Great Great Grandfather Taylor Silvers Filson and Amanda Hunter (Filson/Hunter lineage)

Taylor Silvers Filson (1824 - 1916)
Family photo, source Grace Filson

My great-great-grandfather Taylor Silvers Filson was born in rural Stark County, Ohio on February 22, 1842 to John Thomas Filson (1806 -1885) and Elizabeth Carey Filson . He was their fourth child, following behind Thomas Carey Filson, John Wesley Filson and Mary Jane Filson.  His father, John Thomas, was a farmer in Ohio and used the name Thomas all his life. As a child Taylor was raised on a farm in Columbiana County, Ohio before moving to Marshall County, Indiana. His mother Elizabeth died before Taylor turned 3, and his father then married Rebecca (Bennington) Mitchell. Thomas and Rebecca had 6 more children making a total of 10.

Taylor being a patriotic man signed up for the Civil War at the age of 19 and served as a private in Company F, 55th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (more on his Civil War experience later). As a young man Taylor stood 5' 91/2", had a light complexion, blue eyes and light hair, as was described on his Civil War records. He could not write as a young man, made evident by his signature, which was made with an "X", but he did learn to read and write in adulthood.

Taylor Silvers Filson Civil War Pension records
from the National Archives in Washington DC

In 1854 his older sister, Mary Jane, married a neighbor boy named Israel B. Alderfer and moved to Marshall County, Indiana. This event encouraged Taylor to move to Indiana and purchase land from the Alderfer family, which would come to be the Filson Family Farm I have written about in previous posts. The two farms were adjacent to one another and are still owned by the Filson and Alderfer families today.

After his Civil War service was completed in 1865 and the war had come to a close, Taylor moved to Marshall County, Indiana permanently.  As with many pioneers, Taylor was a lumber man before he was a farmer. He would cut timber on his land and haul it to sawmill in Inwood, Indiana, which was called Piersonville at the time. Taylor could also travel to the small town of Bourbon, Indiana to do much of his business and a little further to Plymouth if he needed to conduct legal matters, etc…Bremen, Indiana was also nearby and a town that was accessible to him.


1872 Map of Inwood, Indiana, Courtesy Marshall County Historical Society



Plymouth Indiana Postcard, Courtesy Indiana Historical Society



Bremen, Indiana, Courtesy Indiana Historical Society

He cleared the land on his farm of the timber, mainly oak and walnut, and built a log cabin and dug a well filling it with water from the ground or the nearby Yellow Creek. Eventually, as his family grew he expanded to a small house, and then the small house grew to a two story home, with a barn, a corn crib, a chicken coup and an outhouse. He raised work horses and milk cattle and sold lumber to the lumber yard. Cash was not used much in those days; he would use the lumber, crops and farm products such as milk and eggs to barter for what he needed. He would exchange labor with his neighbors as there was always endless farm work to perform. When the land was cleared of all the trees and the swampy land drained into the creek, it was turned into some of the most fertile farmland in the Midwest. A garden was maintained to grow vegetables for the family and hunting for birds and local wildlife would put food on the table. They would have grown an orchard and vines of berries, which still grow on the land today.



Filson Farm, Marshall County Indiana, late 1800s

Taylor and other family members standing in front of the farm

Taylor's wife, Amanda Hunter, was born in Warren, Marion County, Indiana in 1846 to Edmund Hunter (1808 - 1880) and Sobrina Temple Hunter (1808 - 1861). When Amanda was 14 her mother died and the family moved to Green Township in Marshall County, Indiana and that is where she lived when she met and married Taylor.


Marriage Record of Taylor Filson and Amanda Hunter 1867

They married in 1867 and one year later had their first son William L., their first daughter Sarah Elizabeth in 1870 and in 1872 bore my greatgrandfather, John Thomas, followed by their last child, Anna Ruth in 1874. In 1888, sadly Amanda died leaving four children from the ages of 14 to 20 years old. She is buried at Mt Pleasant Cemetery, which is down the long dirt road from the Filson Family Farm.


Amanda Hunter Filson Obituary, The Republican Newspaper, November 16, 1888

After Amanda's death, Taylor was in need of a wife. In 1890 he married Zonettie D. (Caldwell) Mathewson, a widow living in Inwood. They were married in Alexandria, South Dakota, where her mother lived at the time. Zonettie was 40 and Taylor was 48, she brought with her two sons, Archibald Mathewson, age 5 and Clarence Winget age 15, from two previous marriages. They moved to the Filson farm to live with John Thomas (age 18) and Anna Ruth (age 16).

My other Great-Great-Grandfather was named Christian Manuwal. Taylor and Christian met in Stark County, Ohio and both moved to Marshall County, Indiana and became lifelong friends. They each had a son and daughter, of which married the other's son and daughter. They attended the same church, shared grandchildren, and were both delegates for the Republican Party. They also both served in the Civil War but had very different experiences.

By 1910 Taylor had turned over the family farm to his son John Thomas and he, Zonettie and her two sons, moved to Plymouth, Indiana, where he lived next door to Christian and Elizabeth (Zimmerman) Manuwal on Simon Street.

1910 United States Census

Taylor and Zonettie were married for 20 years before Zonettie decided living with him was too difficult and moved to Fort Wayne to live with her son. They never filed for divorce and Zonettie claimed Taylor's Civil War pension after his death. In the pension records she said of the situation; “I led a very unpleasant life during those years. He [Taylor] was intemperate and very mean and many times treated me with violence. He made no effort to render me proper support as he was amply able to do so. I suffered … of indignities and cruelty, until I could bear no more and in August 1910 we separated.”

Zonettie Caldwell Filson Affidavit contained in Taylor Filson's Pension Records at the National Archives in Washington DC

Zonettie had 5 children in all, from two prior marriages, but only the two survived. She and Taylor had no children. She died in 1929 in Fort Wayne, but was returned and buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Plymouth, Indiana. Her obituary in The Daily Pilot, Plymouth, on April 15, 1929 reads;

“Mrs. Zonettie D Filson 78 years old, died at the St. Joseph's Hospital at Fort Wayne at 5 o'clock Sunday evening after an illness of four months. She was a former resident of Plymouth but for several years has lived with her son Clarence Winget of Fort Wayne. Besides Clarence, she is survived by a son, Archie Madison [Mathewson] of Long Beach, California, two sisters, Mrs Elizabeth Bristol of Chicago and Mrs. J. B. Camerer of Toho, Iowa; and two brothers, S. A. Caldwell of Bronson, Kansas and W. A. Caldwell of Alexander, Ill., also survive. Funeral services will be held at the Bunnel mortuary at 3 o'clock Wednesday afternoon with burial in Oak Hill cemetery.”

Notice there is no mention of Taylor.

Tombstone of Zonettie Filson Oak Hill Cemetery, Plymouth, Indiana

When Taylor grew ill in 1915, he moved back to the Filson farm and was cared for by his son John Thomas, John's wife Catherine (Manuwal) and their children, Robert, Russell and Cosa.

In a letter written by Cosa Filson (Heckaman) to a cousin inquiring about the family and the family history, Cosa replies: (Note: I believe this is a granddaughter of Taylor’s brother Thomas Carey Filson)

Cosa Filson

Plymouth, Ind.,August 12, 1916

Dear faraway cousin, I received the letter that you had written to Grandfather Filson, but am sorry to tell you that he has passed away from this world into a far more happier world than this, at 2pm on Wednesday, August 30, 1916, at age 74 years, six months, and eight days.

He has needed the care of a little child for nearly 9 months. He came to stay with us on August 1, 1915 where he remained until his departed to the other world. He was here for 13 months. During the time he was here, he was converted to Jesus Christ and has been truly manifested through his beautiful and patient life since that experience came to his heart on the first day of February, 1916. This date of his new birth into the kingdom of God was also the date of his Christian baptism and his reception into the Methodist Episcopal Church of Inwood. His praise for the goodness of God in the salvation of his soul, continued without a break until the father's summons to eternity. He was one of the most patient person's to care for that ever I saw. For the last three months off and on, he would not have his right mind. He would be talking about one subject and the first thing we knew, he would be talking about something else.

You were asking in your letter about Aunt Mary Alderfer. She died December 15, 1904. She had two children, William and Lizzie, and a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

You also asked about Uncle John's people. Well, Uncle John himself died about five years ago and the family, at least the last track we had of them, they were in different parts of Ohio.I am sure if grandfather would be a living and had his right mind, he would be glad to trace it back and I am sure he could.

Grandfather's father's name was John Thomas [1806 - 1885]. I thought perhaps that might give you a little better view of it. Taylor Filson is my grandfather. I am the daughter of his son, [John] Thomas. My father cannot realize whose daughter or granddaughter that you are.

I have heard Taylor Filson, (that is my grandfather), speak of you and Fern Filson. Do you know who she is?

My name is Cosa Filson and I am 17 years old. I am in the third year of Inwood High School. Inwood is about 7 miles east of Plymouth. I am the oldest child of [John] Thomas. I have two brothers, one 13 years [Russell] and the other 5 years [Robert]. My youngest brother [Robert] had three of his fingers on his right hand partly taken off. William Alderfer, that is, Aunt Mary Alderfer’s first boy, said that if he remembers right, your folks lived in Plymouth when you were a little girl.

Say, would you please tell me who your father is and who your father's father is? I would really greatly appreciate to tell you about the family history of the Filson's if I could and would more than be glad if you would write and tell me who your father and grandfather is. I'm sorry I didn't know where you folks were before, for I surely would have written and told you how poorly Taylor Filson was. His daughter said that they had lost track of all of his relatives nearly.

Will be pleased to hear from you. Your faraway cousin,
Cosa E Filson,
Plymouth, Indiana
Rural Route 3, Box 22

Source: Compiled Genealogy of the Filson family by Marjorie Barber Coffin,
located at The Marshall County Historical Society, Plymouth, Indiana

Upon Taylor’s death his obituary reads:

Plymouth Democrat, Sept 07, 1916

Mr. John Thomas Filson was the father of two families of children. Taylor Silvers, the subject of this obituary, was the fourth and youngest of the first family. He was born at Fostoria, Senaca County, Ohio (1) on the 22nd day of February 1842.

Elizabeth Carey Filson was his mother, dying during his youth. Soon the second companion of their father's love became the foster mother of his family and two half brothers and four half-sisters became members of the household. But as the sands of time added the years to eternity's duration, the father, the foster mother, one sister, Mary Alderfer, two brothers, Thomas C. And John, and the four half sisters, Elizabeth, Sarah, Nancy and Ruth all passed from this mortal sphere.

Taylor Filson was a patriotic citizen and seeing the great need of his service in the Civil War (1861-1865), he heeded his country's call to the colors and served in Company F, 55th Ohio Volunteer Infantry for a period of more than three years and nine months. He bore the scars of battle until his dying day.

Mr. Filson being honorably discharged from the country's service came to Center Township, Marshall County, Indiana, to make his future home. On the 26th day of February 1867, Miss Amanda Hunter became his bride. They founded their domestic habitation on a farm one mile north of the little town of Inwood. Two sons, William L and John Thomas and two daughters Sarah Ellen and Anna R. Were given to this union. The mother of this family died on the 4th day of November, 1888. During the unity of this family their residence was always in this one location, and even for nine years after the companion of his young manhood had gone to another world Mr. Filson made the old homestead his abiding place. He then lived in Plymouth, Marshall County, for 19 years, having been married to Zonettie Mathewson June 22, 1890.

Age has been creeping upon him and in his declining days he went to the home of his son, Thomas in sight of the birth place of his family of children, where he remained until his days were numbered. Great affliction of body has been his portion for many months.

He died on Wednesday afternoon, August 30th, 1916, at the ripe old age of 74 years, 6 months and 8 days.Those near and dear who mourn his departure are his wife, his entire family of children, two half brothers Simeon, of Fostoria and Simon, of Findlay, Ohio and his five grandchildren Mrs. Pearl Greer, Carl Rentschler, Cosie, Russell and Robert Filson.


Taylor S Filson Obituary Plymouth Democrat, Sept 07, 1916

When Taylor passed away the family laid him to rest next to his first wife Amanda Hunter, the mother of his children, at Old Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Bourbon Township. The cemetery lies back on the Mt. Pleasant Church of the Brethren (formerly Yellow River Church of the Brethren). I find it interesting even though Zonettie and Taylor were separated for 6 years and they never filed for divorce, the family still acknowledged her as his wife in his obituary. Possibly to appease her, because they knew they would need her help to settle his estate. His estate was settled by Zonettie, who was the sole benefactor. She inherited $676, which was a current value of about $12,000.00.


Grave of Amanda Hunter Filson and Taylor Silvers Filson,
Old Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Bourbon Township, Marshall County, Indiana

More on Great Grandma Catherine and Great Grandpa John (Filson/Manuwal lineage)

I received a wonderful surprise this week, a brown envelope from my mother containing three photos which I want to share with my family members. The most important being a picture of our great grandparents from circa 1890s. 

This is a picture of Catherine Lavinia Manuwal Filson and John Thomas Filson both in their twenties.I was fascinated to search the picture to see which family members inherited their looks. I see my Grandfather Russell in John Thomas and my Great Uncle Robert in Catherine.

The second photo is of Catherine as she sits in her living room of her Inwood,Indiana home surrounded by the African violets and flowers she loved. This is my fondest memory of her. I also remember admiring the lace on her door.

The third picture is of my Uncle Marvin, Aunt Cosa and Uncle Bob. Cosa and Bob being Catherine and John's children, Marvin Heckamen being Cosa's husband.

I cherish these photos and look forward to more envelopes in the mail.

I have written about this family members in a prior blog post, if you would like to read 

it, you can go here and here.

Great Grandpa and Grandma (Filson/Manuwal lineage)

Catherine Manuwal Filson and John Thomas Filson 1940s   1

My Great Grandfather John Thomas Filson was born to Taylor Silver Filson and Amanda Hunter on February 24, 1872. He grew up on the Filson family, 120 acre farm, northeast of Inwood and attended school through the 8th grade at a country school west of his house.

1881 Map of Small Schools in Marshall County, Indiana  2

At the time many people believed educating their children would rob them of much needed farm hands. John was fortunate to get an education through the 8th grade. Here is an example of a one room school house in Indiana. This one shows District 13 over the door but Great Grandpa went to District 3.

Photo by Kevin Chodzinski  3

After finishing school John continued to work on the farm alongside his father, Taylor and brother, William.  He lived his life as a farmer and a stockman and these trades he passed onto his sons Russell and Robert.
In 1896, at the age of 24, he married Catherine Lavinia Manuwal who was 18 at the time, she was also fortunate to have received an 8th grade education.

Marriage License  4

Census records are a very important source to tracking your family in history. Below is the 1920 census for John, Catherine and their three children. On the document, we see their names and relationship to each other. We can see they lived on a farm that they owned and they owed a mortgage on it at the time. We can see their approximate ages and their education. It shows what state they were born in and where their parents were born.

1920 Census Records  5

In 1934 John and Catherine moved from the farm to a little white house situated next to the Inwood Methodist Church. It was remembered by some that John Thomas Filson, as well as many men of his time, did not give much thought to the women in his world. He felt they had their place and pretty much just got in the way. His family members recall John Thomas was very tight with his pocketbook. I am sure he viewed himself as responsible, but eventually his need to control his money ended up killing him. He injured his leg on a piece of farming equipment and he would not go to the doctor because it would cost him. Gangrene set in and by the time he took himself to the doctor he was too far gone. He suffered greatly and ultimately passed away. For his funeral his wife Catherine choose the most expensive casket she could. She obviously was going to start spending the money her way.

Obituary   6

Catherine Lavinia Manuwal was born on March 2, 1879 to Christian Manuwal and Elizabeth Zimmerman Manuwal in Marshall County,  Indiana.

I remember Great Grandma Catherine as a petit, boney lady who made wonderful sugar cookies, possibly the same sugar cookie recipe passed onto my Grandma that I wrote about in a previous post. She would love to invite the neighborhood kids over to eat them. She was also known for her bad coffee, as she would leave the old grinds in the kettle and add new ones, making her coffee taste like tar. Probably, because she had to save money and did not know when she would be able to buy fresh coffee. I do keep in mind these are people that lived through the depression, so while it may seem cheap to us, it was survival to them.

Catherine loved to grow African violets and filled her house with them. She was a devoted member of the Inwood Methodist Church and the Women's Society of Christian Service.

Woman of Inwood Methodist Church 1960s, Catherine is in the front row, second from the right   7

Catherine lived to the age of 90 and died on January 22, 1969. I lived in Texas at the time and we were unable to go to her funeral, but we did end up inheriting her antique sofa made of burgundy velvet fabric. I will always think of Catherine sitting on that sofa eating sugar cookies as I watched her drink her coffee.

I was thrilled to get glimpse of her while I was recently going through some old family photos. The picture captured her looking out the window as we all gathered on the lawn for a family photo in 1957. I wonder why she was not outside to join us.


Grandma Catherine Manuwal Filson 1958   8

I found a video you might find interesting called “Feeding the World - 1930's Farming Documentary Film”. It gives us a glimpse into the same time period when John and Catherine were raising their children on a 1930s farm. You will see cow’s being milked and farm animals being feed. You will see cars, appliances and farm equipment of the time. You can view it by clicking here.


Sources:

1) Filson Family private photography collection

2) Historical Map Works

3) Flickr

4) Marriage License

5) 1920 Census Document

6) Newspaper

7) Marshall County Historical Society photography collection

8) Filson Family private photography collection

A little more about little Pearsonville / Ironwood / Inwood, Indiana (Filson lineage)

Little information can be found on the Internet about the little town of Inwood, Indiana so I am happy to find little trinkets of it's history to share. I have learned the town was originally named Pearsonville as I wrote about in my Dec 3, 2012 post. If you would like to read my previous post about Inwood you can find it by clicking here.

Inwood was also at one time called Ironwood. You can find this information in the book entitled History of Indiana: Containing a History of Indiana, Volume 2, written by Fuller Brant in 1890 on pages 46 and 47. You can access this book by clicking here

Pearsonville now Ironwood - On the 29th day of December 1854 Ezra G Pearson platted the village of Pearsonville and acknowledged the execution of the same.  Accompanying said plat was the following description of the location of said village:

“This indenture witnesseth [witnessed] that Ezra G. Pearson being desirous to lay off a town, has got the same surveyed, laid off and does give the same the name of Pearsonville, bounded as follows: Commencing at the north edge of the Fort Wayne and Chicago railroad, at the north and south open line, 32 rods, 19 links south of the half mile stake on the north side of section number seventeen (17) in township number thirty-three (33), north of range number three (3) east,  thence north on said open line 297 feet, thence north 72 degrees, 23 minutes west, 135 feet, thence south I7 degrees, 37 minutes, 60 feet, thence north 72 degrees, 23 minutes west, 132 feet, thence south I7 degrees, 37 minutes west, 110 feet, thence north 72 degrees, 23 minutes west, 182 feet, thence north 17 degrees, 37 minutes east, 170 feet, thence north 72 degrees, 23 minutes west, 169 feet, thence south 297 feet, thence south 72 degrees, 23 minutes east, on the north line of said railroad 618 feet, to the place of beginning, situated in the county of Marshall and state of Indiana”

In the year 1859 the name of the village was changed to Ironwood. There have been eleven additions laid out and platted, but they are so small that space cannot be given them in detail here. The village used to be quite a lively one, especially in the lumbering business, but now that the lumber has nearly all been cut off, it is quite quiet and it is evident that it has seen its best days, yet it will continue to always be a convenient trading place in the center of one of the best farming districts in the county. There are now two good dry goods, grocery and notion stores, a good grist-mill, a post office, a drug store and other conveniences for country trade.

The town was named Ironwood because of the abundance of Ironwood trees in the area. This tree is a small tree and the hardness of the wood made it suitable for the pioneers to use it for making tools.

According to the Indiana State Gazetteer and Shippers' Guide for 1866-67, Volume 1, Ironwood was renamed Inwood by 1866 and had a population of 200. It steadily grew to a population of 500 as we can see in this 1882 business directory.

1882-83 Polk's Indiana State Gazeteer and Business Directory    1

Transcription:

Inwood is a thrifty village of 500 inhabitants located on the P. Ft.W. & C R'y [Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway] in Centre Township, Marshall County, 6 miles east of Plymouth, the county seat and banking town. It contains a Methodist Church, graded school, several substantial business houses and 1 hotel. In the town and vicinity there are located three saw mills, a flour mill, 1 planning mill, 2 pump factories and a basket factory. The principal exports are lumber, grain and baskets.

Ex., Adams. Tel.,

W.U.W.H.H. Stover, Postmaster

Adams Ambrose, pump manufacturer, 1 mile southeast.

Apple Christian, blacksmith.

Austis Joseph, harness manufacturer.

Barlow Isaac J, pump manufacturer, 1 mile south.

Bell Frederick, druggist.

Bell John F, physician.

Blashinghan Francis M agt P. Ft.W. & C

Clemens William, blacksmith.

Cooper Joseph B, general store.

Cruzan H B, physician, 3 mile south.

Davidson Joseph, blacksmith.

Downing Austin, live stock, 2 miles northeast.

Fisher Christian, general store.

Gerrard George N, saloon.

Gibbons O C, live stock.

Graham W B Rev (Methodist).

Grosvenor Isaac, wagonmaker.

Helmer Pluto, Basket Manufacturer for the Chicago Trade.

Hull David, blacksmith.

Inwood Flouring Mills, Frank Kelsey, Propr; John McAdams, Miller.

Jackson Stephen W, shoemaker.

Kelsey Frank, Propr of Inwood Flouring Mill.

Klingel Rev. (Methodist)

Kotterman Theodore, furniture.

McAdams John, Miller; Frank Kelsey, 50 years milling experience.

McMaster Frank A& Bro general store.

Morris Courtland L, notary public.

Rainer Charles T, physician.

Ritzler Joseph, saloon.

Schafer, Morris & Schafer, Dealers in Dry Goods, Clothing, Boots, Shoes, etc.

Schafer & Morris, Saw and Planing Mills (see adv)

Shively D C, saw mill, 4 1/2 miles north.

Shreve Charles, barber.

Stevens Solomon, wagonmaker and justice.

Stover W.H.H. postmaster and grocer.

Sweitzer Fred L, saloon.

York, William R, Saw Mill and Lumber Dealer, 3 miles south.

 In this 1922 Map of Inwood we can see that housing divisions were set out by Pearson as well as Lee & Dickson, Croup & Coars and Hendricks.

1922 Map of Inwood Indiana   2

In this picture you can see the Inwood Depot to the right for the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway . You can see the signal post and two buildings. Across the railroad tracks is the C.M.Wilkins saw mill.

Inwood Indiana Train Depot   3

For those of you interested in learning more about the people that lived in Inwood and Plymouth in the 1800s, a good place to do research is Google Books. Take a look at A Twentieth Century History of Marshall County, Indiana. It comes in two volumes and you can search on names such as Inwood and find little tidbits. This book was written as part of the centennial celebration in the late 1800s. All counties put together a history of their county with biographies of many of their citizens. You would have to pay a small fee to be featured in the book, it was like a modern day Who’s Who in America. Many in the farming community were not interested, so I did not find much on my family.

History of Indiana: Containing a History of Indiana    4

You may also find it interesting to see old photos of historical train stations in Indiana. Visit the web site for Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum.


Sources:

1) County History Preservation Society

2) Historical Map Works

3) Marshall County Museum Historic Crossroads Center - photography collection

4) Google Books

Grandpa’s siblings (Filson/Manuwal Lineage)

My Great Aunt Cosa Ethel Filson Heckaman and Great Uncle Robert “Bob” Reuben Filson

My Great Aunt Cosa (pronounced Cozy), (June 22, 1899 - June 6, 1994) and my Great Uncle Bob (Nov 13, 1911- Aug 3, 1990) were born to John Thomas Filson and Catherine Lavinia Manuwal Filson along with my Grandpa Russell. The three siblings were all born and raised on the Filson family farm outside of Inwood, Indiana.  All three children attended Inwood school, Russell through 10th grade, Cosa through 12^th grade and Bob until 8th.

Robert met Hilda F. Hall (Mar 23, 1914 – Aug 23 1993) and they married on Nov 28, 1935. After Bob and Hilda married, they moved to a nearby farm on Hawthorne Road, just a few farms away from the Filson Farm. There they raised four children, some of whom still live on the farm with their children today. When I lived in Indiana in 1974 and 1975, I would walk over to visit Bob and Hilda.  I confess being a city girl (or at least I thought of myself as one), the smell of a pig farm was something I had to grow accustomed to. But I did enjoy being around Bob and Hilda. They were both so friendly and loved to see me. They were “savers”, that is to say, they would save everything, plastic butter dishes, newspapers, etc. I thought it strange at the time, but then I came to appreciate that they were in the forefront of the recycling era which we live in today. They took nothing for granted. Everything had value and use. “Those plastic butter dishes may come in handy someday!” This mindset is typical for those that lived through the Depression, and especially for those that lived in rural areas. We take for granted how easy it is for us to take the trash out every week, how the big green truck makes it disappear from our life. On a farm, disposing of trash had a whole different set of rules. They did not have garbage disposals, trash compactors or a city wide recycling program. Leftover food went into pig slop or compote heap for the garden. Metal trash was separated from paper trash and disposed of accordingly. When I lived on the farm we would burn the paper weekly and haul the metal to the scrap yard when the pile got too big.

Bob and Hilda raised pigs and dairy cows. I was fascinated to watch Great Uncle Bob milk the cows, but never acquired a taste for raw milk.  When Bob was very young he lost three fingers while raising bales of hay up to the hayloft in the barn. His fingers got caught in the pulley system and severed his figures off. 

Great Uncle Bob Inwood School 1925

My Great Aunt Cosa was a very outspoken woman. She was a staunch Republican and if you asked anyone to describe her, they would always mention her politics as being her main trait. She married Marvin Heckaman about 1922. They lived in Inwood for a short time and then later moved to Bourbon, Indiana and raised their son Lloyd. My Aunt told me, Cosa and her mother Catherine acted as midwives for the delivery of all five of my Grandma Grace’s children. Cosa wanted to adopt my Grandma’s fifth child, who was a girl, but my Grandma Grace would not even consider it.

Cosa and Marvin were very musical; Great Uncle Marv would always play his fiddle when he came to our house to visit. As a teenager I thought it was very “square”, but now I look back on it with a smile and miss those moments. I was thrilled to find a photo of them with a band they played in during the 1930s.

Marvin is fifth from the left, holding his fiddle and Cosa is third from the right in her polka dot dress.

Great Uncle Marvin and Aunt Cosa 1930s

My Grandma Grace, Great Aunt Hilda and Great Aunt Cosa were all members of the Ladies Aid Society and worked on quilting projects together. My Aunt is the proud owner of one of the group’s quilts and she was pleased to share it with me.

Ladies Aid Society Quilt

I was also able to find Aunt Hilda’s recipe for Toll House Marble Squares in a 1963 cookbook from the Plymouth Home Demonstration Club

Hilda Hall Filson's receipe

I really enjoy looking through the old cookbooks for my family member’s recipes. I especially enjoy the helpful hit section of this one. What does trimming your child’s bangs have to do with cooking? (See below). I did learn something new; I have never thought of coating a cake pan with cocoa instead of flour when you bake a chocolate cake.

Marshall County Home Demonstration Club Cookbook

1963 Helpful Hints

Grandpa Russell's injured leg (Filson Lineage)

Searching in old newspapers can be time consuming and rewarding. Unfortunately, most of the historical newspapers for Marshall County, Indiana are not digitized yet and we need to rely on local historical society or library to find stories of our ancestors if we are not local. But good news is on the way; The Indiana State Library has been funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and in partnership with the Library of Congress and  is in the process of digitizing Indiana papers from 1836 to 1922. To check on progress of the project, check in with the Indiana Historical Society or the Indiana State Library.

With the help of family members, I was able to get my hands on a story about my Grandpa Russell Filson, that I of heard of in the past. It was the day that Russell Filson received help from all of his friends to bring in the corn crop:

Plymouth Daily Pilot

Wednesday, November 13, 1946

Friends and Neighbors Harvest Filson Corn

Fifty-five friends and neighbors of Russell Filson harvested nearly 1200 bushels of corn at his farm Tuesday afternoon. The farm is located is located one mile north and 1/4 mile east of Inwood. Mr. Filson fell from a scaffold while working at the Frank Listenfelt home in Inwood on Oct. 9 and tore the ligaments in his hip. He was unable to work but is improving slowly. It required just to 2 1/2 hours to do the work on the 21 acres of land with five corn pickers, three corn elevators, eight tractors and 14 wagons.

The same group of men recently harvested some corn at the Jack Miller farm near Inwood. Mr. Miller was working with Mr. Filson in Inwood and also fell from the scaffold.

Mr. Filson told a Pilot and News reporter this morning that "I truly appreciated the fine community spirit and certainly found out how many friends I really had after my fall."

Those men furnishing corn pickers were: Olen Roahrig, Fred Neidlinger, Owen Yockey, Oliver Greer and Roy Nye.

The following men brought their tractors and wagons: Tom McQueen, Guy Roahrig, Gene Dowell, Alpheus, Guy Breeding and Cliff Hepler,Olen Roahrig and Owen Yockey brought their corn elevators.

Others who helped in addition to those above named men were: Chet Hall, Lewis Hall, Claire Hall, Ernest Mast, Clarence Bradley, V.S. Lindsey, Marvin Heckaman, Fred Jacobson, Charles Gerard, Pat Caslow, Virgil Wellborn, Arnold Shively, John Greenlee, Howard Retinger, Buddy Miller, Leslie Lindsey, Russell Boggs, Thurl Hendricks, Wayne Hendricks, Otto Cramer, Malcolm Miller, Bob Filson, Lowell Filson, Frank Listenfelt, Arthur Anderson, Welcome Roose, Elwen Yockey, Harley Sherer, Glenn Bowman, Wilber Wagoner, Junior Breeding, John Miller, Charles Greer, Floyd Roberts, Banks Burden, Elias Burden, Albert Roose, Earl Nifong, Wendell McCollough, Clarence Bradley, Roy Mortmore, George Anders, J.T. [John Thomas] Filson, and Rev. V.O. Priddy

Following the work hot coffee and homemade donuts were served.

My Great Uncle Bob (Robert Filson) who is Russell’s brother is second from the left.

Grandpa is on crutches and is the 6th man standing from the left.

I do have a key to this picture, if you are interested please contact me.