The Way Back Machine

Once again it's time for a visit in the Way Back Machine.



The time: Mid 1950's
The place: Near Cumberland, Wisconsin

What's that you say? You've seen this one before? You're absolutely right. I've featured this photo of my grandfather's retirement home once before. This is where he and Grandma Blanche lived during the summer months. During the winter they lived in a small trailer on the Gulf coast of Florida.

This was a one-room schoolhouse that my grandpa converted into a home. There were two bedrooms, a kitchen, a large living room with fireplace, a bathroom and the most important feature of all - a school bell.

We would take turns ringing that school bell until Blanche would beg for mercy. Her brother Clarence, who lived across the road, would call and ask that the kids quit ringing the bell.

As I remember there were LOTS of Norwegian bachelor farmers living in the area. I don't know why they couldn't find wives.

Here's the front of the old schoolhouse. This is an unusual photo because it was taken in winter and they rarely spent time up north in the winter.



If you look above the doorway it says "Pine Hill" and the date 1928 (or 1923). I wonder if this brick structure replaced an earlier wooden building.

Here's why I'm featuring the schoolhouse a second time. Heidi, the Milk Man's Wife, has offered to help me locate the place. She lives just a bit south of Cumberland and she's promised to help my sister and I locate the spot so that we can visit it on our trip up north this spring.

I can't imagine that it's not still standing because it was one solid building. It would be fun to take photos from the same spots, just to see how things have changed. I'm sure there are still plenty of birch trees around. I wonder if the Nelson home is still standing across the road.

Time changes everything. We'll see.