MY purpose in writing is twofold. First, I am interested in the history of all the people and places involved in the story of the community where I was born, and where I have lived practically all my life. Second, with the exception of the parents in these large families, I have personally known practically all the members of all the families here recorded and referred to as a part of my research.

The story of these people and the evidence still remaining of what they did leads one to wonder how they could ever survive and support so many children. The nature of the soil where the homes were located, and the stone piles and fences built from stones taken from the fields by hours of tedious labor, raises the question, “How could they ever have grown food enough for the children; how they could raise anything?” But, as the late Ray Pollard once said to my brother, “They raised MEN!”

Some of the methods for getting things done would be considered unusual today. For one thing, they helped each other. They conducted what were known as “bees.” These bees were of many varieties: logging bees, wood bees, threshing bees, sewing bees, quilting bees, husking bees and bees of many other kinds.

Sometimes the bees had other names. For example, I have heard my parents speak of “apple cuts.” The people of a given neighborhood would meet at the home of the one of the families to peel and slice apples to be dried for food during the winter. The host and hostess would furnish refreshments for all the people who took part, sometimes, I suspect, using some of the dried apples to prepare the dainties to be served that evening. There were many excellent recipes used by the housewives which called for dried apples.

Another event I have heard my grandfather mention was a party held when someone in the neighborhood bought a hogshead of sugar. This was usually brown sugar since granulated sugar was not as well known at that time. The owner of this sugar would invite his neighbors to his home, open the hogshead, and parcel out the contents to the families represented. Of course, they all ate lumps of sugar from time to time.

Each of these bees had their social as well as their practical side but they were primarily for the purpose of each family helping the others, with no thought of how many hours work they were to get in return from those whom they helped. I think, from what I have heard my grandfather say, they all wanted to help someone that needed help at the proper time.

I have heard my grandfather and other older citizens mention, and I have had a chance to observe, one of the two unusual bees. One was a bee where the stumps of trees were pulled and used for fencing. The trees were cut and the stump pulled with stump pulling equipment, and lifted from the ground. The roots were cut off on one side of the stump and the flat side turned down with the other roots sticking up. These stumps were placed side by side with the roots joining in such a way that no animal would attempt to go over or through this sort of fence. I wonder how many people who read this have ever seen a stump fence? There is to be found the remains of such a fence on an old farm in what was once known as District No. 3, once owned by George Mabie, later by A. C. Warner and now [in the 1960s] by Albert Lalik and sons. Such a fence was supposed to last about a century and the remains mentioned seem to bear out this claim.

The other bees had to do with what was called “burning of the fallow.” This took place after a piece of land had been cleared of all trees and brush, which had been laid in piles or windrows. On a given day, when the wind was right so that there was no danger of the sparks blowing into other fields or woods, the neighbors would gather to keep the fire within bounds. Then the one in charge would be given the word, the brush would be lighted and all brush and small trees would be burned. A great many times, huckleberries grew in great abundance after such a burning. The ashes enriched the soil greatly for other crops as well.

These bees had their lighter side. I have heard my father tell about his cousin, Wesley Guernsey, who had been out all night the night before one of the bees. That day he did not get up until just at the time the sun was going down. He looked at the sun as it was about to disappear and said, "Uncle Jim is going to have a very hot day for his bee.”

Another reason why these people were able to survive was that they did not live out of tin cans. They raised most of their food – potatoes, dried corn, wheat, buckwheat, corn and rye for flour; berries dried, canned and pickled; apples fresh and dried; cider applesauce; sauerkraut made from home grown cabbage; vegetables stored in root cellars; pork, beef and mutton raised on the farm; their own butter, their own lard, eggs, and so many other things people seem to have forgotten.

My grandfather and also my mother taught school in these districts at different times. They knew these families. Children were born and many of them died very young. Doctors were scarce and short distances of today were long distances then. There were no telephones, no improved roads and always, something to make travel slow. If a doctor were needed, someone had to go for him and many times before the doctor got to where he was needed, it was too late. The number of cemeteries with unmarked graves, or graves marked with field stones without inscription, tells a sad story. It seems that almost every community had its cemetery. I believe it was Casper Brooks and his wife that lost five children within a few days.

My own parents and so many others had to work so hard for what they had, and to survive, but they were happy. We owe them more than we can ever pay.

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