Misc. Notes
Fitch Bell - The Fitch Bell was from an old tavern and was to be passed down to the oldest male of each generation. It first went to Ralph Theodore Smith, then to Roland Theodore Smith. Tradition was broken when the bell was passed to Roland's second son, Alan
Since Mary appears to have been married before she met Theodore, is it possible Theodore was also married previously? Possibly in Pennsylvania or Connecticut?
“I am a Divan,” by Lilly Smith Townsend
“Yes, that is my name, and I am not a love seat although many lovers have sat on me. a love seat is cozy and only two can sit on it while I can seat three providing they are not too obese. I have a curvature in my back but it is not painful.
I was made in Chicago about 1868 and my future owner used to ride horseback from New Washington, Indiana, to order supplies for his small general store. One time while there he saw me at a warehouse and he decided he wanted me to go home with him. I had a long journey down the Mississippi on a barge, and when we got to Cairo, Illinois, we went up the Ohio River to Madison, Indiana, which is only 12 miles from the Kentucky border and 10 or 12 miles from New Washington, my new home. My owner, Theodore Fitch, came for me with a wagon and team of horses. Mrs. Fitch and daughters, Clara and Molly, were delighted with me, only they did complain about my horsehair covering scratching their legs when they sat on me.
Sadness came into my new home when Mrs. Fitch died in her early 50’s. Of course, Theodore and the girls were very sad and lonely. The older daughter, Sarah, had married John Dougan and was living in Urbana, Illinois. So Theodore decided to more there too so Sarah could help raise his teenage daughters. She lived on a farm, and they moved into a house not from from the Dougans.
Theodore had two sons, Theodore, Jr. and Homer, who also had followed their sister to Illinois. Theodore became a conductor on the Illinois Central Railroad. I believe Homer was a farmer.
Clara and Molly became active in the neighborhood social events. One popular event at that time was the box social which was held at the schoolhouse. girls would decorate boxes with crepe paper and see who could have the prettiest. Two young men who lived not far from us, the Smith brothrs (no, not cough drop fame), David and Beattie, tried to get Clara and Molly’s boxes as they were auctioned. These boxes would have delicious food of different kinds, but that fact made little difference to these dashing young swains.
In 1876 Clara and David were married at our house and a nice reception followed, also at our house. Clara and David lived on a farm a few miles from here. Then “Bate” and Molly were married a year later and also lived on a farm, close to Clara and David.
Now Theodore was really lonely and after about a year he decided to divide up his belongings between his five children and go live first with one and then another. I was given to Molly and “Bate,” but they didn’t care for me like her father had. I wasn’t in style anymore but they didn’t want to destroy me so they put me up in the rafters of their smokehouse. I was miserable there.
One day, Wean Fitch, Theodore Jr.’s wife, was visiting at Molly’s and saw where she had put me and asked if she could have me. Molly was glad to get rid of me so I was taken by train to Havana, Illinois, where they lived. They were very kind to me and had a nice new cover put on me. Now with my horsehair cover gone maybe children would like to sit on me again.
But bad luck seemed to follow me. My kind owner, Theodore Fitch, died and “Wean” decided to move to California so she left me with his sister, Clara. I wasn’t in style it seems so she put me in her daughter’s room where she paid no attention to me except when she lined her dolls up on me. I lived peacefully there for a good many years until clara and David Smith decided to move to a town called Urbana, Illinois.
There I was degraded more when they put me in the attic. I wished I would come back in style so I could once more live in someone’s living room. My old green cover was becoming worse by the year.
As the years passed, people tended to become interested in antiques and that is what I had become.
Clara and David’s oldest daughter, Elizabeth Marriott, became much interested in antiques and asked her Mother if she could have me. What a nice feeling to be wanted again! So, one day Elizabeth’s husband, Dick, drove his old farm truck in and loaded me into it. I guess my time had not come because the Smith’s house burned that very night and everything in the attic was lost. Was that ever a narrow escape!
I hadn’t been with Elizabeth and Dick but a few days when I was again put in the truck and was left in town to be recovered. I felt like a new divan and everyone admired me. It had been many years since I felt I was really welcome and what a nice feeling! I had a good many years there until tragedy struck again when Dick died and Elizabeth decided to move into a trailer. She asked her sister, Lilly Townsend, if she wanted me so again I was moved back to Urbana to the house that had burned but had been rebuilt. I am still there with a nice new cover, and everyone admires me with antiques now very much in demand.
So, at last I have found happiness and small children like to sit on me.”
386