About 1893, my Great Grandparents moved their family from Chenango County, New York to Minnesota. They stayed with relatives in Duluth for a time and then settled on land outside Barnum. There was a log cabin on the property where they lived before moving to a larger house. I learned from reading old letters and stories written by some of her children that she was fond of standing in that doorway of an evening to watch the sun go down. She loved a beautiful sunset.
She died twenty years before I was born, so I never had the privilege of knowing her. Even so, this is my favorite photo of her and it makes me feel like I know just a little bit of who she was.
I love old photos, and of nearly any subject.
ReplyDeleteMe, too, Gorges...Especially the ones like this one of my ancestors.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Thank you for the mention.
ReplyDeleteBW...You are welcome. Credit where credit is due. And I know others will enjoy your blog as much a I do.
ReplyDeleteOh, I was so hoping you would post her photo after I saw your comment! Thank you!!!! :o)
ReplyDeleteChickenmom...One of her sons, who went on to become a photographer, took the picture. He also wrote that in addition to watching sunsets, she loved watching the deer that came out of the woods about that time to feed in the small field in front of the cabin. It is fun for me, knowing the story behind what would otherwise just be a nice picture of an old lady standing in a doorway.
ReplyDeleteI love this photo. She looks so wise and full of character.
ReplyDeleteLisa...I love this photo, too. From what I have read, she was a woman tiny in stature but strong in character. She raised 6 children to adulthood and buried one infant daughter. She passed on to her descendants a great faith in God and a work ethic unknown today. We whine if the microwave breaks down. I just can't imagine her whining about anything while raising a family in a small log cabin with no electricity or running water or central air, cooking on a wood fueled stove and washing clothes by hand in a washtub. Our ancestors were amazing people. I wish I could have known them.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what is going through her mind when this photo was taken. Is that her happy or angry face? Is she watching kids out playing in the woods or looking to see if her husband is coming home?
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
David
David...I have a number of pictures from that era and in them, it is rare to see a smiling face like we are used to seeing now. I don't think that had to do so much with attitudes of the people then, but more to do with the capabilities of the cameras of the time. A non-smiling face was easier to hold still for a photo than a smiling one.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I have read in the letters and writings of her grown children, I would say that she is taking a break from all the hard work that made up her days, to stand in the doorway of that log cabin to watch the sunset. Life wasn't easy. There was no electricity or indoor plumbing. There was very little cash money for even the necessities and she traded eggs and her homemade butter for things like sugar and coffee and material to sew clothes for her family. Watching the sunset was probably was the only time during the day when she could just enjoy a few minutes of peace and restoration.
Love, Mom
There's something so compelling about a photo from another era, makes you think of how people lived and passed their days.
ReplyDeleteKirsty...I love these old photos. I am so very lucky to have a treasure trove of transcripts of letters and writings from this side of my family, which is how I know my Great Grandmother was watching the sunset. I look at the insanity of the world around us today and compare it with the simple, hard working life they led and I mostly think they were much better off than we are today, if that makes any sense. :)
ReplyDelete