To Dream of Cucumbers

Chapter 1

It is obvious that everyone has early childhood memories that don’t add up. It is like finding a puzzle piece and not having the rest of the puzzle. As time passes one tries to make sense of these pieces. Sometimes more information becomes available, some pieces are put with other memory pieces, and sometimes, we paint a picture around the piece we have. To get the whole impact of the puzzle pieces of this story, we need to go back in time some two hundred years.

A couple with five children lived on a family farm in England. This area had been home to their ancestors for hundreds of years. This particular season, the father had sold cattle and grain to another farmer several villages away. The time had come for him to collect his money.

It was a grand time; excitement filled the family’s dreams. That money represented not only staples for the family, but also, surprises for the children. Two of the children were going on the trip, two children that were old enough to travel, but not in school. Traveling was rare and to hear the stories father and children share, would keep everyone’s imaginations active for months. Early one morning the father with the two children boarded the stage. Mother stayed home with the youngest child.

All went as planned until after father received his money. He came across drinking friends. When the father was thoroughly incapacitated to the point of not even being able to walk, his drinking friends helped him and the children on a stage heading towards their home. At different stops, people got on and people got off. Sometimes the stage was crowded. At one stop, a man with rough mannerisms and a cross voice got on. He frightened the children. This situation was magnified because of their father’s drunkenness. Besides, the children were hungry, cold, dirty, and tired.

When their village stop came, the driver helped them get out of the stage. Luckily, the children figured which way to go and recognized enough landmarks to keep them headed towards home. It was a terrible walk, father stumbled with every step and fell regularly. It was dark, damp, cold, slick, and scary. The children were thankful, when they arrived home.

When mother comprehended the entire situation, dreams became nightmares. Of course, the money was gone. That was catastrophic, but seeing the children, in their frightened state, was unbearable. There had been other drunken episodes, but never to the point of endangering the children. Something had to change.

Mother knew the quality of her husband. He was a good husband, a good father, a good provider, and an intelligent man. However, never ever would he resist drinking friends. With the feeling of security gone, and all faith in Papa shattered, the decision was made to immigrate to the United States. Mothers’ brother and his family were preparing to go. They joined them.

This was the beginning of a new way of life. Inventory was taken when they got off the ship. The first problem was money. They had a half shilling, a thruppence, and two farthings. Father took the first available job. As jobs to further his goal became known, he moved his family to take advantage of the new experience. The father favored farming jobs and moving westward. Father’s and mother’s goal was clear; they would own their own farm.

First, the father needed an education about farming in this new country. Several of the crops he had raised in England, would not even grow in the United States. Father needed to learn which crops would be profitable, and which crops would be worthless. Certain livestock was in demand, others were not. Father could not afford this education on his own farm.

Farming jobs filled a many fold investment. These jobs furnished a home for his family, farm produce to feed his family, a regular cash flow, and valuable farming experience to use when he got his own farm. They lived this pattern for several years. Then they heard of the opportunity they had been waiting for. Future President Harrison pushed congress to pass laws making it easier for the common person to acquire land. A large area of wilderness was thus opened. They were some of the first to homestead land under the new law. The area where their farm was, became known as Indiana.

Father’s education, management skills, and farming know-how paid off very well. The farm flourished and was a foundation. It saw generations come and pass. The farm put teachers, ministers, business owners, doctors, nurses, lawyers, and plenty of families into the growing neighborhoods.

At this point, some puzzle pieces present themselves. A great deal of time has passed and the farm is still owned by a direct line of the original owner. An elderly man lives there. His wife had died several years before. Three of their eight children had not ventured into the world. First, a daughter, who was making plans with a certain young man to marry when the time was right. One son’s passion was to become a doctor, which he did. The remaining child, a son, Abner, is the one we are concerned about in this story. Abner’s life was farming. He loved every aspect of farming. Each day was filled with what he was passionate about, farming. He was surrounded by family and friends, and was making a good living.

Then the elderly man had a stroke. The family was there to help. Friends and neighbors were of considerable support. The doctors prepared the family for what they all knew, but did not want to face. The man was not going to get better, his body was deteriorating. At most, he might live a year or two. The elderly father needed constant care. The family decided to hire a live-in caregiver. Everyone would still be there to help, but this would ease that minute-to-minute demand.

Information about Hannah’s childhood answers how Hannah came to enter the story at this point. A few years after Hannah’s mother died, her father remarried. Stepmother and stepdaughter could not get along; therefore, Hannah was sent to live with various relatives. She migrated from family to family, from Kentucky to Indiana. Hannah had been on her own since her teenage years. Somehow she had gained enough grades and money to enter nursing school. After a scandalous incident at college, Hannah was diplomatically asked to leave. That is when this job fell nicely into her life.

It did not take Hannah long to realize the opportunity that was available with this care giving job. There was solid security waiting for the right wife. This depth of security Hannah had never experienced. She had wandered most of her life and wanted a permanent home.

Abner had been so occupied farming, having his own family was never thought of. Moreover, where was this farm headed? Abner was aging, with no heir to pass the farm onto. His siblings and their families had their own lives in the neighborhoods. To take over the family farm would be a burden to them.

In all fairness, it might have been love, but latter puzzle pieces raise some doubt. They were married. A daughter and son soon joined the family. Anna had started school. Nathan, even though young, showed signs of enjoying farming.

Then the big puzzle piece appears without warning or any reason. Abner and Hannah rented the farm to a nephew. They packed thier belongs and loaded them, along with the family, on a train heading west. They knew no one on that part of the United States. They would not know how to make a living there. Why would they even think of moving?

Chapter 2

Abner and family landed in Cheyenne. They unloaded there, rented a room, and waited to see where fate would lead them. Abner inquired around about land for sale. Abner and Hannah kept watch for advertisements on jobs and businesses to buy. They were uncertain of what they wanted or where they wanted to go. Settling in Cheyenne was also an option.

Anna was crushed. She had told all her friends they were moving to California. Anna wanted to see the ocean. She had heard of the variety of crops that grew there, and assumed that was where they were moving. Why would her father buy tickets to Wyoming?

Cheyenne was a busy city. It had bragged of being the richest per capita city in the world due to the cattle industry. However, the tragic winter of 1886-87 cancelled that title. The Cheyenne area rebounded and money was flowing again. The oil and sheep businesses were now adding wealth to Cheyenne’s economy, along with the cattle fortunes.

Hannah could not keep the children in their rented room all the time, so they explored the city. The cattle barons’ houses were a sight to see. The horse drawn trolley was fascinating. Reading stories at the Carnegie Library was fun. The state capital building was not far from the library, and was a wonderment for Anna and Nathan. Nevertheless, what captured their imaginations were the activities generated by Fort Russell, on the edge of Cheyenne. Airplanes flew to the fort regularly, experimenting with the practicality of using airplanes to transport mail. Anna and Nathan seen the cavalry practice often. They pretended to flying airplanes and ride in formation.

The biggest news event that happened while Abner and family were staying in Cheyenne, was the fire at the Inter Ocean Hotel and Restaurant. Barney Ford, who was an ex-slave, had opened this establishment after his first hotel and restaurant burned in a city fire several years before. He built it into one of the finest hotels and restaurants in Cheyenne. His son was now managing the business. Fire was a severe danger in any city. All business owners took fire prevention to a paranoid level. Luckily, the Inter Ocean Hotel and Restaurant fire was controlled before real damage was done. The fire marshal found definite proof the fire was caused by arson. The person responsible would not be forgiven.

Abner’s and Hannah’s stay in Cheyenne seemed not to have puzzle pieces, except for the fact they were there at all. Years later some questions did arise. Where was Abner so much of the time? What was he doing? He supposedly did not know anyone in Cheyenne. Where was Abner on the night of the fire? He was not with his family.

Finally, an advertisement caught Abner’s and Hannah’s attention. A land developer had parcels for sale in a newly organized irrigation district. Abner telegraphed the developer for specific information. Upon receiving a reply, Abner decided to at least have a look. This was the best option to surface yet, and they would be heading somewhere.

They went to buy a pickup from Dinneen Garage. This dealer represented several makes of vehicles, so there was a huge selection. However, the salesman thought Abner should look over the pickups that had just arrived at the train depot. The salesman drove them to the depot. The family was quite surprised at what they saw. The vehicles were shipped on end so the largest number of vehicles could fit into the railroad cars. Abner decided on a pickup he thought would be practical for their trip and for farm use.

He paid cash for the pickup. Abner and Hannah were traveling with a great amount of money, which they had stashed among their belongings. Abner had arranged with his bank in Indiana to send his savings to a bank in the area where they planned to live. His savings would go fast once he bought land, equipment, and livestock. The savings had to fund them through their first winter also.

The family loaded their most needed belongings, as well as a barrel of gasoline, in the new pickup. The rest of their possessions would be freighted to the town closest to the new irrigation district.

Roads followed waterways. That is how the pioneers had to travel with their livestock, so when vehicles came on the scene, they followed the wagon trails. Horse travel was not uncommon either. Roads were iffy and towns were far apart. Camping was a necessity, but was not something Hannah had planned to do. Camping became fun after some trial and error, improvising, and adding some ingenuity.

Upon arriving at a town that had a mercantile, they stopped to buy supplies for what had become a camping trip. Anna and Nathan were mesmerized with the fishing tackle. The storeowner, noticing this, told the family of a fishing hole with good camping just a few miles down the road. What a salesman! The children skipped out of the store with plans for catching hundreds of fish with their new equipment.

The fishing hole was easy to find. Another family was there, but it was almost evening, so Abner decided to stay anyway. There was plenty of camping space. Anna and Nathan rushed off to try their luck fishing, with strict orders not to interfere with others fishing. Hannah busied herself setting up a camp and planning supper.

The men were first to meet, then Hannah joined Abner in meeting their neighbors. Abner introduced Hannah to Reuben and his wife Fontana. They had three children: Joel who was twelve, Seth was nine, and Bessie was four. Their ages fit in very well with Anna who was eleven and Nathan who was six. They, too, were off fishing.

Reuben had been a test driver for Franklin Motors until Ford Motors bought that company. Reuben was to drive the vehicles under conditions a buyer would. That is how he met Fontana. The vehicle he was driving broke down in front of her father’s farm in Ohio. One thing he acquired from that job was a desire to travel. Fontana shared his passion, so after they married, they bought a vehicle and took off. When money gets low, Reuben finds a job. He works at that job until it ends or he cannot stand to stay put any longer. Most recently, Reuben had been helping at a potato farm in Idaho. Before that, he worked on a tulip farm in Oregon. He was going to work his way south as they liked to spend their winters in warmer climates.

Reuben and Fontana thought having children would be the end of that life style. Joel was no trouble to take along, so they continued with their lives as they had been. Their children get quite an education traveling around the country. They see much of the United States, they visit historic sites, they live around different cultures, and Fontana fills in the rest of their education.

Anna and Nathan were having no luck catching fish until Joel came along. He helped them get their lines set up and showed them how to fish in holes like the ones around the camping area. With five children fishing, they soon had enough fish for everyone’s supper. Fontana and Hannah cooked the fish, each added fruit or vegetables to the meal. Soon they were one big family. None of the children could stay awake after supper and were soon asleep. However, the adults visited long into the night. In the morning, Abner and family headed north, but Reuben and family decided to stay another day or two.

At a creek crossing a couple days later, Abner got the pickup hopelessly stuck. Travelers over the years had placed rocks, as flat as they could find, in the wheel’s path. Abner misjudged and was high centered on those rocks. Hannah sent the children off to fish. They did not need to broaden their vocabulary. Besides, it was going to take several hours to get the pickup unstuck.

The children were back in a few minutes. They had a story about an ocean of sheep heading their way and not wanting to be trampled. In a few minutes, sheep started moseying by them. The herder was towards the back of the flock driving a team hooked to a sheepherder’s wagon. His dogs were doing the real work of keeping the sheep bunched up and moving. He could not get his wagon past Abner’s stuck pickup, so decided to travel downstream and set up a camp there. He offered to came back with his team and help get the pickup out of the creek, after he settled the sheep to grazing. The children, deciding the danger had passed, went fishing.

In a little over an hour, the herder came driving his team on foot. He introduced himself as Oakie. By now, Abner and Hannah had unloaded as much of the pickup as possible. Abner had jacked up one tire and placed rocks under