Cramming for the test

Heading off on a bike ride to my dentist, a long ambitious bike ride in the morning fog, but I am compelled to get as much exercise as possible this week. Yesterday I walked downtown to see how far I could indeed walk and guess if I can walk myself to my surgery on Monday. 

Yes, I am getting the metal removed from my foot on Monday. I'm about as anxious as can be, so I'm distracting myself with preparation. Put meals in the freezer, and gathered my favorite snacks, some movies, lots of books. Cleaned everything, including windows. 

I'll be off the foot for two weeks, and then will have to still be careful about the incision and my general health. The bone breaks are healed, but taking out the pins will leave holes in the bones, if the pins even come out. But sometimes negative thinking patterns are coping mechanisms and I'm trying to use my minimization and denial techniques to keep my calm about what is a minor, not life-threatening experience, under normal circumstances. I'm a lucky person.

I distracted myself all day yesterday with house research, and it was rich. I went to the Lane County Historical Museum which is right here in my neighborhood, and found out some crucial research techniques. I hurried off to the library, ignoring the lifted fog and sunny day, and checked out the Polk's City Directories which list Heads of households and how much they paid in taxes in many of the early years. 

Turns out Samantha Davis Huddleston paid huge tax bills in the early part of the 20th century. I'm guessing she had so much property (most of which was taken for free in the donation land claims) from her husband's acquisitions, that she couldn't sell it off fast enough to save on taxes. She and her grown son lived in the neighborhood for a very long time, and I'm going to walk by their house if I can find it. Eugene changed its street numbers in that time, so it is sometimes difficult to pin down a particular house.

I'm beginning to wonder if Frank and Grace Bowers ever lived in this house, even though Frank splashed his name inside so many walls. He certainly engaged in fixing it up. I have to go back to the County records to figure out more of the little details.

I found reference to Tillie Van Harken living here as early as 1925. She may have bought and sold it. She was 65 in 1925, and had come here from Holland in maybe 1908. She may have done some of the work decorating...maybe that early wallpaper came from her. I hope I can tease out the progression of work somehow from the county records. It won't be easy, so I don't think I will accomplish it today. But it's really, really fun.

The women working at the Museum were super and I will go back there many times to fill in details for my eventual articles or book. I'm tempted to write about Samantha now. She must have been quite powerful. Her father, Benjamin Davis, was a judge and I'm reading the earliest probate records now. He has just died and James Huddleston is settling his estate. This is in 1858. The list of his effects is astounding and does include several city lots with stables. I'm so excited by this I wish I didn't have to rush off to the dentist now. 

So my latest theory is that I am living in one of the former stables. This would explain the wide, inadequate spacing of the rafters and joists that were not meant to hold the weight of asphalt shingles or an attic. This place was not built to be a house in the beginning, I'm sure.

So I will rush around for a few more days trying to find out more, and come back and tell you about those possessions and their distribution, and we shall see what we can learn about Samantha, Grace, and Tillie. And starting Monday I will be icing and elevating my foot again and trying not to enjoy myself too much on my little vacation.

I'll miss a week or two of Market, and Hallowe'en, and a few other things I might like to attend but won't be. I'm not planning to need a lot of help. Thank you so much for thinking of me, but I'm able to prepare this time and I'm experienced at this now. It will be fine.

Onward into the fog! Last day to hang up laundry, so I hope it clears soon.