It's your turn: two houses

 

Two houses

This is the story of two houses that were built around the same time, in the early 1900’s.  The one without a porch railing was my grandparents, Lena RIVARD and August WICKENHEISER’S home. They bought the property in 1926, and built the home soon afterwards.  My grandmother lived there until her death in 1972. I spent many happy hours in that home.

The house with the railings is my home.  I fell in love with it the moment I walked through the kitchen and into the dining room. It was also built in the 1920's. I didn’t know why the house held such an attraction for me until my nephew Lucas remarked to my sister. “I know why Aunt Rana liked that house.  It looks just like your grandma’s.”

I didn’t know until I heard a talk about kit houses that our two houses were probably from kits.  The floor plans and exteriors are very similar, although my grade door is in the back and my grandparents was on the side.  Their bay window was a later addition. I did know that from the moment I walked into my house I knew it was my forever home.

Just a side note.  Carleton had a railroad depot near my grandparent’s house, and Maybee had a railroad depot very near my house.  Easy shipping for the kit houses.

 



Rana Joblinski Willit

02/17/24

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