by Doudna, Beulah M.

See previous entry: Little Home Histories, Part 26 -- Historical Data Concerning Joel and Rebecca Doudna and Family: 1859 June Frost.

A part of the house in which the writer is now living, has been called home for more than one hundred years. Originally there were but two rooms -- one built directly above the other.

The rooms were seventeen feet square. The joists under the floor were small logs hewn on the upper sides. The joists overhead were of small logs hewn on the upper and lower side, and were spaced near three feet apart. These are still faithfully serving their purpose.

Sometime between the years 1804 and 1841, this two roomed house was built on the same location where the home of Kenneth Lloyd Doudna now stands. (This land was originally purchased from President Thomas Jefferson by John Doudna Jr. in 1804.) It was here during the winter of 1841 that Joseph W. Doudna was born to John Doudna 3rd and his wife Asenath. They continued to make this their home for some years.

A short time before the death of Joseph's father, which occurred in 1848, neighbors slid the house down the hill a few rods nearer the spring so that water could be more easily carried. A few years later, a large house was built on the same location from whence the smaller one was moved. Later the two-room house was again moved to its present location (now the home of John A. Doudna, son of Joseph W. Doudna) and a lean-to kitchen was added.

Here in the year 1876, twin daughters, Mary and Sara were born to Joseph and Rosetta H. Doudna, in the same room in which their father was born, thirty five years before.

The lean-to kitchen has long disappeared. But the two original rooms still stand with the addition of six new ones. making for us today, a comfortable eight-room house instead of two. I like to think of the busy hands and loving hearts who long ago worked so diligently to establish their little home midst the great trees of the forest.

Source: Written by: Beulah M. Doudna, Great great granddaughter of John Doudna Jr.

See next entry: Little Home Histories, Part 28 -- Joseph W. Doudna.

For the table of contents and first entry in this series, please see: Little Home Histories, Part 01 -- Table of Contents and Introduction