Many of you,when you return to Clermont and Brown Co,Oh go to see your ancestors tombstone. But,not enough of you hunt the farms they lived on,or the houses they once lived in. Maybe because I was once a farmer ,do I want to see the land they farmed. Was it too steep, or was it too level,and once swampy. Areas of N E Clermont,and n Brown Co were not settled for 20-30 years because it was white oak swamps. Too flat for water to drain from. And much of s Clermont and Brown was too steep for normal tractor,or even horse cultivation. But the 1850 era Germans often raise grapes on those steep hillside,and other was pastured. And old buildings survive,or newspapers with pictures of old buildings. After the 1st generation log cabin came the 2 story, federal brick,with it's plain front,and center doorway, and 1-2OR 3 windows each side of the door. Two the most common,and most have a kitchen wing,of 1,1 1\2.or 2 floors. And,if 1 1\2 floors,there was a hired man's room above the kitchen that did not connect to the ustairs of the main house. And these Federal's of 1800-50 were once heated by 3 fireplaces. One at each end, and one in the Kitchen. Here on my farm,Savil Justice brought his bride in 1824 to a log cabin,that was replaced by the 2 story Federal brick, that was replaced by this 1903 frame Victorian. The old section of the barn dates to 1824. Just west is a typical 2 story brick, of about 1830. Just east is an ol,old frame Cape Cod, built either by Rev Jesse Justice,or his son,Robert. The boards under the floor are round. Beyond it is a two story Federal said to be the oldest in the township, and built by the Strickland's. NW a long mile is Old Bethel Methodist,built 1817. When East Fork Lake,and it's Lake Harsha was built in the 1970's, 3 old stone housesbuilt by the 1803 migration fron NJ by Rev John Collins,Isaac Higbee,and Cornelius McCollum were torn down. Surely each followed a few years of log cabin. Isaac Higbee's had a date,and initial stone near the eave that was replaced in newspaper photos. Moved to Burke Park in Bethel then were several log cabins, including the Beebe cabin from the mouth of Barnes Run. If the 2nd house was built near a creek, stone was more often the building material than brick. The brick weremade,and fired,in the yard of the house. The 1830 era brick here,and the one just north were built of brick not well made,that would crumbled over the years. ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.