Allred
Family Organization
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Support our Research and Buy Cool Stuff! East Coast Allred Family Association Tales of a Traveling Genealogist
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Newsletter # 46, page 9, Spring 2001 Allred Home in Mt. Etna, Indiana Compiled from notes sent by John M. Allred (Huntington, Indiana) (John, Merritt, Laban, Abner,
William, Patience, Catherine, John The Allred Homestead two miles from Mt. Etna on old Indiana Highway 9 may be one of the most historic homes in the county. Owned by three generations of the Allreds from 1886 - 1893, this old farm holds many family memories. The house was described as "all doors". John's brother, Jim said, "It had two exits and two entrances. I remember coming in the north door and going out the south door." John's great grandfather, Abner Allred (1835 - 1911), was the first Allred to come to Lancaster, Indiana. He arrived in 1863. When he built the house 23 years later, the limestone used for the foundation came from a local quarry. Wood timbers in the attic were not cut in a saw mill, but were hand hewed. Two summer kitchens provided cooking and canning conditions for the ladies of the house. The expansive porches winding all around the house were not considered a luxury, they were the family's form of air-conditioning. Many a hot August evening was spent sitting in the rocking chairs on those porches, sipping cool well water. The house, when finished, cost the family $990. The receipt for the final bill has been proudly handed down through the generations. A windmill was used to pump water and was a grand spectacle, seen for miles around. The home also had a fruit cellar, but with the advent of modern technology in 1965, it was filled in. The farm contained 300 acres. For years the land provided grain, forage and sustenance for beef cattle bought in Chicago and Kansas. Abner's son, Laban Allred, used to purchase carloads of cattle for the farm, one of the largest in the area. I hope you enjoyed this little look into the days before electricity and running water. |
North Carolina Allreds in the 1750's North Carolina History Timeline |
