The Peratt and Houchen Families
Norris “N.L.” Long Houchens
This little blank album has got to be one of the sweetest items that remains from Harold’s items. The first several pages are dedicated to some lines of scripture, poetry or wisdom from each of his family members. The poems are extremely cute and catchy as one, in particular, I have found myself often repeating…Read more
Here is a beautiful gold pocket watch which dates to around 1910. Harold would have been 15 years and so this might have belonged to his father, Norris, prior to coming into his possession. Heirloom Disclaimer – I have done my best to identify either the owner or purpose of an artifact based upon either…Read more
I can’t be sure but I believe that the items pictured below are the contents of Norris Long Houchens’ pockets at the time of his death. These could also just be random items of his but I came to this conclusion based upon the fact that they were all contained together and the date of…Read more
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…Read more
John Houchens writes to a Mr. J.K.(or H.) Smith in care of Norris N.L. Houchens. Norris’ brother came to live with him and Magnolia and the kids seemed to think the world of him. Here he is, writing in 1909, as he waits for the train.
My cousin Glenna writes this about this beautiful heirloom: Ordinarily this type of Victorian table would have a marble top. According to my grandmother, Ermine Houchens Coleman Cannon, this table never had a marble top in her lifetime. It was her mother’s, Magnolia “Maggie” Beaty Houchens (by the way, the “s” was removed by either…Read more