The Old Dillard Settlement

Jan, 2002

Once upon a time in this settlement as in all of Marion County, each farm had its own chicken house, smokehouse and many even had its own blacksmith shop. I got to thinking about how good those home grown chickens were when mom would fry a big skillet full or have a pot of chicken and dumplings. The dumplings always look so yellow and rich--and they were. It seemed the richer the food the better it was for you. Not so these days and times, but neither did you store up that "fat" from the chickens because the next time you needed a chicken to cook, you had to go run it down grab its leg and mom normally rung the chicken's neck off and then hold it over a burning flame to burn the pin-feathers off. The washing and cutting up took place then. Neville (Davis) Bogle told me one time that every time she cut a chicken up, she always found a new piece. I found several myself, Neville, never the less, you can see how much energy was burned to prepare a chicken for dinner.

Most of the flock was raised on the farmstead. The eggs were marked and slid under the old "setting" hen and how anxious we were to check the eggs and hear the first little pecking inside the egg-then the tiny little hole where the baby chick was readily making its appearance. How beautiful it was to see the mother hen scratching up the ground finding her chicks a nice, fat, juicy worm. The baby chicks would run and fight over that morsel just like a couple of little children over a toy.

What a busy day it was on hog-killing day. There again the hog had been fattened just right, and at that period of time, the more fat the better, because you rendered the fat to keep for cooking. (Mother always like the fruit piecrust made with lard). The scrap fat was saved to make soap later on in the year.

We were always so anxious for the fist fresh tenderloin or ribs. Then as the day wore on, all the smell of lard rendering began to get the best of us. How good it was to have that job done and the cracklings ready for cornbread and the pigskins cooked until they were a good crunchy treat with a little salt sprinkled on them. My! The treats we had growing up in these hills.

By the time spring and summer came, what meat was left was mostly fat back and it was getting old, strong and turning a little yellow from age, but it was still tasty when it was boiled to get the salt off, washed rolled in meal or flour then fried. Sure it was good but I dare say a "kid" now wouldn't touch it.

I agree it wasn't like that fried chicken, but he spring chickens were not even hatched yet so might as well enjoy what you had. We were proud to have that fat back because polk "sallet" was coming up which had to be cooked with grease. That was fit for a king to eat. Especially, if fried potatoes, gravy and cornbread was setting on the table ready to be demolished.

Many of the farmers were getting ready to begin plowing the garden as weather permitted, they for sure wanted to get potatoes and English peas planted in February. Leon and his Grandmother "Dame," always looked forward to sharing their birthday dinner with new potatoes and peas the 21^st of May. That was a very important to them and something to work for.

Are you just "Plum tuckered out" reading about all the jobs done in the day of once upon a time? You'll get rested, we always did and were ready to tackle the next day, as the sun rose to greet us.

Winter still holds on. Snow covers the ground to a depth of about three inches, which recalls to my mind what you had to say about the first of February in regard to the ground hog as a weather prophet. You referred to the little animal as an amateur weather prophet. You also poked fun at those people who rely upon the weather prophecy of the ground hog.

You forget, Mr. Williford that the groundhog has been forecasting weather conditions for perhaps millions of years before man put in his appearance on this planet., and has survived several major climatic changes. All of which has given him superior knowledge when it comes to forecasting weather conditions. I trust that here after, you will refer to the groundhog as an able and professional weather forecaster.

The ground hog's weather map consists of his shadow, if and when it occurs on February 2nd and various other things which he has observed in his long and hard struggle to survive the major climatic changes which have rendered extinct may species of large animals. This year the ground hog has again delivered the bacon. In view of that fact I feel, Mr. Williford, that you owe an apology to the ground hog and those people who have implicit confidence in his weather forecasts? These letters to the Ozark Weatherman C.C Williford was probably written about 50 or more years ago. He caught it, the weathermen of today catch it and we just run to the TV to catch it. The weather forecast-that is.

I think there have been songs written for every occasion of our lives. The song, which came to my mind this past week was, "We Are Going Down The Valley One By One." I hope this lets up for a while and I don't think of it any more for a long time. I have lost two cousins this past week and it always makes me so sad. One wonderful thing about it, Cornie ROBINSON and Daniel DAVIS were both Christians and I feel they were ready to pass down this Valley. They are missed so much and our love goes out to their families. Even though Cornie was living in Stratton, Nebraska, he and his family made an effort to come back to visit all the relation here in the Ozarks. It was still like home I am sure. I remember his mother Lillie (WILLIAMS) ROBINSON showing me some of the herbs she had, some of their uses, and spoke of she and her mother Mary (DAVENPORT) WILLIAMS gathering them. I wish I had just some of the knowledge they had. Lillie gave me a treasure I may have told you. On this same visit, she gave to me a little doily. I want to give it to you." How delighted I was to receive this precious gift. I have shown it in several programs given at schools and other organizations. What wonderful skills she had and taught to her children and others. Yes, Cornie and all his brothers and sisters were blessed to have a mother and father as they had.

Daniel was also brought up in a home were love and Christian living was a priority. His family lived in the Freck Community and were such hard workers. I remember my husband, Leon, telling how they farmed, raised all sorts of foods for both the family and their stock. One of the things they grew was wheat. At least I know Leon spoke many times how Daniel would use their old hand cradle while just a "kid." He was always at his daddy Tom DAVIS' side. He was taught many skills of like by his mother Josephine (WEICHER) DAVIS also. I know he had to have been taught the love of beauty because Aunt "Josey" always grew the prettiest houseplants and garden flowers. There again, how did our wonderful old timers have the time for growing something they couldn't eat? They did and I fully believe it helped them to survive all the hardships they endured. I am so thankful to have lived in a time with all the fine friends, neighbors and kin to help guide us through our lifetime. I hope I showed them in some way, while they lived how much I appreciated them.

Homer and Rosemary BROWN also had four other girls Brenda James, Joyce North, and Linda Zimmerman and a baby girl who died in infancy, plus two sons, Dean who died in a hunting accident at Benton and Harrel.

Lavern and Bill McEntire met and married in Yakima and have raised four children one daughter and three sons; Rhonda Crow, Shannon, Cary, and Terry McEntire. There are six grandchildren and some great grandchildren.

Bill McEntire was born in Oklahoma to Christopher Columbus and Walsie Cheek McEntire.