Martha – One Childhood Home.

From May 1921 to March 1929 I lived on a farm 1 ¾ miles north of Boswell, Ind. On route 41 South from Chicago along the Illinois, Indiana state line. While we lived there it was paved and we girls (3 sisters) enjoyed watching all of the activity and before it was opened to traffic we got to roller skate on it.

Since it was the main highway south to Indianapolis from Chicago we could watch the fancy cars go by especially on Memorial Day when they were going to the Indianapolis 500 (Auto Race). At that time I thought it would be heavenly if I could go to the race sometime. Now it is one of the last things I would like to do.

Most farmers moved in March. We moved to this place in May. The owner’s wife ran off with the hired hand (gossip said) and the owner tried to kill himself by jumping in the water that filled the basement in the spring.

This was also the time of boot legging in Chicago. One night someone in a big car stopped at our place & asked if they could park the car back of our barn. Daddy let them put it in the crib. We girls were excited & looked in the car & found it was full of boxes labeled "Ink." We didn’t under stand why Mother & Daddy were uneasy. The next day the men came for the car & gave daddy $10.00 – a small fortune at that time.
(added by RLR)