Grandmother Lottie's Home in 1909

Glinda writes:

Mother and I had erands to run at the Court House on Tuesday. On the spur of the moment, I suggested we stop at the Recorder's Office. I hadn't told her the reason. I asked the attendant if we could find the exact location where my Grandmother lived in 1909. I assumed the farm would have been listed under her father's name Robert Nelson Hart. We were led into an area in that office that surely came right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. Without an exact date of transaction, finding the listing was not as easy as I expected.

But Mother, who was right beside me, said: "I think Dwight and Judy Hart live there now." I chuckled. She is amazing.

Later in the week, I talked with Dwight, who I now know is my 3rd cousin. His Great Grandfather Richard Warren Hart and my Great Grandfather Robert Nelson Hart were brothers. Both of the brothers (with 1 other brother, their mother, and 2 sisters) are pictured in the photograph put on the blog earlier.

Dwight and Judy do indeed live in the same location. The old house is gone. It was torn down in 1945 when his parents built and moved there. What intrigued me most was that he said that the name "R. N. Hart" is in the old cement stairs out front.

I told him the story of Great Grandfather Nelson taking Lottie to the train depot at either Greentop or Sublette every week as she was on her way to the Conservatory of Music in Kirksville. I asked him how far the farm would have been from either of those 2 locations. He said it was 6 miles to Greentop and 7 and 1/2 miles to Sublette. I can imagine that driving the horse and buggy over those roads in those times would have been quite interesting.

He further talked about 2 barns on the property, which he believes are original. One is now covered with tin. Originally, it was red with "battens" or strips inbetween the boards.

I shared this will Mother. We know a field trip is coming up in our future. Further, we smile about the barn. Mother has a picture of her Grandfather Robert Nelson Hart with 2 of his horses standing in front of a barn which matches the description Dwight provided. Aunt Lula Hart had written on the back: "I think this [is] your Grandpa Hart and his horses on west side of barn." Is it the same one? We shall be excited to see what Dwight says.

This is like mystery unfolding all around us.