House for Sale (OT)

I found a painting in the attic that was done by my dad's older sister.
(She's still with us! I haven't asked but I suspect she's around 90 years
old; I know her husband is 94. I've never actually met her but we talk on
the phone regularly.) I told her I found the painting and she said she used
acrylics on a masonite board. It's a painting of Tanoma, Pennsylvania.
This is a small rural town settled primarily by German immigrants at the
turn of the last century. It's very rustic; the painting reminds me of
'American Gothic'.

After talking with her she sent me a note on a card she painted and had
printed as stationery. By then she'd switched to water colours. She's a
very talented artist. This was the house they lived in in Clymer,
Pennsylvania.

This brought on a wave of nostalgia. So I Googled Clymer. Population as of
the last census 1547. This led me to Google McDonald, Ohio. McDonald is
where my parents met. My father lived next door to my mother. Yes, he
married the girl next door.

Guess what is for sale in McDonald, Ohio? My grandma's house.

McDonald was a "company town". The steel mills were hot and heavy (pardon
the pun, but I remember them smelting at night and the sky was red) at the
turn of the last century. Carnegie Steel (later US Steel) built the mills
and they built the houses. Grandpa was an electrician in the mills. He
bought the house around 1920 after emigrating from Scotland for (IIRC)
$4000.

I lived in this house briefly with my grandparents, mother and middle
brother for 6 months. We were waiting for my father and my oldest brother
to return from Thailand in 1971.

It's on the market for $30,000. Yikes! Talk about a depressed housing
market. Well, yes, the mills closed in the 1980's. I'm surprised the town
is still there. There wasn't much to it when it *was* there. The last time
I visited was in 1980. They'd gotten a stop light and a telephone booth.
LOL There was still only one grocery store and an apothocary shop (drug
store).

It's very strange seeing Grandma's house up for sale. I remember walking in
the kitchen door and being greeted with a tin full of M&M cookies The
house had two kitchens. My grandmother was a neat freak. The upstairs
kitchen was pretty much for show. When Grandpa remodeled in the 1950's he
moved the kitchen down to the basement and gave Grandma a brand new kitchen.
She used the one in the basement to do messy work, canning pears and
peaches. There was a fruit cellar and also a coal cellar. At one time the
house had laundry chutes.

Funny, the listing doesn't mention a second kitchen. Maybe someone took it
out. And what a shame! I've got photos of that old kitchen *before* it was
moved to the basement. Classic stuff. Rachel Ray would be swooning over
it. LOL

Anyway, I'm just ruminating. It's odd to see a house I remember so well up
for sale. For so little money, when you get right down to it. Some people
spend more than that on a car.

Jill

jmcquown wrote:
I found a painting in the attic that was done by my dad's older sister.
(She's still with us! I haven't asked but I suspect she's around 90
years old; I know her husband is 94. I've never actually met her but we
talk on the phone regularly.) I told her I found the painting and she
said she used acrylics on a masonite board. It's a painting of Tanoma,
Pennsylvania. This is a small rural town settled primarily by German
immigrants at the turn of the last century. It's very rustic; the
painting reminds me of 'American Gothic'.

After talking with her she sent me a note on a card she painted and had
printed as stationery. By then she'd switched to water colours. She's
a very talented artist. This was the house they lived in in Clymer,
Pennsylvania.

This brought on a wave of nostalgia. So I Googled Clymer. Population
as of the last census 1547. This led me to Google McDonald, Ohio.
McDonald is where my parents met. My father lived next door to my
mother. Yes, he married the girl next door.

Guess what is for sale in McDonald, Ohio? My grandma's house.

McDonald was a "company town". The steel mills were hot and heavy
(pardon the pun, but I remember them smelting at night and the sky was
red) at the turn of the last century. Carnegie Steel (later US Steel)
built the mills and they built the houses. Grandpa was an electrician
in the mills. He bought the house around 1920 after emigrating from
Scotland for (IIRC) $4000.

I lived in this house briefly with my grandparents, mother and middle
brother for 6 months. We were waiting for my father and my oldest
brother to return from Thailand in 1971.

It's on the market for $30,000. Yikes! Talk about a depressed housing
market. Well, yes, the mills closed in the 1980's. I'm surprised the
town is still there. There wasn't much to it when it *was* there. The
last time I visited was in 1980. They'd gotten a stop light and a
telephone booth. LOL There was still only one grocery store and an
apothocary shop (drug store).

It's very strange seeing Grandma's house up for sale. I remember
walking in the kitchen door and being greeted with a tin full of M&M
cookies The house had two kitchens. My grandmother was a neat
freak. The upstairs kitchen was pretty much for show. When Grandpa
remodeled in the 1950's he moved the kitchen down to the basement and
gave Grandma a brand new kitchen. She used the one in the basement to do
messy work, canning pears and peaches. There was a fruit cellar and
also a coal cellar. At one time the house had laundry chutes.

Funny, the listing doesn't mention a second kitchen. Maybe someone took
it out. And what a shame! I've got photos of that old kitchen *before*
it was moved to the basement. Classic stuff. Rachel Ray would be
swooning over it. LOL

Anyway, I'm just ruminating. It's odd to see a house I remember so well
up for sale. For so little money, when you get right down to it. Some
people spend more than that on a car.

Jill

There are lots of dying rural towns around here with very cheap housing.
One of my relatives sometimes talks sentimentally about coming back to
retire to one of them. Problem is, of course - no work for anyone of
working age, any doctors and medical facilities some distance -
sometimes an extremely long distance - away, ditto for grocery stores,
aside from maybe a single small and expensive convenience-type store.
Lack of a local tax base to pay much for garbage collection, water &
sewer provision and maintenance etc.

I keep thinking I've finally made my last trip to the town where I grew
up, and maybe by this time I've actually made it - last one must have
been 5 or 6 years ago. I used to get dragged out there periodically when
relatives would want to visit. Distance are shorter than I remember
them, houses have changed, some buildings have disappeared forever, and
I've never regretted moving away as a teenager.

I suppose I could get a house there - although not necessarily one of
the ones I or other relatives actually lived in quite cheaply, though.

--
Cheryl

On May 15, 6:08*am, "jmcquown" wrote:
I found a painting in the attic that was done by my dad's older sister.
(She's still with us! *I haven't asked but I suspect she's around 90 years
old; I know her husband is 94. *I've never actually met her but we talk on
the phone regularly.) *I told her I found the painting and she said she used
acrylics on a masonite board. *It's a painting of Tanoma, Pennsylvania.
This is a small rural town settled primarily by German immigrants at the
turn of the last century. *It's very rustic; the painting reminds me of
'American Gothic'.

After talking with her she sent me a note on a card she painted and had
printed as stationery. *By then she'd switched to water colours. *She's a
very talented artist. *This was the house they lived in in Clymer,
Pennsylvania.

This brought on a wave of nostalgia. *So I Googled Clymer. *Population as of
the last census 1547. *This led me to Google McDonald, Ohio. *McDonald is
where my parents met. *My father lived next door to my mother. *Yes, he
married the girl next door.

Guess what is for sale in McDonald, Ohio? *My grandma's house.

McDonald was a "company town". *The steel mills were hot and heavy (pardon
the pun, but I remember them smelting at night and the sky was red) at the
turn of the last century. *Carnegie Steel (later US Steel) built the mills
and they built the houses. *Grandpa was an electrician in the mills. *He
bought the house around 1920 after emigrating from Scotland for (IIRC)
$4000.

I lived in this house briefly with my grandparents, mother and middle
brother for 6 months. *We were waiting for my father and my oldest brother
to return from Thailand in 1971.

It's on the market for $30,000. *Yikes! *Talk about a depressed housing
market. *Well, yes, the mills closed in the 1980's. *I'm surprised the town
is still there. *There wasn't much to it when it *was* there. *The last time
I visited was in 1980. *They'd gotten a stop light and a telephone booth.
LOL *There was still only one grocery store and an apothocary shop (drug
store).

It's very strange seeing Grandma's house up for sale. *I remember walking in
the kitchen door and being greeted with a tin full of M&M cookies *The
house had two kitchens. *My grandmother was a neat freak. *The upstairs
kitchen was pretty much for show. *When Grandpa remodeled in the 1950's he
moved the kitchen down to the basement and gave Grandma a brand new kitchen.
She used the one in the basement to do messy work, canning pears and
peaches. *There was a fruit cellar and also a coal cellar. *At one time the
house had laundry chutes.

Funny, the listing doesn't mention a second kitchen. *Maybe someone took it
out. *And what a shame! *I've got photos of that old kitchen *before* it was
moved to the basement. *Classic stuff. *Rachel Ray would be swooning over
it. LOL

Anyway, I'm just ruminating. *It's odd to see a house I remember so well up
for sale. *For so little money, when you get right down to it. *Some people
spend more than that on a car.

Jill

It sounds like it was a marvelous house, in its day.
I had a chance to go inside my grandmother's house once, long after
she was gone and it had sold. It was just plain sad. I remembered it
full of light, activity, food preparation and cousins.
Houses like your grandmother's are a boon for people who like a rural
setting.
Some people do. I don't think I'd like living with neighbors in a
rural
community. The part I like is the total isolation. At least as
technology
improves, access to health care, satellite TV, broadband internet,
garbage
pickup, it's much better in that regard than it used to be.

Sherry

Something nice that could be done is to copy this post, copy the pictures
and anything else you have and send them to the new owners. That would be,
as the commercial says "priceless" would take some work but, worth doing
for someone else.
"Sherry" wrote in message
...
On May 15, 6:08 am, "jmcquown" wrote:
I found a painting in the attic that was done by my dad's older sister.
(She's still with us! I haven't asked but I suspect she's around 90 years
old; I know her husband is 94. I've never actually met her but we talk on
the phone regularly.) I told her I found the painting and she said she
used
acrylics on a masonite board. It's a painting of Tanoma, Pennsylvania.
This is a small rural town settled primarily by German immigrants at the
turn of the last century. It's very rustic; the painting reminds me of
'American Gothic'.

After talking with her she sent me a note on a card she painted and had
printed as stationery. By then she'd switched to water colours. She's a
very talented artist. This was the house they lived in in Clymer,
Pennsylvania.

This brought on a wave of nostalgia. So I Googled Clymer. Population as of
the last census 1547. This led me to Google McDonald, Ohio. McDonald is
where my parents met. My father lived next door to my mother. Yes, he
married the girl next door.

Guess what is for sale in McDonald, Ohio? My grandma's house.

McDonald was a "company town". The steel mills were hot and heavy (pardon
the pun, but I remember them smelting at night and the sky was red) at the
turn of the last century. Carnegie Steel (later US Steel) built the mills
and they built the houses. Grandpa was an electrician in the mills. He
bought the house around 1920 after emigrating from Scotland for (IIRC)
$4000.

I lived in this house briefly with my grandparents, mother and middle
brother for 6 months. We were waiting for my father and my oldest brother
to return from Thailand in 1971.

It's on the market for $30,000. Yikes! Talk about a depressed housing
market. Well, yes, the mills closed in the 1980's. I'm surprised the town
is still there. There wasn't much to it when it *was* there. The last time
I visited was in 1980. They'd gotten a stop light and a telephone booth.
LOL There was still only one grocery store and an apothocary shop (drug
store).

It's very strange seeing Grandma's house up for sale. I remember walking
in
the kitchen door and being greeted with a tin full of M&M cookies The
house had two kitchens. My grandmother was a neat freak. The upstairs
kitchen was pretty much for show. When Grandpa remodeled in the 1950's he
moved the kitchen down to the basement and gave Grandma a brand new
kitchen.
She used the one in the basement to do messy work, canning pears and
peaches. There was a fruit cellar and also a coal cellar. At one time the
house had laundry chutes.

Funny, the listing doesn't mention a second kitchen. Maybe someone took it
out. And what a shame! I've got photos of that old kitchen *before* it was
moved to the basement. Classic stuff. Rachel Ray would be swooning over
it. LOL

Anyway, I'm just ruminating. It's odd to see a house I remember so well up
for sale. For so little money, when you get right down to it. Some people
spend more than that on a car.

Jill

It sounds like it was a marvelous house, in its day.
I had a chance to go inside my grandmother's house once, long after
she was gone and it had sold. It was just plain sad. I remembered it
full of light, activity, food preparation and cousins.
Houses like your grandmother's are a boon for people who like a rural
setting.
Some people do. I don't think I'd like living with neighbors in a
rural
community. The part I like is the total isolation. At least as
technology
improves, access to health care, satellite TV, broadband internet,
garbage
pickup, it's much better in that regard than it used to be.

Sherry

"Sherry" wrote in message
...
On May 15, 6:08 am, "jmcquown" wrote:
I found a painting in the attic that was done by my dad's older sister.
(She's still with us! I haven't asked but I suspect she's around 90 years
old; I know her husband is 94. I've never actually met her but we talk on
the phone regularly.) I told her I found the painting and she said she
used
acrylics on a masonite board. It's a painting of Tanoma, Pennsylvania.
This is a small rural town settled primarily by German immigrants at the
turn of the last century. It's very rustic; the painting reminds me of
'American Gothic'.

After talking with her she sent me a note on a card she painted and had
printed as stationery. By then she'd switched to water colours. She's a
very talented artist. This was the house they lived in in Clymer,
Pennsylvania.

This brought on a wave of nostalgia. So I Googled Clymer. Population as of
the last census 1547. This led me to Google McDonald, Ohio. McDonald is
where my parents met. My father lived next door to my mother. Yes, he
married the girl next door.

Guess what is for sale in McDonald, Ohio? My grandma's house.

McDonald was a "company town". The steel mills were hot and heavy (pardon
the pun, but I remember them smelting at night and the sky was red) at the
turn of the last century. Carnegie Steel (later US Steel) built the mills
and they built the houses. Grandpa was an electrician in the mills. He
bought the house around 1920 after emigrating from Scotland for (IIRC)
$4000.

I lived in this house briefly with my grandparents, mother and middle
brother for 6 months. We were waiting for my father and my oldest brother
to return from Thailand in 1971.

It's on the market for $30,000. Yikes! Talk about a depressed housing
market. Well, yes, the mills closed in the 1980's. I'm surprised the town
is still there. There wasn't much to it when it *was* there. The last time
I visited was in 1980. They'd gotten a stop light and a telephone booth.
LOL There was still only one grocery store and an apothocary shop (drug
store).

It's very strange seeing Grandma's house up for sale. I remember walking
in
the kitchen door and being greeted with a tin full of M&M cookies The
house had two kitchens. My grandmother was a neat freak. The upstairs
kitchen was pretty much for show. When Grandpa remodeled in the 1950's he
moved the kitchen down to the basement and gave Grandma a brand new
kitchen.
She used the one in the basement to do messy work, canning pears and
peaches. There was a fruit cellar and also a coal cellar. At one time the
house had laundry chutes.

Funny, the listing doesn't mention a second kitchen. Maybe someone took it
out. And what a shame! I've got photos of that old kitchen *before* it was
moved to the basement. Classic stuff. Rachel Ray would be swooning over
it. LOL

Anyway, I'm just ruminating. It's odd to see a house I remember so well up
for sale. For so little money, when you get right down to it. Some people
spend more than that on a car.

Jill

It sounds like it was a marvelous house, in its day.
I had a chance to go inside my grandmother's house once, long after
she was gone and it had sold. It was just plain sad. I remembered it
full of light, activity, food preparation and cousins.
Houses like your grandmother's are a boon for people who like a rural
setting.
Some people do. I don't think I'd like living with neighbors in a
rural
community. The part I like is the total isolation. At least as
technology
improves, access to health care, satellite TV, broadband internet,
garbage
pickup, it's much better in that regard than it used to be.

Sherry

- - - - - - - - - - - -
My grandfather walked past a house he admired when he was a youngster, and
he used to dream of owning that house. It was a very large farmhouse in
northeastern Ohio on excellent farmland. When he married my grandmother,
they actually did buy that house. That was approximately 1902. (Yes!
1902) My grandmother grew up in that house, and her "baby sister" (now 86
years old) still lives there with her son and granddaughter. So, I still
spend a lot of time in that house when I visit Ohio every summer. A
wonderful, comfortable home, still maintained in first-rate condition. They
still have the huge barn, silo and other buildings that are typical in that
part of Ohio. Wonderful memories!

MaryL