Abandoned - Butcher & Baker - Story 20 NWS

[Abandoned]

Chapter 15


  We were told that a new trading post was started immediately and was done that winter, but we thought that was not the case, eager explorer.  We think it had to be the following winter because we were told about other buildings that were done first.



  A colonial style house was built behind the storage barn for a young single that had still been living in one of the vacant houses.  Two shops were built on the road near the Rivertown forester; one was a furniture store and the other a home goods.  The shopkeepers lived above the shops.  The surplus of logs the town had was put to good use making tables, chairs, and bedframes.  The home goods stores had wooden cups, plates, and bowls, plus storage barrels and crates.  The town's women made other household items for the shop that others, especially those will young children and little time to spare, really appreciated. 





  Another school was built for the children, the new one in Rivertown was on the road that led to Timbertown since Huntington had its own school.  One of the older students from that school went to teach at the new school; it was completed and ready for new students when the first snow fell in autumn, we were told.  It was the school Ken went to years later.



  So, that's why we think it was that winter that the new trading post was done.  The trading post itself was a lot of work.  They removed the old wooden fishing pier next to the seed trader and built a matching stone fishing pier on the other side.  Another colonial house was built across from the pier.  The new trading post was good size and stocked with crates and barrels of items moved from the seed trader.  The farmers weren't planning on ordering more seeds; what they had would last for years with saving seeds from each crop, plus they had plenty of seeds for patches which were being stored with the others in the stone seed trader.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 16




  The rye seeds were planted along with the oats and barley in the 3 farm fields.  Three new patch was dug closer to those fields to replace the other patches.  One new patch was planted with cabbage and the other with potatoes, the 3rd patch was not planted right away; they were deciding which they needed more of, the cabbage or the potatoes.  A new colonial farmhouse was built by the patches and fields.  The last family was now out of the vacant house, which was then truly vacant.



  Huntington got a picnic table and bench from the furniture store, and a barrel from the home goods store.  They began making cider with the berries from the market, there were a lot of berries.  There was also a lot of leather at the market; the tailor's cart was full of wool and leather.  It wasn't long before someone came up with a plan to use some of the surplus leather; a cobbler shop was built next to the furniture store.  Everyone in the 3 towns would be getting either a new pair of shoes or boots, or new leather soles put on their old ones.  The children's shoes held up much better; they outgrow their clothes and shoes so fast that they are in good condition to pass down to a young sibling.



  Yes, eager explorer, they do tend to grow up so fast.  At that time, there were several young adults living at home with their parents who either wanted a place of their own or wanted spouses.  A few more houses were built, most in Rivertown and one in Timbertown.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 17


  No one could tell us how long it was before there were more apples and less berries in the Huntington market; they began making their cider from apples instead of berries. Elders could tell us that everyone liked that apple cider, especially when it was warmed by the fire on chilly fall evenings; they still do.



  In Rivertown, a tavern was built on the main road by the cemetery.  It was completed in late winter, and in spring the furniture store provided some tables and benches for both inside and outside the tavern.  A hardy ale was brewed from berries no longer being used in Huntington; the ale and the tavern were enjoyed by both men and women from all 3 towns and still is.



  Down the road the elderberries were blooming beautifully that spring.  Several trees and shrubs were cut down, so the berries got more sun and had more room to grow.  A wine barrel was set up and ready to make elderberry wine as soon as there were elderberries to pick.  A shed was built nearby to store the berries and the wine.



  It was that same year that Timbertown built a nut roaster.  The hedgerows that had apple trees had either a walnut tree or a chestnut tree.  Walnuts were the first nuts roasted and in fall the tavern set out bowls of warm roasted walnuts to go with the mugs of berry ale.