Page 69 - Firehouse Pond

I vividly recall one incident that upset me. I was in third grade that year. The

soles of my clodhopper shoes had come loose. My father used hog’s nose
rings to hold them together until we could afford to order new shoes for me.
The kids on the bus and at school made fun of me and laughed. I thought my

father was smart and handy for fixing my shoes. Besides, I didn’t have
another pair to wear.

This might be a good place to tell you how my cousin Francis demolished our

outhouse. It was funny, but inconvenient for a few days.

My aunt and uncle and all my cousins came to visit that summer. We had

tractors and manure spreaders. Let your mind wander.

It seems to me that we only stayed in Steelville for one summer and that

winter. But I recall my cousins visiting and having a lot of fun on the farm.

My cousin Francis drove an old Massey Ferguson tractor right through our

outhouse. It was funny until we were told we’d have no privacy until it was
rebuilt.

Enough about what I recall; here is a bit of background on Steelville. As of

the census of 2010, the population of Steelville was 1,642.

Prior to the 1800s American Indians primarily from the Choctaw and

Cherokee tribes were the only outsiders to pass through the area.

Having been removed from Georgia and Mississippi by the government they
were forced to relocate to Oklahoma and the West. That journey is referred

to as “The Trail of Tears”. Historians believe they stopped in Steelville in the
spring to rest, bury their dead, and get supplies.