From the Chastain Scrapbook

On Saturday we accepted the invitation of Wm. M. Woods of Grand River to ride out home with him. Passing through Decatur City we found the town full of people, the hitching rack on the north side of the square being crowded with teams, and the merchants doing a good business. Reaching Mr. Woods' farm we saw he had been improving during the last year. He has doubled his stock fields, has built a large granary capable of holding 7,000 bushels of corn, beside wheat and oats bins, all arranged in the most convenient manner, and has also put up Fairbanks' scales. He has about one hundred head of Short Horn cattle, some yearlings weighing 700 lbs., and all showing good feeding and care, all of which we need scarcely add, pays. Sunday morning we visited Mr. Roberts, who, although retarded in his improvements by the burning of his saw mill is yet full of energy and is determined to rebuild and have the mill running in a few weeks. He has under construction a fine dwelling house, situated on a commanding eminence. The basement is the most complete we have seen. The frame is up and partly enclosed, but will have to postpone completion on account of the burning of the mill. The house will be built almost entirely of native lumber, will have 21 rooms, and will be one of the best houses in that part of the county. Among other improvements we noted a capacious barn just completed by Mr. Tip Beck. Considerable building will be done in that section this summer, among which we may mention dwelling houses by Messrs Koger and Hopkins and Mrs. Duncan. That portion of our county is steadily improving, railroad or no railroad, and can't help it with such a fine body of land and such energetic industrious class of people.

Copied by Judy Chastain
February 24, 2003