Mac, When grandma Sellers moved into town she gave me and several others part of his finds. Don't know who got the rattlers. A lot of good memories of the old farm & Slip Bluff. In latter years I would go back and camp at the park up on Slip Bluff. I still revisit Slipp Bluff and the rest area on I35, it brings back a lot of old memories of growing up. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ronald M McClure" <rmcclure@hot.rr.com> To: <iadecatu@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, June 04, 2010 11:24 AM Subject: Re: [IADECATU] Can You Imagine??? > small world, darrell. i knew your g'pa! think maybe we might've even > picked up his eggs and sold him some nutrena or gooches > feed............but > that might've been the greens.....did you ever wonder if those old indian > relics might still be layin' there or did that welcome center wipe 'em > out?.......mac > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Darrell Eckardt" <dreckardt@cox.net> > To: <iadecatu@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Friday, June 04, 2010 11:12 AM > Subject: Re: [IADECATU] Can You Imagine??? > > >> My grandfather, Jay Sellers, farm was on the Grand River. Part of which >> was >> on the bottom land below Slip Bluff. He had a old fruit jar of rattle >> snake >> rattlers that he cut off each rattler that he killed. The old jar with >> the >> rattlers laid under a large cottonwood tree in their back yard along with >> some old Indian articles that he had found in the area. I was always >> fascinated in looking at them.This would have been in the 1930's & >> 1940's. >> >> Where the old home and barn set is now the Welcome Center (rest stop) on >> I35, and a lot of the land around there is still owned by his grandson. >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Ronald M McClure" <rmcclure@hot.rr.com> >> To: <iadecatu@rootsweb.com>; <iowa@rootsweb.com>; >> <IADECATU-L@rootsweb.com>; >> <iaringgo@rootsweb.com> >> Sent: Friday, June 04, 2010 9:01 AM >> Subject: Re: [IADECATU] Can You Imagine??? >> >> >>> there were certainly timber rattlers in springer timber (springer woods) >>> and >>> slip bluff 'tween the '40s and 60s. we were makin' cane sorghum down >>> there >>> and one of the woodard or young boys said the heat was drawin' 'em to >>> the >>> cookin' site. had an ole boy show me one that he said he killed in >>> nine >>> eagles too......but he was kind of windy.......always thought he found >>> it >>> on >>> the road run over.....that's what it looked like to me.......mac >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Sharon Becker" <srbecker@iowatelecom.net> >>> To: <iowa@rootsweb.com>; <IADECATU-L@rootsweb.com>; >>> <iaringgo@rootsweb.com> >>> Sent: Friday, June 04, 2010 6:14 AM >>> Subject: [IADECATU] Can You Imagine??? >>> >>> >>>> Can you imagine??? >>>> >>>> Excerpt below from "Pioneer Life of George W. Lesan" >>>> who settled in Ringgold County, 1855. >>>> >>>> Article in it's entirety at: >>>> http://iagenweb.org/ringgold/biographical/hist-gwlesanpioneer.html >>>> >>>> FWIW, I had heard all my lifetime (and I'm not a kid anymore :~) >>>> that there were rattlesnakes in Iowa. There were supposed to be >>>> some in Decatur County in the 1970's, or so I was told at the time. >>>> The only snakes I've ever come across were garter snakes, king >>>> snakes, and a few rat snakes (don't know what they are officially >>>> called.) I hated garter snakes until I got my riding mower - always >>>> got one in the push mower and wrapped around my bare legs at >>>> least once every summer. Then my barn cat Mindy used to catch 'em >>>> and bring the dead snake up & lay it by the back door for me. Supposed >>>> to be a cat's way of paying honor to her human, but I didn't see it >>>> quite that way. >>>> >>>> Sharon R. Becker >>>> Ringgold County IAGenWeb Coordinator >>>> srbecker@iowatelecom.net. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Rattlesnakes were numerous. After G. W. got his puncheon floor put in, >>>> they were sitting in the twilight when they heard a hissing sound. >>>> Andrew >>>> IMUS said it was a locust; G. W. said it was a rattler. They stepped to >>>> the door to listen when a large rattlesnake crawled from under the >>>> rocking >>>> chair where Mrs. LESAN was holding the baby. She says, "Here is your >>>> snake," when G. W. grabbed the chair with his wife and baby and carried >>>> them out of doors. They killed the snake. >>>> >>>> A few days later, after she had hung out her washing and brought the >>>> basket with the remaining pins in it, and sat it down, and took the >>>> crying >>>> baby up and sat her down by the clothes basket. The child played by >>>> pulling and pushing the basket and making the pins rattle. Then she >>>> became >>>> tired and her mother took her up, fed her, and she went to sleep. She >>>> laid >>>> her on the bed and proceeded to straighten up the room. She picked up >>>> the >>>> basket to put it in its place when "horrors," there laid a big rattler, >>>> all curled up under the basket. Its back was skinned up where the child >>>> had pulled the basket back and forth over his back. She called to her >>>> husband and he came and killed it. He tore up the floor, but found no >>>> more >>>> snakes, and they were not bothered any more, but several children were >>>> bitten later, some died and some did not. >>>> >>>> Excerpt from: >>>> >>>> LESAN, Mrs. B. M. Early History of Ringgold County: 1844 - 1937 Pp. 22, >>>> 156-162. Blair Pub. House. Lamoni IA. 1937. >>>> >>>> Transcription and notes by Sharon R. Becker, June of 2010 >>>> >>>> >> >

i'll bet it does, darrell, i'll bet it does. like you, i always stop there on my way north into iowa....and go out there behind the place and just look out for a while........just can't help myself. i'd hate to try and 'member how many times i tried to "get lucky" and failed up there......mac ----- Original Message ----- From: "Darrell Eckardt" <dreckardt@cox.net> To: <iadecatu@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, June 04, 2010 1:20 PM Subject: Re: [IADECATU] Can You Imagine??? > Mac, When grandma Sellers moved into town she gave me and several others > part of his finds. Don't know who got the rattlers. A lot of good > memories > of the old farm & Slip Bluff. In latter years I would go back and camp at > the park up on Slip Bluff. I still revisit Slipp Bluff and the rest area > on > I35, it brings back a lot of old memories of growing up. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Ronald M McClure" <rmcclure@hot.rr.com> > To: <iadecatu@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Friday, June 04, 2010 11:24 AM > Subject: Re: [IADECATU] Can You Imagine??? > > >> small world, darrell. i knew your g'pa! think maybe we might've even >> picked up his eggs and sold him some nutrena or gooches >> feed............but >> that might've been the greens.....did you ever wonder if those old indian >> relics might still be layin' there or did that welcome center wipe 'em >> out?.......mac >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Darrell Eckardt" <dreckardt@cox.net> >> To: <iadecatu@rootsweb.com> >> Sent: Friday, June 04, 2010 11:12 AM >> Subject: Re: [IADECATU] Can You Imagine??? >> >> >>> My grandfather, Jay Sellers, farm was on the Grand River. Part of which >>> was >>> on the bottom land below Slip Bluff. He had a old fruit jar of rattle >>> snake >>> rattlers that he cut off each rattler that he killed. The old jar with >>> the >>> rattlers laid under a large cottonwood tree in their back yard along >>> with >>> some old Indian articles that he had found in the area. I was always >>> fascinated in looking at them.This would have been in the 1930's & >>> 1940's. >>> >>> Where the old home and barn set is now the Welcome Center (rest stop) on >>> I35, and a lot of the land around there is still owned by his grandson. >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Ronald M McClure" <rmcclure@hot.rr.com> >>> To: <iadecatu@rootsweb.com>; <iowa@rootsweb.com>; >>> <IADECATU-L@rootsweb.com>; >>> <iaringgo@rootsweb.com> >>> Sent: Friday, June 04, 2010 9:01 AM >>> Subject: Re: [IADECATU] Can You Imagine??? >>> >>> >>>> there were certainly timber rattlers in springer timber (springer >>>> woods) >>>> and >>>> slip bluff 'tween the '40s and 60s. we were makin' cane sorghum down >>>> there >>>> and one of the woodard or young boys said the heat was drawin' 'em to >>>> the >>>> cookin' site. had an ole boy show me one that he said he killed in >>>> nine >>>> eagles too......but he was kind of windy.......always thought he found >>>> it >>>> on >>>> the road run over.....that's what it looked like to me.......mac >>>> >>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>> From: "Sharon Becker" <srbecker@iowatelecom.net> >>>> To: <iowa@rootsweb.com>; <IADECATU-L@rootsweb.com>; >>>> <iaringgo@rootsweb.com> >>>> Sent: Friday, June 04, 2010 6:14 AM >>>> Subject: [IADECATU] Can You Imagine??? >>>> >>>> >>>>> Can you imagine??? >>>>> >>>>> Excerpt below from "Pioneer Life of George W. Lesan" >>>>> who settled in Ringgold County, 1855. >>>>> >>>>> Article in it's entirety at: >>>>> http://iagenweb.org/ringgold/biographical/hist-gwlesanpioneer.html >>>>> >>>>> FWIW, I had heard all my lifetime (and I'm not a kid anymore :~) >>>>> that there were rattlesnakes in Iowa. There were supposed to be >>>>> some in Decatur County in the 1970's, or so I was told at the time. >>>>> The only snakes I've ever come across were garter snakes, king >>>>> snakes, and a few rat snakes (don't know what they are officially >>>>> called.) I hated garter snakes until I got my riding mower - always >>>>> got one in the push mower and wrapped around my bare legs at >>>>> least once every summer. Then my barn cat Mindy used to catch 'em >>>>> and bring the dead snake up & lay it by the back door for me. Supposed >>>>> to be a cat's way of paying honor to her human, but I didn't see it >>>>> quite that way. >>>>> >>>>> Sharon R. Becker >>>>> Ringgold County IAGenWeb Coordinator >>>>> srbecker@iowatelecom.net. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Rattlesnakes were numerous. After G. W. got his puncheon floor put in, >>>>> they were sitting in the twilight when they heard a hissing sound. >>>>> Andrew >>>>> IMUS said it was a locust; G. W. said it was a rattler. They stepped >>>>> to >>>>> the door to listen when a large rattlesnake crawled from under the >>>>> rocking >>>>> chair where Mrs. LESAN was holding the baby. She says, "Here is your >>>>> snake," when G. W. grabbed the chair with his wife and baby and >>>>> carried >>>>> them out of doors. They killed the snake. >>>>> >>>>> A few days later, after she had hung out her washing and brought the >>>>> basket with the remaining pins in it, and sat it down, and took the >>>>> crying >>>>> baby up and sat her down by the clothes basket. The child played by >>>>> pulling and pushing the basket and making the pins rattle. Then she >>>>> became >>>>> tired and her mother took her up, fed her, and she went to sleep. She >>>>> laid >>>>> her on the bed and proceeded to straighten up the room. She picked up >>>>> the >>>>> basket to put it in its place when "horrors," there laid a big >>>>> rattler, >>>>> all curled up under the basket. Its back was skinned up where the >>>>> child >>>>> had pulled the basket back and forth over his back. She called to her >>>>> husband and he came and killed it. He tore up the floor, but found no >>>>> more >>>>> snakes, and they were not bothered any more, but several children were >>>>> bitten later, some died and some did not. >>>>> >>>>> Excerpt from: >>>>> >>>>> LESAN, Mrs. B. M. Early History of Ringgold County: 1844 - 1937 Pp. >>>>> 22, >>>>> 156-162. Blair Pub. House. Lamoni IA. 1937. >>>>> >>>>> Transcription and notes by Sharon R. Becker, June of 2010 >>>>> >>>>> >>> > > > > > www.iagenweb.org/decatur > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > IADECATU-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >