STEPPING BACK IN TIME THE YEAR IS 1865 LIVING WITH GRANDPA AND GRANDMA HALL

Much of the information I have on my great great grandpa George Hall is from his obituary.
In 1864 he disposed of the grocery stock and rented a farm which he operated for a year and then purchased eighty acres of land on Sec 19, Union Twp with a small log cabin upon it, but soon replaced it with a small frame building and that in 1885 was replaced by his present commodious residence. On the 29th day of November 1860, he was married to Miss Louisa Reynolds, who is now his widow. This union was blessed with six children five of who are now living.Arthur, Florence, Mark, George and Agnes.

The year is 1864 and grandpa George has decided to no longer be in the grocery business with his brother in law Stephen Fairbanks who was married to his sister Maria.  For one year he rents a farm but then decides he wants his own piece of property. He buys eighty acres of land on Sec 19 Union Township in Janesville Wisconsin. On this land is just a log cabin that he moves his family into, soon he replaces it with a small frame home. They live here for some years making it their home until in 1885 he built his larger home.

The living quarters of the log cabin was probably one room with a dirt floor. Later they may have covered the dirt with a type of varnished cloth. This was probably windowless and grandma would of labored all day using a coal oil lamp and candlelight.  The room was probably hazy with smoke because the stone chimney drew poorly and fireplaces rarely had dampers.

The so called kitchen probably occupied one corner next to the fireplace. There were crude open shelves and a rough trough like box that would of been the sink. It of course had no drain. They would of carried water in and out in wooden buckets and would of used a basin and pitcher to wash up. There was a rain barrel under the cabin eaves to collect water when the spring ran dry in the summer. Refridgeration was either a wooden box or rock housing built over a stream or spring that would allow the crocks of milk and butter to sit in cool water during the summer.

Cooking was in an open hearth fireplace that permitted boiling, roasting, baking and steaming. Grandma Louisa's cookware would of consisted of a few different sized kettles, a dutch oven and a long handled fry pan, an iron griddle and a tea kettle. The iron utensils were skewers, a spit, trivets and a long handled spoon.

I am guessing that one of their meals would of been dandelion Greens and potatoes cooked with salt pork in a big kettle with water added.

Living in this small log cabin is George and Louisa. Louisa had a son Charles who is born on the 12th of June 1862 in Rock County Wisconsin and sadly passes away on the 1st of May 1863. At that time Louisa is pregnant with my great grandfather Arthur and he was born on the 19th of September 1863.
Daughter Florence is born the 28th of February 1865, Mark on the 23rd of May 1867, George on the 11th of May 1869 and Agnes in September 1871.

They are all living in this small frame home until George builds the larger home in 1885.
Family records are that his political sentiments were a supporter of the Republican party and favors the adoption of prohibition principles.

Step by step I am writing my family history. This is the start of my great great grandfather George Hall. As I write pieces of his history I can put it together piece by piece till I am telling what I hope is his story.  Grace