had my mama but had three sisters who were my second moms. They each helped me in different ways to make my life special and feel loved. I was also blessed to have three sister-in-laws, Ethel, Vernie and Faye to be second moms and Teeny and Janice to be like sisters or special friends because they were closer in age to me. My daddy, my five brothers and three brother-in-laws were also very special and they too, played an important part in shaping my life.

These are just a few of the memories of "the good ole days".

Big Foot- The Dog

I do not know what type of breed Big Foot was, but I do know that he is the only dog I remember from my childhood.  I have no clue where he got his name from as his paws seemed pretty normal to me. He was always following someone or lying on the back porch steps hoping that some kid would sneak him a biscuit. Grandmother's biscuits were huge and it is a miracle he did not die of lard poisoning. He seemed to know how you were feeling and if you were not having the greatest day, he always seemed to be around more than normal. His bark would welcome you when you drove up and I am sure it scared away critters that did not belong around the house. He would keep you company when you were picking or pulling something from the garden.  After the homeplace was empty  he would make the trip  back and forth from the homeplace to Anse and Ethel's house on the Buffalo Shoals road. Mom shared this story with me- Charles Campbell was in Lincolnton and decided to drive by the homeplace. No one was living there but to his surprise Big Foot greeted him when he drove up. He told mom that just like people, animals must just want to go home too.

Great memories of a wonderful dog.

Old School Entertainment

Rebecca and I were talking at the reunion and the conversation took a turn when I recalled the snakes that the men would hang in the big oak tree- for some reason I recall that doing so would cause it to rain. Rebecca said that for entertainment at night, they would watch an owl swoop in and eat the snake.  Some people (not going to mention names to protect the guilty) would tie bottle rockets to tree frogs to see if they could fly. Thank goodness there was no such organization as PETA back then.

The annual showing of the Wizard of Oz was big entertainment especially hen Jiffy Pop was invented.  You  hoped to the the kid that got to shake the pie pan with the long handle around the hot eye of the stove.

Going to the drive-in to watch all of the Herbie Love Bug movies with the snack stash that mom put together was always good fun.

But nothing compared to the rassling matches that my brothers and I would have. Every Saturday night we would watch  Wahoo McDaniel fight Johnny Valentine or Roddy Piper and then try to recreate the moves. Since it was the three of us, one was always in the ring for the duration while the other two could tab in and out. Where were our parents?? 

Houser Reunion

Thanks to everyone that made this reunion happen. The location was beautiful, the food great but for me it was the opportunity to listen to the stories, learn some new things about relatives and have a chance to catch up that was the highlight.  I totally forgot to take any pictures so if anyone did, send them over and I will post them.

As Cindy stated, we have lost so many but hope that they were looking down and sharing the day with us. Hazeline was able to incorporate so many memories that celebrated her family I thought I would post her family quiz questions for everyone to see.

How much did Grandpa Houser get paid per load of sand hauled from his bottom land to build Startown Hwy?
50 cent

What was Grandpa Houser’s favorite food for Christmas morning breakfast if they were able to afford it?

Fried Oysters

What was Allen’s favorite food prepared by Grandma Houser? 

Cornbread

What meat dish did Grandma Houser prepare most Sundays so she could feed the whole family?

Boiled Chicken with white gravy

How did Grandpa serve his Christmas Fruit? 

Loaded a child’s wagon with oranges, apples and bananas and pulled it around the room.

What did the friends of the family look forward to most when coming to visit? 

Going swimming.

What treats did Grandma Houser have for the children when they came home from school? 

Tea Cake Cookies, Baked sweet potatoes or parched peanuts.

During cotton picking time what was the task when it rained?

Picking off peanuts in the grainary loft.

During winter months what activity took place at night for enjoyment by the whole family?

Boys had their friends over to “pick and play” musical instruments.

In the summertime what radio programs did Grandpa listen to on Sunday afternoons?

Earl Armstrong minister and the Chuckwagon Gang.

What were some of the games played by the men and boys on Sunday afternoons? 

Softball, wrestling, riding horses.

What happened on the Fourth of July at Grandma’s house?

EVERYBODY had to help pick and can green beans.

What were the favorite treats during the summer on Sunday afternoons?

Watermelons or home made ice cream.

What did Grandpa make a trip to South Carolina to buy for Grandma to can in the summertime?

Peaches

What caused most of the grandchildren to have a scar on their chin? 

From the bench tipping when eating lunch?

What did Grandma do if you got a “giggling fit” when eating? 

Made you leave the table.

Who was most responsible for the “giggling fits? 

Allen Perkins, he would do something to get you tickled and then he would act innocent.

What did Grandma Houser do when bad storms came up and you were sleeping upstairs? 

She came to put the windows down and would sit on the bed with you until the storm passed.

Who was the “most petted child” of the nine Houser siblings? 

Jerry

When Grandma was away what did Charlie always make? 

Fudge

How was it possible that the whole family could spend Christmas eve at Grandma’s?  

Slept sideways in the beds and made pallets on the floor.

What was the tradition on Christmas eve for many years? 

Going to the Christmas Eve program at Marvin Church and sometimes Santa came while everyone was gone.

What different occupations did Grandpa Houser have during his lifetime

Farmed, mostly cotton and watermelons, worked in a cotton mill, owned a café and barber shop, owned a feed mill and was a carpenter of sorts.

What did Grandmother Houser like to do for everyone who came to visit?  

Prepare a meal.

Who came to visit each summer and brought his glove and baseball?

Charles Campbell

Hot Dog World in Hendersonville

It's a drive but will worth the trip to eat at Hog Dog World. This place is always so packed with hot dog lovers that the Weinermobile even stops by. While the food is great and cheap, the people that work here are the real reason I keep going back when I am in the area. They do not accept debit or credit cards and on two occasions I have seen people who ordered food and did not have the cash on hand to pay for it. Both times the cashier has let them have the food without paying. Another wonderful thing they do is to support a local church that provides food to children. It is called the Backpack Club (I think) and they have over 300 children in their community that may not eat from their school lunch on Friday to the following Monday morning. So in an effort to provide food for them but without any embarrassment they provide each child with a backpack that is crammed with food for the weekend. Each child returns the backpack on Monday and that gives the church an opportunity to repack them by Friday. While I was waiting in line, a older couple had just come from helping to pack the food and explained the program to me and others in line. There was a jar on the counter to make donations and after hearing the story every customer made a contribution to the backpack fund. Good food and great hearts make Hot Dog World a winner!

All Saints Church in Linville NC

 

 Mom and I visted this church in August and thought you may want to take a trip there. There is also a roadside stand on the way to the church that sells "TOE JAM" which mom loves to eat. You may want to pick her up a case of it should you happen to go to Lineville. Below is some history regarding why this church is so unique.

In the late 1880’s the town of Linville was created in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina as a resort. Several of the original buildings were designed by architect Henry Bacon, the designer of the Lincoln Memorial, and constructed of American chestnut in a simple style of natural, native materials. The last structure to be built of Bacon’s design was All Saints Episcopal Church.

Commissioned in 1910, the church was completed in 1913. It is basically a log structure laid out as a Roman cross. The roof beams of the open ceiling, the rood screen, and the altar rails are of unstripped logs and branches. The walls were covered inside and out with chestnut bark shingles. The style of All Saints Church and the other buildings by Henry Bacon became known as the "Linville Style" and is typical of the architecture in the area.

 At the time of the town’s construction, the American chestnut was one of the most important trees in the Appalachian Mountains. A large tree averaging five feet in diameter, it was well known for its quality timber, nutritious nuts, and creamy-white flowers. Beginning in 1904, a blight caused by an Asian born fungus began spreading through the chestnut forests. By 1950, the native American chestnut trees were gone. While new sprouts continue to grow in the mountains today, they quickly become infected and die. Attempts are now being made to breed the American chestnut with Asian chestnut trees – which are naturally resistant – in order to re-introduce them to our forests. If successful, these new trees would be a crossbreed of our own native original.

Reason to eat cookies

I was out of town the other week and asked one of the little boys in my neighborhood if he could water my plants. I told him that I would bring him back a present. I bought a 4lb barrel of animal crackers for him. We were talking the other night about his homework and if he was ready for his spelling test on Friday. I also asked how his cookies were holding up to which his reply was priceless- he said he thought they were making him smarter as he made a good score on his spelling test.

Rural Hall in Huntersville

I stumbed across a website for Rural Hall and thought it looked interesting. Have any of you ever been? They have a corn maze that is built on an historic site.  As a Link, I have a very poor sense of direction so finding my way out will be an adventure. Can I take a GPS with me?  Below is the website link if you would like to check out the site.

http://www.ruralhill.net/

Rural Hill

Today, Rural Hill is a restoration in progress. Enjoy 265 acres of magnificent rural vistas, a variety of farm animals, and walking trails throughout the site.  Eleven historic buildings and reconstructions provide a setting for cultural heritage events, preservation seminars and self-guided tours and games.

Join Rural Hill, Inc. Become a steward of Rural Hill and support The Center of Scottish Heritage for recognition of the contributions of the Scots and Ulster Scots (the Scots-Irish) to the American experiment.
 

The mission of Rural Hill, Inc. is to maintain, restore, preserve and promote the historic property of Rural Hill through the operation of living history programs and agriculture in order to provide events and education about the history, culture, heritage and contributions of the Davidson family and other Scots and Scots-Irish to Mecklenburg County and its surrounding areas.