Except this wasn't your everyday visitor. This guy's family built this house!
He was in town for the big high school rival football game (because that's what all small town America folk seem to get excited about! lol) and his fellow alumni were invited to the game as the class of '52. He doesn't live in our town anymore, but learned that we were renovating it & wanted to stop by. (Editor's note: Matt just told me he drove all the way up from Virginia! Did not know that.)
So Matt stopped what he was doing & talked with this man, Dick Johnson, for quite a while. He even took notes! I hope I can decifer them well enough. Here's my best shot.
A man named John N. Gale (1838-1916) of a town called Hardwick, VT built the house in 1860. He had a woodworking shop & built furniture & cabinetry. He was married twice. His first wife, Anna P. Johnson, lived from 1839-1888. They were married for just 7 years before her passing. He then married Bessie Farrow-Higgins a year later. Bessie, a widower 15 years his junior, had one child from her previous marriage: Julia Belle Higgins (born in 1884). John & Bessie had another son together, Lyman, in 1891. Julia was this man's grandmother. He says she graduated from the Academy (where my kids will go to High School) in 1903, majoring in the classics, and she tutored him in Latin all the way through High School. (That is very cool for that time period!). Also noteworthy, the 1900 census shows a Albert Gale listed as his son living in the house... Born in 1870! Makes me wonder if there was another wife before Anna living with him when he originally built it... Hmm...)
Anyway, Julia married Bernard Albert Johnson, Dick's grandfather. (I'm not sure if he was any relation to Mr. Gale's first wife Anna). (Another editor's note: Matt says he asked & they were not related.) Bernard ran a fine men's clothing store called Moore & Johnson which was known as the place in New England to buy men's clothing. John & Bessie sold the house to Julia & Bernard in 1913, just three years before John died. Julia died in 1941 according to Dick, and the city records show that the front 8 feet of the property were deeded to the city that year to build the bridge. Dicks dad, Clark Johnson, executor of Julia's estate, sold the house in 1974.
So that's what we know so far. Pretty cool, huh? (It's okay if you don't think so. But we do! LOL) Matt got to sit & talk with an elderly man who says he spent every Thanksgiving & Christmas of his life in our house. He told Matt stories about how he'd go & visit grandma and how every Saturday night shed soak beans to cook in our kitchen. What a privilege! How many people are blessed to have a home with such rich history, and how many people are so lucky to be able to talk with a man who made so many memories throughout his life in that home? And then, have him give his blessing with everything we're doing to restore it! Amazing. And I'm so sad I missed meeting him. I hope that once the house is complete we'll be able to invite him over for dinner sometime & he can tell us more stories. He's going to try to get us more pictures, and he directed us to good people to contact for maybe some more historical info. In the mean time, I did find this one picture online. It's a postcard from 1907, and juuuuuuuust immediately to the left of this picture is where our house is. So close! :/. But still cool!
As I finish typing here, it is early Monday morning. I'm sure you all have heard about hurricane Sandy heading our way. We expect it to hit tomorrow, maybe this evening, and as far inland as upstate NY. Logically, I can't imagine it being too bad where I live, but I've learned from experience not to underestimate big storms. ;). They're saying we should expect wind gusts up to 80 mph, so who knows! I'll be sure to update you all as soon as it's over. Fingers crossed that our good luck in VT still stands! :)
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