Day 10 continued and 11

It's our last evening in Toulon. Tomorrow we head out for Iowa.

Yesterday, we visited the Toulon Cemetery and in the afternoon, headed for the Reed Hotel in La Fayette. This is the hotel that my Great Aunt Vivienne and her husband Charles Reed ran for several years. The poor old building was so overgrown that, at first, we could not find it for the trees, weeds, and vines. After knocking on a friendly neighbor's door we were pointed in the right direction. We had also met, during lunch at Connie's Kitchen in downtown Toulon, Don St. John, the owner of the old Maxfield home, and arranged to meet with him this morning to spend some time exploring the home. There had been some little question after last year's trip that the house I had visited was not the home that my great great grandfather Orren Maxfield, had built.

Today we met with Don St. John who graciously gave up a few hours of his morning to take us up to the Maxfield property. He has been steadily hauling trash away from inside the house so this year I was able, along with John, to get into the downstairs rooms. We definitely located the sources of the three chimneys that showed in the original photo of my great grandmother and great grandfather standing with 10 of their 14 children at the side of the house. This had been the sticking point last year as only one chimney had survived. So, we not only positively identified the house, but Don also gave us the bannister. John was able to kick and pull it apart and it is now stowed in the back of the truck waiting to start the trip West to it's new home in California. Don is a great story teller and told us lots of tales about the owners of the land from the time my family sold it until he purchased it. Luckily I had a pencil and paper to write down the information, because the stories were coming fast and furious. While Don was regaling me with his tales, John went up to explore the barn and two turkey buzzards came flying out at him. He decided to do a surface, rather than in-depth, exploration.

Cay and I spent the afternoon at the Stark County Genealogical Society where I found more information on the Reed Hotel, thanks again to the Intrepid Dixie. It was wonderful seeing her again, although I missed Don Schmidt, the Master Genealogist. I renewed my membership and then Cay and I went out to the very tiny Ballentine Cemetery (I am a Ballentine several generations back but perhaps not that side of the family.) As we returned from dinner, John and I spent time in that frustrating activity "taking non-photos of fireflies." Tonight is cool and breezy enough for the deep bass wind chime to sound as if we are near a pier, instead of on a sea of corn.

Now it's time to go to bed for the last time in "my room" at the Chateau at Indian Vineyard. I know I will miss Toulon the minute I start to leave it tomorrow afternoon.

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