Page 25 - barefoot-in-the-sand-remembering-the-waning-days-of-the-hopewell-community-(1998)-bruce-c-gragg

Barefoot In The Sand: Remembering the Waning Days of the Hopewell Community (1998) Bruce C. Gragg 21/123

THE NEW HOUSE GETS A NEW FENCE

When our new house was first built it still had the field fence
around it and we wanted something a little more in keeping with the
style of house. J.M. Carter's house on 82 had a white picket fence
around it, he had already moved his family to Lake City. Papa talked
to him about it and he let us have it. We had to take it down and get
it to our house. The job of removing the fence was taken on by Uncle
Carroll, he took it down post and fence and hauled them home in the
old black Plymouth Coupe. This was during his waning college days at
U of F, studying Accounting. He could only haul about four sections
at a time. He really put out some work getting them home. Papa did
hitch up the horse and wagon and haul some of it, in the wagon a few
more sections could be hauled at one time. Then we all worked to put
it up then white washed it, Vera and I didn’t really put out too much
work, we usually served as ”go-fers”.

While taking the old fence posts down from around the house, Uncle
Carroll would even work in the rain to get the job finished. The big
gate posts just about did him in, they were so big and put down so
deep they created quite a job removing them. It does take a big post
to swing a big heavy gate on. He dug a slanted hole down beside them
and hooked a chain to the car and wrapped it around them and slowly
pull them out. He finally got the job done. He had worked very hard
and was justly proud of the effort he had put forth to complete his
job. He and all his siblings always took a lot of pride in what they
did and tried their best to do it well. When the front part was
finished and white washed it added a lot to the charm of the house,
very much in keeping with the style of home. Papa eventually finished
the picket fence all around the house, using no longer needed tobacco
sticks. Part of the fence in back never got white washed. At the time
I didn’t know much about ’’Huck Finn.” Besides there weren't many
other kids in the neighborhood to trick into doing it. By the time
the fence was completed the idea to move, like just about all the
other neighbors, was beginning to be thought of. This was finally
done in the fall of 1952, after having looked for about 3 years all
over North Florida. We moved to the final homestead near White
Springs, Fla. a few miles across the river in Hamilton County. It was
a much smaller farm only 38 acres compared to 220 in the old
homestead. The big thing for me was I lost all my roaming territory,
and that cramped my freedom for activity especially on a Sunday
afternoon. At the "old place" I literally had miles and miles of
roads and trails to ride in total solitude, this I enjoyed beyond
words. At White Springs, I could ride the horse with some of the
local boys, but it was too crowded and not enough open spaces to
really enjoy riding in prefect freedom. You just can't

www.LakeCityHistory.com LCH-UUID: B98DC69E-ADC1-4EE7-8817-CA941114D897