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See previous entry: Little Home Histories, Part 09 -- Anna Stanton Bundy.
The old home of Chalkley and Sarah Doudna Bundy was built by Robert Hodgin, Sarah's uncle.
The following story of my grandfather Bundy's old homestead has been related to me, a little at a time by my father, Nathan Bundy, now in his 94th year. He enjoys going back through memory's lane and giving me a history of his early home and life. It is remarkable how much he remembers after so many years.
The main part of the house was of brick construction, two stories high, with a lean-to frame addition, four or five steps lower, used as the kitchen.
Telling me of the lean-to kitchen reminded father of an incident that happened when he was a very small boy. One night grandfather heard a noise in the kitchen. The doors were left open in the summer time for ventilation. Going to the top of the steps leading to the kitchen he saw a crazy man -- one Stoke Newman -- standing in the middle of the kitchen with an ax over his shoulder. In the olden days there were no institutions for the feeble-minded and such persons were taken care of by their relatives as best they could. Grandfather just stood still and looked at Stoke, saying not a word. Presently Stoke turned on his heel and walked quietly out of the kitchen door. Later it was discovered that he had taken the ax from great-grandfather Doudna's wood shed.
The downstairs of the brick part, consisting of one large room and two bedrooms, was about 8 ft. in height. There were three bedrooms and a hallway upstairs. There were two open fireplaces upstairs and one in the living room downstairs. In the kitchen was a fireplace which would hold a big back log set on and-irons. Father says they studied their lessons in the evening in front of this big fireplace, reaching out occasionally, as did Abraham Lincoln, kicking the logs to make them burn up brighter so they could read.
Here he told me about a young black slave boy from the south who had come to live with them. His name was George Matthews and he could not read or write although he was 18 years old. He went to the black school and studied his lessons with brothers, Lin and Joe, by the light of the logs. They were all reading the first reader, but when school was out he was way ahead of the other two boys. George lived with them until he married a girl from No. 1 school district.
The cooking was done over a wood stove. Grandfather had a circular saw run by horse power for cutting the wood. The logs were cut about a foot and a half long, then split. The splitting of the wood for the cook stove was the first job given George when he came to live with grandfather.
The windows in the whole house were rather small consisting of twelve small lights, six above and six below.
Under the brick part of the house was the cellar with its dirt floor and another big fireplace. The butchering work was all done in the cellar by this open fire. Lizzie Peterson, a black woman, who helped grandmother, took care of the butchering work. Apples, potatoes, etc. were stored in the basement for winter use.
The water supply was from a spring over which was built a two room, dressed stone spring house. In the first room was the spring and in the second a stone trough into which the water ran from the spring. The milk was kept in this trough in open crocks.
At the barn, which was built by grandfather, was a dug well. In this well was an old log pump built by Jeptha Blower's father. He bored the log out by hand and put in the pump part.
They made soft soap by leaching wood ashes. Father said they would cut doom a sapling about three feet long, split it in half and hollow out a trough. Then they would cut clap boards from a white oak tree and lean these up in the trough. They piled these full of ashes and ran water over them. The lye was collected in the trough; it was then put in an iron kettle with scraps of grease cracklings, etc., as long as the lye would eat it up. When the lye was strong enough to bear up an egg it was poured out to harden. This type of soap was very hard on the hands. Father used to worry about his rough, bleeding hands when he went to school and would soak them in bran water.
There was no sugar camp on the farm but they would tap the big sugar maple down by the spring house and made maple syrup over an open fire in the yard.
Grandfather raised sorghum and made molasses, black as tar, in an open kettle. Sometimes the barrel of sorghum would turn to sugar.
They raised sheep but sold wool except what Sarah would use in making socks for her family.
After Grandmother's death, Grandfather married Deborah Hanson Bundy. Grandmother Debbie used to weave carpets. When Grandmother Debbie came into the family her own daughter, Mary C., and Aunt Mary were little girls together. They used to call them the "twins."
Grandmother Sarah hired Sally Van Law to make suits and clothing for them. They bought most of the material right there in Barnesville, however, that material came from Wheeling. The suits were made from corduroy and had no lining, making them of little value as far as warmth was concerned. Father says Sally used to make the boys' suits so they wouldn't "outgrow" them in a hurry and his were often big enough for two or three more his size. The suits were worn out before the boys could grow into them.
Grandfather always kept a dog or dogs for the children. One little dog was a great coon dog. Several of their dogs were killed by the coons who would lead them to a creek and then drown them but this little fellow was too smart for them and always got his coon.
Great-grandfather Doudna had a dog named Ranger who would follow him every place he went. At the time of his funeral Ranger went right along in the carriage, and stood at the edge of the grave while they lowered the casket.
The dogs were used a great deal in fox hunts.
Uncle John Bundy had one of the first McCormick Reapers. Grandfather used a sickle to cut wheat and a Grubber for thrashing.
The apples were taken to George Tatem's cider mill to be made into cider. There always was such a throng there that one time Grandfather thought he would be a little smarter than the other farmers so they took a load of apples and went to the press in the middle of the night, only to find another load already there ahead of him.
On June 19th, 1859, there was a severe frost that killed all the wheat in that area.
This is just a small insight into the homelife of my grandfather and grandmother and in spite of the hard work and the lack of all the modern conveniences that we deem it impossible to get along without they were a simple honest, peaceloving, homeloving folk and we might do well to pattern our lives a little more after the fashion of theirs.
The following is an exact copy of the records in the Chalkley Bundy Family Bible.
Births
Chalkley Bundy, son of William Bundy and Sarah, his wife, was born the 24th of 2nd month, 1823.
Sarah Doudna, daughter of Joel Doudna and Rebecca, his wife was born the 16th of 9th month, 1824.
Lindley Bundy, son Of Chalkley Bundy and Sarah, his wife, was born the 28th of 1st month, 1845.
Joel I. Bundy, son of Chalkley Bundy and Sarah, his wife, was born the 22nd of 10th month, 1846.
Nathan W. Bundy, son of Chalkley Bundy and Sarah, his wife was born the 11th of 6th month, 1848.
Lucinda Bundy Daughter of Chalkley Bundy and Sarah, his wife, was born the 11th of 9th month, 1850.
Rebecca D. Bundy daughter of Chalkley Bundy and Sarah his wife, was born the 11th of 12th month, 1853.
Emma Buddy daughter of Chalkley Bundy and Sarah his wife, was born the 8th of 12th month 1856.
Mary Elizabeth Bundy daughter of Chalkley Bundy and Sarah his wife, was born the 23rd of 5th month 1860.
Chalkley Bundy son of Chalkley Bundy and Sarah his wife, was born the 5th of 6th month, 1862
Mary Caleb Bundy daughter of Caleb Bundy and Deborah H. his wife was born the 3rd of 2nd month 1860.
Deaths
Sarah Bundy Consort of Chalkley Bundy departed this life 8th month 1st 1862. Age 37 years 10 months 15 days.
Chalkley Bundy son of Chalkley Bundy and Sarah his wife departed this life 9th month 28th 1862. Age 3 months 25 days.
Emma Bundy daughter of Chalkley Bundy and Sarah his wife departed this life 8th month 25th 1863. Age 6 years 7 months 17 days.
Chalkley Bundy departed this life 12th month 1st 1866. Age 73 years 9 months 7 days.
Joel Bundy son of Chalkley Bundy and Sarah His wife departed this life 31st of 3rd month 1873. Age 26 years 5 months 9 days.
Source:Written by: Anna Mary Bailey, Daughter of Nathan W. Bundy and Granddaughter of Chalkley Bundy.
See next entry: Little Home Histories, Part 11 -- Flax-Wool-Soap Making.