By: Stan Jordan
This is a picture of the Ehrhart Homestead, it was built in 1902 or 1903. There was 3 children in the family.
This homestead was west of Antwerp on old US 24, about one forth of a mile east of the state line on the south side of the road.
Well, Otto Ehrhart moved to town in 1907 and over the years the homestead was sold.
According to Harold Wann, his grandfather, Walter Wann, bought that farm. There was 2 boys and in the family, Everett and Dayton. Everett had 3 boys (Gene, Jay and Harold). A few years ago Cord Ehrhart bought the homestead, about 2 acres, and built that beautiful home there. Cord has 3 girls. Harold Wann still owns the farm ground.
Auto By Otto: 5 (The last of “Memories”)
Memories
In the year 1902 we purchased a farm of 50 acres from Bert Cunningham, situated along the canal 1/2 mile east of the stateliness for $1700 about 2/3 of the farm was in woods. We started to cut some of the bigger trees and hauled them to a sawmill in Antwerp, run by B A Smith and Purdy, and 
had it sawed up into timber with which to build our home, in the fall I put in the foundation for the house. I used hollow brick, lime for mixing the motor was bought in chunks, It was dissolved by adding water until it formed a paste, after which sand was added in proper amount to make a good mortar. On the Monday before Thanksgiving of 1902 we started to get the frame work ready. A Mr. Nye of near Payne was going to build the home working by the day. I and Clyde Stenger was going to help. Mr. Nye charged $1.25 per day, Clyde Stenger $15.00 per month and board. I and Clyde Stenger batched in a shanty that we build on the place, later used as a chicken coop, to of some old scrap lumber. We worked on the frame for three days, and then played off for Thanksgiving, Bad weather set in, and Mr. Nye failed to show up. I and Clyde kept on working, when Mr. Nye showed for work again it was in March, we had it all enclosed about ready to move, that made him mad, and he took his tools, after bawling us out for using them, and went home. We used matched siding for the outside, no insulation at that time, it was a two story house, doors and windows were in place and both floors laid, no lathe or plaster when we moved in. U.S. (General) Overmyer shoed me how to make the window and door frames, and how to put on the cornish in return I helped him in the construction of the Nathan Doctor’s house on the state line next to the river. We had Warney Fields put down a drove well, something rare in those days and we had a good supply of sanitary water. We moved into the house the later part of March, finished lathing and plastering after we moved in. This home and farm is now owned by Everett Wann , west on U.S. 24.
Another thing I can remember, one Sunday when I was out hunting in the woods, my dog ran a skunk in to and old log heap. I managed to shoot it, it was the first one I ever saw. I took it home and showed it to my folks and skin it, but my mother wouldn’t let me skin it near the house. So I took it about a quarter of a mile from the house, along an old fence and skinned it. That evening, several of boys living around Nineville, about 1/3 mile south of us, came and asked me if it was true true that I killed a skunk. I told them I did and they asked me what I done with it. I show them where I had skinned it, they said they would like to have the meat, so I gave it to them. There was small church a little over two miles south of us and at that time they were having protracted meeting. A number of us boys would go to these meetings in order to have something to do and and I went that night to attend the meeting, during the meeting the windows were open for ventilation. When all of a sudden a very strong odor came in through the windows and some one investigating claimed that some one had placed the insides of a skunk on the window so to they closed the windows. They boys might have ate the meat, but evidently threw away the insides of it.
I Was Wrong
By: Stan Jordan
Some months ago, I wrote a column on gun control. It was right when some of those terrorist acts was going on in the west and southwest.
I had said that the government should call back all of the AK 15’s or some of those semi-automatic rifles. I was sure doing a lot of thinking about those many murders and multiple killings that was happening.
Well, time has proved me wrong because as near as I know a semi-automatic rifle has only ever been used once in those killings. Now these people with a warped brain are using knives, clubs, machetes, cars, trucks, bombs… anything that will kill.
I would like to see these acts stop, but I don’t see any end to it yet.
Gun control is not the answer, those type of people will get their weapons any how.
See ya!
My Day At The Ribfest
By: Stan Jordan
We attended the Pancake and Sausage Breakfast at the EMS building and had time to sit and talk a while.
Then at noon I was at the rib fest and they let me put my lawn chair in the shade with the firemen auxillary.
I wasn’t there very long and I had to try some ribs. Yes, they were very good and a little greasy, of course, but they furnished a lot of napkins.
I sat in the shade and got to talk to a lot of old friends and then made some new friends also, you know, something like a homecoming.
Then in the middle of the afternoon, Dan Bowers came along in his golf cart and took me all around the midway, I got to see all that was going on.
The ACDC had a booth that was something of a headquarters and they sold raffle tickets for a Kayak to raise money for the many benefits they serve.
Then the local churches had a booth where they sold water, pop and things to cool you off. They were raising money for this year’s V.B.S.
Then the boy scouts had a tent where they sold sweet corn and curly fries and any profit they made goes to summer camp. The girl scouts had cotton candy.
Then on the left side of the midway was one of the people that had ribs.
Then the VFW had their coral open and people could go in, eat their ribs and enjoy a Bud Light.
There was another rib vendor and they also sold fresh meat from the farm.
The ladies auxillary of the Hicksville Fire Dept. had a booth and was selling soft ice cream, I had some of the blueberry. I understand they were raising money to buy a saw called The Jaws of Life…a real good cause. The lady auxillary of the Antwerp Fire Dept. had a concession, they sold hot dogs, hamburgers and brats.
The Antwerp Baseball Association had a pretty tent and they sold a number of products. Mary told me they still owed a little money for the work done at the diamond complex last spring.
It seems that all the stands made a little money for their benefits that they were working for and everybody had a good time as the weather was perfect.
I think everyone enjoyed themselves and had a nice day, so in light of that I will end this column like I have years past…the ACDC has booted home a winner.
See ya!
Sam Rivers, Indian Agent Chapter 36: Wolves!
By: Stan Jordan
We are still here at Fort Kearney. The snow storm finally blew itself out, but it is still down around zero and that is plenty cold.
Dr. Grooms talked to General Kearny about the cold weather, and he doesn’t want Callie taking the twins into that cold house down at the Indian Agency. He recommended that a soldier go on over and light the fires and let them burn a couple days. That room had been without heat for a month now and that room will be cold and damp.
The general agreed to that and sent the runner, Rooster, on his horse, Rocket, over to do the chores and light the fires. Rooster and Rocket got off to an early start and pushed right along and reached the agency about an hour before dark.
Rooster went into the house part of the building, and with a little coal oil from the lanterns, started a quick fire. He also put on the coffee pot. He removed his big bear skin coat and was plenty comfortable with his inside army jacket. Rooster got a fire started in the fire place and thought to himself, : I will go to the barn and cut off some deer meat and some buffalo meat, enough for a couple of days.”
When Rooster approached the barn he heard growls and snarls coming from inside. Right now he was scared and nervous as to what that could be. He pulled his service revolver and cocked it – it was ready to fire. He opened the barn door with one hand and a big wolf was right in front of him. He pulled the trigger and killed that wolf. Oh, what a moment. Pandemonium broke out! A couple more wolves raced past him and out the door.
The last big wolf leapt at Rooster. He threw his arm up to protect his face and fired his pistol at the same time. The wolf grabbed his left forearm, as the bullet tore into the wolf’s lower back and hip and it fell to the ground. He growled and snarled. He wasn’t dead, but he couldn’t move his back legs.
This all happened in the space of a couple of seconds. Rooster looked around in the barn and all the wolves were gone or dead. He finished off the wounded wolf, as his noise and smell were driving Rooster’s horse insane with fear.
Rooster stood and reviewed the situation. He thinks his arm is broken, he has claw marks on his face, and he has but one arm to use and he must get busy because it’s almost dark. He took both dead wolves out behind the barn and settled his horse down. He carried out two ears of corn and an arm load of timothy hay. Rocket was plenty hungry. Rooster put two more ears of corn in his saddle bags.
As the horse was eating, Rooster went to the back of the barn to see how the wolves got into the meat. He picked up a loose board and rolled a stump against it. No other animals can get in now.
Rooster cut off a good supply of deer meat. The wolves had been eating the buffalo meat as it was closer to the ground and they could reach it.
As he went to the house, he got into his saddle bag and picked up his sandwich that was left from his lunch, which seemed like a long time ago now. When Rooster got to the house, he told himself to do all the work before he sat down. He made the coffee and fired up two skillets of deer meat. He pulled Callie’s rocking chair over by the fire, but not much heat yet. He sat and ate one pan of deer meat while the other pan was frying.
He used up his canteen water to make the coffee, so he couldn’t wash the blood from his face. It had ran in streaks down his face from the wolf’s paws and claws. He did all this work with one hand. He kept the hand of his broken arm inside his jacket as that acted like a sling. He sat down and drank his coffee and put his beer skin coat over his lap. He dozed off into a troubled but restful sleep.
See ya!
