Backyard

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

The Backyard of the Morgan Log House has also seen changes over the years. It currently contains a fenced, stoned immediate yard, a modern utility shed, compost, and hops garden. The shed, compost, and hops garden were all Boy Scout Eagle projects. In the 1930s, the landscape looked very different.

Images

"Sis" Forsythe Robinson's site map of the farm, now known as the Morgan Log House.

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

"Sis" Forsythe, in her oral history and site map, details what was in the backyard of the farm during the 1930s. It is unknown what the farm may have looked like prior to the Forsythes, but similar wooden outbuildings likely existed. An outhouse was located southwest of the house, approximately in the area of the current shed. A duck house was located several feet east of the outhouse, along a the fence line (not the current fence, which was installed in the 1980s). Further north from the ducks, was a vegetable garden. North of the garden, was a grape arbor, corn crib, and a two-story pigeon house.

The grape arbor was likely used to grow the fruit for the family and market, but home wine-making was popular. The corn crib, a wooden structure to house corn, was a precursor to the modern silo that housed grain for the farm's cows.

A dirt drive, opening onto Weikel Road, provided access to the interior of the farm and traveled westward to the rear of the farm.

Crop fields were located west of the backyard and were cultivated with hay, corn, and soy beans.

Sources

Draft Agricultural History of the Morgan Log House (2019). Morgan Log House files.

Draft Architectural History of the Morgan Log House (2019). Morgan Log House files.

The History of the Property and House. Morgan Log House. http://www.morganloghouse.org/history-2/.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

"Sis" Forsythe Robinson oral history. Morgan Log House Files.