Can anyone tell me how Grandpa James came to live and work on the family farm? I'm curious about how, out of all of his brothers and sisters, he came to own the place. -Deirdre
The following is from transcriptions of tapes Mom had Grandpa make:
"Lyle and Mary bought the Sheldon farm, which was originally a tree claim farm. People settled on public domain, planted a number of trees, lived there three years and then the government gave it to them. They lived there until they moved to Hartley. They bought 240 acres in 1935, but didn’t get possession until March 1, 1936. The purchase price was $130 an acre. They lived in Hartley until Mary moved to the town of Sheldon sometime between 1949 and 1954. Roy lived on the Hartley farm since 1948 or 1949. The original house Lyle and Mary moved into on the farm in Sheldon became too small for their family so it was moved to town at 428 8th Avenue. In 1929 they built a new house on the farm. It came from the Gordon VanTyne Co in Davenport. At that time it was cheaper for them to get one with the lumber all precut than to buy the lumber in Sheldon. It cost $8,000 at the time. James moved to Hartley with the family in 1936. He farmed there most of the year. John stayed in Sheldon and farmed the home farm and the 80 across from where Al Oldencamp lived. That winter they swapped and John went to Hartley. James farmed the Sheldon farm by himself until he was married. He and Cecelia bought the farm in 1939."
When I asked Mom why Phillip didn't buy the farm, she said that Grandpa always said he was too fancy (or something like that). He and his friends had a tennis court at the end of the orchard, and he went to parties in the ballroom on the third floor of that house in Sheldon.
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The following is from transcriptions of tapes Mom had Grandpa make:
"Lyle and Mary bought the Sheldon farm, which was originally a tree claim farm. People settled on public domain, planted a number of trees, lived there three years and then the government gave it to them. They lived there until they moved to Hartley. They bought 240 acres in 1935, but didn’t get possession until March 1, 1936. The purchase price was $130 an acre.
They lived in Hartley until Mary moved to the town of Sheldon sometime between 1949 and 1954. Roy lived on the Hartley farm since 1948 or 1949.
The original house Lyle and Mary moved into on the farm in Sheldon became too small for their family so it was moved to town at 428 8th Avenue. In 1929 they built a new house on the farm. It came from the Gordon VanTyne Co in Davenport. At that time it was cheaper for them to get one with the lumber all precut than to buy the lumber in Sheldon. It cost $8,000 at the time.
James moved to Hartley with the family in 1936. He farmed there most of the year. John stayed in Sheldon and farmed the home farm and the 80 across from where Al Oldencamp lived. That winter they swapped and John went to Hartley. James farmed the Sheldon farm by himself until he was married. He and Cecelia bought the farm in 1939."
When I asked Mom why Phillip didn't buy the farm, she said that Grandpa always said he was too fancy (or something like that). He and his friends had a tennis court at the end of the orchard, and he went to parties in the ballroom on the third floor of that house in Sheldon.
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