Brick House History

So, this is the house. According to our records it was built in 1912 or 1915 (I can't remember which). This view is of the South side of the house. I'm adding to a post from earlier in the week about the surprise visitors last Friday. Lois put me in contact with the granddaughter of one of the little girls who lived in the house when it was first built. The following is the email I received from her this morning:

I'm delighted that my friend Lois went to visit you! I've driven around out there but really didn't know where to look and since my mom wasn't with me at the time, I didn't have her help. She remembers the house very well, but hasn't been out there for many, many years. The last time I was there, I visited my great uncle, Rusty Larson and that was 1963.

The property was homesteaded by my great, great grandfather, Orm Larson (Norwegian) in the early 1850's. The first year they lived in a dugout in the side of the hill as I understand it, until the log cabin was built in the spring. His son, John, inherited the property and lived there until he and his wife, Amalia, passed away. My mom thinks my grandmother, Viola Larson Arness, was born in the cabin - and your house was built when she was very young. The basement was used for baking bread, canning & washing and since alot of people lived in the house, there was probably a lot happening down there daily. John and Amalia had 11 children - their son Russell (Rusty) took over the property and did some renovations in the late 50's / early 60's like opening the stairway and moving the kitchen. We aren't sure who or why the door was bricked up.

My grandmother had a ruptured appendix when she was about 9 or 10, and since they didn't have much in the way of hospitals in 1915, they called the local doctor. He was drunk when he arrived, but went ahead and cut her open on the kitchen table by lamplight - and she lived thru it! She had at least a 12" jagged scar across her abdomen - terrible. She died in 1992 at 86 years old.

And here's a tidbit that I always thought was funny. Orm Larson liked to drink and swore a lot. One day he was in the woods on the property, chopping wood ( had a nip or two), and was swearing to himself. All of a sudden he was surrounded by Brownies (little people) who gave him a very bad time for being drunk and foul mouthed - scared him so bad he never swore or drank again in his life. So, when you're out and about in the woods, you might run across something special!

And as for the daughter of the king - yes, there is that story. I'll have to ask my mom again, but she's told me about it. I'll let you know.

Now isn't that some cool stuff. More on the daughter of the king story when I get more information. It's a pretty neat story.