Memories of Life on Mt Abram 1926-1933
by Wesley Bradford
The neighborhood of 4 or 5 farms using horses to cultivate the land, with open fields for growing crops and hay for livestock.
We lived in a small house with a large barn, where we stored the hay and kept animals – cows, Chubby the horse, pigs and chickens, ducks on occasion.
We were far enough from neighbors, we could run in the fields naked during showers (wicked heavy thunder showers). The barn had a hole made by lightning. I remember counting 5 trees struck by lightning after one storm.
Pa used to parade on Memorial Day in the village of Locke Mills with the American Legion. He carried the flag. Albert and I walked three miles to watch him. One time we were near home and a heavy thunder shower came and a loud clap scared us. We went in different directions, but ended up going the same way toward home, very happy.
I remember going to Ruth Cole’s with Chubby and sleigh to bring Ma and Robert home. He was born at Ruth’s.
Next door to the west was Gram Cross (Nellie), a sweet lady. Her daughter Ann and hired man Will Seamis lived with her. In winter they lived in the village. Her son Will lived on the south side of her farm. He had 2 sons Rodney and Everett. Her daughter Lillian was married to a Lapham and lived in the village. He was a 4-H leader. I joined the last year, 1933. A younger girl, Edith Cross, went to school with us on the school bus. Edith worked in Hebron after World War II in the house across from the Post Office (Flagg’s?). One of the Cross boys was in Pa’s honor guard at Bisbeetown Cemetery. They all died within 6 months, all three of them, from Bright’s Disease.
We went to school in a car in the fall and spring and after mud season. Winter we rode in a horse and sleigh. Jesse Ackers used to drive the horse. A wagon was used during mud season.
Below us lived the Coles (Ruth, husband Ernest and her cousin Willard). I don’t recall if they had any children. Farther down was a horse pasture and a house where several families lived. Above our pasture was Harriman’s horse pasture. A stone wall separated them. Occasionally the horses would get into our side and would go into our barnyard. Once Ma told Albert and me to stand in the gateway so they would not get our and she and Pa would try to catch them. They jumped over our heads.
Our drinking water came from a stream through a pipe in the pasture. We would drive the cattle to the brook to drink in winter. The stream was deep enough so we could swim in it.
We grew cherries, Ma covered them with newspaper so birds wouldn’t eat them. Also strawberries and beans (dry red kidney also Jacob’s cattle, which Pa sold to stores in Bethel). We would sit at the table and sort the beans, taking out the bad ones. Maybe he sold them to the A&P because the manager took Albert and me to watch Mine Rats twice. The second time, Ma said Elon and Lester were too young.