September 7, 1986
George Dunshee and Charles Prior and myself took off at 2 p.m. in my car with Charles driving, as he was going to lead the way. We rode longer than usual, but it was pleasant, and we saw a lot of towns and interesting places. We went to Lacona and turned west, going as far as you can and we came to Otter Creek Park, a Warren County conservation project. Very nice and not too well known, I am sure. Beyond the timbered part are acres of native prairie. Three-foot-wide paths are mowed all through this prairie for people to walk along and observe. There is a lookout in there to climb up and get the view. There is not a real lake as such, but a good-size pond. It’s worth your visit. We went to Indianola. Not much time there, but went west to New Virginia, Peru, St. Charles and Truro, ending up on that end of Winterset. We toured the city park from one end to the other. It is a scenic tour. Saw John Wayne’s birthplace, then went to Pammel Park. None of us had really gone through it from end to end. It’s really large and beautiful. The ledges are very interesting. Limestone ledges are everywhere and they always make you think of rattle snakes. They are there but if you leave them alone they will not bother. The watchword is to be alert. We had no special words or subjects to discuss as we rode but I did observe that three men of our ages do have a lot of knowledge when we pool it together, whether it is stars, politics, livestock, wild flowers, birds, etc. It was a pleasant day to ride and the countryside is really green for this time of the year. The only flower we found was beautiful cow vetch.
More about the Piper Bakery in 1917 -
The bakery business increased and Father hired Dort Allenburger to come from Milwaukee. These two German bakers produced wonderful products. I noticed in some old files where our bakery was awarded prizes several times for bread made from corn flour and corn sugar and lard. The awards came from the state of Iowa. These two men were just doing their thing because in the old country corn flour and corn sugar was what they used all the time.
The bakery was just a short distance from our home and Mother was there often. She discovered the bakers were making beer in the basement. This was something they always had done. They had it on the table and young and old drank it with their meals. We children tried a little, but it was too much for us. It was never given away or sold. In fact, this was part of the process of making what was known as old-world bread starter. Yeast was scarce and this starter seemed just as good. Looking at it from this angle, Mother went along with the idea. Often when going to school we would go by Offenhousers to walk with their children and the mother would have them come back and finish their beer.
They were really homesick all the time they were here. Once in a while they got up to Bauer where they met some German-speaking people. As the war wore on and they were so pro-German, it was thought best for both families to go back to Milwaukee for the peace of all.
The last we heard of them they were making candy for a firm in Milwaukee. They would send us some at Christmas time. The piece of candy I remember was about as big around as a nickel and about an inch long and it was hollow with candy glass windows in each end and a beautiful scene inside. Hold it up to the light and human figures, animals, and trees could be seen. Years later they sent us a box of figures to be used in making cornstarch molds, such as fish, rabbits, Christmas wreaths, etc. I still have them and they are perfect and over one hundred years old.
Have you noticed the robins and blue jays are back from the deep woods where they have been molting? They are around by the hundreds.
Lester VanZee and gang took Old Betsy to Wisconsin to show what a good old steam pumper could do. They had a great time. Nice article in the local paper about it all.
Noticing the dry cracks in the ground recalls to mind the year of 1915 or near, when there were no water meters. Water was a dollar a month. My folks didn’t know this, but we would put the hose in a crack and let it run all night and all day without the crack filling up.
A week or two ago several Red Haw campers went out to the White Breast Church, which is being held together by Gloria and Larry Morton. This was a nice gesture on the campers’ part. The little church doesn’t owe a cent and is determined to go on.
The bakery was started in 1912. We had our first bakers, Harry and Zula Roten, husband and wife, for five years. Harry became ill with a lung problem brought on by smoking, the doctors said. So many men had gone to war, bakers were scarce. Father heard there were German bakers out of work in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He went there and hired a man by the name of Offenhouser to come here. It was a good deal. Husband and wife and two children. I remember they lived in a little house right where the Senior Ball Park is now. This house originally was the famous Red House located one and a half miles north of Mallory Castle. In later years it was moved to town and later was moved again and still stands one and a half blocks south of the ball park area. It still is a good house and is occupied.
The bakery business increased and Father hired Dort Allenburger to come from Milwaukee. These two German bakers produced wonderful products. I noticed in some old files where our bakery was awarded prizes several times for bread made from corn flour and corn sugar and lard. The awards came from the state of Iowa. These two men were just doing their thing because in the old country corn flour and corn sugar was what they used all the time.
The bakery was just a short distance from our home and Mother was there often. She discovered the bakers were making beer in the basement. This was something they always had done. They had it on the table and young and old drank it with their meals. We children tried a little, but it was too much for us. It was never given away or sold. In fact, this was part of the process of making what was known as old-world bread starter. Yeast was scarce and this starter seemed just as good. Looking at it from this angle, Mother went along with the idea. Often when going to school we would go by Offenhousers to walk with their children and the mother would have them come back and finish their beer.
They were really homesick all the time they were here. Once in a while they got up to Bauer where they met some German-speaking people. As the war wore on and they were so pro-German, it was thought best for both families to go back to Milwaukee for the peace of all.
The last we heard of them they were making candy for a firm in Milwaukee. They would send us some at Christmas time. The piece of candy I remember was about as big around as a nickel and about an inch long and it was hollow with candy glass windows in each end and a beautiful scene inside. Hold it up to the light and human figures, animals, and trees could be seen. Years later they sent us a box of figures to be used in making cornstarch molds, such as fish, rabbits, Christmas wreaths, etc. I still have them and they are perfect and over one hundred years old.
Have you noticed the robins and blue jays are back from the deep woods where they have been molting? They are around by the hundreds.
Lester VanZee and gang took Old Betsy to Wisconsin to show what a good old steam pumper could do. They had a great time. Nice article in the local paper about it all.
Noticing the dry cracks in the ground recalls to mind the year of 1915 or near, when there were no water meters. Water was a dollar a month. My folks didn’t know this, but we would put the hose in a crack and let it run all night and all day without the crack filling up.
A week or two ago several Red Haw campers went out to the White Breast Church, which is being held together by Gloria and Larry Morton. This was a nice gesture on the campers’ part. The little church doesn’t owe a cent and is determined to go on.
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