BENSHOOF

    Mr. and Mrs. Paul Benshoof moved in 1888 to a farm in Pilot Grove Township, owned by his brother Evan Benshoof. After living there for two years they purchased 11 acres adjoining Elliott.  My father was a carpenter and built a 3 room house, 1 room upstairs and 2 down on the first floor.  Several years later they added 3 rooms more. Part of the land he planted corn on, as they had a horse, chickens, a cow, and a hog or two.  The rest he planted to fruit: apple tree, raspberries, grapes, etc.  He had around 20 cherry trees, most of them were in the front yard.  He raised strawberries and garden truck to sell.  When Arthur was big enough, he started out with a little basket of vegetables, later father got him a little wagon to go around town. Then they decided to build some hot beds as there was a demand for plants to set out.  They raised sweet potato, cabbage, tomato and pepper plants. Mother did most of the selling of these, as we three children -Arthur, Ida and Malvern (Ted), were in school.  Rainy days were their busiest days.  After many years it was hard for them to get up and down so the quit the plant business.

   Grant and Jennings had rented some acreage and planned to make brick.  They built sheds to dry brick in before burning them.  They built two kiln in which to burn them.  They bought a big machine in which to mix the clay and mold the bricks.  They were put in the sheds to dry out before burning.  This machine was run by a horse. They ran it for several years, then decide to quit and sold it to my father.  He and Arthur ran it for several years.  Arthur got married so father just quit.

    We children attended school in Elliott. Arthur and Ida graduated there.  Ida taught in rural schools there, one year at Grant, the next year at the Shires school, and the next year at the Goltry school.

     Mother canned lots of grape juice.  If she heard of some old person who was ailing, she would go over with a 1/2 gallon of juice.

     Father made we children a big pole swing, also a nice croquet ground. Neighbors came over in the evenings and we enjoyed our summer evenings playing croquet.  We also had lots of pretty flowers-peonies, spirea, etc.