Grandma’s story continues to grow as layers of history are uncovered. I knew it would.
I always tell participants in my Generational Storytelling workshops that the work of a family historian or genealogist is never done. That excites some and frustrates others. Happy are those with no expectations of completing the task. It requires time, research, organization, and persistence to tell generational stories, and the job is only as “done” as you want it to be.
I love encouraging and empowering people to preserve their own heritage because family stories not written down are lost within three generations. Each module of my class covers a different aspect of generational storytelling from organizing records, identifying pictures, preparing ancestor profiles, the basics of writing, how to research, preserving artifacts, and so much more.
Once you’re known as a family historian, you will ‘attract’ boxes of old dusty photos and documents that no one else in the family wants. If that’s you, don’t be overwhelmed. Just do it! Okay…enough said. I’ll get off my soapbox now. (Can you tell I’m passionate about family history?)
When I packed for our trip, I took my proof copy of “All Aboard: The Adventures of Miss Ratcliff.” I constantly took notes in the margins as I discovered things I hadn’t known when I wrote the book (and there were many). As we explored the places Grandma saw, the book morphed, as I hoped it would. What a journey.
While we were in Kamiah the community celebrated an annual event called BBQ Days. They had vendors, food trucks, a parade, and much more. It was a pleasant day, and there was quite a crowd.
The valley (where Kamiah sits) was smoky that day. We were told that’s common in the Fall, as the smoke from area wheatfields and wildfires settles into the valley. It didn’t affect our breathing (thankfully) or even smell smoky, but it was definitely overcast.
Jerry’s mother, Lorene, invited me to sell (and sign) my books at the museum that day. What a treat to visit with locals and share the book – a mix of Woodland, Ratcliff, and Moon history.
In her journal, Grandma often mentions her cousins watching the phone. I assumed (correctly) that meant taking telephone calls for people in the communities where they lived, but never imagined it’d be at a switchboard (and perhaps it wasn’t in 1913). However, a small, antiquated switchboard is on display in the museum. I wonder if the Idaho cousins ever used it.
Okay….let’s go back a few blogs to set the record straight. I forgot this bit of “new information.”
In Part Four “All Aboard” Revisited – Part Four I introduced Idaho Ratcliffs. Remember the impromptu reunion at Cari’s home? I found out from Eli’s descendants that the photo of the elderly Ratcliff siblings (circa 1967) in my book is labeled incorrectly. Eli and Loren should be switched. Those Ratcliff boys (some of them) DO look alike.
And another tidbit I forgot. When showing us where her grandparents lived, Cari said Eli once raised turkeys there, but only for a short time. Herding turkeys, he decided, was not an easy task (LOL!) so switched to a dairy farm and raised Jerseys. Every time I think of him trying to ‘herd’ turkeys, I have to chuckle.
During our entire trip, Jim and I noticed the differences and similarities in the scenery, agriculture, crops, industry, and more. We have never been that far from home since technology gave us answers to questions at the touch of a button. We frequently asked “Siri” to answer our questions, like: Hey Siri…how deep is the Great Salt Lake? [It’s 35′, and did you know it’s the largest inland body of salt water in the Western Hemisphere? ] or What’s the elevation of Antelope Island Park (which is the island in the middle of the Great Salt Lake)? [It’s 4,527′] or How deep is Bear Lake in Idaho? [It’s 208′]
Asking questions of a voice that resides inside my phone is crazy, but the fact that she can give answers at a moment’s notice is even crazier. We found Siri to be a great source of information for travelers.
While we were in the Kamiah area, we took several ‘side trips’ to explore the surrounding areas. One day we went to Kooskia then Grangeville. Another day, we drove out of Kamiah on Highway 12 and explored the town of NezPerce. The road was closed getting back in to Kamiah, so we had to back track, but the scenery – both days – was great. The drastic changes in elevation within a few short miles always makes for awesome views.
We watched for wildlife in all our travels, and I must admit, I was surprised we didn’t see more. There were a few critters we don’t see in Kansas – magpies (birds), and Canadian quail (s much smaller cousin to Kansas quail). We saw osprey or eagle nests high in the pine trees, but never saw their occupants.
Our new friend/cousin, Jerry, gave us the grand tour of the Woodland area on August 30th. It was a beautiful day, and even more beautiful at his land which is high above the main community of Woodland. We could see forever from there and the views were awesome in every direction. His land, once owned by his paternal grandfather, is next to Haskins Butte, which Grandma mentioned in her journal.
On October 8th of 1913 – just shy of 111 years ago – Grandma wrote in her journal that the boys (her cousins) “took the grinder to J. Johnson’s to grind.” As I mentioned in the book, that guy – J. Johnson – was Jerry’s grandpa. How cool is that? We explored that barn with Jerry. Much of Woodland’s wheat and barley (and possibly other crops) were crushed or rolled there. Johnie (Jerry’s grandpa) was the only one in the area with a rolling mill at that time.
What a wonderful old barn with great bones and a great history in a great setting. I love the weathered wood of old barns as well as the stories and the beauty that surrounds them. Don’t you?
All for now!
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