I bet your first thought your were viewing Luscaux Cave drawings from the famous French caves. It is sort of similar but no, it is the box. Yesterday's blog shows a box which holds all of it's old things and while I was dusting it off and looking at the box, I discovered a young boy had made his mark on the world.
The box came from the John and Iva farm. It was a mystery about the drawings at first because I had forgotten they were on there. A young boy probably stored his valuables in it and decorated it with pencil and crayon. The John and Iva farm sat four miles or less south of a town called Hopeville. They had four boys, Harvey, Lowell, George and Loren. George was killed in the War and is buried over in one of cemeteries in France. George was a little younger than my dad but he would have been born in the 1920's. His older brothers, who are all still alive, probably are all in their 90's or close to it by now.
As I was brushing a little dust off of this box, with it's dovetailed corners, I spotted the name Lowell in a word bubble. If you click on the picture you can see it. It apparently is a drawing of him, having just punched someone. I can figure out who the guy is laying on the ground seeing stars but I have a feeling it is a neighbor boy. I may research that as I have a writing about them and their country school days. Maybe I can find a name that fits the poor handwriting.
In this photo you can see a dog chasing a rabbit with their little balloon descriptors above their heads. I like the color that he put along the bottom of the box. I am assuming that products that were in jars probably were shipped in these kind of boxes.
In many ways I am so glad that I clung to the junk. Now I do go back and find this very interesting and do appreciate it. I have said before that I was very close to John and Iva and even though their family was a whole generation beyond ours, I was able to follow them for quite some time. Their son Loren, became the state's main administrator at the Historical Building in Des Moines but is now retired. He kept track of my mom for years and now that she is gone, he and I write every Christmas. It is like clinging on to a one last bit of my childhood history being able to still know him.
I have to get to work now. Another snowed-in day with schools closed and roads in bad shape. Everyone stay safe. Thanks for stopping by.....
8 comments:
How fun to see the children's art on the outside of the box! Don't you love hidden surprises!??
I noticed the one laying on the floor is calling out to Marvin.
how neat! that is so cool that you have the history of the family to go with the box. be sure to write down what you discover and keep it with the box. i bet someone in their family would like too have it back.
I find your post so interesting. Those drawings are priceless. Such a blessing to still be able to communicate with Loren.
Now that another person thinks it says Marvin I will go research the country school manual that I have from his school to see which kid he has knocked out.
I love this post. Worth an extended article in the National Geographic Magazine.
Oh what fun..and I loved Alan Burnett's comment..I nearly fell out of my chair!
I do like the drawings, history that tells it's own story!
We got some nasty blowing snow yesterday..all the east west roads got icy and full of packed snowdrifts..there were a few accidents that the rescue dept got called out for too..you have really got your share of snow this winter:(
That's a great piece of detective work. And these last remaining ties are very precious and get to be more meaningful as the years go by.
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