Angie Ledbetter's grandfather built this home sometime between the late 1800s and 1901, just down the hill and across the creek from where his father originally homesteaded the place in the 1800s. At one time, after her grandfather's death, the family sold the place. Angie's parents, Myrna Garner and late father Robert "Bob" Garner, bought it back in 1974. "I suppose anyone who tries to get it now will draw back a nub," I surmised and told her the same. She agreed. The place has an interesting history.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Thank the Almighty for peripheral vision. That's how I saw this old home off Arkansas Highway 128 in the Lonsdale community. Had I blinked, I would have probably missed it. After turning around I eased into what appeared to be a driveway, exited the pickup, and started my initial reconnoiter. I had walked no more than 10 yards when a car following the same path that I did approached. I approached the car and asked the driver, Angie Ledbetter, if this was her place.

     "Yes it is."

     "Mind if I photograph it?"

     "Not at all"

     "Is it a old family home?"

     "Yes."

     "Can you tell me about it?"

Yes, she could.

The original homestead place was behind this old residence and high on the hill where Angie Garner's home now sits. The family removed the porch several years ago after a friend managed to crash through the 110-year-old-plus structure. Rebuilding the porch is an impending family project.

Angie's great grandparents were farmers and, unusual for the time, vegetarians, a requirement of their church. They built the original home from scratch, at that time, deep in the boondocks. They raised mules and 11 children. After Angie's grandparents' death, there was some controversy among surviving siblings as to who was going to get what and when were they were going to get it. The argument festered, went from bad to worse, and one of the children torched the original place.

After that unfortunate burnout, Angie's grandfather took it upon himself to build this house just down the hill from where he first drew breath. He did it in 1901. Angie's late father, Robert "Bob" Garner, was born in the house and is entombed in a mausoleum on the premises. During the recent rash of storms that have plagued the South, high winds sent a tree crashing down on the mausoleum, but it survived Mother Nature's assault.

The final resting place for Robert "Bob" Garner was recently assaulted by Mother Nature during the rash of storms that battered Arkansas and other southern states. As you can see, the mausoleum survived nicely. Endemic of this place. See another unsuccessful tree attack on a grave at Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind, linked below.

Despite a fire, family controversy, a sale and buy back, and Mother Nature's ire, the Garner Place remains, well, The Garner Place. The family cares for the premises and one suspects with certainty that the family will have an anchor point for years to come. Good for them.

N O T E S:  
Nikon D300, ISO 200, tripod mounted, AF S Nikkor 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 VR. House shots composited, base exposures: porch 1/50 @ f4, house 1/40 @ f5. Mausoleum, hand-held 1/60 @ f3.5. Post processed with Perfect Resize Pro, HDR Express, and Photoshop CS5 Extended.

SEE THE PUPPIES
who call the old Garner place home
at Weekly Grist
for the Eyes and Mind,
along with other pictures of the place and another grave that
barely escaped Mother Nature's wrath. Learn a bit more about the Garners.
Click and see more pictures and get another story.

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Most of the time, there is more to the Photo of the Week story than can be told in an essay. And most of the time there are more pictures to be seen. Presuming that some folk will enjoy being privy to this trove of information, I have created a blog, “Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind,” where I am showing and telling “the rest of the story." There are also some blatantly commercial mentions of some of the things we do to earn our beans and taters. Click on the Weekly Grist logo and go to the blog.  — J. D.