The old farm

 

Bucks County,  Pennsylvania 1908

"Grammy's" Farm

About 15 years ago, our cousins in Pennsylvania did some detailed genealogy work on the Bleam family tree.  Along with the research, they scanned several hundred old documents and photographs collected from relatives on both sides of the family. This amazing photographic archive ranges from 19th century portraits of unidentified ancestors, to family snapshots dating from the time my dad was growing up and after that-- when we were kids in the 1950's.  

The Pennsylvania cousins copied this photo treasure to CD's, and gave the disks to family members who attended a reunion in about 2003. I wasn't there unfortunately, so I was thrilled this week when dad sent me his copy. I uploaded them to my computer's growing collection of old family images.  So far, I haven't found anyone who closely resembles the daguerreotype man.  The mystery continues?

Many of the black and white snapshots were taken on the farm where our dad was born. His mother (Grammy) was born there, too.  The farm had already been in the family for several generations by the time I knew it.  Our dad, along with his five brothers and sisters, were all born and raised there, but many other relatives called it home over the centuries. This farm is where my brother, sister and I played with our cousins every Sunday afternoon, after church and a big Pennsylvania Dutch dinner. 

In the summer, everyone sat on the porch in the afternoon and talked. In the winter, it was the parlor, where uncles smoked after-dinner cigars and Aunt Doris sometimes played the piano.  Kids were always quiet and polite around grown-ups, but we pretty much had the run of the farm.

Can you imagine a time without a single distraction of technology, other than one house phone that rarely rang?  If you think it sounds like a Currier and Ives or Norman Rockwell picture, you would be correct. This was our early upbringing and the home of our first family memories.

What is it about farms, that imprint so strongly on memory in childhood?  Not just images, but the sounds and smells. If I close my eyes, I can still hear the spring peepers, see lightening bugs on the dark lawn, smell dusty hay in the loft and fresh cut grass when my cousins ran the lawnmower.

So, I've just started to label and organize these wonderful old photographs. It's a big project, but I'm going to work on putting together some albums. In the meantime, the family members who read the blog might like a sneak peek.  I know that my nieces Julie and April have never seen any of these photos.

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Grammy is second from the left in the back row, she's the dark-haired lady sitting next to (I think)  her parents.  Dad is in the front row left, sitting next to his little sister Doris. His older brother Clarence is right behind him. The little girl in the middle is Helen, another sister.  I don't know the girl in the chair with the baby.

Front row on the right, dad with his sisters Helen and Doris.  Grammy is second from the left standing next to her mother (I think.)

The front porch...and the front yard, scene of countless summer picnics and family weddings. Oh, I wish I knew exactly who all these people are.