The Homestead in 1912

In other notes the farm has been described briefly. Until about 1912 the homestead was one of the very best kept farms in a wide area.

The stone walls that lined the fields were kept in good repair. Walled lanes extended straight from the road to the east and west with gateways into every field. The edges of the fields were hand scythed to clear away all rank weeds and brush. There were no brush patches except in one rocky outcropping. While the land was quite stony, good use was made of the stones. They had been neatly laid in the walls or used, hundreds of loads of them, to fill in the swampy edges of the lake shore. The two orchards, located west of the road and north and south of the house, were well-trimmed and produced many kinds of apples. There were the early Primates, Fall Pippins, Winter Russets, Tallman Sweets, Northern Spies, Kings, Spitzengers and others. Spraying and dusting were not then necessary.

The house, described elsewhere was painted white. Other buildings on the west side of the road were a chicken house and tool shed and a substantial building used for chickens hogs and slaughterhouse. This same building was the one the family lived in after the first house burned in 1857.

On the east side of the road and to the north of the east lane was the “wagon house”, a two story barn where 5 horses could be stabled, and the surrey, the buggies and the light sleigh were housed. The loft contained hay and storage space for lumber. To the south were two barns, one for 14 cows, and an inside silo, the other for horses, sheep and young stock. This one had an underground stable that was warm in winter. The usual stock was approximately 9 milk cows, 6 heifers, 3 work horses, one or two colts, 40 sheep, 20 to 40 hogs and 100 hens. The hogs were Essex prize winners at all area fairs for several years.

The lake, shaped like an egg or arrow head, was about 500 yards east and in front of the house. The big end was cleared so that a full view was given from the road. It was about one mile around the shore. Had the property lines extended across the water, about two thirds of the lake would have been on the farm. Except for the cleared end the lake was surrounded by woods, many of the trees tall and stately. One pointed pine stood like a sentinel on the northeastern shore about thirty feet taller than its neighbors. White and yellow water lillies grew in patches along the shore line. A few long pines had tipped over into the water many years ago and the limbs were all worn away. The area was a wonderful place to swim and to anchor fishing boats.

The lake had a level bottom 40 feet deep, rising sharply to the shore line, the eastern end being a little more shallow. It had no inlet and was fed entirely by springs. The outlet, except in the springtime, was a mere trickle from the east end.

Today there are about 30 cottages built in the woods, but there are none on the Moses Farm land, (1960). Oscar and his sons built a cottage near a group of large maples, on a rise of ground beside the lane about half way from the road to the lake.