This week’s prompt is homestead and while I had a lot of ancestors that did live the homestead lifestyle, I only have one that has it documented – sort of. It’s a lovely article about my maternal great grandparents Ebenezer and Elouisa McKim celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary in 1929. It talks about them moving from Meigs County, Ohio to Morrill, Kansas and the home that they had on the prairie.
It is transcribed below from the Hiawatha Daily World Newspaper, January 14, 1929:
Mrs. McKim, then Elouisa Aumiller came to Kansas from Meigs County, Ohio with her parents Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Aumiller when she was 17 years old. Mr. McKim came about 1 ½ years later. They were sweethearts in Ohio where he used to take her to singing school on horseback, both using the same horse. They were married a few months after Mr. McKim came to Kansas.
The first year after their marriage, they lived in a one-room house in what was called “Stringtown” on a road between what is today Morrill and Sabetha, Kansas. The construction of the railroad was begun that year, but Mr. McKim broke prairie for other pioneers, preferring it to railroad work. Mrs. McKim’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Aumiller, gave them 40 acres of land. Mr. McKim bought an adjoining 40 acres and built a two room house, where they lived until JB McKim, their sixth child was born. (JB is James McKim who was born in 1880 – my grandfather Glen, was the 10th born). Although enough money had been saved to build a house, make first payment of $100 on land, they were unable to plaster the house the first year. They sometimes found it necessary to go to bed to keep warm (HA HA HA probably hence the 12 children they eventually had) as they could not heat the house with a small cook stove in Kansas blizzards.
Real struggles followed to hold the land and pay taxes. They owned one cow, sold the calf each year for several years to pay the taxes. Finally, they succeeded in getting a start accumulating a little land each year until at one time Mr. McKim owned 1780 acres, all paid for. At the time the first house was built, all lumber had to be shipped from White Cloud. Their grain was hauled to market there, also. This trip two days and they slept under a wagon at night. Albany was the nearest trading point. Only a few buildings were at Hiawatha, one small store owned and managed by Scott Fairchild.
About twenty years ago, they left the farm and moved to Morrill. At this time, they divided most of their land among their children, giving to each a farm. Mr. and Mrs. McKim were the first couple married in Morrill township. Twelve children were born to this union. All lived to be married and have children of their own. Theodore Roosevelt, who was a great admirer of large families, had the picture of the McKim family in the White House, sent them an autographed picture of himself.
Yeah… I have no idea where THAT is now – the rest of the article goes on to describe the 60th anniversary celebration and who all were in attendance.
My great grandfather, Ebenezer McKim went by E.B. most of his life. The articles about him either state Mr. McKim or E.B. McKim. Even his grave stone says E.B. rather than Ebenezer. I have no idea what the B stands for or if it stands for anything beyond the initial. My grandfather, Glen McKim didn’t have a middle name, only a middle initial, so his father might have been the same.
I love how this article described their home and life on the prairie, not just the celebration of their 60th anniversary. It gives a nice insight into what their life might have been like.
Mrs. McKim, then Elouisa Aumiller came to Kansas from Meigs County, Ohio with her parents Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Aumiller when she was 17 years old. Mr. McKim came about 1 ½ years later. They were sweethearts in Ohio where he used to take her to singing school on horseback, both using the same horse. They were married a few months after Mr. McKim came to Kansas.
The first year after their marriage, they lived in a one-room house in what was called “Stringtown” on a road between what is today Morrill and Sabetha, Kansas. The construction of the railroad was begun that year, but Mr. McKim broke prairie for other pioneers, preferring it to railroad work. Mrs. McKim’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Aumiller, gave them 40 acres of land. Mr. McKim bought an adjoining 40 acres and built a two room house, where they lived until JB McKim, their sixth child was born. (JB is James McKim who was born in 1880 – my grandfather Glen, was the 10th born). Although enough money had been saved to build a house, make first payment of $100 on land, they were unable to plaster the house the first year. They sometimes found it necessary to go to bed to keep warm (HA HA HA probably hence the 12 children they eventually had) as they could not heat the house with a small cook stove in Kansas blizzards.
Real struggles followed to hold the land and pay taxes. They owned one cow, sold the calf each year for several years to pay the taxes. Finally, they succeeded in getting a start accumulating a little land each year until at one time Mr. McKim owned 1780 acres, all paid for. At the time the first house was built, all lumber had to be shipped from White Cloud. Their grain was hauled to market there, also. This trip two days and they slept under a wagon at night. Albany was the nearest trading point. Only a few buildings were at Hiawatha, one small store owned and managed by Scott Fairchild.
About twenty years ago, they left the farm and moved to Morrill. At this time, they divided most of their land among their children, giving to each a farm. Mr. and Mrs. McKim were the first couple married in Morrill township. Twelve children were born to this union. All lived to be married and have children of their own. Theodore Roosevelt, who was a great admirer of large families, had the picture of the McKim family in the White House, sent them an autographed picture of himself.
Yeah… I have no idea where THAT is now – the rest of the article goes on to describe the 60th anniversary celebration and who all were in attendance.
My great grandfather, Ebenezer McKim went by E.B. most of his life. The articles about him either state Mr. McKim or E.B. McKim. Even his grave stone says E.B. rather than Ebenezer. I have no idea what the B stands for or if it stands for anything beyond the initial. My grandfather, Glen McKim didn’t have a middle name, only a middle initial, so his father might have been the same.
I love how this article described their home and life on the prairie, not just the celebration of their 60th anniversary. It gives a nice insight into what their life might have been like.