MEMORIES OF THE SHEPPARD/FORD HOMESTEAD: 1851-1964

Newton D. and Ella Florence Ford, with son Bill, in 1924.

Located about four and a half miles north-west of Jackson, the home place was built around 1851 by Isaac Newton Sheppard.

The farm itself was first purchased by Isaac Sheppard (Isaac Newton's uncle) in the fall of 1811. In 1834 he sold it to William Howard who on Nov. 6, 1841, sold it to Isaac Newton Sheppard. The farm remained in the Sheppard/Ford family until 1964 when it was sold by Wilson "Bill" Ford, great-grandson of Isaac Newton Ford to Ora Lee Hopkins of Burfordville.

The house was a two-story brick, the bricks were made right at the site and rocks from the creek carried by slaves were used for the foundation. A kitchen and back porch were added later (probably by Bill's grandpa, A.C. Ford). Livingroom, bedroom and hallway leading to a front porch on the first floor, two bedrooms and a hallway leading to a porch on the second floor, with the kitchen located in the basement, fireplaces were located in each of the bedrooms and the living room. The living room had four large stationary closets (called presses), two on each side of the fireplace.

On Saturday nights in those early years, people would come from all around for dancing and partying, eating all night, they'd bake a pig in the kitchen, which was in the basement at the time, the fiddlers would sit on top of the presses and play. An old story passed down tells of secret passages and hidden guns in the basement during the Civil War. The original house has changed slightly, the front porch, the back porch remodeled later for a garage, the kitchen added on.

A log barn was built across the creek at the time the house was built. A very large barn and grainery were later built by A.C. Ford (son Newtlon Dilworth Ford was a young man). The barn was built from poplar trees cut from the field across from the Lewis Chapel.

At the same time, a springhouse was built of rocks from the creek and was used to refridgerate butter, cream and milk. When the creek flooded, the ppringhouse would fill up with mud, a real job of shoveling to '.:eep the spring running. Story has it that a shoe cobbler's shop was located atop it.

A "weaning house," four rooms, kitchen and long dining room, living room and bedroom built from paplar with hardwood floors was located close to the creek on the other side of the woods, adjacent to the Baker's Farm (this farm was previously "turkey knob" or "Grandma's"). The weaning house was used when one of the kids got married, to wean them away from the family. Bob Ford and wife Maude and Lawrence Ford and wife Nell (brothers of Bill) were only a few known to have lived there.

In the fall of 1988, while cutting a hedge tree around this sight, Bill found a piece of andiron, probably used in a cabin prior to the weaning house, since it had no fireplace.

In the late 1940's the wall crank phone was replaced with a dial phone. Electricity was added in 1950 and indoor plumbing and a bathroom installed at the far end of the first floor hallway in 1960. Prior to the bathroom, there was of course, the out house.

The old smokehouse was used in the summertime as a bath house, water was heated in the big black kettle in backyard by the well (pump) house. The well, with an electric pump, was Tias,~-an endless supply of water! In 1950 Bill Ford and wife, Edna, purchased their first electric radio and traded a Bowling Garden tractor for a brand new (black and white) television, and was well received by the "kids," Margie, Billy, Oana, Carol, Martha, Ella Jean, Carla, Barbara and Joe Don, and they were forever reprimanded for lying or sitting too close).

A large garage was to the back of the house, destroyed by a tornado in the mid 50's (or 1960?).

Later, the backporch of the house was torn down to make way for a new garage.

Two silos were built in 1907 by "silo builders" from New Mexico and they told some real stories to Margie and Billy.

Various crops (corn, wheat and soybeans) were raised by Bill, along with hogs, colts and registered Hereford cattle. In the early days before the tractor, farming was done with mule teams, normally using two teams (a team was three mules), working from daylight to dark. Around 1944 a new combine cost $650, in 1942 a tractor with disk, plow and cultivator was purchased for $1,050. One of the prettiest places was the water falls. Cooper Creek ran through the farm and at the far end in the woods was a beautiful water fall area where many fun times were had!

A very large garden was put out every year, potatoes put in the large bins in the back room of the basement. At harvest time, Bill would pay the little one five cents per bucket they collected, until dirt clods were found in the bottom of each bucket. There was always a bucket of warm unpasterized (cowls) milk (compliments of Bill's milkcous, Flossy and Bossy) to go around at mealtime.

A riding horse was always kept while the Ford "kids" were growing up (Trigger and Patches). Trigger was a stud pony traded for Patches an Appoloosa/Paint mixed with cutting horse and with a flick of the reins, held cut in or out. He grew cantankorous in his old age, held run hard, stop suddenly, bowing his head so you'd slide over and off. He could take you under a tree, or scrape you against the barn or fence. ro catch him, you must hide the bridle and bribe him with an ear of corn. Sometimes he's snatch it quickly and run away, leaving you holing the bridle! There were always several cats and dogs for pets who were usually "dumped" and found their way to the homestead.

Over the years/ several pieces of property had belonged to the Sheppard's/Ford's. They were among some of the earliest settlers in the County. There is another Sheppard homestead located in Bainbridge. The house still stands, though not inhabitable and most of the outbuildings are gone.

HOME, SWEET HOME!

Compiled from the SHEPPARD/FORD Family History book