Ernie Hammer is a long time Kiowa County Press contributor. This story is written by Ernie’s Aunt Liz, Elizabeth Katherine (Hammer) Smith Benatti, based on her memories and family research. The story begins in Germany with Oswald Hammer and Margarethe Marie von Barsewisch, Liz’s parents. Liz passed away at the age of 104. She was living at the Kohart Home in Kit Carson at the time of her death. Part 9 can be read here.

Homestead Life (continued)

Things progressed for the good in the months and years that passed on the homestead.  The family had to build more stalls in the barn for the growing number of livestock.  Also, each child took their turn bringing in the water.  The boys learned to become sodders one at a time.  Henry Mobley was the one who taught the boys how to plow and sod.  He also taught them the sodder song.

The youngest of the children also did their part.  William and Henry wanted to work with the older boys, but they had to help Elizabeth.  Oscar was Mother Hammer’s helper in the garden.  She put onions and radishes in an enclosure so the farm animals could not get to them.  Mother Hammer and Oscar made the garden irrigated and protected at the same time.

The Hammer children would also at times be a little mischievous. They would put guinea chickens on their backs, and laugh as the chickens would try to flip back over.  Also, William and Henry would take their pet hens and lift them by the wings and tails just enough so their claws could scratch the ground until they had a big pile of dirt to play in.  Sometimes they would go swimming with the O’Conner boys in the old dirty water holes and come back all muddy and cruddy.  Ma would let them turn the hose on to get clean.  Liz didn’t like the O’Conner boys because they would chase her.  Some of Liz’s friends were Susan and Margerate Harris, Emily Turner, Myrtle Hibbard, later Holman.  She also liked the Smith boys and the Edwards family.

The boys also would dig out coyote caves.  Once they went to dig, and ran into a badger that chased the boys across the country.  After this, they slowed down at digging around.  The boys dug a cave and called it their hideout.  The room at the end of the tunnel now would let about four or five lie or hunched in the circular area where they drew up their plans.  Their ideas were gotten from the stories the cowboys from Moberly Cattle Co. told mother as they ate her biscuits and drank coffee.  But the cave became more than a yarn of makeup stories by these little boy cowboys who grew up so fast.  The cave needed some things.  They began to bring food.  Then they needed light, a candle was brought but someone invariably knocked it over.  By now the older boys were tired of such kid stuff and they seldom came to the cave.  But Martin, always sympathetic to the little ones needs, brought them a miner’s lantern-how great.

Alas, alas!  Rod had to spoil it.  One day he brought some powder from the shot gun got by sweeping up what had been spilled.  He said, “It burns.”  So we lit it.  Whoosh!  The dirt and tin was knocked off the roof and kids emerged black, scared and wholly unprepared for the whipping we each took as mother came to us before we even knew what had happened.  The cave became a ‘no no’, disbanded tin was piled on the trash pile, boards on the lumber pile, and the dirt shoveled back in.  So Martin was given the lantern to carry and he and mother walked the three miles to return the lantern to Tom Davis, owner of the Franceville mine from where he had taken it.

Next week – Homestead Life (conclusion)

Summarized by Janet Frederick

The Kiowa County Press invites those who live in or have ties to Colorado - especially the southeast, however all contributions are welcome - to share their story with our readers. Family history, current life, unique sites and adventures, and other aspects of living in Colorado are welcome. Contact us at editor@KiowaCountyPress.net.