History Brief.

As I mentioned in the "labor of love" post; our children are the 7th generation to enjoy the property.  

Property was purchased about 1818; maple tree along road was supposedly planted around then. 

North House was built in the 1840's.  

The timeline that I know begins with D.E. and his wife, Samantha.  

D. E. left for the California Gold Rush, and there are still letters detailing his travels.  The last letter received said "Struck It Rich, I'm Coming Home!"  

He never returned.  Samantha ran the farm and raised the children.  

North House had been remodeled over the years; suffered at least 2 major fires.  Sadly, the north house was demolished in 2010.  We were able to save brick, some of the foundation stone and the front door, and intend to use these at some point.

South House was built in the 1870's, the south bedroom and parlor wing are an addition (built 1-2 years after the main structure).  

Samantha and D.E's son G.W.E. became a successful businessman, a founding member of the Chicago Board of Trade, owner of the local bank.  

G.W.E. built the South House (as well as another house in town for his mother Samantha).

Two generations later, Grandmother and Grandfather used the house mainly as a weekend home until retirement.  

For the past 20 or so years the property has not been maintained very well.  There is an assortment of both cosmetic and structural repairs needed. 

July 2009, there was a catastrophic flood caused by a faulty water supply line in the second floor bathroom, affecting 85% of the rooms of the house. 

To say this is a large undertaking-is an understatement.