The Olson House

This old house sits all alone taking in the beauty of the pine trees.  I believe that some kind of owl calls it his territory as I’ve heard his hoots and have seen his flight out of the corner of my eyes.  An area farmer plants fields of corn or beans on any given year and with Robert keeps a close eye on this old beauty.

Robert’s aunt & uncle lived there and probably enjoyed sitting on the side porch, at least I would have loved to sit out there any given evening.  Robert’s favorite memory was of the Sunday dinner consisting of the best chicken.  I am sure there was a giant helping of mashed potatoes and gravy too.  You had to have a hearty meat & potatoes meal back then for subsistence because all the hard work you were doing.

I imagine his aunt cooking away in her kitchen on the Monarch Electric Iron Range.  It was made of malleable iron which was cast in a white color.  The company existed in Beaver Dam Wisconsin and back in its day probably cost about $60.00 which would translate to $1700.00 today.  The company produced these ranges from 1896 until 1985.  You can imagine the smell of a fresh apple pie filling the home with warmth.

An old rusty Speed Queen washer sits in a corner.  Speed Queen promised you could easily do seven loads of laundry in just an hour, but I am guessing the wringing of clothes to rid the water must have taken much longer.  Our machines today relieve us of that method without the risk of skinning your fingers through the wringer.  I’ve read though that these old machines really could whiten the dingiest of clothing.  I suppose there once was a great clothes line stretched out somewhere.

After the 1950s, Lutheran Minister, J.D. Runsvold called this place home.  There were probably many prayers and the dinner table and quality time spent reading the Good Book.