We lived in a white shingled
house on American Corner Road just a stone's throw from the corner where
the stores were. My uncle Ray owned on general store and gas station there.
My grandfather, Floyd Perry Daffin had a sawmill somewhere back in the
woods when he and Bertha Collins first married. His mule that he used to
haul the logs with new exactly when it was 5 O'Clock and headed back to
the house whether or not he was dragging a log or not. It was quittin'
time!
When I lived there, my
grandfather had an old, very big "shop", where he once worked on cars (model
Ts, etc.). It was filled with old parts and tools. In the front part was
an old store. My mother said he once had a tobacco store there and also
the post office. He and his sons also raised pigs and grew crops like tomatoes.
I remember going to the auctions with my grandfather (PopPop) and his brother,
uncle Tommy (Thomas James Daffin, Jr.) in an old truck with the big spoked
wheels and sitting on an upside down tomatoe basket for a seat listening
to the chug-chug of the engine and the grinding gears, hauling their "maters".
I followed PopPop around all over. He used to sit on the front steps with
his shot-gun and a six pack of Gunther or National Bohemian and shoot at
the crows and blackbirds that invaded the two big apple trees in
the front yard. His shop in these later years was used mostly as a hangout
for him and his buddies, Bill Wells and John Patchett. It was cooler in
there during the hot summer and they'd sit around the mechanic's pit and
drink beer and talk. When the pit was filled up he'd scoop them out with
a basket or something and dump them out the back window. Where they wound
up from there I do not know. I just know that I never went near that pile
of cans as it was always swarming with bees!
The house still stands.
After my grandfather died a man bought it. Today, it is painted some blue
color and the shop is gone. |
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