The place is Rosalia Washington, Whitman County. The time is February of 1884. My grandpa Celestin Schurra was 26 years old. He had already filed an intention to become a citizen of the US in 1883 which was necessary to be able to homestead and get a US Land Patent. He listed his occupation as a farmer and blacksmith. He had on file a Timber culture filing. The discription of the land was of rolling prairies which he intended to use for farming. In order to homestead you had to live on the property and not be absent from it for any length of time. He stated “I have been absent once in a while to Cheney for provisions and purpose of selling my crop. Also to the mountains for wood. He and Nellie had (my grandma) only one child at this time. Oscar Schurra, born 1885, the first white baby to be born in Rosalia, Washington Territory. My dad Henry Aphonse Schurra would be born Dec. 28, 1888, just one year before Washington became a State. (11 childen in the family) When asked if his family resided on this claim he replied: “They have. They moved on the land in June 1884 and actually reside they are there still”. I built the house myself and it is habitable at all times”. This is my granddads own description of the house he built and what he owned: It is a half frame house 12x18, 12 feet high, boxed on inside and papered. I intend to put rustic on the outside this year. It has 2 doors, 2 windows, a stove pipe for flue and it is worth $200. Barn 30x30 about $100. Grainery 12x12, $45. fencing about $300 it encloses about 80 acres and 50 acres breaking worth about $250. the total value of all improvements is about $900. I own 1 wagon, 2 plows, furrow, a sod cutter, I have owned part of them since 1884. 2 mules, 2 mares, 1 cayouse horse, 3 colts, 2 cows, 7 hogs, 4 calves, 30 chickens, 2 cats, 1 dog. Chairs, cookstove, table, cupboard, bedstead, bedding, dishes, cooking utensil. I have had most of them here since 1884. I have two cayouse ponys that strayed away. I raised crops 2 seasons, wheat, oats and barley. In 1885 I raised wheat oats. 190 bushels wheat & 30 bushels oats and cut 8 to10 acres to hay. I have about 40 acres prepared for crop next season I have a small blacksmith shop on the land. I have worked only for myself In 1885 I paid something over $5.00 for Whitman County taxes and in 1886 $6.10 ____________________________________________ I have grandpa Celestin's signature on two of these papers from the National Archives. You can see by the above what kind of information you can get by having an ancestor's Homestead papers. Pretty neat. xxxxxxxxo Louise Schurra King La Jolla, Ca