Following is one of the Biographies and Stories which where gathered by Charles Sumner McKamy in the 1950s for publication in a Crawford County History Book. Unfortunately he passed away before the book was published.
Dear Mr. Editor:
Your mystery farm this week was my home. My father, Harvey Hopper, built the house 80 years ago. I remember as a small child (am I telling my age?) I watched the entire structure being erected, climbing to the highest places, swinging my legs over, rolling in the bath tub before the legs were attached until my father caught me and gave me a lesson, where it was the most effective, as to what little girls should, and should not do.
The house was built entirely of hardwood, cut from our own woods, sawed at the mill and dried for three years. It consisted of 15 rooms including basement, bath and a well stocked library. Ceilings nine feet high, walls a foot thick, some rooms 18 x 18. Hot and cold running water was furnished in this manner, the great expanse of roof was piped to a cistern and a windmill pumped it to a huge tank in the attic. It then filtered down to a heater and to the kitchen and bath.
Cold water for stock was pumped through the basement, usually by 'girl power', as we were a girl family, unless we could get around Dad, which was not difficult. After I have traveled every state in our union (except two) and some of the foreign countries, I remember no more beautiful scenery than we saw from our own windows, as it was on a hill.
The farm was operated under the name "Green Glade Dairy" as a herd of 25 to 30 registered Holsteins was maintained, also a "Papa" of whom I was always afraid. Grade A butter sold for the enormous price of 25 cents a lb., and fresh buttermilk at 10 cents per gal. Delivered at Casey, 14 miles away -- an all day trip. Also any children in the neighborhood who did not have milk came daily with their gallon pails which were filled without any thought of charges.
Eggs were 15 cents per dozen, as I very well knew for each Tuesday all the eggs I could gather was my spending money. You can bet I really looked high and low in the hay mow and fence row hoping the sister of yesterday had missed a few.
The stream running across the farm furnished us with swimming, sledding and ice skating in winter, and the woods surrounding, hunting of rabbit, squirrels, coon, persimmons and wild honey.
One of our pleasures was horse back riding and Oh! How chagrined I would be when the other girls would get the pony and riding horse and I would have to ride an old work horse. Enough concrete around the premises for roller skating.
The basement in the winter was stocked with canned fruit, vegetables, pickles and jelly. Barrels of kraut, cider, vinegar, sorghum and bushels of apples, potatoes, onions, pumpkin and watermelon until the late fall; also pork, beef, lamb, poultry and such, and of course we never hesitated to ask any or all of the Sunday school or church home with us for dinner and when we were away at school to bring any one or several home with us for weekends. My poor mother, but they were always welcomed.
All stock was driven to market on foot, until my father, along with the other neighbors, bought a short line railroad to market stock and grain.
He kept a "hand" the year around paying him $1.00 per day which was considered liberal because he got a house, meat, conveyance and other considerations. Then 2 more were hired during the summer months. They lived in the house with us.
I love the little community in which I live but I'm wondering if any community is bound together as we were with the same interests of school, church and home.
The farm was owned by the family until late 1941 when it was sold to Mr. and Mrs. (Mary Fowler) Freddie Smith. We hope that they, with their little daughter Sue are enjoying it as we did.
Lucky Sue, it is a wonderful place in which a girl can grow into womanhood.
Jennie Hopper, Mrs. Arthur Fouty, Robinson, Illinois