We still own a house in a small town in rural Minnesota that was built in the 1890s.
It's really beyond restoration, but it still has charm, and is a very comforting place to be.
A dungeon for a basement with stone walls, a dirt floor, and a massive old cistern to catch rain water.
We found an old heavy stock photograph of the original owner and his daughters in the basement -
that the last surviving daughter probably stuffed in there between the foundation and the structure,
to keep out the cold winds and snow, in her old age.
There is also an old newspaper between some rafters up in the attic that tells of Custer's battle at the Little Big Horn -
even though that was long before this house was built. A previous owner told me he found it up there and 'put it back'.
I've yet to go up there myself in all these years - but I know a couple roofers were up there after I found out ...
But I know one of them is an honest man.
