The Old Silver Bell in Hawbuck !
Harry Walter Hoskins
Grandfather to Jim Hoskins. Lived in Pence Ind. for 20 years before
he passed away. Member of the Church Of Christ in Potomac Ill. Loved
fishing and gardening.
On Christmas Eve our family would always gather at Grandad's for a great time and great Chili !
WRITTEN BY JOHN TRUMAN HOSKINS
1975
MY FATHER HARRY W. HOSKINS MARRIED EVA V. MAY OF
POTOMAC, ILLINOIS IN 1926. THEY HAD 10 CHILDREN. EVA
PASSED AWAY SEP. 1963. HARRY WAS MARRIED TO PAULINE
MARKLEY 1964.
HIS LIVING CHILDREN ARE JOHN TRUMAN HOSKINS, HARRY
HARVEY HOSKINS, RICHARD LEE, GORDON ROBERT, EVA WANETTA,
ADAM EVERETT, ALBERT LEE, LESTER DALE, HAROLD EUGENE, AND
ESTER VIRGINIA. HIS SONS SERVED IN THE ARMED FORCES NAVY,
MARINES, ARMY, WORLD WAR II, KOREAN, AND VIETNAM.
HARRY LIVED MOST OF HIS LIFE AROUND POTOMAC, AND
WORKED FOR JESSE STONE AS A CARPENTER IN HIS YOUNGER
YEARS.
WE LIVED IN THE OLD GOODWIN PARK 1 MILE EAST OF
POTOMAC, WHEN I WAS SIX YEARS OLD. THE STATE PUT IN THE
NEW ROAD BETWEEN POTOMAC AND ROUTE 1. THEY USED MULES TO
HAUL DIRT, AND BIG MACK TRUCKS CHAIN DRIVEN TO HAUL
CEMENT. THE MULES WERE KEPT IN A LOT ACROSS THE STREET
FROM BILL DOWNINGS (JESSE STONE'S).
I WALKED TO SCHOOL FROM THE PARK. WE MOVED TO
BLUEGRASS A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER. THAT YEAR AT CHRISTMAS
TIME THE SCHOOL BURNT DOWN. THERE WAS NO TELEPHONE, OR
WAY TO GET HELP. MY DAD SHOT THREE TIMES IN THE AIR AND
IT BROUGHT HELP FROM ALL DIRECTIONS. BUT IT STILL BURNT
TO THE GROUND. WE MOVED TO THE FARM MARCH 1ST 1935, THE
DOUG ALEXANDER FARM SOUTH OF POTOMAC 1 MILE, WHERE THE
GRAVEL PIT IS NOW.
MY BROTHERS HARRY, RICHARD (DICK), AND I STARTED TO
SCHOOL. ON THE WAY HOME THAT NIGHT WE HAD A SNOWBALL
FIGHT. HARRY GOT WET AND COLD AND LAID DOWN AND WOULD NOT
WALK. HE SAID TO ME "JUST LET ME DIE AND I'LL NOT HAVE TO
WALK ANYMORE !". I WHIPPED HIM TO MAKE HIM GO BUT THAT
DIDN'T HELP ANY, SO I HAD TO CARRY HIM HOME ABOUT ONE
MILE. AFTER THAT DAD LET US DRIVE THE RACE MARE HITCHED
TO AN OLD BUGGY. (HE HAD TRADED A NEIGHBOR OUT OF ONE SOW
PIG FOR A BUGGY) BOY DID WE GO TO SCHOOL THEN ! WE
PICKED UP THE DAVIS KIDS AND HAD HORSE RACES. WE SURE
CAME UP IN RESPECT TO THE OTHER KIDS.
ONE FALL WE PUT THE CORN IN SHOCKS AND CARRIED IT ON
THE HILL SIDE SO THAT WE COULD FEED THE LIVESTOCK THAT
WINTER. THE SPRING RAIN CAME AND IT TOOK THE CORN DOWN
THE RIVER, SO DAD WENT BROKE AND COULDN'T FEED THE STOCK.
SO WE HAD TO SELL THE FARM.
HE STARTED CARPENTER WORK THEN AND WORKED OVER AT THE
BASE AND ALSO DROVE THE SCHOOL BUS. HIS AND MOM'S DREAM
CAME TRUE, SOME LAND OF THEIR OWN ! BOY WE LIVED, 3 ACRES
OF BRUSH, AND MOSQUITOES. WE CLEARED A GARDEN SPOT AND
FENCED THE REST. WE PICKED BERRIES WILD STRAWBERRIES,
RASPBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, WE FISHED, AND HUNTED SQUIRREL,
RABBIT, AND MUSHROOMS (MORREL MUSHROOMS). WE LIVED OFF
THE FAT OF THE LAND, SASAFRASS TEA, I DRANK GALLONS !
HARVEY POLLITT MADE SORGHUM, AND WE HELPED HIM STRIP
THE LEAVES OF THE CANE FOR SOME SYRUP, AND IN THE SPRING
WE MADE MAPLE SYRUP.
I COULD ALWAYS SEE MY MOM'S EYE'S SPARKLE WHEN I
WOULD BRING HER A HANDFUL OF SWEET WILLIAMS, AS IT WAS HER
FAVORITE.
WE MOVED BACK TO TOWN ABOUT 1942 IN MY GRANDFATHER
MAY'S HOUSE ON MAY STREET, JUST NORTH OF THE RAILROAD.
THERE, US COUNTRY BOY'S WENT WILD. MOM AND DAD HAD TO
TAKE US BACK TO THE WOODS. SO THEY BOUGHT 40 ACRES AND
THIS IS WHAT MOM CALLED "THE HILLS OF HAWBUCK", JUST WEST
OF JAMESBURG, 2.5 MILE AT THE SELSOR FORD, END OF THEIR
ROAD. WE HAD OUR OWN SWIMMING HOLE, OUR OWN EVERYTHING.
BERRIES AND HUNTING.
ABOUT THIS TIME I JOINED THE NAVY. I DIDN'T MISS TO
MUCH OF MY HOME LIFE, YOU SEE, MY MOTHER WAS A SCHOOL
TEACHER BEFORE SHE MARRIED. SHE COULD PUT MORE ON PAPER
THAN MOST PEOPLE CAN TALK. SHE ONLY TOLD ME THE HAPPY
THINGS THAT HAPPENED, FUNNY, OR MAYBE HOW THE COW KNOCKED
OUT HARRY'S FRONT TOOTH. OR HOW BILL STEPPED ON A NAIL OR
BILL RUN A SKUNK ACROSS THE PICNIC BLANKET, DOWN BY THE
RIVER AT THE OLD TURTLE TREE.
BUT BACK TO HISTORY I GUESS REMAINING IN HISTORY.
TIME PASSES US BY, AND NOW I AM A GRANDFATHER. WE HAVE A
RED HEADED GRANDDAUGHTER AND A GRANDSON WITH BIG BROWN
EYES. NOW COMES THE TIME IN MY LIFE TO PASS ON MY
KNOWLEDGE OF FISHING AND HUNTING AND FINDING MUSHROOMS, TO
MY GRANDCHILDREN, AND ALL THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY WILL
ABSORB, OR THAT I CAN MAKE INTERESTING ENOUGH FOR THEM TO
WANT TO LEARN WHAT IT HAS TAKEN ME FIFTY YEARS TO LEARN.
Grandad Hoskins on Horse
Back Left Eva, Harry holding Adam, John,
Front Left to right: Dick Sis, Bill, Pete.