GEORGE BOWMAN PALMER
As we knew
him, Grandpa George Palmer (pictured right) was a
tremendously overpowering person in
size as well as personality. As with all men who carve for
themselves a place in history, he was in command of all he came in
contact with. He ruled with an iron hand and some of his personality
has been characterized in his descendants to this day.
Click here for photo of George Palmer with Mabel Rohrer's twins
He carved for
himself, his wife, Harriet
Tucker, 
and their eleven children, a piece
of the country that still bears his mark today, over 100 years later.
He purchased a parcel of land and commenced clearing it bit by bit,
adding to the farm each time. During one such episode, his
suspenders caught in the branch of a log he was preparing to roll
downhill to the mill. He and the log rolled end over end all of the
way to the bottom of the hill. Being strong in stature, he did live
to talk about it.
The first house built, later to be known as the summer house, was an oblong shape with a large door at either end. It had a dirt floor those first years and was more practical and functional than beautiful, but it gave warmth and shelter to the family. Where love abounds it is not necessary to have gold. In the center of the room stood a tremendous fireplace, big enough to accommodate full, un split logs. It was their custom to hitch a horse to a log, drag it through the house, unhitch it in front of the fireplace, and then lead the horse straight out through the far door.
It was Grandpa's custom to bring in two buckets of water before retiring for the night. On at least one occasion it was very good that he did, for he had laid a wood floor. In the middle of the night, he arose to see the wood floor smoldering in front of the fireplace. He used the two buckets of water to douse the wood and prevent a blaze. This so impressed Clarence that for the remainder of his life he did not sleep without water handy.
Drawing from the quarry on the farm they began to cut blocks for the construction of the house. It was a large house, three stories, with a full basement, meant to house and active family. Hand wrought iron gratings graced the vents throughout the house. Massive fireplaces rose back through the center of all floors to warm the occupants.
The cellar was used to store the farm produce that required a cool, dry place: apples, carrots, potatoes, and the apple cider barrel. (Clarence once moved it outside to freeze so they could draw off the alcohol to drink).
The first floor was the center of family activity, where a large wood burning stove stood in the middle of the kitchen. Down through the generations comes the statement that a wood burning cook stove is the most efficient because it warms the user once when he cuts the wood, once when he carries the wood into the house and once when it is in the fire. I only know that it gives a warm glow that is most cozy and relaxing. The dining room and parlor were separated by the two fireplaces, back to back. The parents' bedroom and the bearer of all good things, the pantry, were the remaining first floor rooms.
The pantry off the kitchen was the storage spot for goodies from the stove, milk in big crocks from the cow, butter freshly churned in the crock, eggs, fresh-baked bread and pies and other good things to eat. One of Clarence's fondest memories of home was coming home after an evening out at a dance or another activity, heading straight for the pantry and a big piece of homemade pie and a large glass of milk from the crock.
The second floor held the bedrooms for the children with the same fireplace that graced the ground floor extending through the upstairs rooms, to bestow more warmth on chilly nights. The third floor had another fireplace and a room where and Aunt stayed. She was considered to be a killjoy by the children. The attic room served to store more produce from the farm, this time things that needed to be dry: dill, seed, corn, crocks full of nuts and popcorn for winter enjoyment. At times, the attic was cleared out to hold festivities of the family or of the community and many times, the sounds of laughter rang through the night air.
Across the road from the house a barn was built, imposing in its size, ready to store whatever produce or hay or field corn that needed to be kept dry. I am sure the family all helped in its construction-- it was built from the trees on the farm, walnut boards sawed and prepared for the project. It was built without nails-- all connections were made with wooden pegs. The custom of tearing down old barns to build with, would make this barn a treasure. But it is still standing one hundred years later, a monument to those early builders.
The finishing touch on the house were the shutters which could completely cover the windows in times of storms. The house still stands and is seemingly in as good condition as it was when it was built. The three diamond patterns of tiles laid on the roof are still obvious to see. The walls still stand straight with no sagging. Large trees have grown to shade the yard. In the years since its construction it has served its purpose well.