Remembrances - The Home Place

The Home Place, 80 acres on the Shelbyville Pike is an interesting and valuable book for local historians and genealogists. The author, William Bruce Clark, recently gave a copy to the Franklin Township Historical Society. Even if you are not descended from a Clark, a Rubush, a Fitzpatrick, a Smock, or a Joyce - or a few other families - you can appreciate it for the old photos and stories of life in southern Franklin Township, in Acton, and in northern Johnson County.

William writes in his introduction,"The purpose of this publication is to document the history and genealogy of the James Clark family with specific focus on the John Milton Clark line. It traces their roots back to North Carolina in the 1700s, and follows their history to this current time.

"James was the first of his family to settle in Indiana and is the ancestor of the Clarks included in this history. John Milton Clark was my grandfather whom I remember quite well. I was the fourth generation of Clarks to live on the 'Clark Home Place' in northern Johnson County. My father, Bruce W. Clark, farmed there until 1943. I have many memories growing up on the farm."

Some of Bill's memories of his growing up include the "huckster wagon, a truck converted into a mobile grocery store... from Shepherd's Grocery in Rocklane. Mom bought some necessities and I would get a penny candy bar, usually a Mr. Goodbar. The Omar bread man delivered bread three times a week and in the summer the ice man delivered ice for the ice box."

He has a description of "the threshing ring" to harvest the wheat, neighboring farmers doing the work together. "Going to Acton was always interesting because there was a lot of activity on the railroad in those days. Locomotives were overhauled at the Beech Grove Shops and then taken on a test run out to Dix Tower and back. Dix Tower was just east of Acton a few miles on Dix road. Trains also stopped at the Acton depot to pick up passengers and drop off freight. Mail was picked up and dropped off on the fly. The leather mail bag was tossed out of the mail car by the side of the track and a hook picked up the outgoing mail bag which was hung on a support beside the track."

Bill's book would be a good model, as well as an inspiration, for someone wanting to write a family history. It took several years, but he enjoyed the gathering of the information, he says. He laid out the pages himself, then had them printed and spiral bound. He credits his cousins, R. Wayne Clark and Bernice Clark Mathison, for their "insight into our family history, and for their personal memories and family records." He thanks his wife, Geneva "for her constructive comments and encouragement." He also mentions the publications of the Franklin Township Historical Society as one of his resources.