I’ve come now to one of the most treasured and heart-touching items in the collection. I’ll have Ermine Houchens begin the story that she recounts in “Growing Up With the Country”:
“My father, Norris Long Houchens, was born November 27, 1868, about 30 miles from Mammoth Cave. Kentucky. His mother, Sally Frances Wheeler Houchens, died when he was ten years old.
When Grandfather told Papa (Norris) that he was going to marry again, Papa was glad. It was very lonely with just the two of them. His father didn’t talk much and they had few visitors. Papa thought it would be very nice to have a woman in the house again because it seemed so right that one should be there. One thing that his father neglected to find out from his new wife-to-be was if she would take an interest in his children, especially the oldest one since he was to live with them. She did indeed take an interest in him immediately — an adverse interest.
The first Mrs. Houchens had been thrifty and industrious. There was much evidence of it when the second one came. There were chickens and other fowls about the place that she had raised; lard, preserves and jellies of various kinds in the cellar, and linens, quilts, braided and hooked rugs, pillows and feather beds, and other household furnishings, all provided by her capable hands.
Very soon after she moved in, the second mistress of the place began giving away everything. First, she emptied the chicken house and barnyard of fowls, then emptied the cellar. Every time any of her relatives came to visit, they left well-supplied.”
Ermine’s retelling in her book goes on to give the account of a few specific incidents where the stepmother had given away, thrown away, stolen, or ruined many of Norris’ things and almost everything that belonged to his mother. This had a huge impact on Norris and his emotions and at the age of 17 he eventually moved to North Texas to be closer to some of his mother’s family. Norris worked hard, married, moved to Oklahoma, and, around 1905, went back to visit his Kentucky family. I’ll let Ermine put the bow on this story:
“Regardless of the busy life he had, Father often yearned for his native hills and for the valleys, woods and streams of his boyhood haunts. He delayed going back from year to year, because money was scarce. But the next year after the land contest was settled. Father took the train from Altus for his native Kentucky. It had been 20 years since he had seen his homeland and his kin. He found the experience both thrilling and sad. He was enjoying his visit to the fullest when, because of a frightened horse. he was thrown from the buggy in which he was riding with an aunt and suffered two broken ribs and some other injuries. Though none of the injuries were serious, he immediately took the train for home.
While he was in Kentucky, someone gave him a little penknife that had been his mother’s which had been in the family more than 100 years. Father treasured it highly as long as he lived — the only article he owned that had once belonged to his mother.”
As I was going through items and boxes, I came across a tattered old box that had originally contained “Paris Garters”, apparently for men. Inside this simple, humble box contains two pocketknives, one of which I will showcase in a separate post. The other is a small, pearl-handled, penknife, along with notes written inside the box describing who this knife belonged to previously: “The long pearl handle knife belonged to Sally Frances Wheeler Houchens” On the bottom of the box the notes continue: “Contains knife that belongs to my great grandmother then to grandmother then to mother then to me. Also a letter (not in box) that was wrote (sic) to Mother, Feb. 19, 1861. Supposed to have been wrote (sic) with homemade pen, probably a goose quill. Put in this box April 22, 1906 by Norris L. Houchens”
This is the knife! The only belonging of his mother’s that Norris Houchens ever owned.
Heirloom Disclaimer – I have done my best to identify either the owner or purpose of an artifact based upon either direct knowledge, notes, or context. If unable to identify, I will provide as much information about the item as I am able.
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