Out & About with Dena Wood

I 've only called Waitsburg home for twenty-odd years - a newcomer by old timer standards. But I married into my husband's family where roots on both sides of the ancestral tree - Woods and Smiths - run deep in Waitsburg's soil. As these early families expanded in size, remaining in the area to marry into other local families who were likewise enamored by Waitsburg's call to "home," those roots sent out shoots and vines, intertwining and connecting one person to another through family, friendship and shared experience.

It can get amusing. For instance, when my children ask, "Are we related to soand so?" And I say, "Well . . . kind of" or "Define related." Then they ask "how" and I'm forced to once again seek clarification on the exact nature of the connection. Or when a teen has a "like" interest and draws out a diagram to make sure there's no blood relation. Don't laugh - it's happened.

Many of the homes in Waitsburg carry that same kind of history and connection, rich with the heritage of the families that built and then filled them over the years. And they sometimes intertwine historically in the same way as the individuals of the community. I've found a photo of our home on display in the Bruce Museum and have been told that the silver tea set in the museum's dining room was donated from a family who once lived in our home. I can't verify the accuracy, but it's nice to believe.

My most recent experience with this type of connection was discovered as I was learning about the current display in the Wilson- Phillips house, which is next door to our own. The display centers on Silas and Alice Wilson, who built the home in 1894 and lived there until they passed away in the 1940's. One of the displays showcases decorations and glassware from their 50th anniversary party which was held in our home, where Silas and Alice's daughter, Ivy (Wilson) Baxter then lived.

While a fun bit of trivia, my connection to the display is only peripheral. The true connection is the another longtime Waitsburg family - the Abbey's. Silas and Alice Wilson gave birth to Ivy (Wilson) Baxter who had three children. One was a daughter, Velma (Baxter) Danielson Aeur, who is Bruce Abbey's grandmother. Velma's daughter, Liz (Danielson) Abbey was mother to Bruce and Faye (Abbey) King. Bruce still farms the family land just west of Waitsburg - as did his father and grandfather -- and his sister Faye lives in Odessa, Wash.

Faye Abbey and Bruce's wife Barb have been working on the display off and on since Joe Abbey's (Bruce's father) death in 2010. "Bruce cheered us on," said Barb. As an only child, many of the family heirlooms were passed down to Joe's wife, Liz who passed away in 2004. As caregiver of those items, Joe ended up with much of the Wilson family history. Barb shared that she and Faye "tried to be honoring" as they sorted through the many boxes of memorabilia, that became overwhelming at times. They also spent many hours in investigative work, attempting to match names to photos.

The results of their careful research and recording are most certainly an honor to the family and are on display for the community to enjoy. The Wilson-Phillips House is open each Friday and Saturday from 1 - 4 p.m. and the display will run through the Fall Festival in September.

Visitors to the home are greeted with an introduction to Silas and Alice and their family in the foyer. The couple moved to Puyallup, Wash. from Kansas in 1890 and to Waitsburg in 1891. They built the Wilson- Phillips house in 1894 and enjoyed it until their passing; Alice in 1941 and Silas in 1946.

An antique wheelchair belonging to Alice's mother is draped with a quilt and sits in the bay window as visitors enter the parlor. Alice's mother, Eliza Bessie Howland, was widowed at an early age and came to live with Silas and Alice in 1908. She was an avid quilter, as was her daughter and granddaughter. Several quilts, crafted by Bessie (Eliza), Alice and Ivy - spanning from the 1870's to the 1920's - are on display in the parlor and upstairs in the sewing room. A 1920's Sunbonnet Sue quilt is backed with Topeka, KS flour sacks. "We can just imagine Bessie sitting in this bay window and quilting as she watched goings-on about town," said Barb.

Another display showcases glassware and decorations from the Wilson's 50th Anniversary Party. "We know what was used because they clipped the article from The Times," said Barb. The article, detailing the receiving line, guests, décor and entertainment, has been re-typed and sits among the display. It mentions a poem "written by a blind friend who lives in the East" that was also found among the memorabilia and is on display.

Barb said that poem leads them to believe that Silas and Alice met when he became a boarder in their home:

. . .long ago there lived

a maiden, With her mother all alone

and a stranger, sick

and weary, they

Befriended in their

home.

Now the youth he

loved the maiden, and the

maiden loved the youth

No friends this is a

story, I am telling you the

truthhellip;

A glass case showcases a timeline of jewelry dating from the Pre-Georgian era in the 1840's to the Modern era in the 1940's and 50's. Victorian brooches, art deco pieces and flapper beads are among the items on display. According to Barb, seed pearls were popular in the 1800's and reflected the beading arts of the Native Americans.

One of Barb's favorite parts of the display is of items that nearly ended in the trash - Victorian calling and advertising cards. "We didn't realize what we had until we really looked at them," she said. The cards have been placed in a 3-ring binder so that both the design on the front and the signatures and notes on the back may be seen. "We realized the cards were a real history of the people in Waitsburg. You look through them and you see the names on the buildings in Waitsburg - Morgan, Powell - right there on the cards," said Barb.

If you have a few moments to spare on a Friday or Saturday afternoon this summer, I highly suggest you take in the display and browse through the cards. You may even find a connection of your own.