Do not remove the ancient landmark which your fathers have set. (Proverbs 22:28)
Many years ago, Papa (Jean’s father, Mr. Jesse) told me on several occasions that he and Gran were so excited when they bought the Hudson Farm, that they walked to the SW corner, located at the Hudson Branch, and drove a pipe in the ground to mark the corner.
Early in 2020, Jean told me she wanted to see the SW corner of the Hudson Place, having never seen it before. On February 4, 2020 we walked west along the painted south property line to the approximate location of the property corner on the branch. On the way, I told Jean about the conversations I had with her father as noted above. I wandered off while Jean looked around and after a few minutes she called to me, telling me she thought she had found a rusty old pipe on the edge of the branch. Once I looked at her amazing find, sticking out of the ground only an inch or so, I knew it was the same pipe driven by her parents in 1953 (67 years earlier) and likely not seen by anyone since.
Jean Standing Beside Pipe. 2/4/20
Close-up of Pipe, 2/4/20
Fast forward to earlier this month, 5/15/21. Chip, Kemble, Henry, and I were walking various property lines and I was showing them key property corners. Jean and I had discussed the need to prominently preserve this historic corner marker, so the four of us walked to the location of the marker shown above and found it as before. We had taken a steel T post, driver, and surveying tape to better identify the landmark. Hopefully this will keep this little part of family history safely preserved for the next 70 or so years.
Pipe as found by Kemble on 5/15/21
Henry with Post Driver, 5/15/21
Hudson Place SW Corner—Originally Marked by Henry’s Great Grandparents in 1953 and Now Preserved for the Next Generations in a More Permanent Way by Henry, age 7, in 2021
A key point for all of us to keep in mind. Pay close attention to the treasure trove of information stored in the memories of those who may not be with us in a few years. I was likely the only family member who had heard Mr. Jesse make what he thought was a passing comment, but one I filed away in my memory banks. There is something special about “the land” and the stories associated with it, as hopefully this story demonstrates.
What memories do we have that will one day be lost if someone doesn’t ask questions, listen to casual conversations, and commit them to memory? We all enjoy a rich heritage in the land tracts the Lord has entrusted to us. We all must commit to preserve this heritage through solid stewardship principles, taking photos for historic preservation, and an abiding commitment to pass this along to the generations who follow us. This website is a great place for recording key facts and items of interest.
Closing questions: Are we being faithful in cultivating a love of the land, remembering the sweat of our ancestors that preserved this treasure for our enjoyment, and building memories that will accompany our precious children, grandchildren, and the succeeding generations in their journeys in this life? Are there journal ideas we need to record (I know I have some)? Will we commit to putting these in writing? Will we encourage the grandchildren to write their own stories for preservation here? Are there hikes we need to take, projects we need to be start or complete, fish we need to catch, animals we need to hunt, targets we need to shoot, landscapes we need to admire and preserve, lessons we need to teach, special places we need to show the children, four wheelers we need to ride, adventures we need to pursue, sunrises and sunsets we need to observe, values we need to reinforce, friends we need to invite, skills we need to develop, wood that needs to be split, camping trips we need to take, sweat we need to expend, property we need to explore, …?